“Because everyone else is getting married and I’m tired of feeling like the odd man out,” I confessed, knowing that honesty was the best policy with her. She might also possibly understand my thinking if I put it to her like that.
She sighed, but her expression softened a little. “You’re acting like you’re some lonely loser who hasn’t got a real fiancée because you can’t get one. Both of us know that’s not true. If you wanted to be engaged, you could be engaged.”
“Maybe, but it doesn’t change the facts,” I said. “Everyone else has managed to find success and happiness. If I’d made time for a relationship, it’s possible that I would’ve been engaged but I’m not. I didn’t make time for relationships because I was too focused on working.”
“They’re your best friends. Why don’t we just tell them that? Tell them that I’m just your date and that I’m here so we could keep working while you fulfilled all your responsibilities to them as the best man.”
“Do you have any idea how desperate that makes me sound? And if not desperate, like a total workaholic who’s forgotten how to take some time off.”
“Asking a woman to pretend to be engaged to you so you can keep up appearances while also working does kind of make you sound like a total workaholic who’s forgotten how to take some time off. Especially since it’s that same workaholic streak that has prevented you from pursuing actual relationships in the first place. We can’t pretend to be engaged. I mean, who does that?”
I rolled my lips into my mouth before releasing them to shoot her a grin. “Well, actually, I know a few people who have.”
Surprise flashed across her beautiful features and her head tilted. “And how did it work out for them? It sounds like a disaster waiting to happen to me.”
Well, she’s not going to like this.“It wasn’t a disaster. The opposite, actually. They’re all madly in love and happily married. Some even have children together now, while others are trying to make it happen.”
Predictably, a myriad of emotions played out on her face. Then her chin dropped and she stared at me like she was looking for that flashing neon sign again. “Wait a second. Is that what you’re hoping for here? That we’ll fall madly in love, get married, and have some rug rats together?”
“You don’t like children?”
She frowned. “What? No. I didn’t say that.”
I arched an eyebrow at her. “You called them rug rats.”
“Just answer the question.” She exhaled slowly, her gaze locked on mine. “Are you hoping that if we do this, we’ll fall madly in love, get married, and have some children together?”
I shook my head. “Nope.”
While I definitely wanted all that with her—eventually, anyway—I wasn’t sure pretending to be engaged to me would make her feel the same way. I hadn’t thought out this plan as a way to get her there. The opportunity had simply landed in my lap, and it was too good not to at least ask her to go along with it.
Isabella narrowed her eyes again, making it seem like she didn’t completely believe me. “Why bring it up then?”
“You asked how it worked out for the other people I know who’ve done this. All I did was give you a truthful answer.”
“Okay, but if that’s not your plan for an endgame with this ridiculous idea, then why propose an arrangement that saw a few of your friends fall for each other?”
“Whoa.” I held my hands up. “Let’s not go throwing around words like ‘propose,’ shall we?”
Soft disbelieving laughter came out of her. “If you’re scared of just the word, I don’t see how you’re going to sell an entire fake relationship centered around the prospect of a fake marriage.”
Digging deep, I tried to imitate the way my brother looked at Hailey and gave her my best rendition of his sappy in-love look. “Oh, baby. I’m a great actor. I’ll get down on one knee for you time and time again when we’re in public, but when it’s just you and me, let’s just agree that we won’t use real words in the context of a fake relationship.”
Her head shook. “We’re not agreeing to anything.”
“You really won’t do it?” Disappointment rushed through me. “Also, we’ve already agreed to something, unless you’re welching on the agreement to be my date now, too. In which case, I guess we’re just going to have to push up our timeline. Is that what this is about? You want it to take more time so I’d be paying you for longer?”
Her mouth dropped open, and it was very clear that she was insulted. “Absolutely not. I would never do that.”
“Prove it.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re not going to goad me into pretending to be in love with you. I already fell for that ‘prove it’ thing once, and look how that turned out for me.”
I snapped my fingers and released a heavy sigh. “Darn. In that case, could you just agree already? Please? I’d go down on my knees to beg you to do it, but I don’t want you to think I’m asking for real. Unless…?”
Her eyes flew wide open. “No.”
“No?”