Faking It Read online

  Both women looked around the room at the rather ancient crowd, then back to each other where they burst out laughing.

  Danni stepped closer, leaving little personal space between them and grabbed hold of Brooke’s forearm. Leaning her head towards her ear she asked in a conspiratorial tone. “Do you think they’re going to play any music from our generation? Or from the last three decades even?”

  Brooke couldn’t help but enjoy the sudden closeness between them. She closed her eyes briefly, wanting to make the moment last until an image of Megan flashed in her mind and she became engulfed in a haze of guilt. Brooke backed away slightly. “I doubt it, unless we slip the DJ something.”

  Danni gave her a mischievous look. “Hey, that might not be such a bad idea. Though it might give him flashbacks of ‘Nam!”

  Brooke held Danni’s gaze for a few intense seconds; her magnetic, compelling eyes making Brooke’s heart flip. What was causing her to have this reaction to a woman she had just met? She shouldn’t be having feelings like this for anyone but Megan. The thought of betraying her even mentally made her feel uneasy. Infidelity was just not in her DNA.

  She took another sip of her wine before holding out the glass to Danni. “Do you want some? I don’t think they’re going to be back any time soon. I think Ethan’s probably attempting to seduce the boss’ niece with some very bad dancing.”

  “Thanks.” Danni laughed. She took the glass from Brooke’s hand, their fingers briefly brushing. “I’m gasping.”

  Ignoring the spasms her touch had elicited inside, Brooke gathered herself to speak. “So, have you set a date yet?”

  Danni sipped on the wine slowly, then looked at Brooke, puzzled. “A date?”

  She nodded towards Danni’s ringless left hand. “You know, for your wedding?”

  Danni looked down, shifting her weight from one ridiculously high shoe to the other. “Oh yes, uh no, not yet.”

  “You two look a great couple.” Though she was sincere, the words were a struggle.

  “We do?”

  “I’m sure I’m not the first person to tell you that.” There it was again. Another pang of jealously. This is crazy! A young couple with their whole lives ahead of them and here she was feeling envious.

  “Well, Josh is a great guy, and pretty easy on the eye, too,” Danni quipped.

  Brooke smiled and looked anxiously towards the bar area to see if she could spot Ethan. She watched as the bartender skilfully manipulated three bottles in his hands, pouring what seemed to be a measured amount of liquid into the three glasses placed out on the counter. Not seeing Ethan anywhere, she turned back to Danni. The silence between them was broken as they caught sight of a senior citizen attempting a rather ambitious Michael Jackson move. They laughed like two schoolgirls. It had been a while since Brooke had giggled like that. She liked Danni and despite the intense feeling of physical attraction, she felt an immediate sense of friendship.

  “So you and … Ethan is it? You seem like you get on well. Are you just colleagues?”

  Brooke couldn’t help but feast her eyes on Danni’s mouth each time she spoke. Could she see the desire in her face? She glanced away. “Me and Ethan? Most definitely.”

  “Oh. I thought?”

  She turned to face her. “No. Nooooo. There’s nothing wrong with him, but well, he’s not my type … I’m gay,” Brooke blurted, thinking it best to just get it out there, however clumsy.

  Danni’s eyes widened. “No kidding so am …” She stopped suddenly, her mouth gaping open. “So am, is, Ricky Martin! Can you believe that man getting all those women worked up into a frenzy? What a tease.”

  Brooke laughed. She found Danni’s reaction to the revelation both strange and charming. Perhaps Danni was just surprised to hear Brooke preferred women. She wouldn’t be the first and she doubted she’d be the last.

  Danni handed Brooke her wine glass.

  “Yeah well, all the signs were there with Ricky. He’s an immaculate guy. He must take more time to get ready than I do. Mind you, your Josh is pretty well turned out too.”

  Brooke laughed again as her mind battled to find something else to say. Normally she found maintaining conversation as easy as breathing. She was a natural at it, which wasn’t surprising considering the nature of her job, but she felt tongue tied with Danni.

  After a few minutes silence Danni leaned in towards her. “So you’re an editor? Must be an interesting job?”

