Faking It Page 8

  “But everyone has certain standards they expect from a partner? What might be considered unrealistic to one person might not to another.”

  Danni cleared her throat before pushing her glass to the side and leaning forward on the table with her elbows. “In which case they aren’t compatible. What I’m trying to say is that I don’t like the idea of obligations or expectations in relationships. If somebody wants to do something, they should do it because they want to, not because it’s expected of them.”

  Brooke cocked her head. “For example?”

  “Take sex.” Danni shifted to the edge of her seat and joined the tip of her fingers in a steeple position. “Do you think it’s right that some people believe it’s their God-given right to expect sex just because they’re married?”

  Brooke shook her head. “Most definitely not. I agree that it defeats the object of what should be a very loving and natural thing to do.”

  Danni slapped the table with her hand. “Exactly. I would hate for my partner to do something she,” Danni quickly caught her slip-up, “or he didn’t want to do. I know the premise of it sounds naive and unrealistic but I think relationships would have a better chance of success if people just dropped their goddam expectations.”

  Brooke smiled as she looked up at Danni from under her lashes. “You’re quite passionate about your book, aren’t you?”

  Until that very moment Danni hadn’t even realised it, but yes, yes she was. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe in what she was writing, she just didn’t feel qualified. But sitting there as Brooke listened, Danni realised she had just as many qualifications to write this book as the next person.

  “Yes, I suppose I am.”

  Brooke clasped her hands together. “Good. I like to see that kind of passion in a writer.”

  “Passion?” Roy asked as he followed Josh into the room carrying a strawberry cheesecake on a tray.

  “I was just saying that Danni is very passionate about her work,” Brooke said.

  “Ahh, that she is,” Josh said bending down to kiss her. With a slight shift of her head, Danni managed to avoid kissing him on the lips.

  “Young love,” Roy said as he put the tray in front of the women.

  Danni clenched her teeth together. Shit. I hope Roy didn’t just see that. Some fiancée she looked – one that couldn’t bear to kiss her husband-to-be on the lips.

  The next few hours were filled with laughter as Roy recounted funny anecdotes about Josh as a boy. Seeing how Roy watched Josh with pride, she still found it hard to believe he would even care if Josh was gay. He seemed such a warm and loving man, but then they say Hitler was kind to animals. Looks could be deceiving.

  Beside him, Brooke seemed delicious enough to eat. Her face had a permanent smile on it. Not for the first time that evening, Danni wished both men would disappear and leave them alone in their own little cocoon of lady-love. Danni was in heaven, staring at Brooke so intensely that she didn’t realise Josh was talking to her.

  “Danni, we’re going now.”

  Her hopes of being in Brooke’s company for any longer were brought to an unwelcome end. How had the time managed to pass so quickly? Rising from the table, she followed Josh to the door where they said their farewells to his dad, thanking him for a wonderful evening.

  Josh turned to Brooke, bending to kiss her cheek. “It was good to see you again. Really great.”

  “You too.”

  “I’ll wait in the cab,” he said to Danni.

  “Sooo,” Danni said swinging her arms to her back.

  Brooke cocked her head. “So.”

  “I, um, really enjoyed our talk this evening.” Danni brought her arms forward and crossed them over her chest.

  “Me too.”

  If this were the movies, it would be at this point Danni would step forward, take Brooke in her arms and kiss her beneath a canopy of glistening stars. But, alas, this was not the movies. It was real life and they were standing on the doorstep of her pretend fiancée’s dad’s house.

  “Well you’ve still got my number, make sure you call me.”

  “I will,” Brooke said.

  Reluctantly, Danni stepped past her and headed down the stairs to the cab where Josh was in deep conversation with the driver. As she closed the door she took one last look at Brooke. There had to be a way around all this. There just had to be.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Brooke smoothed her palms over her pristinely tailored shirt, knocked on the heavy wooden door and entered. Roy Reynolds was lounging on his dark leather chair in a reclined position, legs crossed at the ankles and resting casually on the large mahogany desk. Upon seeing Brooke he lowered them to the ground.

