4. Hutton

hutton

. . .

At first, I was totally confused.

The text from Felicity came in just as I was grabbing a beer from my parents’ fridge. But what she’d sent was a photo of something—a sheet of white paper with a bunch of nonsense symbols on it. I was about to text her back and ask if she’d lost her mind when it hit me.

It wasn’t nonsense. It was code—the pigpen cipher.

I smiled—I couldn’t believe it had taken me more than five seconds to recognize it. “Hey Dad,” I called. “Are we starting right this second?”

“Nope,” he called back from the den off the kitchen. “Harvey’s not here yet.”

“Harvey’s always late,” said my mom, pulling a tray of cocktail wieners baked in crescent roll dough from the oven. “He moves so slowly, I’m convinced he was a sloth in his last life.”

I set the beer bottle on the counter unopened and rummaged around in the junk drawer for a pencil.

“Speaking of past lives,” she went on, “I did a reading for the most beautiful woman this afternoon at the store.”

“Did she think she was Cleopatra?” Women always thought they were Cleopatra.

“Yes, but she wasn’t. I’ve met the woman who was Cleopatra, and she lives in Tucson. But she was remarkably lovely, and I think she was latching onto Cleopatra because she’s lonely and looking for love. I invited her to stop by tonight.”

I stopped searching and looked at my mother. “You didn’t.”

“She’s slightly older than you, but?—”

“How old?”

“Forty, but she’s a young forty.” For some reason, my mother sort of fluffed up her chest when she said this. “What are you looking for in that drawer?”

“Something to write with—found it.” I pulled out a stubby pencil with a dirty neon yellow eraser top. “I need a piece of paper too.”

She handed me the spiral pad she used for writing her grocery lists. “Here.”

I flipped past her list and quickly sketched the cipher’s substitution grid from memory—and within minutes I was decoding Felicity’s message.

I need you , she’d written.

Immediately, I remembered the night in the library when I’d almost kissed her—the note I’d passed and the promise we’d made.

“Shit,” I said.

“What’s wrong?” My mother glanced over at me as she placed the pigs in a blanket on a serving plate.

Exhaling, I gave the beer one last, longing look before sticking it back in the fridge. “I have to make a phone call.”

I went out the back door into the yard, pulling the kitchen door shut behind me, so my mother wouldn’t be tempted to eavesdrop. The air outside was warm and humid, and smelled slightly metallic, like there might be a storm coming. I slapped at a mosquito before dialing Felicity’s number.

“Hello?”

“I got the bat signal. What’s up?”

“Okay, before I tell you, will you promise to honor the deal?”

“Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”

“Do you promise?”

“Yes.”

She sighed with relief. “Thank God. Because I have to get out of this closet soon, and I can’t face Mimi again without your help.”

“What closet? Where are you?”

“I’m at the reunion,” she said, “but I’m hiding in the coat closet because I did something bad. I mean, I said something I shouldn’t have.”

“About what?”

“About you. Well, about us.”

“What did you say?”

She exhaled. “I said that we’re engaged.”

“You said what ?”

“I said that we were engaged. Well, I said that I was engaged to a hot billionaire, and then when Mimi asked who, I said you. You’re the only hot billionaire I know.”

She thinks I’m hot was what registered first, and it fired up my insides a little. “Thanks. But why did you lie about being engaged in the first place?”

“I couldn’t help it, Hutton,” she said. “Mimi’s been so mean and terrible all night, first when it was just the two of us, and then in front of her friends, and I just couldn’t let her get away with it anymore. She kept bragging about her own engagement to some rich dude who hates vegetables, and making me feel bad about myself, and then she was going to look me up on Dearly Beloved, and I had to say something to stop her before she saw that awful review. So I said I was engaged to you,” she finished, sounding out of breath. “Also, there may have been some vodka involved.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“I’m sorry, Hutton. I panicked.”

“It’s okay,” I told her. “Do you need me to come pick you up?”

“No, I need you to come here and be my fake fiancé.”

My gut clenched. “Is that really necessary? Can’t you just say I’m out of town?”

“It’s sort of too late for that. I already told her you were coming.”

I groaned, rubbing my temples with my thumb and middle finger.

“I’m sorry, okay? I’ll straighten it all out eventually, but can you please, please come here tonight and pretend like we’re getting married?”