  “It can be,” Ethan said interrupting the conversation from behind and handing them each a drink. “Brooke and I get to work with some great writers and I guess a few mediocre ones.” He took a sip of his drink. “It can be amazing as we also get to read some great new manuscripts, you know from unknown authors hoping to get published.”

  “Sounds like great fun,” Danni enthused.

  Brooke practically sighed with relief as she placed the empty wine glass on a nearby table and took a sip of her full one. She had never been so grateful to see Ethan in her life. She felt back in control now, the runaway train was back on the rails and proceeding at a regular speed. “It can be. There are a lot of average authors out there though. We want to find something special, someone special,” Brooke explained.

  “Don’t pay any attention to Brooke, she’s a real perfectionist. She’s an amazing editor with equally amazingly high standards. I reckon Shakespeare would have got a hard time from this one. Romeo and Juliet would have been sent back for a rewrite,” he teased, nudging a giggling Brooke.

  “So what do you do, Danni?” Brooke smiled, feeling more relaxed with her Ethan-shaped security blanket. Although she was adhering to etiquette, she was genuinely interested to know.

  “Depends which answer you want. What do I do to make a living or what do I want to do?”

  “What do you want to do?” Brooke asked.

  “Well, it’s all a bit embarrassing now because you must have heard this a million times, but …” Danni paused as her eyes darted from Brooke to Ethan then back to Brooke again. “I’m a writer, or rather; I’d like to be a writer.”

  “Oh really? Then you might just be what I’m after.” Brooke blushed at the somewhat Freudian slip. Danni glanced down.

  “So, uh. What genre do you write?” Brooke recovered.

  “Chick-lit, but at the moment I’m trying my hand at something completely different – you know, self-help, life philosophies. Josh thinks I might be good at it and apparently it’s the kind of title that’s selling. It seems we could all do with some help these days. Josh believes I have a good way of looking at the world. I’m not so sure.”

  “Well,” Ethan said taking a business card from inside his jacket pocket. “We’d be happy to take a look at what you come up with.”

  Danni took the card and toyed with it playfully between her fingers. “Really? You don’t have to feel obliged.”

  “I’m not. Besides, as Brooke said, you might be just what she’s, I mean, we’re looking for!”

  Brooke blushed for a second time and sensing Danni’s eyes upon her, offered her excuses and stepped out to call Megan. It was all too intense and she was beginning to think Danni was feeling awkward too. That was the last thing she wanted.

  Chapter Nine

  Danni didn’t know how much longer she was going to be able to stand in those bloody shoes. Josh had lovingly dubbed them her “killer heels” – Kilimanjaro more like! A handful of humans and the odd mountain goat may be able to survive at such heights, not her. Her toes were numb and she was convinced if she didn’t take the shoes off soon, she might lose her extremities for good.

  She tilted her head as she watched Ethan’s lips moving up and down, without actually digesting a single word. She wasn’t being rude; it was just that her mind was infinitely more interested in the striking brunette that had left their circle a minute earlier – Brooke, whose face possessed a slight asymmetry that only enhanced her natural beauty. Not to mention the long, supple lashes that fluttered above her piercing blue eyes.<
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  Danni couldn’t believe her luck. What was the likelihood of her bumping into her ideal woman on her first date with her fake fiancé? What’s more, she’d had to endure this life-changing encounter in full SSB - stilettos, skirt, and blouse. No mean feat for her. She didn’t know how she had managed to maintain her composure when they were first introduced; all she had wanted to do was scoop Brooke up into her arms and run off to the nearest Premier Inn.

  No, there was no getting away from it. Danni was officially smitten. She had felt an instant attraction to the enigmatic editor. Brooke may have seemed the reserved type, but Danni knew there was much more lurking beneath that black strapless dress, and God, was she longing to discover it. Brooke had the most perfect lips she had ever seen. Luscious, plump and pink, those lips were made for one thing only – kissing her and her alone. Danni pondered all the adjectives she might use to describe them – sensual, delicious, divine. Was it her imagination, or had Brooke’s sea-blue eyes been undressing her as they spoke? Could she really have found her attractive too? Danni replayed the moment their hands touched on the wine glass, how every nerve in her body had seemed to jolt to life. She suddenly felt deflated, coming to the sad realisation that none of that mattered. What could she feasibly do about her feelings – she couldn’t ask for her number without blowing Josh’s cover. Damn you Josh Reynolds! Damn you and your homophobic caveman father!

