Chapter Ten

Brandy

"Let's talk," Laurel said, sitting down beside me on the edge of her tub where I was just watching her try out some new makeup she was sent to review. "I know something's on your mind. I can sense it. Tell me." I looked around, my gaze falling on the closed bathroom door.

Just outside it, Geoff was there, but in here it was just us girls, something it hadn't been since the letter showed up and security descended upon us. I knew it was all for the best, but I missed girl time with my best friend, so this was nice. I brushed my hair back with my hands and leaned over to grab a claw clip from her array of stuff to hold it back.

Once it was up, I shook my head. "It's nothing, really."

She rolled her eyes, clearly not believing a word of what I said. "Come on, we both know that's not true. So why don't you just quit stalling and tell me?"

With an eyebrow in the air, I wondered when she became so demanding.

She sighed and lifted her feet to rest on the tub, knees in the air. "You'll feel so much better if you just tell me. Besides, I'm dying to know."

I looked down at the floor and started picking at my nails. I didn't even know why it was having this effect of me. Seeing Wyatt again, I mean. It wasn't like anything happened between us. And that was so yesterday's news, so why was I was still harping on it?

I swallowed and looked up, this time glaring at her from the corner of my eye. "Forget it."

"Forget, what?" She groaned. "You haven't told me anything." Then she mumbled, "Though I wish you would. Tell me something, that is."

I sighed. "Fine!" I threw my hands up in the air. I knew I had to get this off my chest. So I finally decided she was right and started, "Well, first of all, you know I know Wyatt, right?"

She raised a brow. "How oblivious do you think I am? That much was obvious two seconds in."

When I didn't expand, she motioned for me to continue and I did. I told her the whole story and when I finished, she jumped up. "I knew it! I could totally tell you were into him. He's hot, you know. I mean, like really hot. It's almost not fair to the rest of the male population for him to be as good-looking as he is. Even in that suit, I could see all those muscles bulging, just waiting for me to—"

I tilted my head and waited for her to stop going on and on about how handsome Wyatt Ryder was. She caught my look and stopped. She pointed a finger in my face. "All I'm saying is I know you noticed, too, and you can't get over seeing him again, which can really only mean one thing."

I cringed. Yeah, that I was pathetic, thinking about a man who left me with nothing but a stupid note. "I know, but I'm with Nate now." It just felt wrong. When did my life become so complicated? It felt like I was on my own soap opera these days. My mind wandered to the situation between Nate and my mother. I sighed, confessing, "And that's a whole other problem."

She put a hand on her hip and widened her eyes. "What does that mean?"

I sighed and walked around the bathroom, coming to stop in front of the three-way floor to ceiling mirrors, not sure I liked what I was seeing staring back at me. This woman was confused and stressed out. And it all started with my mother. And maybe Wyatt. Okay, definitely Wyatt.

"Dee, what does that mean?" she asked again, returning to her perch on the edge of the tub.

I shook my head, trying so hard to forget about Wyatt and focus on Nate, my boyfriend who I did love. "My mother. You know she hates Nate. It's getting harder. We have a family trip coming up for my cousin's wedding and my mother is insisting on setting me up. She thinks I can do better than a man who won't come to the wedding with me." And who didn't have a job, I thought, but left that tidbit out. It wasn't like Laurel didn't know Nate's situation, but still. The only one it seemed to bother was my mother.

But did mothers ever think anyone was good enough for their daughters? Maybe that was it. Maybe this was like when I was in high school and she wanted to see me join clubs, get higher grades, and get into the best colleges, so I could have a life better than the one she had. I wasn't sure, though. Maybe it was just Nate. Maybe she just had a problem with him.

I groaned. Why couldn't she just be happy for me?

Sucking in a breath, Laurel bit her bottom lip. "That's bad. Wait, why won't he go to the wedding with you?"

I raised an eyebrow. "One guess."

"Your mother?" I nodded. "Does she know she's making things worse, giving her more of a reason to dislike him?"

I threw my hands up in the air. "Who knows? She just wants him gone. She thinks I can do better."

Laurel murmured her understanding.

"But she doesn't know him and doesn't care to get to know him. She just knows he's out of work. She thinks he's mooching off me."

"Is he?" Laurel asked and I felt my skin crawl. Not her, too, I thought. I hated the idea of anyone thinking that. It felt so wrong. Of course he wasn't. I loved him and he loved me. We were compatible, very good together. We understood each other. It just felt right with Nate. Always had.

"No," I finally answered.

She nodded. "Just checking."

I closed my eyes and said a silent prayed I could figure all this out.

Then she put a finger in the air. "I have an idea."

I raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

She grinned, clearly already fond of her idea. "What you need is a fake boyfriend to throw your mother off his scent for a while. She can't offer to set you up if you already have a new man, one she approves of. Let him go with you to the wedding. It'll be all smoke in mirrors."

"I don't know," I started, not sure it was such a good idea.

