Chapter One
My feet dragged as I made my way up the steps leading up to my apartment, muscles feeling heavier and heavier with each step. I blew out an exhausted breath and pushed some of my wavy dark red hair behind my ear to get the stubborn strands out of my eyes. When I pushed the door open, I was surprised to find all of the lights on, despite it being nearly midnight.
My roommate, Lily, shot up in her plush computer chair, spinning it so she could pin me with a surprised look. “Kiley! You scared me!” She exclaimed, holding a hand to her chest.
I just shook my head fondly at her, shutting the door and dropping my work bag on the coffee table. I put my hands on my hips. “You say that like you weren’t expecting me.”
Lily giggled, tossing her head back, causing her honey blonde hair to cascade over her shoulders. “I guess I just lost track of time,” she said, before spinning back toward her desk and diving back into whatever she was doing.
I slipped my shoes off and straightened my light blue scrubs before making my way over to her so I could peer over her shoulder. “I’m surprised that you’re still awake,” I admitted. “You’re the one who is always prioritizing your beauty sleep and telling me I should do the same.”
Lily grinned at me, revealing her annoyingly symmetrical dimples. She was a cute girl and probably the textbook definition of feminine beauty. She had long golden hair and large, crystal blue eyes that shimmered whenever she smiled.
I hated her when we met a couple of years earlier when I moved to southern California to start veterinary school. She was clearly a spoiled rich girl who never had to work a day in her life.
I had asked her why she was looking for a roommate when she had enough money to live on her own. My heart went out to her when she shyly admitted that she was afraid to live on her own. She wanted someone in the apartment with her.
I stopped hating her after that, and we had basically been best friends ever since.
“I’m still awake because I need to finish this paper tonight,” she said, still smiling.
I tilted my head at the strange, almost mischievous expression on her face. I furrowed my eyebrows when I remembered something. “Isn’t this paper not due for a couple more days?”
Lily’s grin widened and she snatched her slim pink phone off her matching pink desk and shoved the screen in my face. It took me a moment to register what I was looking at. It was a picture of a man with angular features and light, hazel eyes. He looked like an Italian model.
I raised my eyebrow at her. “What? Is this guy your new celebrity crush or something?”
Lily laughed loudly and shoved me playfully. “No,” she said. “He’s my date tomorrow night!” She squealed and jumped up from her chair, throwing her arms around me.
I was barely able to keep from toppling over as my friend barreled into me. “Congrats,” I said with a light laugh, patting her back. I gently pushed her away from me so I could give her a questioning look. “Who is this guy anyway? Did you meet him in one of your business classes?”
Lily made a face and shook her head. “No way would I date someone from my business classes,” she said, wrinkling her petite nose. “Those guys are all so dull.”
I laughed. “Are you saying that you’re dull too then?” I teased.
Lily winked at me. “I am the one exception,” she said, twirling dramatically before posing. “A unicorn, if you will.” She showed me her phone again. “I joined this online dating app and matched with this guy almost immediately! Isn’t he cute? He owns a bunch of fine dining restaurants! Imagine what kind of meals he could cook for me!”
I tried to school my expression so that Lily couldn’t tell just how amused I was by her thinking.
“Just be safe,” I warned her. “It’s a bit sketchy to meet people online.”
Lily rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Yes, Mom. Honestly, you sound like such an old person, Kiley,” she scoffed. “I promise that these apps are completely safe, and they even have ways of confirming they’re real people.”
Lily pulled me to the couch and started to walk me through the app, going to the date’s profile and showing me all his pictures and links to other sites proving his identity.
It did look legitimate, but I wasn’t going to admit it. The whole dating apps thing had always sounded kind of sketchy to me, especially for my best friend who tended to be a little more trusting than she should be. Still, it looked mostly safe, and I wasn’t about to try and stop her from going out and having a good time with some hot guy who cooks.
At least one of us should try and have a little fun, and it apparently wasn’t going to be me.
Lily was watching me intently and I noticed too late that the gears were turning in her mind.
I just stared at her for a long moment before my eyes widened and I started to wave my hands back and forth. “Oh no, Lily,” I said sternly. “Don’t even think about it.”
“When was the last time you went on a date?” she asked me, grinning widely. “I swear you’ve only been on like one date since we’ve known each other, and that’s been years now!”
I felt my face flush scarlet and I did my best not to avert my eyes from her prying gaze. “I’ve been busy,” I told her simply. “I do have to work to afford my tuition, you know. We don’t all have the luxury of only having to focus on our studies.”