  “Ahh, Brooke. Take a seat,” he said gesturing to the wooden chair opposite him.

  Brooke slid elegantly upon the seat and waited. She loved Roy’s office. It was exactly how a publisher’s office should be. Shelf upon shelf of books – many first editions, expensive art work adorning the walls and antique furniture scattered throughout. The room had a wonderfully rich smell of leather, which made her feel immediately at ease, yet aware that this was a room that commanded authority.

  “Sorry to have disturbed you, Brooke, I just wanted to let you know the release date for Rodger Holt’s book has been finalised. I’m going to throw him a small bash here to coincide with it.”

  Brooke nodded approvingly. She had been the editor on his book and was pleased for him. “That’s good to hear. It’ll be nice to see him again.”

  “I’m relieved if I’m honest. His agent was getting a bit arsey with me. She thinks he’s been out of the spotlight for too long and that his readers have forgotten about him.”

  “That’s hardly likely, he was on the Sunday Times bestsellers list for six months.”

  Roy raised his hands in surrender. “I know but that’s what agents are like. The quicker the author gets a book out the quicker they get paid.”

  “Yes, I suppose so.” She rose to stand but he waved her back down again.

  “Just one more thing. I hope you don’t mind me asking, but I just wanted to hear your opinion on something.”

  She sat back down, crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knee. “Of course, anything. I’d be happy to help.”

  “It’s about Danni.”

  The very sound of her name made Brooke’s stomach somersault and her heart pump a little faster. She only hoped that her cheeks hadn’t flushed, betraying her true emotions.

  Brooke paused and pretended to think. “Oh, yes Danni. What about her?”

  He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “What do you think of her?”

  What did she think? Where should she start? Smart, funny, warm, beautiful … incredible even.

  “I think she’s lovely. And Josh certainly seems to be fond of her.”

  “Yes, yes, he does. Is there anything else?”

  Brooke was confused. What more did he want her to say about a woman she barely knew?

  “Well no, not really. I don’t feel particularly qualified to comment Roy. Why? I’m sensing a certain ‘malaise’ from you? What did she do exactly?”

  He leaned back in his seat smiling. “Nothing at all. In fact I like her very much. Very much. But I can’t put my finger on it.” He paused and smoothed his thinning hair. “There’s just something a little, shall we say, awkward between her and Josh.”

  She glanced down at the gold Mont Blanc pen on his desk before looking back up at him. “Awkward? I thought they seemed like a great couple.”

  “Yes, they are … yet … I can’t explain it.” He frowned. “Their affection for each other just seems a bit … stilted. It’s been playing on my mind.”

  Brooke cocked her head. “Really? I didn’t get that impression at all. I thought they looked a very loving couple. Maybe Danni just feels nervous around you. What did you want them to do Roy? Make out on the cheesecake?”

  The pair laughed for a few seconds.

 
Roy looked thoughtful. “Yes, you could be right. What does an old man like me know? I’m sorry to have taken up so much of your time.”

  Brooke stood up. “Not at all. It’s natural to be concerned for your son’s happiness. For what it’s worth, I think he has a good woman there.”

  As she reached the door and turned the handle, Roy quickly rose to his feet and cleared his throat. “Actually, there is one more thing I’d like you to do, if you don’t mind.”

  Brooke turned to face him. “Just name it.”

  “I was thinking, maybe you should be the one to look over Danni’s submission when she sends it in. As you said, she seems pretty passionate about it. I know you have piles of manuscripts to get through, but I did promise Josh. He’s an astute boy. If he thinks she has something, I believe him.”

  “Well, perhaps Ethan would be better placed to help. I’ve got so many new titles on at the minute … and,” Brooke stammered.

  “Ethan! No, no. You are much more suitable. Besides, you two ladies looked like you had lots in common.”

  “Yes, okay. If you want me to take a look at her ideas, of course I will. You’re the boss after all.”

