17
PARKER
Izabella was upset about the whole fiancée thing. That much was crystal clear. She’d come down with a lazy smile on her face and she’d seemed happy—until Agatha had asked when our wedding was.
Knowing she would follow, I stopped in a reading room off the hallway. Not a minute later, she stormed in, hands on her hips and murder in her eyes.
“What the hell was that?” she whisper-yelled, obviously not wanting us to be overheard if anyone should pass by. “They think we’re engaged, Parker. Why didn’t you say anything?”
I stared at her, equally concerned about her after what had happened last night and turned on by the spitfire she’d suddenly turned into. “What did you want me to say? I wasn’t going to burst her bubble of sunshine and rainbows when she hasn’t even been married for twenty-four hours.”
“I’m not asking you to,” she hissed, her eyes narrowing. “All I’m asking is for you to be honest, laugh it off, and tell them that we’re not engaged. That I was only your date. Bringing a date to a wedding isn’t exactly a proposal.”
“No, it’s not.” I took a step closer to her and reached for her hand, but she glared at mine like she was about to bite it off. “Okay, Bella. I won’t touch you. Just calm down. It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?” Her eyes bulged until I was sure her brain had just imploded. “Breaking a nail isn’t a big deal. Forgetting to put the trash out isn’t a big deal. There are lots of things that, while annoying, disappointing, or gross, aren’t actually such a big deal. Your closest friends thinking you’re engaged to your brand consultant? That’s a big fucking deal.”
“They’ll be fine,” I said, shrugging. “Why are you acting like it’s the end of the world? Let them think what they want to think for now.”
“Why?” she snapped, hands tightening so much on her hips that her knuckles turned white. “Did you tell them we’re engaged? Is that why you’re so relaxed about this?”
“I never told anyone we were engaged,” I said, defending myself before that idea could take root and fester in her mind. “It seems like some of the folks have assumed it because of the way we were dancing last night.”
“So you knew they were thinking this? Before I even came down here?”
I shrugged. “They might’ve mentioned it.”
Suddenly advancing on me, she lifted a finger and jabbed it at my chest in time with her words. “If you knew, why didn’t you correct them right away? You might not have told them we were engaged, but you sure as hell don’t seem to be particularly eager to set them straight.”
“That’s because I’m not,” I admitted. “Would you just calm down, please? Let’s talk about this.”
She tossed her arms out to her sides. “What is there to talk about? We’re not getting married. It’s as simple as that.”
I drank in the twin blue flames dancing in her eyes, wondering if I was crazy for what I was about to suggest. While it was true that I hadn’t said anything to anyone that would’ve made them think we were engaged, as soon as the assumption was put out there, I latched onto it.
And now, I’m having trouble letting it go.“Or we don’t say anything and we just play along.”
“Excuse me?” Her brows shot up. “Did I just hear you suggest that we play along? As in, we pretend to be engaged?”
“Yep.”
Confusion knitted her brow and she took a step back, surveying my face like she was searching for a flashing neon sign that readcrazy lives here. “Are you serious?”
I nodded firmly. “Yes.”
“Why?”
I frowned. “Why what?”
She rolled her eyes. “Why would you ask me that?”
“Because it could work,” I said nonchalantly, even though my heart was thumping and blood was rushing in my ears.
“How?” She scoffed. “How could something like that possibly work and, more importantly, again, why?”
“The how isn’t as complicated as you may think. It’s easy.” I thought back to what Hunter had told me about when he and Hailey were doing this. “You’ve already agreed to be my date to the weddings. We wouldn’t have to do anything different from what we’ve done these last few days. We just act it up a little when we’re in public, and Bob’s your uncle.”
“I don’t have an uncle named Bob but more than that, why should we pretend to be engaged just because I’m your date to a few weddings?”