Kaylie looks at her, her demeanor changing instantly. Before she was the good little worker, and now she’s assessing Fable since it’s obvious we’re together.

I hope like hell we look like we’re together.

“Here.” Fable hands over the clothes when Kaylie still doesn’t answer her. “I would really love it if you started me a dressing room.”

The sarcasm is evident in Fable’s voice and I try my best to hide the smile. Kaylie takes the clothes, her upper lip curled. “I hope these are the right size for you. They look a little small.”

Catty bitch.

Fable offers her a fleeting smile. “Oh, the size is perfect. I just have humongous tits so it always looks like I need to go up a size but I make it work. Drew likes it when they hang out and he can see them. Easier access and all that. Right honey?” She bats her eyelashes at me and this time I can’t hold back the chuckle that escapes.

This girl—my fake girl—is just too much.

“Right,” I murmur, enjoying the humor dancing in Fable’s eyes.

Kaylie mutters something under her breath and heads for the dressing room.

“Well. She was rude,” Fable says the moment Kaylie’s out of earshot.

“Sorry about that.” I feel like I’m constantly apologizing for this world I’m from that treats Fable so terribly. It sucks.

She shrugs. “Those types of girls always work at these type of stores. They don’t like me because they know I can’t afford anything in here.”

“Whatever you want, I’m buying.” I want Fable to walk out of this stupid store with so many bags she can’t carry them all. Seriously. I see the way she eyes everything in here. She likes it. She’s trying to play nonchalant but this would be her type of store if she could afford it, I can sense it.

“I only want a dress,” she says, her voice small.

“And shoes,” I remind her.

“Right. Shoes.”

“Jewelry if you need it. Maybe a hair thing or something?” Fuck, I don’t know. I don’t pay attention to what girls need to get all dolled up.

“I’ll figure something out. Meet me at the dressing rooms in fifteen minutes.” She offers me a sweet smile and it hits me like a blow to the chest, stealing the air from my lungs.

I want to make her smile like that at me again. It was a real one. No put on cheesy grin for people watching or the fake you’re my hot boyfriend smile she gave me earlier with my dad. This smile was genuine.

Genuinely beautiful.

Fable wanders off in hot pursuit of the perfect dress. I wander the store, looking around. Starting to feel generally uncomfortable. I’ve never played this role before, attentive boyfriend ready to help his girlfriend pick out her new outfit.

I’m looking forward to seeing her in something beyond the casual stuff she usually wears.

“So Drew. Your girlfriend is a bit…different.” Kaylie’s back.

Great.

“How so?” I turn to look at her, seriously interested in her opinion. Why the hell is Fable so different? Hell, even I think so but I can’t put my finger on it as to why.

Kaylie shrugs. “She doesn’t look like your usual type.”

I never had a type. I never had a steady girlfriend in high school. I was too busy playing football and baseball. I had to choose one after I played both my freshman year in college as well. Talk about having no time to date.

“How long have you two been going out?” Kaylie asks when I don’t say anything.

“Since August, when school started.”

“Oh.” Kaylie nods, nibbling on her lower lip. It’s a flirtatious gesture that does absolutely nothing for me. “You know, Drew, I always had a crush on you in high school.”

Hell, I want to groan out loud but I hold it in. This is not going how I planned. I don’t want to deal with this shit. “Uh…”

“You never noticed me, no matter how I tried. And lord knows, I tried.” Kaylie takes a step closer and runs her index finger down the center of my chest, lingering on the buttons of my Henley shirt. “Wow, you’re muscular.”

“Kaylie.” I take a step back. “I have a girlfriend.”

“Such a shame, too.” She’s pouting again and it sucks. If she thinks that’s cute she’s totally wrong. “I’ve always been the type to want what I can’t have.”

That she just admitted it shows how crazy she is. “I need to go help my girlfriend. Talk to you later.”

“Let me know if she needs anything!” Kaylie screeches at me as I walk away.