I winced as soon as the words left my mouth. It really wasn’t Lily’s fault that she was rich, but it had sounded like the best argument I had. I was grateful that she didn’t seem hurt by my comment. She did look skeptical, however.
“Aren’t you off tomorrow night, though?” She asked with a suspicious tone.
I tried not to wince. “Yes, technically,” I hedged. “But I need to get started on my paper that’s due next week.”
She waved me off before I could even finish. “You have plenty of time,” she said dismissively. “Let me just help you get signed up on the app, Kiley! You don’t even have to go on any dates. Just give it a try, even just for the fun of seeing who you get matched up with. You never know!”
She was backing me into a corner, and she very well knew it. I didn’t have much to argue with since she wasn’t even asking me to go out with anyone. “Maybe later,” I told her, trying not to grimace openly as I started to move past her. “I’d like to shower and get ready for bed.; it’s been a long day.”
I shouldn’t have been surprised when Lily grabbed my arm before I could leave and pulled me back. “Oh no you don’t,” she said, narrowing her eyes.
There wasn’t much of a choice when she pulled me to the couch, shoved me into it, and plopped down next to me. I surrendered my phone to her and watched with dismay as she downloaded the app and started to ask me questions so she could fill in my profile. It was easy enough to answer the questions, but I started to panic when she pulled out her phone and began to go through pictures she had of me.
“Do we really need to add pictures?” I asked, my voice bordering on a whine.
Lily gave me an impatient look. “Yes,” she said firmly. “Of course we need to add pictures. How will your future dates know if they’re attracted to you?”
“At least I’ll know they chose me for my personality and not my looks,” I grumbled.
Lily showed me some candid shots of me she had taken over the past couple of years. It took some time, but we were able to choose a couple that I felt confident about.
“You’re so modest,” Lily said with a light giggle. “Look at these! You’re going to get matches immediately.”
“I doubt it,” I said with a laugh, setting my phone down on the coffee table in front of us.
Almost as soon as I did, my phone buzzed, signaling that I got a notification. Lily and I glanced at each other with wide eyes before I snatched the device up.
“I told you!” Lily gushed, scooting even closer to me on the couch so she could look over my shoulder. “Ohh, look at that jawline! You lucky duck.”
My cheeks heated up as I looked at the man that I had matched with. I had to admit that he was cute with golden blonde hair and striking sea-blue eyes. He did in fact have a strong jaw that made him look even more manly. Hmmm…
My breath caught in my throat when I saw that I already had a message from him. Lily squealed when she saw he was complimenting my photos. I tried to calm my breathing and answered back calmly, saying that I liked his photos as well. He had a nice smile, and I found the courage to tell him that with Lily’s encouragement. Before I knew it, we were messaging back and forth for several minutes.
“I’ll just leave you too alone for a while,” Lily said with a smirk, leaving the room.
I barely noticed she’d left, my thumbs sweeping across my phone screen as I messaged Dr. Kramer Bennett. I had never connected to someone so easily, especially not online.
Kramer was extremely easy to talk to. He was already cracking jokes and said he’d always loved animals and was excited to hear I was studying to be a vet.
“I’d love to hear more about it. I know it’s probably a bit bold but would you be open to going out tomorrow night?”
My heart hammered in my chest, and I just stared down at my phone dumbly. Naturally, Lily chose that moment to come back into the room.
Her eyes narrowed when she got a good look at my face. “What happened?” she demanded.
I looked up at her, undoubtedly with a deer-in-the-headlights expression on my stunned face. “He’s already asking me out.”
Lily’s jaw dropped and she jumped onto the couch so hard she nearly bounced me off it. “You have to say yes!” she practically shrieked.
“I don’t know,” I replied. “He seems nice, but we just started talking. Maybe I should give it a few more days.”
“You’ve been talking for over two hours now,” Lily pointed out. “You obviously like each other. Just do it, Kiley! Before some other girl snatches up the hot doctor.”
“I’m not afraid of someone else snatching him up,” I told Lily with an eye roll. “There are plenty of other guys in the world.”
“But he might be the one!” Lily pressed. “You’ll never know until you try. You two obviously formed a connection already. What have you got to lose?”
I couldn’t explain exactly what possessed me at that moment. Maybe it was Lily’s large, excited eyes or the fact that I hadn’t been in a romantic relationship in several years, but I opened the app and told Kramer that I would love to meet him.
