Laughter breaks out behind him as Spence and Jesse stroll in. “What did we miss?” Jesse asks.
“I believe the lovely Vivienne Dubois thinks your name is Jackass,” he says to Jesse, and Spence’s head falls back in laughter. “Don’t laugh, dude, she called you shit for brains.”
Now I’m laughing, which I don’t have time for because we have a lot going on today. The top floor is almost finished and we’re working our way down. We’ve got guys in the lobby working on the ceiling details, and Cosette has shipments arriving daily. She had a meeting at her office with her mother this morning, so she hasn’t shown up just yet. After that kiss last night, you could say I’m slightly eager to see her again.
“She did not. She called them Splinter and Jackal,” I say over my laughter.
“Is that any better? What the hell does that mean?” Spence grumps before holding his finger up when his phone rings. “Got to take this.”
“Jackal’s kind of a cool name. I’ll take it.” Jesse shrugs.
“You would be agreeable to Jackal.” I wrap my arm around Hot Hair, my youngest brother’s fitting nickname. His hair reaches the heavens and then some. “You’re agreeable to everything.”
“Is that so bad?” he asks, grinning.
“Not one bit.”
My phone vibrates and I grin when I see that it’s Cosette.
I’m dying a bit about last night. I should’ve never asked you to lie for me.
It doesn’t even take me two seconds to start typing back. Lying for you was the most fun I’ve had in a while.
I see the dots and then nothing, dots and then nothing. Finally, another comes through.
Well. :) If you really mean that, how would you feel about ONE dinner at my house? My mom is having a hard time buying into us dating and I would dearly love to get her off of my back about my ex.
I grin at my phone and Spence laughs, nudging me as he walks by. “This girl’s got Caden all twisted up. I like her already.”
I text back. I’d be happy to come to dinner. When? What time?
Tonight at 7.
Damn. She’s not messing around.
Count me in. And my sweet darling?
Yes, lover?
Fuck, I like the sound of her calling me that. You have a wonderful day. XO
You’re really good at this.
I aim to please.
I cannot stop smiling. On a whim, I call up one of the florists we’ve used for our lobbies in the buildings we own. She answers on the first ring.
“Whimsy Floral, this is Alice.”
“Hey, it’s Caden. How are ya?”
“Caden, my favorite Taylor! I’m great. What can I do for you?”
“Well, if I didn’t know you said that to all of us Taylors, I’d be feeling on top of the world right about now. Doggone it, Alice.”
She giggles and I realize making a seventy-year-old woman giggle is right up there with cotton candy at a baseball game. Pretty damn sweet.
“If you have time today, I’d love the biggest floral arrangement you can pull off in a short amount of time. Something sophisticated, yet whimsical ... like you’d see a beautiful blonde fairy tucked in the wild blooms on a summer day…”
“Oh wow. Mr. Caden Taylor.” She laughs. “You have me all twitterpated. I love the sound of this. I’m busy this morning, but your description makes me want to drop everything and work on this instead.”
I don’t know what came over me. Those words just sort of dropped out of my mouth. I look around to make sure my brothers aren’t still close. Fortunately for my ass, they’re across the lobby and in conversation.
I chuckle awkwardly, trying to get some semblance of manhood back. Did I really just say fairy tucked in the wild blooms out loud? Fuck me to France, I did.
Alice still sounds swoony when she says, “Don’t you fret, I will have this whipped up for you within the hour. I cannot wait. I am already envisioning the magnificence.”
“It’s why we love you so much, Alice. Thank you.”
“Anything for you, Caden. Now … who is this fairy dream for?”
“Miss Cosette Dubois.”
“Oh, what an elegant name. Can you spell that for me?”
I do and give her the address of Dubois Designs. When she wants to know what should be on the card, I hesitate. What do you say to a fake girlfriend of one day?
I clear my throat and go with simple. “To my sweet Cosette. Love, your Caden.”
“Short and so sweet. I heartily approve,” Alice says.
I can’t help but smile when talking with Alice. “You’re a delight, Alice. I can’t thank you enough for fitting this in. It does not have to be ready within the hour—in fact, if you’re not able to get to it until the end of the day, let me know and I’ll have you deliver it to her house instead.”
“My mind is already on the bouquet. I am already creating,” she says. And she hangs up on me without saying goodbye.
My sister Pen has called us the brothers since she was little and still does, so it’s what we all say now when referring to each other. I’m meeting the brothers and their girls at the Mean Mug, our favorite pub, before my dinner with the Dubois family. A little liquid courage before I go get insulted behind Vivienne’s fake smiles and pleasantries. I wonder what Mr. Dubois will be like. I’ve never even seen the man.
“Shut the motherfucking French door,” Gus shouts before barking out an earth-shattering laugh.
Everyone at Mean Mug turns to face us, and I shake my head. The two of us are the only unattached brothers in the family and it’s easy to see why.
“First off, the whole point of saying shut the front door is to avoid saying fuck. You continue to use it incorrectly.” Jesse tips his head back and slams his beer.
“Po-tay-to, po-tot-o—damn, I feel like some tater tots.” Gus flags over our server and orders yet another appetizer.
Welcome to my life.
“Help me understand this. Gus has been trying to get us up to speed on this little arrangement you’ve got with our designer, but you know he’s clear as mud. So, she told her mom she was dating someone because her mother was that upset that she broke up with the dickspackle?” Spence asks, and I glance at my watch and push to my feet.
Sitting in this bar in my best suit makes me feel very out of place. I’ll probably lose the jacket before I get to Cosette’s.
“I don’t know all the details. I’ll find out more tonight when I speak to her. All I know is that she needs me to pretend to be her boyfriend for another night, and I’m happy to do it.”
“You know that means that you can’t date anyone else, if you’re fake-dating Cosette,” Mya says with a wide grin on her face.
“I don’t think he minds,” Jesse adds, as he leans into his girlfriend.
Emma moves to her feet and straightens my tie. “Even if you’re pretending you’re dating her, you know Mya and I need to meet her. It won’t seem real if we haven’t had a girls’ night. You know, the girlfriends need to initiate the newest GD Taylor girlfriend.”
“Fiancée,” Spence corrects her.
Her head tips back in laughter and she leans into him. “Soon to be Mrs.”