If it were anyone else, I’d have refused to do this insane thing. But Felicity was special to me, and after all, I had made a promise. I checked my watch. “It’s quarter to eight. I won’t be there for at least forty-five minutes. I have to go home and change.”

“That’s fine.”

“What am I supposed to wear?”

“Something billionairy. A nice suit and tie. You don’t happen to have a diamond ring lying around, do you?”

I laughed. “I’m not that kind of billionaire.”

“Is there any chance you could find one?”

“Where the hell would I find a diamond ring at eight o’clock at night?”

“I don’t know. Can’t you borrow jewels for the night like Richard Gere did in Pretty Woman ?”

“Richard Gere had more notice than I did. Jewelry stores are closed.”

She sighed. “It’s probably fine. I told Mimi the ring was at the jeweler’s being sized.”

“Jesus Christ, Felicity. How am I going to keep all the lies straight?” I was starting to sweat.

“Those are the only ones I told so far! We’re engaged, the ring is at the jeweler’s, and you’re coming here later. I swear to God, I will make it up to you, Hutton—I just need this one night.”

“One hour ,” I said.

“One hour will be perfect,” she said. “I’ll send you the venue address, and then you can text me when you get here. I’ll even come out and meet you so you don’t have to walk in alone.”

“Thanks.”

“Thank you , Hutton. I mean it. You’re the best friend in the world.”

I hung up and went back into the kitchen, where my mom was spooning French onion dip from the plastic carton into the dip end of a chip-and-dip bowl. “Everything okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, but I have to go.”

“Where?”

I clenched my jaw. “My high school reunion.”

“Really?” She sounded pleased.

“Yeah. Felicity is there, and she needs me to...show up,” I finished. There was no way I could explain the real situation.

“A date with Felicity? I think that’s wonderful!”

I chose not to take the bait. “Can you apologize to Dad for me?”

“Of course. Maybe I’ll introduce Cleopatra to Harvey. He’s been so lonely since Edna died last year.”

“Good idea.”

She set her spoon down, came over, and kissed my cheek. “You just go, darling. I can’t wait to hear all about it. But are you going to change first?” She looked at my jeans and T-shirt with some dismay. “And maybe fix your hair a little too?” She started fussing with the front of my hair.

I pushed her hands away. “Stop it, Mom. I have to go.”

“Only trying to help.” She smiled. “Say hello to Felicity. I always had a feeling about the two of you. Past life soul mates if I ever saw them.”

“We’re just friends.” Pulling my keys from my pocket, I headed for the back door again.

“Don’t fight it, darling. Tomorrow we should do a tarot reading for you, feel out where this might be heading. And take an umbrella! The leaves are upside down, and that always means a storm.”

I yanked the door shut behind me, drowning her out.

Just under an hour later, I texted Felicity from the banquet center parking lot. I’m here.

I’ll meet you right outside the front door! she texted back.

Before getting out of the car, I checked myself out in the visor mirror. Was my hair neat enough? My tie straight? My scruff under control? If I’d had more time, I’d have shaved or at least trimmed it up. At least I’d ironed my shirt. I wasn’t that good at it, since I usually had my shirts pressed at the dry cleaner, but my suit coat would cover it up. I grabbed it from the back seat, shrugged it on, and locked up my car before walking slowly toward the banquet hall entrance.

With every step, a sense of dread built beneath my skin. My chest grew tighter. My breath quickened. Inside were a bunch of people I didn’t know at all, but who would be eager to judge me. They’d know who I was. They’d heard things about me. They probably thought I didn’t deserve the money. Surely, they’d notice the way I was sweating. They’d ask questions and I’d stumble over my answers. Maybe I’d stumble over my own feet. I’d forget names. They’d think I?—

“Hutton!” Felicity came running toward me and threw her arms around my neck, clinging to me like she was drowning. “Thank you so much for coming! You look amazing.”

It surprised me when she didn’t let go right away, and it felt good to be held that tightly. For a moment, I stayed completely still with my arms around her back, her chest pressed against mine. When I inhaled, I smelled her perfume—it wasn’t the same one she used to wear, but I liked it. That scent and the feel of her in my arms took the edge off my nerves.

But when Felicity stepped back, she could see I wasn’t entirely okay. “I’m sorry, Hutton.” She reached out and took my hand, squeezing it. “Forget this. You don’t have to come in.”