She stood up and came next to me, taking my hands in hers. "Think about it, it's genius. You bring him, let her think she's won. She'll be so happy. Then have him flip the switch and she'll realize he's not all he's cracked up to be, even if he has a job. She'll realize Nate, even if he is a bum—" I eyed her and she added, "according to your mother, is still better than some man who doesn't really love you. She'll practically push you back in his arms." She squeezed my arm at the end and squealed. "Just try telling me it's not genius."

I studied her closely, thinking about it. It all sounded so crazy, like something we'd read in one of her scripts. "I don't know. It's—"

"Genius!" Laurel supplied for me, starting to dance around her bathroom. "Come on. It'll be so much fun and just the distraction I need from all my own drama. Please, I'll even help you."

"How?" I asked cautiously.

She threw her hands up again. "I don't know. I'll help somehow. Come on. Let's get you a fake boyfriend."

"I don't know. Who would I get anyway? What sane man would agree to that?"

"I know some guys on set who would do it."

I shook my head. No way did I want this absurdity getting out that I was eliciting a fake boyfriend to appease my mother. I'd be a laughing stock. "Not a chance."

"Then can't you ask Nate? Maybe he has a friend."

That felt even worse. "Too creepy. This is a bad idea. Sorry, Laur, but this one's a no."

Then, as if a lightbulb went off, she stopped and gasped sharply. "Oh my goodness! I've got it. Wyatt. Ask Wyatt. It's perfect. You already know each other. You have chemistry. It won't be a hard sell."

I nearly choked on my own saliva. I put a hand to my chest and gasped. "No way! Absolutely not."

"But you haven't even considered it."

I paused, looking upward and then looked back at her. "Considered it and it's still a no."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, give it some serious thought."

Even if I did think it wasn't the worst idea I'd heard, I couldn't imagine him agreeing to this. Oh, and the thought of even asking him—that seemed far worse. I couldn't possibly. I shook my head, waving a finger in the air. "No. Not going to happen."

"Why not? He didn't have a ring on, he must be single. Besides, it's all fake, it's not like if he had a girlfriend she'd have anything to worry about. What do you have to lose?"

It wasn't her best idea, but it also wasn't her worst, I'd give her that. And I didn't know whether I didn't want to imagine him with a girlfriend or what, but I had a hard time seeing him with someone. The Wyatt Ryder I knew was way too aloof for a girlfriend and after seeing him again the other day I was pretty confident not much had changed in that department.

Maybe she was on to something and the idea of getting my mother off my case was almost too great to pass up.

I grabbed her and pulled her in for a hug, suddenly very excited about all of this. "I give. It's a great idea!" I announced. "I got to run home and tell Nate. You're not needed back on set until tomorrow, so I'll be back later to run lines with you, if that's okay."

She brushed me off and pushed me to the door. "Go! I'll be fine."

I gave her a kiss on the cheek, so thankful for my over-the-top, dramatic, and considerate-to-a-fault friend. "You sure?"

"Yes!" She all but pushed me out and closed the bathroom door behind me.

Not able to wait any longer, I called Nate as soon as I got in my car. "I have an idea," I announced unceremoniously.

"Oh, yeah? Well, don't keep me in suspense any longer," he returned.

I shifted into reverse and hooked the call up to my Bluetooth. "A fake boyfriend," I said and was met with complete silence. "For me," I explained, "to get Mom off your scent for a while."

"You'd make up a man just for me?" He sounded amused, but he was missing the point.

I sighed and dropped my sunglasses on my eyes to shield them from the blaring rays. "No. I'd get a real fake boyfriend. Someone to show off to Mom. That way she buys the whole thing."

I could hear him breathing. Then he finally responded, "Ohhh." Clearly, it was all sinking in. "That's not a bad idea. Truthfully, you know I love you, Brandy, but I'm not sure I can deal with your mother any longer." He waited a beat before adding, "But who would agree to something like this? Surely no one I know."

Yet another reason I didn't entertain the idea of asking one of Nate's friends. Not only would it be weird, but none of them would be good sports about it. Luckily for him, though, Laurel was a genius and I had just the man in mind. A man who was emotionally unavailable enough where it'd work for us, but charming enough where everyone else would buy it. "I know just the guy," I declared.

"You do?"

"Yep. I do. So what do you say?"

"I don't know, though. Have I met him before?"

"No. I know him from work," I answered, skipping over the part of how we really first met almost two years ago at a bar.

"Are you attracted to this man?" he asked.

I bit my lip and kept my eyes on the road ahead. That was a loaded question if there ever was one. "No. Absolutely not," I added to drive the point home. Besides, even if I was, I really believed we never stood a chance. We didn't before and we certainly didn't now. I was with Nate and for all the endearing qualities about Wyatt that I remembered, I also remembered that he had issues. But Nate didn't need to know any of that. "So, we good? Should I try to make it happen?" I asked, waiting for assurance from him.

He was silent for a second before answering. "Okay. I trust you. Whatever it takes to get your mom off my ass is fine with me. But, Brandy, remember you told me you aren't attracted to this guy."

"I know. I'm not." It wasn't a lie if I really believed what I was saying, right? "Luckily for you, I only have eyes for you."