16. Emzee

EMZEE

CHAPTER 16

T he Wives were deep in conversation when I arrived at The Gage for another Vault Lunch—unusual because Brooklyn was often the last one to show up—but it didn’t take a genius to realize that they had to be deep in conversation about me.

When I got to the table, both their heads shot up, wearing identical smiles.

“Emzee!” Tori said. “Finally. We’ve been dying to hear what’s going on.”

They rose to greet me and we exchanged the usual round of hugs and cheek kisses.

Tori was wearing another one of her flowy maternity sundresses, stretching ever more tightly over her round belly. She always reminded me a little bit of a Disney princess, with her long blonde hair and big blue eyes.

Brooklyn’s style was more edgy, but as a model, she always managed to look just a little more dressed up than everybody else—even on days like today, when she was in a pair of boyfriend jeans with black heels and a white button-up that was cuffed to the elbows.

I ran my hands down the front of my own jeans, feeling a little out of my league. But that’s how I always felt around The Wives, even though I knew they’d be horrified to know it.

There was no doubt in my mind that both of them were dying for an update. Which I knew I owed them—I had a lot of explaining to do, obviously, considering that the last time we’d had lunch, I told them I was considering entering into a fake relationship with Ford. And now we were engaged.

The best course of action was probably perpetuating the big lie. Telling them they were right; that the relationship had started out fake but then became real…but I couldn’t lie to them. Not when I so badly needed their help navigating the next fifteen months of falsely married bliss.

“How are you two?” I asked, trying to stall for time.

“We’re not here to talk about us,” Brooklyn said. “We’re here for the details!”

“Time to spill,” Tori added. “I’ve been waiting for this lunch date ever since you told us the happy news. At least, it sounded happy. Did some serious sparks start flying, or what?”

“I bet I know what started flying,” Brooklyn teased.

My face got hot, and I grabbed a fried pickle from the plate on the table and stuffed it in my mouth, sliding down in my chair a little bit. “It’s not what it looks like.”

As if they could sense my hesitation, Tori leaned over and put a gentle hand on my arm.

“Sorry,” she said. “We were being silly. Tell us everything. But also, no pressure.”

Brooklyn nodded emphatically. “We just want to help.”

The waitress arrived just in time to allow me a moment to collect myself, and after we’d ordered our lunches and I got half a glass of wine in me, I felt ready to give them the update they were clearly dying for.

I explained everything, getting them up to speed in a hurry by keeping it short and simple. There was Ford’s fifteen-month plan, the way we’d sorted out the details, our end goal of keeping Ford’s family off his back and his grandmother’s ring off Claudia’s finger. As for me, I’d be helping to repair some of the damage the Zoric family’s reputation had undergone when my father had been arrested and the seedy underbelly of KZ Modeling had been revealed.

Tori and Brooklyn nodded along the whole time. Neither of them was a stranger to arranged marriages, we all knew that.

I did feel a little bad that I expected them to keep my secret from their husbands, but The Vault was The Vault, and all secrets shared at Vault Lunches were never to be repeated. Luckily, The Wives were fully on board with that. What my brothers didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

“I hate that you have to keep this from Stefan and Luka,” I said. “I know it’s not fair to expect you to lie to them.”

It was honestly the thing I felt guiltiest about.

But both of them shook their heads.

“Don’t worry about it,” Tori said. “What goes in The Vault stays in The Vault.”

Brooklyn agreed. “This is a sacred bond. We’d never betray it. Besides, we’re excited.”

“Just remember, this is all a show,” I reminded them, pushing my ravioli aside. “I wouldn’t get too excited.

The Wives exchanged a look.

“How often did I say that to myself?” Tori asked Brooklyn, who giggled.

“Probably about the same amount of times I did,” she said.

“This is completely different,” I argued.

“Uh-huh,” Brooklyn said.

“Sure,” Tori said.

The big grins on their faces indicated that they didn’t think my situation was different at all. In fact, I was pretty sure they were more convinced than ever that my fake marriage would end up exactly the same way theirs had.

As real.

And truthfully, I didn’t want to argue with them, especially because a part of my own heart was wishing for the same thing. As dumb as that was. And as dangerous.

“Now we have to discuss the most important thing,” Tori said.

I frowned. “A prenup?” I asked tentatively.

“No!” Tori looked at Brooklyn. “The wedding!”

“Thank God,” I said, letting out a sigh of relief. “That would actually be super helpful.”

I was having a hard time getting anything figured out, beyond choosing a day to get the marriage license. Since the whole thing was a sham, there was no point in planning a big wedding, but I still felt overwhelmed by all the decisions I was supposed to make. Having my sisters-in-law volunteer for this was taking a huge weight off my shoulders.

“So where are you in the planning process?” Tori asked.

I told them that we’d set a date, two and half months away.

“Great, and what else?” Brooklyn prodded.

