Chapter 3
I could hear my phone ringing, but I ignored it. I opened my eyes long enough to see it was eleven in the morning. Who cared? I needed to sleep. It had been an exhausting few days and, let’s face it, my schedule was already full-on without adding a potential husband to the mix.
Next thing I knew, someone was pounding on my door. I figured it was Cherie. Who else would pound on my door on a Sunday? I was wearing red sleep shorts and a black tank top. I no doubt I had mascara smudged halfway down my cheeks and I didn’t care. That was, until I opened the door to find Aaron standing there. He looked like he’d stepped out of a GQ magazine. He held two cups of coffee and what smelled suspiciously like a bag of donuts.
I groaned and put my hand out for the coffee.
“So you’re a morning person then?” He handed it over. Smart guy.
“I get up early every other morning, just not Sundays.”
“Sorry. I called first.”
“I ignored that. On purpose.” I flopped down on my IKEA lounge. “So, this is my home.”
I looked around the room. It wasn’t too messy thankfully. My bicycle hung from the wall and a pile of magazines and newspapers were stacked beside my desk where my laptop sat. I had a filing cabinet, a wing chair, the red couch I was flopping on, and a small dining table near the kitchenette. A screen separated my bedroom and the bathroom from the rest of the space.
“It’s cozy,” he said surveying the joint. I tried to look at my apartment through his eyes.
“I’ve been putting my money into the business.”
“I like it. There’s absolutely no need to justify yourself to me, Piper.”
“So why are you here? Apart, of course, for the fact that you’re madly in love with me and can’t wait to marry me.”
“I have a family thing today. My cousin’s kid’s birthday. I thought maybe you would come with me.”
“No.”
“No?”
“Is it Cherie’s side or your mum’s?”
“Cherie’s.”
“Then it’s a definite no.”
“Why? I thought that would make it easier.”
He was wrong about that. I liked Cherie’s family. Her mom sometimes helped me with the business, her Dad made me laugh, and her grandma sent me home with pastries. I didn’t want to lie to them.
“I’m not ready.”
“It’s not easy for me either, but if we’re planning to elope soon, it will be more credible if they’ve seen us together.”
“Only if they buy it and I’m not sure I can sell it.”
“Because I’m so repulsive?”
I shook my head. He sat there looking like a male super-model.
“Look at you, you look like…well, you don’t look like you would be likely to fall in love with this.” I waved my coffee cup over myself.
“That’s ridiculous. You’re amazing.”
“Let me ask you this then. Are most of the girls you date like Ophelia?”
He nodded.
“Tall, blonde lawyer types, right? So why, all of a sudden, would you go out with a short red-head from a working-class background.”
“Maybe it’s destiny.”
“They know you. They won’t believe that.”
“Okay, but you think they’d believe you’d date me?”
“Sure. You’re a good-looking, successful guy. Of course I’d date you.” Oops, that came out wrong, or rather; it shouldn’t have come out at all. “You’re a catch so if I wasn’t marrying you and if you asked me out I probably would go and see if we had anything in common.”
“But I’m too shallow to go out with you?”
“I never said shallow; I said you had a type.”
“Maybe you’re my type.” His eyes narrowed on me like a tractor beam.
It felt awkward. I was aware that I didn’t have much clothing on, that his eyes were trailing over my body, and that there was a spark here.
“Look, honey, our first fight!” I said to lighten the tension.
“Shall we kiss and make up?” His gaze was on my mouth.
“Yeah, right.” I stood up and turned away. “Give me five minutes and I’ll be ready. But for the record, I think this is a mistake.”
I’d been to Cherie’s cousin Vinnie’s house before. Vinnie was also Aaron’s cousin and his place was just north of the city. It was a typical New England house - grey shingles with white trim. He had a huge yard that, today, included about fifty friends and relatives, a pony ride, and a jumping castle as we called them in Australia but I would learn was called a bounce house here in America.
Vinnie ran a car dealership and sold me my first food truck at a good price. His wife, Maria, was the sweetest thing ever. She reminded me of Marie Osmond and seemed to have almost as many children. They were good people.
“Look at you two,” she said. “Who’dathought?”
Who indeed? Cherie spotted us and hurried over. “You know, Maria, I’ve always said I should be a match-maker, right? These two are more of my handy work.”
