The Fake Boyfriend Deal

The rusty smell of sweat filled her nostrils, dulling her senses. Her lightweight body moved to the rhythm of the techno beat blasting loudly from the speakers and she lifted the bottle in her hand to her lips. The liquid burned its way through her throat to her stomach and if she hadn’t been three sheets to the wind, she’d have hated the taste.Yet again, another man had come and gone. Give love a chance, they’d said. Don’t judge the present with past experiences. Open up your heart, let love find you. All bullshit. Another gulp from her bottle had her swaying from side to side, trying to keep her balance. Really, what was the fucking use? All men did was lie and cheat and then dump you. Why open your heart just to have it broken and stomped on? Stephanie Blunt had had enough of the male species. Someone on her left pushed her and she almost tumbled. “Fuck you!” She yelled, taking another gulp. Nothing good came from loving them. She was tired of being used. She was tired of being

No, it wasn’t going to be great, Stephanie thought for what was not the first time since the restaurant. Where the hell was her supposed fiancé? He was thirty minutes behind schedule, too late to be considered late. She feared he wouldn’t show. Maybe he’d chickened out. After all, Stephanie wasn’t sure he’d had to play a fiancé role before, probably something along the lines of boyfriend or an escort. God, she was in trouble. Her mother was going to pop from a heart attack. Why had she lied again? The woman in the speakers announcing flights piped up, calling passengers aboard. Their flight was to leave in fifteen minutes. Nothing was going to keep her from boarding that plane. She told herself she didn’t care if he could or not. She’d figure something out on the way.Grace wasn’t answering her calls, and Stephanie wondered why she hadn’t even bothered to collect his number. Hell, she didn’t even know his name. She’d admit she hadn’t really taken the entire thing as seriously as she

Stephanie was pissed.She didn’t have time to dwell on her anger as her family’s estate came into view. Her hands shook violently and it really occurred to her how serious this was. Not only did she not want to disappoint her mother, she also didn’t want to give Claire the satisfaction of knowing she still loved Matt. It just wouldn’t do. “I’m begging you.” The words came out in a whisper. “Don’t let me down.”Rolland was silent. For some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes. It was already embarrassing enough that she was begging him; she didn’t want to see the mocking look she was sure he had.The car that had picked them up at the airport stopped, and Stephanie knew it was now or never. This was it. Everything depended on Rolland.Their bags were carried into the house by male servants who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Stephanie hoped it wasn’t overwhelming for Rolland. She’d purposely forgotten to mention her parents were rich because she wasn’t sure if he’d wa

Rolland*Her eyes widened for a moment, and he immediately regretted what he’d said. He hadn’t meant it like that, hadn’t meant to say that. He didn’t get angry easily, but the woman knew how to push his buttons.In the car, she’d asked him not to let her down. The words had tugged at his heartstrings and left him speechless. He just knew he wanted to keep that promise, in any way that he could. She didn’t seem like a bad person. He’d been looking forward to meeting her sister and he still didn’t know what to make of it. He didn’t have siblings himself, but he was sure they weren’t supposed to sleep with their sister’s boyfriend. Rolland knew it hadn’t been long it happened and that the wound was still fresh. He’d admit this all seemed like a game to him, but it was serious to her, and he wasn’t there yet, but he was willing to try.“I’m sorry.” He said. “I didn’t mean to say that.”She swallowed, turning away from him. "Yes, you did.""Fine. I shouldn't have said it. I'm sorry." Rol

Rolland*He’d been about to release the anger he felt the minute she closed the door behind her when he saw her tear-streaked face. He cursed, forcing himself to stand still. If that idiot with bad eyesight had made her cry, it was entirely her fault. Why on earth had she asked him to let them talk in private? And why the hell had he agreed to it?Rolland watched her walk to the bed and sit at the edge in silence, fuming. He’d always had a horrible temper. It was one of the reasons he’d left home and got a place of his own when he was sixteen. Living with his parents and their constant bickering and arguments had been complete hell, and he’d lived his early years in anger. Somewhere, one day, he’d chosen peace of mind. For years, he’d worked on his temper, feeding himself positive and soothing words, listening to music that calmed his soul, and it had worked. He tended to stay away from things that strained his mind, whether it be family or relationships. It was why he always went to