It wasn’t the first time I’d stood in a parking lot with a woman and hadn’t wanted to attend a social event. But in those instances, I’d been told things like, You’re being ridiculous. Stop being selfish. You need to get over yourself . It meant a lot to me that Felicity understood—so much that I would try to get over myself...for an hour. Near an exit. With a cocktail.

“Are you saying you don’t want to be engaged to me anymore?” I teased.

“No. I’m saying that I realize how ridiculous this whole thing is. And it’s not fair to you.”

“It’s really fucking ridiculous. But let’s do it anyway.”

“Really?” Her smile lit up her face.

“Yeah. As long as I don’t have to talk much.”

“I’ll do all the talking,” she said, tugging me by the hand toward the venue. “Promise.”

“Then it’s a deal.” I let my eyes wander over her. She looked so pretty—her bangs looked like she might have gone at them with the scissors at some point today, but her eyes were huge and luminous, and her lips were full and pink. The dress she had on showed off curves I didn’t realize she had, and the hem was shorter than she normally wore. I glanced down at her feet. “You made me wear a suit and you’ve got sneakers on?”

“That wasn’t the plan, but yes.”

“It’s okay. You look beautiful.” I opened the door for her.

She stopped abruptly in the doorway and looked at me. “I do?”

For a second, I was afraid I’d said something wrong. My collar felt tight. “Yes. But it’s not that I don’t think you look beautiful other times. I always think you’re beautiful. I just meant that right now you?—”

“Hey.” She smiled again and put a finger over my lips for a moment. “It’s okay. It was a nice compliment. You’ve just never said that to me before.”

“Oh.” I relaxed a little. “Well, I meant it.”

Her cheeks grew slightly pink. “Thank you.”

I followed her through the lobby into the room where the reunion was taking place, and immediately my shoulders and neck tensed up again. At least a hundred people were there, seated at round tables, filling plates at the buffet, waiting in line at the bar, standing in groups with drinks, chatting and laughing and having fun. It was so easy for some people, I thought, grateful when Felicity took my hand. Why was it so fucking hard for me?

The music was loud as Felicity led me between some tables and across the wooden dance floor. She nodded and smiled at people as we passed them, but I kept my eyes on her. Eventually we reached the line for the bar, and she turned to me. “Drink?”

“Yeah.” I tugged at my collar with my free hand.

“Stop fussing. You look perfect. I love that navy suit on you. And your blue tie matches your eyes.”

“Thanks.”

“But you just made it crooked. Let me fix it.” She faced me and straightened my tie with both hands, gently putting the knot back in place without making it too tight. “How’s that feel?”

“Good.” Our eyes met, and my heart thumped even harder.

“Next up,” the bartender said, breaking the spell. “What can I get you?”

We ordered drinks—a Manhattan for me, a vodka and soda for her—and took them over to a small table set apart from the buffet. “This is mine,” she said, gesturing to the platters of appetizers and a stack of business cards. “We can just stay over here, away from the crowd.”

“Okay.” Taking a sip of my cocktail, I indulged in an old habit—immediately locating the nearest exit and planning my escape route in case I had to leave fast.

While Felicity fussed with the display of food on the table, I recalled something a therapist once told me about using body language to exude dominance and control. Power posing, it was called. You sort of stood and moved like you had a fuck ton of confidence, and the idea was that not only could you fool others, but you could fool yourself.

It sounded like bullshit, and I fired her.

But just in case she was right, I decided to assume a more cocksure stance. That was a word I liked—cocksure. I widened my feet. Puffed up my chest. Scowled a bit, like anyone who came near me had better have a damn good reason to approach.

“Well, well. Look who showed up.” A woman in a black dress with long blond hair and a stocky, dark-haired guy in a suit sauntered up to the table. The woman looked vaguely familiar, but even if she hadn’t, she was giving off a scornful, superior air that broadcast exactly who she was.

“Mimi.” Immediately, Felicity set her drink down and slipped her arm through mine. “You remember Hutton.”

“Not like this .” Mimi laughed as her eyes darted over my hair, my suit, my shoes. Then she held out a hand. “Nice to see you again.”

I didn’t want to touch her, but I took the hand she offered—it was cool and reptilian. “Hi.”

“From band geek to billionaire,” she said with a laugh. “Who’d have thought?”