Yeah, right. I’m going to keep this girl as far away from me as possible. I’m afraid Fable would’ve kicked her ass if she saw what Kaylie just did to me. How she touched me.

Having a fake girlfriend brings me a hell of a lot of unwanted attention.

Fable

After trying on a bunch of dresses for almost thirty minutes, I finally find the perfect one. It’s like I knew it would be perfect since I saved it for the very last. Drew is patiently waiting for me outside, the dressing room attendant having provided him with a chair and everything.

I love coming out of the dressing room and showing him what I have on next. He sits there slouching in his chair, his big body sprawled all over the place, legs spread wide and a bored look on his too handsome face. I’m torturing him, I know it, but his gaze lights up every time he sees me, even if the dress is awful.

And he’s honest too. I can appreciate that. The few that really were awful, he point blank said they were bad. So far he likes the first one I tried on best, and I know it’s a good choice but this one…the one I have on right now, is so beautiful it almost makes me want to cry.

It’s also, at almost four hundred bucks, the most expensive one of them all. Guilt eats at me. I shouldn’t want it. It’s too much money. But oh my God, it looks soo good on me and I don’t like to brag but…yeah. As I told that stupid girl who knows Drew, my tits look great in it and they’re not all hanging out and too obvious either. Everything about this dress is understated, classy…

Yet sexy.

Taking a deep breath, I open the door and step out into the waiting area of the dressing room. There sits Drew in slouch mode, his gaze locked unseeingly on me. He blinks slowly and sits up straight, his eyes going wide as he drinks me in.

“Damn,” he breathes and clears his throat.

The smile that teases the corners of my mouth can’t be contained. I do a little twirl, imagining the super high heels I’d like to buy to go with this dress. I really don’t want to spend too much money on shoes, though. Maybe there’s a Payless Shoe Source close by or something.

Yeah, right.

“Do you like it?” I ask when I face him once more. The dress is black and silky, sleeveless, with a lacy bodice that covers me to my collarbone. It fits close, nipping in at the waist, stopping about mid-thigh, revealing lots of leg. The best part is the back. It does a deep vee, trimmed in black velvety lace and exposes a lot of skin. No way can I wear a bra with it.

“Get it,” he says without hesitation. “You look…”

“Okay? Really? It’s kind of short.” I glance down at myself. “And I’ll need shoes.”

“Whatever you need, cool. That dress is it.” His gaze drops to my legs, lingering appreciatively. “And it’s definitely not too short.”

Excitement courses through me. He likes it. He’s looking at me like he wants me and I know it’s crazy, but I love it. I want to see him look at me like that again. All night.

“There’s a problem though.” I shift on my feet, trying to ignore the worry coursing through me. I don’t want to hear him say no.

“What could be the problem?” He stands and approaches me. My knees threaten to buckle and I lock them, hoping like crazy I don’t fall over like an idiot all because he’s coming closer with that dark, intriguing look in his eyes.

Like he wants to gobble me up.

“The dress costs almost four hundred dollars,” I whisper. I could buy a ton of groceries with money like that. Pay most of our rent. Buying a dress I’m going to wear one time for that much money is insane.

Drew doesn’t even flinch. “I’m still getting it for you.” He stops directly in front of me, rests his big hands on my waist. His touch burns through the fabric of the dress, I can feel his every finger press into my flesh and my heart starts to race. “You look beautiful, Fable.”

“I—I like it too.” I sound breathless and I want to kick myself. Guys don’t make me breathless. They don’t make my heart race either.

But somehow this one does.

“Find something that works?” Kaylie is standing just behind Drew, her withering stare directed at me, and I wonder if Drew is putting on this show of touching me for her benefit.

My entire body deflates at the realization and I withdraw from his hands. “I’m going to change. We should probably get going. And I still need to find shoes.”

“What’s the occasion?” Kaylie sounds all perky and sweet but there’s a hint of venom just beneath the surface. This girl looks like she’d love to sink her claws into Drew.