“Cherie set me and Vinnie up in high school,” Maria explained. “And Robbie and Ellen, too.” She pointed to an attractive all-American couple holding adorable blonde twins with cute little pigtails in their hair. “She has a gift.”
Cherie winked at me as Maria headed off. “I have a gift you guys. Although, I’m surprised to see you out and about together so soon. Does this mean it’s really on?”
“We’re letting today be the judge.” Aaron explained. “We pulled it off at a work function last night. If we can convince this crowd, too, then maybe…”
“We’re going to be family!” Cherie said happily to me.
That was a big problem. I could see myself giving up Aaron and his pretty face, and I could see myself leaving his luxury home and returning to my loft when this was over, but I couldn’t quite see myself surviving if I was exiled by Cherie’s family when we eventually divorced. They were the closest thing to a real family I had ever had and I didn’t think I would make it if I lost them.
“You okay?” Aaron asked as the cloud in my mind was clearly reflected on my face.
I shrugged. “We’ll see.”
It was a really nice party. Naturally, I brought some pies for dessert which I had handed over to the group of grandmothers and aunts in the kitchen. Cherie’s real nonna was out in the yard watching the pony rides.
“Piper, how nice to see you.” She looked Aaron up and down. “You’re here with him?”
“Hi, Tanta Carmel.” He leaned in to kiss her cheek.
She squinted her eyes. “Now you like Piper?”
“Yes, Tanta.”
“She’s too good for you, you know?”
“I do.” His face was solemn and respectful.
“You better not hurt her. Your grandmother, may she rest in peace, told me to keep an eye on you. You’re too handsome for your own good. Just like your father.”
“Tanta, I am nothing like my father.” His voice was stern and his gaze steady. “Nothing at all.”
“Of course not, except the good-looking part.” She patted his cheek.
Note to self: ask Aaron about his father.
After some mingling, Aaron leaned in and whispered in my ear. His arm was slung around my shoulder and his breath was warm, giving me goose bumps. “At some point today we are going to have to kiss.”
“I don’t think a PDA is necessary?”
“PDA?”
“Public display of affection,” I hissed back.
“These people are Italian. Look around, there’s nothing but PDA.”
When I let my gaze wander around the room, I could see a young couple kissing beside the bounce house, a couple of men rubbing their pregnant wives’ backs and bellies, several older men swatting their wives’ asses as they went past or giving them a kiss as they handed them cake. It was actually a really beautiful scene.
Then, I felt Aaron kiss the top of my head. “See? PDAs everywhere.”
/> I turned my face up to say something and he planted his lips on mine, firm and soft at once. It was warm and inviting but nothing lewd and it felt nice. An electric zing reverberated around my body.
I hadn’t expected a zing.
He pulled back as if he’d felt it, too. Of course that was ridiculous. I wasn’t his type and the one thing we agreed on was that this was purely platonic. He was acting a part.
“How sweet,” said Marie, who was standing nearby. “I remember when Vinnie and I were like that.”
“You guys are still like that,” I said.
“Yeah but its different now. Lovely but different.”
Aaron’s phone rang. I better take this; he indicated and wandered off around the front of the house for some quiet.
Cherie’s nonna tracked me down. “I don’t know about you and Aaron, Piper.”
“He’s nice, Nonna. And cute. Cherie set us up.” That was all true.
“I know, but he’s too pretty and too rich for his own good. Plus his family…”
“Aren’t you his family?”
“I mean his parents. Not good examples. Not a good match.”
“Well I guess we have that in common, too, because my parents certainly weren’t a good match.”
She shook her head. “I know you, Piper. You have a big heart. Just watch it with this one. Yes, he’s family, but you can love some of them and still be wary.”
She had an excellent point. I had many a family member like that.
It was time for the cake, but Aaron was nowhere to be found. As his girlfriend, I took it upon myself to go around the front and let him know.
His voice was tense. He ran his hand through his thick hair. “You don’t have to understand, Ophelia. This is not about you. This is about me and what I want. You have Rick and I’m moving on.” He turned and caught my eye. He was embarrassed I could see, wondering how much I had heard. “I’ve got to go.”
“It’s time for cake,” I said before heading off.
