On her way to the door, Poornima whispered to Joy, “You deserve something better than fake. I mean, look at you. Besides, it may be pretend, but I can see a flame in his eyes.”
It didn’t matter what her friend saw in Jason’s eyes; Joy was going to stick to the agreement she made.
Once the Sankars left, Joy turned to Jason. “What’s the plan for today?”
“We have a call with my manager and the PR firm in an hour.” He pointed to a small box on the counter Joy hadn’t noticed when she came in. “That’s a new phone with a different number. If it’s okay with you, we can have someone from my team go through your messages and take care of any problems.” Jason’s jaw ticked. “That way, you won’t have to see anything that might upset you.”
Joy reached out, trying to smooth away the lines of worry on Jason’s forehead. “Hey, don’t worry. I’d rather not have to sort through the messages on my phone. I’m happy to let someone else deal with it.”
Jason’s shoulders dropped. “Thanks.”
The doorbell rang, and Jason jumped up to answer it. “That’s probably Nick. I hope you don’t mind. I asked him to bring me a few things.”
Jason opened the door to Nick carrying a guitar case and a large backpack. He set them down and came over, pulling Joy into a hug.
“You okay?” Nick asked.
“I’m good. It’s been kind of crazy,” she said with a weak laugh.
Nick raised an eyebrow. “Kind of crazy?” He glared at his brother. “Do you have a plan to get Joy out of this shit show? You never should have put her in this position.”
Joy moved to Jason’s side. “I agreed to this Nick. I knew what I was getting myself into.” Nick continued to scowl at his brother. She quickly added, “Okay, maybe I didn’t know it was going to be quite this intense, but”—she reached for Jason’s hand—“we can handle it.” Hopefully, presenting a united front would ease some of Nick’s disapproval.
Nick pointed at Jason. “Anything happens to her, and you’ll have Holly and Noelle to contend with. And me, and Hugh, a couple of other guys on the team, and most of the hospital staff.”
Jason nodded. “Not to mention Mom, Dad, and our sisters. I know. I’ve got this under control. That’s why I asked you to bring all my stuff here.”
Jason turned to Joy. “We haven’t had a chance to talk about this yet, but the PR people think it would look better if we were staying together. After all, we’re supposed to be engaged,” he said with a wry smile. “And I’ll sleep better knowing you’re not alone. When the family gets here for Thanksgiving, we’ll all stay at the house.”
“Wait, what house?” Joy asked.
“Jason and I rented a house not too far from here for the week of Thanksgiving. It’s a huge place right on the lake. Mom and Dad and our sisters are all coming,” Nick said.
A fresh wave of uncertainty crashed over her. Pretending to be engaged was one thing, but spending the holiday with his family was too much. It would feel too intimate, too real.
Joy shook her head. “I can’t intrude on your family.”
Nick grinned at her. “Are you kidding? Mom is going to insist. Holly will be there too. It’s going to be fun, a big house party.”
Jason nodded in agreement. “Until the social media furor dies down, I don’t want you to be alone. The house is private, with a gated driveway. Think of it as a staycation. Unless—” Jason frowned. “Did you have plans with your dads?”
“No, I offered to work over Thanksgiving this year so some of my other co-workers could be with their families. But I’m still not comfortable with the idea of being with your family. I need some time to think about it.”
Jason and Nick exchanged a worried look but didn’t argue with her.
As soon as Nick said goodbye, Jason’s phone rang, and their day began. The morning passed on a never-ending conference call where Jason and his team debated different strategies. The PR team wanted to schedule magazine and television interviews. There was a heated debate about an engagement photo shoot that tested both of their patience. In the end, Jason and Joy agreed they felt most comfortable with some candid photos they would take themselves over something staged with a professional photographer, a team of stylists, and hair and makeup people. Jason wasn’t a mega celebrity, but he had enough fame to require more planning and logistics than Joy realized they would need.
“What about a ring?” someone on the phone asked.
Joy looked at Jason with wide eyes. “We don’t need to do that, do we?”
“I’m afraid so. People are gonna ask,” Jason’s manager, Paul, said.
“I’ll take care of it,” Jason said in an exasperated voice.