  Waking from her daydream, Danni managed to catch the last few words of Ethan’s story, enough to let out a perfectly timed chuckle right at the punch line. Danni peered over his impeccably tailored shoulder as she saw Josh and a tall handsome older man approaching. As the pair got closer, she grew increasingly intrigued by the older man’s appearance – fake tan, dyed black hair, and he was, yes, he was actually mincing. His white skin-tight trousers and pink waist-coat only confirmed her suspicions. Perhaps he was the birthday entertainment, a drag act about to pop to the changing rooms in time for the magic transformation.

  Upon their arrival, Josh and his companion stood smiling excitedly before Danni.

  “Danni.” Josh pulled Danni’s hand into his own. “This is my dad. Dad, this is Danni, my beautiful fiancée.”

  “Your … dad?” Danni blurted, nearly choking on her Pinot Grigio. Dad? Could she alone see the obvious irony? Josh was standing proudly next to his father, like a young Ricky Martin embracing Liberace. Was she really the only one who could see behind the candelabra?

  “Danni, darling! So wonderful to meet you at last,” he bellowed in a rather theatrical voice.

  “Ahh! Yes, you too, Mr …”

  “Just call me Roy, dear, short for Royston,” he said leaning in to kiss her flushed cheek. “What a beauty. I’ve been looking forward to this moment ever since Josh told me about you. I’m so glad he’s met someone at last. After his mum died, I thought he’d never get over it – they were so close you see.”

  Danni nodded robotically, still dumbstruck. “Yes, I can imagine. She sounds like she was quite a remarkable woman,” she said genuinely.

  “Yes, she was, she was. It will be good to have another woman in the family. You’ve met Josh’s cousin Helen I take it? You two minxes will get on like a house on fire. Josh tells me you are quite the life and soul. I love a woman with spirit. Now,” he whispered taking Danni’s hands and holding them in his soft, manicured own. “I don’t want you two being strangers, you are always welcome here – especially when the grandchildren are born! One big happy family we are,” he said, winking at Josh.

  Danni gasped. “Grand …”

  Josh let out an awkward laugh, so loud that it attracted the attention of a nearby group who nodded and raised their glasses.

  “Give us a break Dad. We aren’t even married yet,” Josh retorted.

  Roy shifted his weight to one side, and placed his left hand firmly on his hip. “Don’t be so timid Josh; your mother had you when we were barely twenty. Our seed is unstoppable.”

  Danni felt quite nauseous with the mention of “seed” and “grandchildren”. She could only hope for a switch to a more palatable conversation.

  “So Dad, Danni’s writing a fantastic book at the moment.”

  “Really?” he said eyeing her with renewed interest. “Let Brooke have a look. We’re after some talented female authors. Brooke has a good eye, best in the business. If it’s any good we’ll see what we can do.”

  Brooke appeared as if from nowhere and took her place next to a rather merry Roy.

  “Ah Brooke. I was just saying how you have an excellent eye for talent. Danni may just be the girl you’re looking for!”

  Is Brooke blushing?

  “Right,” Roy declared decisively. “I’ll leave you young ones to chat. Wonderful to meet you, Danni,” he gushed, gyrating his way onto the now busy dance floor.

  Danni looked after him. A good dancer too? The evidence sure was stacking up, she concluded.

  “Josh, can I have a word?” she asked, grabbing him by his arm and leading him a few feet away from Brooke and Ethan.

  “Josh, about your dad …”

  Josh grabbed her hands. “I know, I know. You’re worried if he liked you. Well he did. He loved you, I could tell.”

  Josh was looking at her with the eyes of a puppy, all soft and gooey. Could she really tell him he had the campiest father in the western world? That his own dad was probably not averse to the odd portion of toad in the hole? Of course not. That’s not what friends do to one another.

