“Ah, oui, come in my loves,” she said graciously, letting me go, then turning to go into the house.
Wow, the inside was even more extravagant than the outside. A long, sweeping staircase led to the second level. To the left looked like a formal living room.
“Beau, why don’t you two take your suitcases to your room,” she said to Beau, then glanced at me and spoke in a very quiet manner, “Geneviève, do not worry. Despite what my son may say, I’m actually a very—openminded woman. It does not bother me at all, you sharing a room.” The smile on her face made it seem like she was extremely happy about the prospect.
“Oh, uh,” I said, glancing desperately at Beau for help.
His sexy, devilish smile was back. “Mom, you’re embarrassing her.”
Before I knew it, I was following Beau down a set of wide stairs. The basement was huge and unlike any I’d ever seen—like an oversized man cave. A bar was in the far corner behind a huge pool table. Three couches, and a TV that belonged in a theater.
“This way,” Beau called to me. I turned my head to see him opening two French doors.
My head was spinning as I hurried inside. Once we were both in the room, I carefully shut the doors and turned on him. “Are you insane?” I asked, my heart pounding in my chest as I leaned against the doors for the strength to remain standing.
“Depends who you ask?” Beau said, giving me a half-smirk.
I took a few steps closer to him. “Didn’t you tell her I’m not—we’re not really together?”
He stopped putting his clothes into the dresser. “I tried,” was all he said, before continuing to unpack.
“And?” I asked incredulously at his answer.
“She was—so happy. She’d watched the first show after seeing our social media—stuff. I didn’t want to burst her bubble,” he said over his shoulder.
“And you didn’t think to tell me this information?”
His dark eyes found mine. “I figured it was on a need to know basis.”
Letting my chin drop to my chest, I took a deep breath. “I needed to know this, Beau.”
“And now you do.”
I walked up to him and put my hand on his arm to force him to stop. “Is she—okay?”
His head tilted in a curious manner. It reminded me of when the puppies did the same thing. “What do you mean?”
“Mentally?” I said in a whisper.
A giant smile crossed his face before he threw his head back and laughed. And laughed. Then laughed some more. “As okay as she’s ever been, I suppose. She’s not crazy, Geneviève. She just really loves you.”
I frowned and shook my head. “She doesn’t even know me?”
“I guess whatever she’s seen on social media and on the weekly shows has done it. Admittedly, after the first pictures and videos were leaked, she wasn’t exactly on board. But seeing us on the show won her over.”
“You need to tell her the truth, Beau. Or I will.”
His face changed, no more mister nice guy. “You won’t.”
“Then you do it. This is crazy. Not to mention, mean.” And I meant it, too. His mom obviously had gotten her hopes up—even though I didn’t understand why exactly—and it was cruel that she wasn’t told.
What I didn’t tell him was that it was also cruel to me. Having her greet me like I was actually Beau’s real girlfriend, hurt me deep down. It felt like I was being teased and taunted with something I’d never get. Something I’d wanted forever.
His hands cupped my face while he leaned in, speaking softly, “Let her have her fun. Please? I’ll explain things next week. I don’t get to see my family that often. Can you play the girlfriend for a couple of days? Please, Geneviève?”
I’d asked him to stop calling me by my real name. Every time he said it with his sexy as heck accent, it made me want to jump him.
“You’ll tell her next week?”