“Me,” said Felicity. “I always knew he’d be a huge success. He’s brilliant.”

“This is Thornton Van Pelt, my fiancé,” said Mimi, giving her tone a slightly combative edge, as if getting engaged was a competitive sport.

“Good to meet you,” said Thornton, looking bored.

“We’re planning a June twentieth wedding, next year.” Mimi took the lead with a declaration of a date. “What about you?”

“This year.” Felicity pressed tighter to my side. “Next month.”

“Next month ?” Mimi’s jaw dropped. “August?”

“Yes.” Felicity looked at me adoringly. “We just can’t wait.”

I had no idea if I was supposed to reply or not, or what I would say if I did.

Thankfully, Mimi kept going. “I’m just surprised I haven’t heard the news, what with Hutton being so famous and all,” she said.

“We’re very private,” said Felicity. “We didn’t announce it.”

“When did it happen?” Mimi asked.

“Weeks ago,” Felicity replied. “After he moved back.”

“Really.” Mimi looked back and forth between us. “That’s sort of sudden.”

“Well, we’ve practically been best friends since we were twelve,” said Felicity.

“But you were dating Zlatka up until very recently, weren’t you?” Mimi pinned her laser beam eyes on me.

“That’s another reason why we didn’t announce it,” Felicity said, patting my arm. “We didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Right, sweetie?”

I was pretty sure Zlatka didn’t have that many feelings, but I nodded and took another drink, like a cocksure badass would.

“Tell me about your ring,” demanded Mimi.

“Oh, it’s so beautiful,” gushed Felicity. “A diamond solitaire. Really classic and stunning. Hutton has incredible taste.”

“How big is the diamond? Mine is two carats.” She thrust her hand out.

“Mine’s three,” said Felicity quickly. “And the diamond is conflict-free. Ethically sourced.”

Mimi looked pissed. “Cut?”

“Round.”

“Band?”

“Platinum.”

“Color and clarity?”

That one threw her, and she fumbled. “Color and what?”

“Clarity.” Mimi snapped her fingers twice. “Keep up.”

“Uh, I forget,” Felicity mumbled.

“You forget the color and clarity of your diamond?” Mimi’s eyes narrowed, and beside me, I felt Felicity stiffen.

“F and VVS one,” I said, recalling Wade’s incessant rants about the ungodly expensive ring his then-girlfriend had wanted—probably to get back at him for all the cheating.

All three of them looked sharply at me.

“F and VVS one?” Mimi repeated. “Did you hear that, Thornton?”

Thornton checked his watch. “Yeah. Isn’t that what you have?”

“No,” she said, giving him the side eye. “It isn’t.”

“Hutton spoils me silly.” Felicity tipped her head onto my shoulder. “But what does it matter, right? The ring isn’t the most important thing. It’s just a piece of metal and rock. The real worth is in the love you share.”

“Tell that to her,” said Thornton, tipping up his glass to finish off his cocktail. “I’ll be right back. I need another drink.”

Mimi didn’t even look at him as he walked away. “What about your dress? Where’s it from?”

“Paris,” Felicity said. “It’s French.”

“I know where Paris is,” she snapped. “How about the reception?”

“Cloverleigh Farms, of course. But it’s very intimate—just immediate family.”

At this point, Mimi had to concede victory. “Sounds like you’ve got it all worked out.”

“We do.” Felicity put her hand on my chest. And left it there. “We’re very happy.”

“Well, congratulations on keeping it a secret.” Mimi crossed her arms. “That must have been hard.”

“Well, it’s actually still sort of a secret.” Felicity laughed nervously. “We haven’t really announced anything official yet, so if you wouldn’t mind keeping it quiet?”

“Say no more.” Mimi’s eyes suddenly gleamed. “If you’ll just excuse me, I’m going to find Thornton.”

I turned to Felicity as soon as we were alone. “You know she’s going to tell everyone she knows, right?”

She sighed, her shoulders drooping, her eyes dropping to the floor. “Yeah. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me.” I glanced out at the crowd. “But if she starts spilling the news right now, we might be swamped with people trying to get the scoop.”

Her eyes met mine, a little panicked. “You’re right. Let’s get out of here.”

I put my drink on the table. “You never have to ask me to leave a party twice. What about your appetizers?”