  “That’s good. I really like him too.”

  “Enough about my dad, what do you think about Brooke?” Josh’s face broke into a big grin. “She’s hot isn’t she?”

  “Sizzling more like!” Danni quipped. “Did you know she’s gay?”

  “Yeah I did. I couldn’t risk telling her about myself though – in case she told Dad.”

  “Your dad seems to think highly of her, so maybe he’s not quite the homophobe you think.”

  Josh’s features darkened. “Don’t be fooled by appearances.”

  Danni swiftly changed the subject, the last thing she wanted to do was spoil Josh’s night. “So, about the Brooke thing. You can see my predicament. I can’t exactly make a move on her without you looking like a complete idiot. Oh Josh, what am I going to do? I really like …”

  “Oh, hi there. Am I interrupting?”

  Danni swallowed her words and spun around to face the direction of the questioner.

  “Brooke. Not at all.”

  “I just wanted to say goodbye.”

  Danni instinctively reached out her hand to touch Brooke’s shoulder and quickly snatched it back. “Oh no. You’re not going already, are you?”

  Brooke responded with a faint smile. “’Fraid so. I’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”

  “But it’s Sunday.”

  She swept her hair back away from her face. “I know, but I have things planned. It was really nice meeting you,” she said outstretching her hand.

  Danni inwardly groaned. She didn’t want a handshake she wanted something more meaningful, like a hug or, dare she wish for it, a promise of a second meeting. “Wait a second,” Danni said boldly, falling into step beside her as they walked toward the entrance. “So.” She tried to keep her voice casual, a desperate attempt to hide the excitement she felt at being so close to her again. “I’d, um, love to talk more about the publishing world, if you have time of course. I know how busy you must be.” She looked at her expectantly.

  Brooke stopped in the doorway and turned to Danni.

  “Of course I have time. I’d be more than happy to. I’d like to hear more about your book as well.”

  “Let me give you my number.”

  Brooke slipped her hand into her pocket, withdrew her phone and tapped in the numbers as Danni called them out.

  “Great. I’ll speak to you soon then,” Brooke said as she walked out of the house and down the stairs into a waiting taxi.

  A warm fuzziness spread through Danni’s body as she watched
the car disappear down the driveway and into the night. She stood grinning to herself, possessed by an incredible inner joy that was desperate to burst out. I’m going to see her again! I’m really going to see her again! Could this be the greatest day of my life? God yes!

  Chapter Ten

  The bathroom air was pregnant with the sweet scent of honeysuckle as the two women luxuriated, top to tail, in the free-standing bath. Candlelight illuminated the small room, golden flames flickering against the white tiled walls.

  “This is what I miss most when you’re not here.” Alison grinned, rubbing the ball of her foot over Megan’s left breast in a circular movement.

  Megan reached for her glass of red wine on the wicker chair next to the bath. “Hmm, I know. This is paradise.”

  “Isn’t it? Oh when are you going to get a job on the ground? Kelly misses you. I miss you.”

  Megan tilted her head forward a little and took a sip of her blood-red drink. The warmth of the Pinot Noir trickling down her throat made the moment all the more delicious and decadent.

  “You know I love my job, Ali. I’d go insane cooped up behind a desk all day. It’s just not me.”

  “Then why don’t you look for another job outside the industry – something nearer to home?”

  Megan returned the glass to the seat. “Oh come on, babe, what – retrain? Start from the beginning? Realistically what would I do?”

  Alison shrugged defiantly, the bubbles sloshing over the edge of the bath lip. “I dunno, anything. Don’t you want to be here all the time, with us?”

  Megan took hold of Alison’s delicate foot and began to massage the heel. “Would you want me to be miserable in a job I hated? ‘Moody Megan’ wouldn’t be good for any of us, now would she?” She smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

  “I thought Kelly and I would be enough for you to be happy.”

  Megan brought Alison’s foot to her face and kissed each of her toes individually. “You are,” she answered in what she hoped was a reassuring tone.

  “But what? You think family life is too mundane for you, not exciting enough, is that it?”