  “Fantastic, thanks so much.”

  Brooke remained where she stood. “Anything else?”

  Roy’s expression was neutral for a moment, then the edges of his mouth began to turn upwards as he sat back down. “Yes. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. I’ve got two tickets for Michael Fitzgerald’s book reading next Thursday. Why don’t you take Danni along and see what she thinks of it. She’s writing about relationships, it might be of interest to her.”

  Brooke gasped, a sense of panic rushing through her. A night out, her and Danni, alone?

  “Really. I thought Fitzgerald’s reading was all sold out?”

  “It is, but I managed to secure a couple of tickets, pulled in a favour.” Roy winked.

  She couldn’t turn down such an opportunity. “I wish I had friends like that. I suppose there’s no harm in giving Danni a call. I said I would anyway.”

  He clasped his hands together. “Good, good.”

  Brooke opened the door and was halfway through her exit, when Roy said, “I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourselves.” Brooke turned back and he nodded with a warm grin. “By the way, are you and Ethan still up for drinks tonight?”

  “Yes sure. We’ll pop by at five.”

  Brooke smiled and made a hasty half-run back to her office.

  She didn’t know whether she was excited or terrified at the thought of next Thursday. The chance to see Michael Fitzgerald was an unimaginable treat, but although the idea of spending time with Danni excited her, it also filled her with fear.

  Fishing out her mobile from her bag, she scrolled down until she reached Danni’s number. Without hesitation, she pressed the screen and after two rings, Danni’s bright voice sung into her ear. There was no going back now.

  “Hello.”

  “Oh, hi, Danni. It’s Brooke.” A pause. Then. “I hope it’s okay to call?”

  “Oh Brooke. Um, yes, of course. It’s good to hear from you.”

  “The reason I’m calling is, I was wondering if you’re doing anything next Thursday?”

  Another pause.

  “Next Thursday?”

  “Yes.”

  “Doing anything? Um, let me think. No, why?” Danni answered.

  “Well, I thought it might be good for you to attend a book reading. I have tickets to see Michael Fitzgerald and wondered if you’d like to go?”

  “Michael Fitzgerald?”

  “Yes. Are you interested?”

  “Um, sure. It sounds amazing. Wow. Thanks so much for thinking of me.”

  “Brilliant. I’ll text you the details as soon as I have them. I’d better run, I have stacks to do. Take care.”

  Hanging up, Brooke clutched the phone to her chest, took a deep breath and exhaled loudly as if to release the tension. There was no reason for her to feel guilty about the call, but still she did. Should she tell Megan about the arrangement? She would be back from Australia the day after the reading. It wasn’t as if she was planning anything inappropriate though. And even if she was, would Megan care?

  Chapter Eighteen

  Hearing the unexpected sound of Brooke’s voice was still playing havoc with her pulse as Danni laid her mobile on the coffee table. The living room seemed to be getting smaller as the sound of her heart thumped between her ears. It had taken a few seconds for her brain to decipher who she was talking to. After all, she hadn’t thought Brooke would actually call her. She had just thought Brooke was being polite when she said she would. But she had called, she had actually called!

  Danni stared down at her twitter page. Suddenly the tweets about Kim Kardashian’s new handbag seemed even less interesting, if that was possible. Now all she could think about was who the hell was Michael Fitzgerald? This man responsible for bringing them together again.

  Seated on the sofa, she trawled through her internal Michael database. Michael Douglas – dirty one from Basic Instinct, Michael Jackson – glitter glove with a passion for monkeys. Yes, she could picture them, but Michael Fitzgerald? Danni had a brief recollection of the name, a small inkling that Mr Fitzgerald was one of Josh’s favourite gurus. The man who had promised a Life Transformation, but she couldn’t be sure. She could only hope that Brooke had believed her excitement, which was more about spending an evening with her than a Michael she couldn’t really place.