Needless to say, Lily squealed. Again.
[divider]Chapter Two
Simon
“See you tomorrow, Dr. Vale.”
I nodded politely to one of the nurses, trying not to grimace at the sultry expression she sent me. I should be used to the looks by now. Ever since my father died and I was named sole heir to his successful medical empire, women have been noticing me more, essentially begging for my attention.
I humored them for a little while, going on a few dates here and there, but they quickly grew tiresome, especially when it was clear that most of them were only interested in the fortune I was inheriting. It had been a while since I’d been on a date because of the vicious cycle of becoming attracted to a woman, becoming attached, only to have her show her true gold-digging colors, then dumping her, and doing it all over again. I didn’t particularly mind being single, however. Preparing to take over Father’s business now that he was gone had me busy enough.
A romantic partner was not something I needed right now. They would likely just get in the way of my work.
Nodding to a couple of other doctors as I went, I finally stepped out of the stark white building. It had been a particularly trying day, with a few difficult patients who refused to follow their care regimen. Although those moments were difficult, it was that much more rewarding when I could successfully guide others on a journey toward healing and wellness.
I had always known I would be a doctor. Many believed it was because of my father, and while that was partially true, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I did it just to follow in his footsteps.
There was no question that my father was a major role model throughout my life. He was the kindest doctor, and his patients had adored him; so much in fact that many of them attended his funeral. But it was seeing the joy he brought to others that made me want to become a doctor.
My eyes widened when I stepped out onto the sidewalk and came face to face with my mother.
Dinah Vale might have lost her husband, but it didn’t break her spirit. Her graying dark blonde hair still shimmered and didn’t have a single strand out of place. Those who didn’t know her well would think she was completely happy, but I knew better. Her dark blue eyes held just a hint of the sadness I knew she was carrying heavily, even if she refused to show it.
She was the strongest woman I knew. Maybe the strongest person altogether.
“Mom,” I said, hearing the concern in my own voice. I raised my arms to hug her as my eyes adjusted to the dim light coming from a nearby streetlight. “Are you alright? What are you doing here?” Mom didn’t smile like she normally did when we reunited, which just worried me further.
She frowned up at me. “We need to talk, Simon.”
About half an hour later, Mom and I were seated across from each other at a restaurant, sipping on some red wine while we waited for our meals to be served.
“You could have called me,” I told her. “You didn’t have to leave the house at this time of night.”
“Lawrence is always happy to take me anywhere I need to go,” Mom said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
“The poor guy,” I said lightly as I pictured my mom’s elderly, soft-spoken driver.
Mom was quiet for a moment, tracing her fingers over the base of her glass. “I’m worried about you, Simon,” she said at last. “You have made no moves to find a life partner. You’re not getting any younger, you know. And frankly, neither am I.”
I grimaced. “Mom, is this really what you came all this way to discuss?”
Mom pinned me with a look. “I figured that I should since it is now imperative that you marry. And soon.”
I felt my eyebrows rise. “What do you mean?”
“It appears that a part of the will was overlooked,” she said. She pushed a folder across the table to me. “There is a certain stipulation that I came across.”
“Stipulation?” I repeated in confusion, quickly opening the folder and pulling out the documents.
I flipped to a page she had marked with a colorful sticky note. Scanning it to locate what she could be referring to, I blinked several times when I finally found it, as if that would make the ludicrous sentences disappear. I lifted my eyes to meet my mother. “Was father aware of this clause?”
“There’s no way of finding out for sure now,” she said, a touch of sadness in her voice. “But that is beside the point, Simon. You see now that you must find a wife soon, don’t you? You need to either be married or, at the very least engaged, to fully take over your father’s business or it will be run by the board until you do.”
I ground my teeth together at the thought. Father had very specific ways that he wanted this company to be run. If I let the board take it over, even temporarily, it could spell the end of everything my dad had worked to create: a successful medical empire that still managed to give the patients the feel of an intimate family practice.
I knew some of those board members. There was no doubt they would try to change things to make the company more financially lucrative. That wasn’t a problem on its face, but those greedy board members prized efficiency above efficacy. I had a feeling that they would insist on sacrificing my father’s morals in order to make the company run more profitably.
I couldn’t stand by and let that happen.
Others might have been affronted by their mother trying to pry into their private lives, but I understood where mine was coming from. She lost her husband, her best friend, just a couple of months ago. I was her only child, so it was natural for her to be worried about me, especially since I was really the only close family she had left. For that reason alone, I could be understanding and patient with her.
