Madeline pulls away from Theo. “I don’t think you will have any problem pulling off a fake engagement. I saw how cozy you two were on Halloween. All you have to do is add a few glances, a few touches, and hand-holding. It’s not that hard, really.”
Theo frowns at Madeline. “So, you’re acting with me?”
“I’ve never been acting with you, Theo. As much as I wished I was, it was always real.” She turns back to us. “You know what we could do? We could have a small dinner party here, and you could come, and we could introduce you as being engaged and see how it goes. Like a rehearsal.”
“Who would be at this dinner party?” I ask. I’m not sure I want my neighbors to know that I’m engaged to Oliver, fake or otherwise. They’re already too much in my business about Stephen. I can only imagine what they’d think about me getting engaged too quickly after he left me. They would probably see it as a desperate move.
“We can invite people from the production company,” Theo offers. “I owe them gratitude for all the work they’ve been doing, and they’re not people who travel in your same circles, so you wouldn’t have to worry about running into them in life.”
I look over at Oliver.
“How does that sound to you?” he asks.
“I think that sounds like a good idea.” My stomach does a little somersault, belying my comment.
“In the meantime, when Oliver moves in with you, you’ll have some opportunities to get to know each other, so you can come up with your backstory, and you’ll get to know a little bit of how each other lives, so you have that as a reference. The more familiar you seem to each other, the more people will buy that you’re engaged,” Madeline says.
Theo looks at Madeline and grins. “How’d you get to be such an expert on fake engagements?”
“It’s the same thing in acting; knowing your backstory and getting familiar with your own character and the other characters.”
He thinks about it for a moment and then nods. “But don’t underestimate the power of chemistry as well.”
“Chemistry?” I look at Oliver and wonder if that’s how we ended up in bed the other night. But, mostly, I think it had to do with pumpkin martinis and my being a little bit lonely and enjoying a man's attention.
“I saw a little bit of that between you two on Halloween,” Madeline says.
I shake my head. “No, that wasn’t chemistry. We were just being friendly.”
Madeline arches a brow at me but doesn’t say anything.
Feeling a little uncomfortable, I stand. “I should probably get going. I’ll prepare the guest room for you, Oliver, and of course, if there’s anything that you want to bring, not just to the room but to the rest of the apartment since it will be your place as well, you’re welcome to do that.”
Oliver rises from his chair. “All I have is the clothes on my back and the few I brought in my suitcase. But thank you, Charlotte.”
I thank Theo and Madeline and hurry out of Theo’s penthouse and back to my own condo. When I shut the door behind me, I lean against it and breathe. What have I gotten myself into?