  This was one of the millions of reasons why she thought she was unqualified to write a self-help book. It wasn’t as if she had any great knowledge of the genre. Once again, she felt like a big fraud – writing about things she didn’t really know about and pretending to be engaged to her gay best friend. Cut her in half and she would have “fake” written through her middle. God, she hated feeling like this. It just wasn’t her. The only things that were genuine right now were her need for a vodka cranberry and her feelings for a woman she hardly knew.

  “Oh shit, what am I going to wear?” she said to herself, springing to her feet. What would she wear this time? She had to impress. Would she have to purchase another skirt, and God forbid, more nightmare heels? Hell no! The very thought of it gave her the heebie-jeebies. The wearing of skirts and heels (so high that one might clean the windows of the International Space Station with just one small stretch) were now prohibited items. She would not wear them again – not for Josh’s dad, not for anyone. She sniggered at the thought of herself wobbling around at the party. How had she managed it? She now had the scars that would forever remind her of that night – six bandaged toes, and a blister the size of Lake Tahoe on each heel. Danni glanced upwards to the ceiling, shaking her head. What did clothes matter? She was going to see Brooke again, and this time, she would be herself.

  There was something about the brunette that Danni had taken to, something that stirred her, and that rarely happened to Danni. Up until now, her love life had been nothing more than a few fleeting romances. Not that she was short of offers. It was simply that no-one had ever managed to tick the right boxes for her. Until now … until Brooke. A woman who worked for her fake fiancé’s father and was proudly gay – one out of two wasn’t bad.

  She pondered the implications of the invitation. She was sure Josh would be okay with her seeing Brooke again and that he would trust her not to blow his cover. Still, she felt it was best to tell him, partly out of respect, but more because she was so damn excited. Hell, she wanted to tell the whole world! What kind of saddo had she become?

  She could contain her excitement no longer. When Josh answered his mobile, she heard the clanging of metal and the holler of male voices in the background. She would never understand why he had chosen to work in such a harsh industry, and more bizarrely, how his hands were still so ridiculously soft!

  “Hey, D. What’s up?” he said shouting above the noise.

  “Well, guess who has a date with
Brooke next week?” She laughed with a distinct air of pride.

  Her laughter increased when she heard the absolute disbelief in his voice.

  “Noooo! Are you serious? You actually called her?”

  “No, she called me. Can you believe it?”

  “She did? Wow. What did she say?”

  “Nothing much. She only invited me to Michael Fitzgenital’s reading next week.”

  “Michael Fitzgerald!” he corrected her. “You’re kidding. The guy’s a legend, D.”

  “Fitzgerald – can’t say it means much to me.” She giggled. I’m going to have to look him up online so I don’t look like a complete vacuous twat!”

  “Hmm, bit late for that, D!” he teased. “Hey, you aren’t going to let the cat out the bag about your rampant lesbianism are you? She might go back and tell my dad.”

  “Why on earth would she do that?”

  “They are good friends, D.”

  “Fear not. I promise to be on my best behaviour.”

  “Oh Lord, I’ve heard that one before. Anyway, how’s the writing going?”

  Danni looked at the computer screen. “Good, I’ve written the outline and synopsis and made a stab at the first two chapters. Pretty good going, really. I hope it’s something they will go for.”

  “Have faith. Look, I’m going to have to go, my boss is calling me. Sorry. We’ll speak about it later.”

  Alone once again, Danni sat in the lounge, staring down at her laptop. All she could think about was Brooke – Brooke and the impending evening. Expectations, expectations, expectations.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Megan stood by the old French doors that overlooked the small tidy garden, watching intently as Alison and Kelly planted pansies in the flowerbed. The sky was grey and moody, mirroring her own feelings. She was going back to London and most probably back to Brooke wanting to know every detail of her “holiday”. Sometimes she grilled Megan like an inquisitive child – where she had been, who she had been with, the name of the hotel she had stayed at – if Megan wasn’t so good at covering her tracks, she’d think Brooke was suspicious of her.