My mouth watered at the smell.
At least my friends brought food to my interrogation. I wasn’t above accepting bribery.
I almost groaned as the taste of warm, freshly baked muffin exploded on my tongue. Definitelynot above accepting bribery.
“Stella was just about to tell me who her mystery man is.” Jules ripped off a piece of blueberry muffin and popped it into her mouth.
Ava’s face lit up. “I bet he’s hot,” she said. “You can tell by the watch.”
“That’s what I said!” Jules beamed. “Great minds think alike.”
The banana muffin turned sour in my mouth as they stared at me expectantly.
It was one thing to lie on social media; it was another to lie to my friends’ faces. I didn’t tell them everything about my life—they thought I had a great relationship with my family, and they didn’t know about Maura. Being the “perfect” family was so important to my parents that sharing anything that didn’t align with that felt more difficult than it should have.
Ava and Jules were my best friends, yet I still kept so much of my life to myself.
But could I stand here and tell them Christian and I were dating when we weren’t? Not really, anyway.
One step at a time.
They’d only asked for his name, not the details of our relationship. I’d cross that bridge when I got to it.
“He’s—”
I was interrupted yet again, this time by the insistent ring of my phone.
I didn’t have to check caller ID to know who was calling, and a quick glance at the incoming FaceTime proved me right.
“Hi, Bridget.” I rubbed my face again. I would kill for some yoga right now. I never felt right when I started the day without it. “I assume you’re calling to join the inquisition?”
“Funny.” Bridget raised an elegant blonde brow. “But since you mention it, yes. This is the second time I’ve been kept out of the loop regarding your love lives. I don’t appreciate it.”
Last summer, Jules shocked us all when she announced she was dating Ava’s brother Josh. Josh and Jules had hated each other since the day they met, and a romantic relationship between them had seemed as likely as snowfall in Miami.
However, they were still going strong after they made things official seven months ago, so I guess the old adage was true. There really was a thin line between love and hate.
Despite the nerves coiled in my stomach, I had to fight a laugh at Bridget’s uncharacteristic grumbling.
“I’m sure you have more things to worry about than our love lives, Your Majesty,” I teased.
She’d been a princess during our college days, but she became queen after her older brother abdicated and her grandfather stepped down due to health reasons.
It still boggled my mind that I was best friends with a literal queen, but Bridget was so down to earth I forgot she was royalty half the time.
She wrinkled her nose. “More things? Yes. More interesting things? Debatable.”
“Guys, please. Let’s get things back on track,” Jules said. “Who have you been hiding from us, Stel? Give us a name. Picture. Anything. Please, I need to know before I die from curiosity.”
She flopped onto the couch in a dramatic heap.
I shook my head.
If I looked up drama queen in the dictionary, I’d find Jules Ambrose’s face next to it, but I loved her anyway. At least she was into fun drama and not the nasty, backstabbing kind.
“Fine. I’ll tell you, but don’t freak out.” I drew my bottom lip between my teeth. “It’s Christian Harper.”
Three blank stares greeted my confession.
I couldn’t remember the last time my friends had been this speechless. They usually talked more than a daytime talk show host.
The taste of copper filled my mouth from how hard I was biting my lip.
“Rhys’s old boss?” Bridget’s brow creased with confusion.
Her husband Rhys used to work for Harper Security. That was actually how they met. He’d been assigned to her after her previous bodyguard returned home to Eldorra for paternity leave.
“Yes.”
“What does he have to do with this?” Jules looked equally confused.
“He’s my boyfriend.”
Still nothing. I might as well be talking to the Madame Tussaud’s wax versions of my friends for all the reaction they showed.
“Who’s your boyfriend?” Ava asked.
Oh, for goodness’ sake.
“Christian Harper.” I threw my hands up. “He’s the guy in the photo I posted last night! We’re dating. Well, fake dating, but that’s another story.”
Silence stretched for a long, stunned second before chaos erupted.
“Christian Harper?”
“What do you mean, fake dating?”