“I can leave them.” She grabbed her purse from beneath the table. “I’ll pick up the platters tomorrow, and my warming bags are already in the car. Let’s just go.”

This time, I took her hand and pulled her through the crowd, into the lobby, and out the front door. I moved quickly, and Felicity had to hustle to keep up with me. When we were out in the parking lot, we slowed to a walk and she started to laugh. “I think we’re safe. God, that was fun. Did you see her face?”

I had to laugh too. “I had no idea what was going to come out of your mouth next.”

“Me neither.”

“Where are you parked?” I asked.

“Right here.” She pointed at the nearest row. “You?”

“I’m over there.” I gestured toward the far side of the lot. “But I’ll walk you to your car.”

“Thanks.” She took a deep breath and looked at the darkening sky. “Smells like a storm is coming, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.” We walked a few car-lengths. “You still hate them?”

“I don’t really hate them, they just...put me on edge.” She glanced at me. “You going back to poker night?”

“Hell no.” I told her about my mother inviting Cleopatra over, and she laughed.

“Well, you can go home early and tell her I kept you out late.”

Going home was exactly what I wanted, except... I didn’t really want to leave her. “Do you want to come over?”

“Sure. Have you eaten?”

“No. Want to order in?”

“Or I could make us something. Do you have any food at your house?”

“I’m not sure.” My housekeeper did my grocery shopping for me, but since I didn’t cook, I never paid much attention to what was in my fridge or pantry.

“I’ll hit the store on my way over,” she said, pulling her keys from her purse. “My cooking is better than takeout.” She unlocked her car, the lights flashing in the dark. “I’ll see you in a few?”

“Sounds good.” I opened the driver’s side door for her, and she tossed her purse onto the passenger seat. Then she surprised me by putting her arms around my neck and pressing her body full-length against mine in a giant hug.

“Thanks a lot for coming here tonight,” she said. “I know it was hard for you.”

The words hard for you buzzed through my head as my cock came to life in my pants. Could she feel it? I was an expert in concealing my inner thoughts, but hiding an erection was a trickier task. “I didn’t have a choice, remember? You used the code.”

She leaned back so I could see her face, but she kept her arms looped around my neck, her hips resting on mine. “I promise I won’t use it again unless it’s a real emergency. Anyway, you were amazing.” She kissed my cheek, which did nothing to stop the rush of blood to my crotch.

“It was all you. I only said three words.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I said ‘hi,’ I said ‘F,’ and I said ‘VVS one.’ Some of that might not even count as words.”

She laughed, finally letting me go. “I guess I did do all the talking—all the lying, I mean. Which is going to turn into a big mess tomorrow once Mimi opens her mouth. But don’t worry.” Her eyes met mine, her smile fading. “I promise to clean it up.”

“I trust you,” I told her. “And actually I enjoyed watching you take her down a notch every thirty seconds.”

She smiled again, a little wickedly. “Not gonna lie, it felt pretty good. And if I never get engaged for real, at least I’ll have the memory of tonight.”

I didn’t like thinking about Felicity with anyone else—I never had. “Hey,” I said, a protective urge swelling in my chest. “Why don’t I follow you to the store? We can shop together.”

She looked surprised. “You hate shopping.”

“I hate shopping alone. But I won’t be alone—I’ll have you. And I want to buy the groceries, since you’re cooking for me.”

“Okay,” she said with a smile. “Follow me.”

I walked over to my SUV, tossed my jacket in the back seat, and got in. A minute later, she drove by and waved at me, and as crazy as it sounds, my heart started to race as I followed her out of the lot. Like this was turning into a real date or something.

But it wasn’t—we were just going grocery shopping and then back to my place to eat and hang out. It wasn’t like anything would happen. It wasn’t like there was anything different between us. All that stuff she’d said about me inside—that I looked great, that I was brilliant, that I spoiled her—was made up. And the things she did, like straighten my tie and hold my hand and touch my chest and lay her head on my shoulder...it was just for show.

She didn’t know how I really felt about her. And I couldn’t ever tell her. If I told her, it could go sideways in a hurry, and everything would be ruined.

I’d made my mind up about this years ago.

There was just one problem, I thought, my cock twitching in my pants again as I recalled the way she pressed her body against mine when she’d hugged me—twice.

I couldn’t stop thinking about getting her naked.