And then scratch my eyes out with them.

“My dad’s dragging us to the dinner tonight at Pebble Beach,” Drew tells her.

“Oh, I’ll be there too. We’ll have to hook up.” She giggles and I sneak back into the dressing room, slamming the door with enough force to rattle the walls.

Hook up. Nice choice of words. If she doesn’t watch it, I’m going to send a right hook straight into her too perfect nose.

~* Chapter Six *~

Day 2, 6:17 p.m.

Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk. – Dalai Lama

Fable

“My dad is blowing up my phone,” Drew calls from the living room. “Are you ready yet? They’re threatening to leave without us if we’re not ready to go by six thirty.”

Holy crap. My hands are shaking as I finish putting on mascara and I’m afraid I’ll stab my eye out. Drew’s constant reminders that his parents are waiting don’t help. I have never been so nervous about how I look in all my life. Not even when I attended my junior and senior proms and spent hours getting ready. Saving all my money to buy the cheap dress from JC Penney, thinking I looked all hot when I probably looked like a little girl playing dress up.

Now here I stand in a dress, shoes and miscellaneous accessories that almost cost one thousand dollars. Drew didn’t protest when Kaylie rattled off the total after she rang us up. Merely handed over his credit card without a word, though she was quick to give me a shitty little look at the end of the transaction.

I really hope that witch isn’t there at this country club thing tonight. It’s going to be miserable enough without her adding to it.

“Fable.” Drew raps on the bathroom door so hard it swings open and thank God I’m not standing there na**d, though he knows I’m not, so I’m freaking out over nothing. He’s standing in the doorway, looking outrageously gorgeous in black pants and a silvery gray button down shirt and black tie. My mouth dries up as I stare at him in the reflection of the mirror and he returns the same stare. His eyes are wide, drinking me in, sliding down the length of my body and I feel his gaze as if he’s actually touching me. “Uh, are you ready?” he asks, his voice husky.

“Give me two more minutes.” I yank my gaze away from his and dig through my makeup bag, pulling out a pale pink lip gloss. I open it and slick it on, rubbing my lips together as I assess myself in the mirror.

I wore my hair up to show off the back of the dress, a few little wisps hanging around my face. I gave myself dark, smoky eyes, rosy cheeks and pale lips, going for an understated look. The dress is perfection, I can’t believe how I look in it, and the shoes I’m wearing are daringly high. So high, I probably hit at about Drew’s shoulder. Hopefully I won’t fall on my butt when I walk.

The sparkly earrings and matching chunky rhinestone bracelet complete the outfit. I almost feel overdressed, but Drew’s not complaining so neither am I. I’m still worried about his opinion though, and I focus on zipping my makeup bag closed. Hopefully he thinks I look good. I think he looks gorgeous, but when does he not? The guy could wear a paper bag around his privates and make it look designer.

I called Owen’s friend’s mom earlier and she reassured me Owen was there with them staying the night, so I feel good about that. I tried to call my mom, but no answer. I sent her a quick text letting her know I was all right.

Still no reply. She’s probably hanging out with her flavor of the month and doesn’t have time for me.

Squaring my shoulders, I turn to face Drew. He’s got his hands propped against the top of the doorway and he’s sort of leaning into the bathroom, his shirt stretching across his chest, emphasizing his sheer size. I can smell his cologne, a clean, citrusy scent that smells so good, I want to push my face into his neck and sniff him there. Maybe even lick his skin and see what he tastes like…

My thoughts are getting so out of hand and we still have way too many days left. I’m going to be a complete mess by the time Thanksgiving rolls around.

You can handle this. He’s just a guy. And they don’t mean anything to you.

“Ready?” he asks me after I stand there silently for probably too long.

Nodding, I hold out my cell phone. “I have nowhere to put this. The purse I brought is huge and no way would it look good with my outfit.”

His full lips curl in the faintest smile. “Do you have to take it with you? You can leave it here. We’ll only be gone for a few hours, tops.”