“That’s it, really,” I said. “I thought we’d have the ceremony outdoors, maybe the Morton Arboretum? Something simple. I’m not too worried about the details.”

The Wives looked stricken.

“It’s not real, remember?” I told them. “I don’t want to make a big deal about this.”

It turned out The Wives did not share my vision.

“Oh hell no,” Brooklyn said, grabbing me by the shoulders and giving me a little shake. “Something simple? Not gonna work.”

“You can’t do simple,” Tori said. “This is a huge deal! A marriage between two of the highest-powered families in Chicago? We have to go all out.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. “I just think that it’d be best if?—”

“Besides, Em,” Brooklyn said. “We never got to do this for ourselves, so this is our chance to make up for it. We are planning our dream wedding for you . No ifs, ands, or buts.”

Tori nodded.

Well, wasn’t this a big mess.

They both looked so happy with the prospect of planning the wedding that I didn’t have the heart to tell them no. After all, they were right. A big wedding would help show all of Chicago that we were committed to each other and in love. It would legitimize the marriage and help repair my family’s reputation, which was the real reason I was doing this.

Wasn’t it?

“It’s going to be a massive party, of course,” Tori was saying.

“Anyone who’s anyone will be invited,” Brooklyn confirmed. “But the guest list will have to feel exclusive.”

“The most anticipated event of the year,” Tori agreed.

“It’s in two and half months,” I reminded them, but Tori waved me off.

“We have the money and the resources,” she said. “We’ll make it happen.”

“Besides,” Brooklyn added, “everyone will want to be involved in the wedding. It’s great publicity.”

I could see her eyes getting all starry. She was definitely picturing the wedding down to the last detail, her brain working to make the absolute picture-perfect moment for me and Ford.

“How involved do you think Ford will want to be?” Tori asked.

“In planning a wedding?” I raised my eyebrows. “I imagine he’d rather stick a red-hot poker in his eye than discuss table settings and color palettes.”

The Wives laughed.

“Stefan was the same,” Tori said. “Though my stepmother did most of the planning in the end. Thank God for Michelle.”

“How are things going between you and Ford, by the way?” Brooklyn asked.

There was a suggestive tone to her voice that made it clear she wasn’t asking about our contract negotiations.

“Fine,” I said, even though I could feel my face heating up.

“ Just fine?” Tori asked with the same tone.

“Have you done the deed yet?” Brooklyn pushed, never one to beat around the bush.

I thought about the other night, in the back seat of the car, Ford using his fingers and his voice to give me the hottest orgasm I’d ever had. Under the table, I squeezed my knees together, trying not to get distracted by the memories.

“No comment,” I finally said, still blushing furiously.

Tori and Brooklyn were both studying me openly now.

“It hasn’t happened yet,” Tori finally guessed. “They’re still tiptoeing around it.”

I kept my mouth shut, knowing that if I disagreed, I’d just put fuel on the fire.

“Ahh.” Brooklyn let out a dreamy sigh. “I remember that stage.”

“I told you, this is different,” I reminded them again. They were still convinced the sham would turn real before too long. “I’m not expecting anything real to happen with Ford.”

Tori and Brooklyn nodded, their expressions kind but patronizing.

“Of course not,” Tori said. “I certainly never expected anything real to happen between me and Stefan.”

“Or me and Luka,” Brooklyn said.

“It’ll all work out,” Tori says. “It just takes some time. And patience.”

“I really don’t think it’s going to shake out that way just because it did for both of you,” I said. “Ford and I have known each other for too long. He just sees me as a friend.”

That was a lie, of course. He’d said that he was attracted to me, and he’d shown me very clearly what he would be capable of if we ended up in bed together. I had no doubt it would be amazing. But I also knew that his heart wasn’t connected to his dick. He might want me, but he’d never love me. Not the way I loved him.

“Fake weddings are the new true love,” Brooklyn said with a wink.

And that was that. Even if I could convince them the truth about my relationship with Ford, I knew they would continue to hope. Which wasn’t helping me any.

To be honest, the whole thing was a lot of pressure. All the plans and the investment of their time and concern was weighing heavily on me. And what would happen when I had to let down everyone else with the news of my eventual divorce? The list of people I’d be disappointing seemed to be getting longer and longer by the day. Which was part of the reason I said, “I do have one request.”

“Of course,” Tori said. “Anything you want.”

“No gifts. No physical gifts, at least. If people want to give us something, I’d like it to be a monetary donation to my charity.”

“We can arrange that,” Brooklyn said.

I let out a small sigh of relief. Even if everyone hated me at the end of this, at least some good would come out of it.

Leaning back in my seat, I couldn’t ignore the sour feeling in my stomach. Was I engaging in the kind of justification that had led my father down the path to trafficking women? Women who were trying to earn their green cards with their bodies? Because it was starting to feel like it.

I could only pray that I wouldn’t turn out anything like him.