“Wait.” His hand landed on my shoulder, all warm and solid. “How much did you catch?”
“Just the end. Did I miss anything good?”
“I like you, Piper, and I want this to work. It’s probably going to take a little bit more time for some people to buy it than others.”
Would he really care if it was only a business arrangement? “Namely Ophelia.”
“Namely Ophelia.”
“And Cherie’s nonna,”
“Okay, and Cherie’s nonna...”
That night I went back to Aaron’s for pizza and to discuss how we would move forward. I only had a couple of weeks before my visa expired so if Aaron wasn’t “the one” I needed a new plan. I was in the kitchen when the doorbell buzzed and I assumed it was the pizza guy. That was until I heard a distinctively posh female voice. Ophelia!
“Aaron, you’ve made your point.” That was all I heard.
This girl needed to go. It was time to act. The laundry room was off the kitchen and a row of neatly ironed shirts hung from a rack there. Did Aaron have a housekeeper? I was marrying a guy with a housekeeper or a guy who was a really good ironer?
I could live with either one. I slid out of my dress, kicked off my shoes, and got into one of his shirts; I even lost the bra for extra affect. I ran the tap in the sink and wet my hair so I looked like I was fresh from a shower and some intimate action.
“Is that the pizza, honey? I’m famished.” I called as I walked down the hall, catching them with their mouths hanging open. “Oh, Ophelia. Hi. I hope there’s no work emergency.”
“Uh no, I just…”
“She was just going.” Aaron said his gaze very firmly on me and not his ex.
The pizza guy came up the stairs and also got an eyeful of me in the see-through shirt as well. Sometimes a girl has to take one for the team.
“Did you want to stay for pizza, Ophelia?” I asked. Kill ’em with kindness my grandmother always said.
“That’s fine. I’m expected at home.” She pushed her way down the stairs past the pizza guy. Then she turned back. “We’ll finish this tomorrow, Aaron.”
“We’re already finished,” he replied, paying the pizza guy and closing the door in one fell swoop.
He turned to me and raised his eyebrows. “Nice outfit. What there is of it.”
“You like? I wanted to surprise Ophelia.”
“You sure did, though not as much as you surprised the pizza guy.” He grinned at me.
“I’ll go change,” I said. I could feel his eyes on my back as we headed back down the hall.
“Don’t change on my account. I’m enjoying the view.”
I looked over my shoulder at him and smiled. “Yeah well, you can look but you can’t touch, so I think I’ll remove the temptation.”
It probably wasn’t a great idea for me to be flashing my soon-to-be platonic husband, or to be flirting with him, but we needed Ophelia to butt out for this marriage to be credible so I had to do what I had to do.
When I returned, he was pouring us each a glass of red wine to go with the pizza. He studied my face for a minute. We leaned across the island bench and sized each other up.
“So this is going to be strictly not physical?” he said.
“Strictly.” I agreed.
“And you won’t miss it?” he asked.
“I don’t have it now so, no, I will not miss it.”
“But wouldn’t you like it?” He covered my hand with his. “Even a little?”
“It’s a bad plan. Maybe you’re the one who should ask himself how he’s going to survive without the physical.” After all, he’d been with Ophelia as recently as, well, I didn’t exactly know when, but certainly more recently than I had been with anyone. I was used to going without; him, not so much.
“Why must the physical be off the table, Piper?”
“Because I’m not like you. Sex means something to me. This is a mutually beneficial arrange and we both already agreed to the terms and that’s not one of the terms.”
“I think we could make a physical relationship mutually beneficial.” He circled his thumb on the back of my hand.
“I don’t doubt that but we’re not going to find out.” I withdrew my hand. “Sex is off the table and if that’s a deal-breaker for you, I’ll eat my pizza, drink my wine, and see you later.”
He sighed. “No, I understand, but I think there’s an attraction here. I like you. You like me. We’re going to be living together… It makes sense.”
I saw his point, but I knew who I was. The girl most likely to fall head-over-heels with the wrong guy. The unattainable guy. The guy who didn’t believe in love. Being married to Mr. Fabulous here was going to be hard enough, but if we took things to the next level, I’d be screwed in every sense of the word.
“I don’t shit where I eat, Aaron.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “You’re a poet, Piper.”