“If you have to be fake married to a guy and pretend to be in love in front of his family, you might as well enjoy yourself.”
Merritt groaned. “I hadn’t thought of that. We’re going to have to kiss again, aren’t we?”
“Mhmm.” Adelia’s eyebrows bounced up and down playfully.
Merritt’s shoulders sagged. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Don’t overthink it, Merritt. Before you know it, the new year will be here again, and you’ll be in a much better place with your business than you are now.”
“Can you keep reminding me of that?”
“Of course, I will.”
She smiled at Adelia. “Thank you.” Her thoughts turned to future plans. “I cannot wait to get going on the new ad campaign. Thank you for agreeing to be the face of my company. You are a very good friend.”
“Well, I believe in you and your products, and I’m happy to do this for you.”
That familiar excitement began to build when she thought about her business. “I love what I do, but having you be a part of this, along with Giovanni’s photographs, just makes it all so much better.”
Adelia’s phone rang then, and she groaned.
“Who is it?”
“Mother,” she answered as she rolled her eyes in Merritt’s direction.
Merritt watched Adelia’s very animated facial expressions as her mother spoke.
“I already told him I’m not doing that movie,” Adelia replied. “The script was crap. I hated everything about it. I want to work on stories that inspire me. That one made me want to take a blow torch to it, but I only had a lighter, so I used that instead.”
Merritt chuckled quietly as Adelia pulled the phone away from her ear due to the increasing volume of her mother’s voice.
“I’m not a little girl anymore. I make my own choices when it comes to my work now. You can’t force me into roles. I’m a grown woman.” There was a pause. “I don’t care if you don’t like that indie movie I did. I don’t care how it reflects back on you. What I care about is my own career, apart from you and Dad. How many times are we going to have this conversation? Seriously, Mom, you’re like a broken record these days.” Another pause and more eye-rolling from Adelia. “Goodbye, Mother.” She hung up and tossed the phone onto the bed as she let out a loud cry.
The sound of rapid footfalls in the hallway grew louder, and Gus flung the door open.
“What’s wrong?” His eyes shot between the two women.
Merritt nodded toward Adelia.
“What is it, Deals?” Gus approached her with open arms, and she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest as he rubbed up and down her back.
“I’m twenty-nine years old. I’ve been an adult for a while now. I just don’t understand why my parents can’t stay out of my business and out of my career. I get that they’re important in this business. I wasn’t raised under a rock. But whether I choose to do a big-budget drama or a small-budget indie should be my choice. Not theirs.”
“It’ll be all right,” Gus told her. “Just keep doing what you’re doing.”
“I think you’ve made some amazing choices so far in your career,” Merritt said.
“Absolutely,” Giovanni agreed. “You have to be allowed to be Adelia Allen, not just the daughter of Hugh Allen and Cora Roberts.”
Adelia straightened and wiggled her body as if she was shaking off all the negativity. “You’re right. I am Adelia Allen, and I’m going to show the world that I’m more than just their daughter.”
“You go, girl,” Giovanni said, teasingly.
“Anybody want a drink?” Gus offered.
“I need one after dealing with Cora,” Adelia replied with a laugh.
Merritt felt bad for her friend, but it made her thankful that she hadn’t been raised by an overcontrolling mother. Her dad’s archaic views on women’s roles were bad enough.
The four of them moved into the living room then, talking until the sun went down. Merritt wished their friends would stay longer, but they soon said their goodbyes and departed.
And then it was just the two of them.
Husband and wife.
Alone.
ELEVEN
Do you want dinner?” Gus wandered into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. “We could order something? There’s not much in here right now.” He hadn’t thought to stock the kitchen before Merritt moved in. At Adelia’s, there had never been a lack of food.
Merritt stood on the other side of the kitchen island, twirling a loose piece of her hair around her finger. “I’m not very hungry.”
“If you change your mind, there are some really good restaurants around here that deliver.”
She nodded and wandered out of the house onto the back patio. The moon was bright and reflected across the pool, silhouetting Merritt in a halo of light.
Gus wasn’t sure if he should follow her out there or give her some time alone, but he chose to join her.
She took a seat on the end of one of the chaise lounges, and he sat on the one beside her and flipped his feet up, lying back to relax. She glanced over at him then quickly away.
“This is awkward, isn’t it?” he asked.
“I expected it to be.” She turned her gaze up at the night sky.
“It will take a little getting used to.”
“Yeah.”
“Not exactly a typical wedding night, huh?”
Her eyes shot to his at that comment.
“I didn’t mean … I wasn’t suggesting—”
“No, this isn’t a typical wedding night, because it’s not a real marriage.”
“I’m well aware,” he replied.
“And just so you know, I am fully aware we will have to pretend to be in love when we see your family, but I have ground rules.”
“Of course you do.” He was not surprised by this in the least.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You may hold my hand and put your arm around me, but no wandering hands. Also, you can kiss me if absolutely necessary, but no more than three seconds. And no tongue.”
Gus smirked, a small huff of air escaping his nose.
“I’m serious, Augustus.”
He chuckled. “You totally sound like an angry wife right now, using my full name.”
“You think I’m joking, but if I so much as feel your tongue brush my lip, I’ll bite it off.”
He burst out laughing.
“This isn’t funny.” Her expression was so serious that it made him laugh harder. “I’m being serious.”
“Oh, I know you are.”
She stood and stared down at him. “You are exhausting. I’m going to bed.”
He pressed his lips together to stop the laughter as she marched into the house.
“Did we just have our first fight, honey?” he called after her.
Her loud groan carried from inside the house.
He lay his head back and closed his eyes with a smile on his face. Gosh, he enjoyed pushing her buttons. There was something about her that made him want to do everything in his power to get her all riled up. This was going to be fun.