“Mom, you have enough to worry about,” I said gently. “Let me be concerned with the logistics of this. I’ll speak with my lawyer. I’m sure we’ll be able to come up with some kind of solution.”
I expected that to calm my mother down, so I was surprised when she actually stared at me with large eyes and her lower lip poked out.
I blinked at her. “Are you actually pouting?”
“I wouldn’t have to if I didn’t feel so worried for my only child,” she said with disdain. She let out a heavy sigh. “You have always had a mind of your own, much like your father.”
I smirked at her. “You’re saying that almost like it’s a bad thing.”
Mom actually managed to smile at that, but it didn’t quite meet her eyes. “I admire that about both of you,” she said seriously. “I apologize if I am coming on strongly, but you need to understand that this isn’t just about your father’s company. I’m not getting any younger and neither are you. I understand your work is important to you but there is more to life than that.”
“I understand that,” I said, holding back a grimace. This wasn’t the first time we’d had this conversation, but this was probably the most serious one we’ve had on the topic. I could tell how important this was to my mother. I sighed deeply. “I have every intention of marrying one day, Mother. Rest assured that I will look into this further and figure everything out.”
That seemed to finally appease my mom. She smiled but then gave me the stern look she used to use when I was a kid. “I sure hope so, Simon,” she said. “For both of our sakes.”
[divider]
“Thanks for coming on such short notice, Brandon,” I said to my lawyer the following evening.
Brandon Carlowe was a serious guy. He had worked for my father as well, so I had known him for most of my life. I don’t think I’d ever seen him smile.
Brandon just nodded, lowering his bag onto my desk so he could produce some forms from it. “I owe your father a great debt,” he said in a tone that suggested he wasn’t going to elaborate on the details.
I cleared my throat and stood beside the older man so I could look over the will with him. “Were you able to find a way around this stipulation?” I asked eagerly, getting right to the point of the visit.
Brandon started shuffling papers on the desk, organizing them in a way that made me wonder if he had an obsessive-compulsive disorder. He was quiet for a couple of moments before he looked at me from over his tiny glasses. “It was far too easy. I thought that you would have provided more of a challenge for me. It was a bit disappointing.”
I chuckled with confusion, not sure how to respond to that.
Brandon grunted before tapping his ball point pen against a line he had highlighted. “This clause states that you only need to be engaged or married in order to fully take control of the business.”
“Yes, that is correct,” I confirmed, glancing over the points the other man had highlighted.
Brandon gave me a look that strongly implied I was missing something obvious. “You have nothing to worry about,” he said slowly. “Whoever put this poorly written document together should have been more detailed in terms of the time constraints of the agreement.”
“So, does that mean that I don’t have to get married?” I asked, wanting to make sure I understood correctly.
Brandon tapped his pen against the desk. “Essentially, yes,” he said. “Basically, what you’ll have to do is get engaged and then stay engaged for six months to abide with the stated requirements. Then, you should be able to break off the engagement without any repercussions.”
This wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for in terms of a loophole, but I could work with it.
“Why six months?” I asked. “Is there any way we can get that time cut in half?”
“No,” Brandon said without hesitation. “That is the one part of the document that was clear in terms of a timeline. Once you’ve surpassed the six-month mark, your control of the company will be permanent and no longer subject to the condition of any engagement.”
I could feel a load of tension rise off my shoulders as I processed Brandon’s words.
“Thanks for everything,” I said to Brandon as I walked him to the front door.
Brandon just grunted as he shrugged his jacket on and turned the knob to let himself out. He paused and looked back at me and something in his expression reminded me of my father’s before he gave me some kind of sage advice. “If you decide to go this route and obtain a fake fiancée, I suggest that you don’t treat it lightly, even if it’s just to keep up pretenses.”
I blinked a couple of times before nodding, a little dumbfounded, unsure what the point of his comment was. There was no use trying to decode something coming from the old lawyer though, so I just nodded my head agreeably.
“I’ll make sure to do that,” I replied.
Brandon eyed me seriously and then grunted one more time before taking his leave.
I wandered back into my home office, booting up my computer to do some research. If I employed Brandon’s suggestion, I would be able to take over my father’s company and appease my mother by becoming temporarily engaged. It was the letter of the law, so to speak, if not the spirit.
And I knew just the place where I could go looking for a woman to play the role of my fake fiancée.
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