When Joy’s stomach let out a loud growl, Jason said, “Listen, my fiancée is starving, and so am I. We didn’t have time to have breakfast. If anything else comes up, let me know.” He hung up and stood, holding his hand out for hers. “We both need a break. Let’s get out of here and get something to eat.”
“Sounds good to me. Let me check in with my folks first.”
Jason gestured to the clothes he’d been wearing since yesterday. “I could use a fresh set of clothes, and I haven’t showered yet. I’ll jump in while you call.”
With the sound of the shower running in the background, Joy wandered over to the large window overlooking the Sankars’ yard with a view of the blue-gray waters of Lake Washington. Her pops answered on the first ring.
“Hi, sweetheart, I was about to call. We know it must be a little crazy, and we didn’t want to hover, but… I’m worried about you. We both are.”
Joy squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back tears that suddenly threatened to spill. She felt terrible for the worry she caused. “I should have called sooner. I don’t want you to worry. We’ve been on the world’s longest conference call, working out a strategy.”
Shawn chuckled. “Sweetheart, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing. We’re always going to worry. I know I’ve said it before but, a fake engagement to a famous musician wasn’t in any of the parenting handbooks. We’re in uncharted territory here.”
“We all are Pops.”
Douglass’s voice rang out in the background, filled with his usual boundless enthusiasm. “Did you come up with a plan? I have some ideas. What if you and Jason went to Vegas? Shawn and I could meet you there and—”
“We’re not doing a Vegas wedding, Dad,” Joy cut him off. She could hear the growing excitement in his voice and knew where this was going. “And if you were going to suggest that silver sequin mini-dress would be perfect for a Vegas wedding, don’t. I gave it away.”
She winced hearing her dad’s strangled gasp. “That dress… it doesn’t fit who I am anymore.”
Pops whispered something to her dad, and after a pause, he said in a dejected voice, “Fine. No Vegas wedding.”
“We decided we’re going to make our official debut as a couple tonight.”
“What are you going to wear?” her dad asked.
Joy suppressed a sigh, lifting her eyes to the ceiling. Of course that was what her dad wanted to know.
“We’re still debating on the location, but it will be somewhere casual, so nothing fancy.”
“I wish I had time to brainstorm outfits,” her dad said, “but I’ve got to run, sweetheart. I have a coaching session. Love you.”
“Love you too, Dad.”
When it was just Joy and her pops, his voice grew serious. “You sure you’re okay?”
“I… it’s been…” Joy struggled to find the right words to describe the whirlwind of emotions she was going through from minute to minute. “It’s been intense. But Jason’s been doing everything he can to make it easy on me.”
“Jason sounds like a good guy. I’ve been doing some reading about him. He doesn’t seem like one of those celebrities with a big ego.”
“No, he’s not.”
“He’s the kind of guy I’d always hoped to see you with someday,” her pops said.
“But it is just pretend,” Joy reminded her pops, and herself. “I’m not looking for a relationship, and when I am ready, I’m going to take it slow and make sure I’m with someone for the right reasons and not because I want to have a boyfriend.”
“I’m not sure you would have said that a year ago.”
“This is different… I’m different.”
“I’ve noticed. I’m proud of you, Joy.”
“Thanks, Pops. You know, I’m proud of myself. I wish Dad felt the same way.”
“Oh, sweetheart, we’re both proud of you. Douglass can be stubborn. He may have a hard time letting go of his dreams for you, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t take pride in the wonderful woman you are.”
“Does that mean he’s finally giving up on me being Miss America someday?”
Pops laughed. “Okay, so maybe his dreams are shifting to a Mrs. America title someday.”
“Dad’s going to go crazy with pretend wedding planning, isn’t he?”
Pops sighed. “He has a binder.”
Joy slapped her forehead with a groan. “Oh God, no.”
“To be fair, he’s had it since before we brought you home. He’s making revisions. Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll try not to let it get to royal wedding status.”
“Thanks, Pops.” Joy noticed Jason out of the corner of her eye. “I’ve got to go. I’ll check in with you soon.”
“Take care, sweetheart. We’re always here for you.”
“Love, you Pops, I’ll keep you posted,” she said, ending the call.
Jason sat down on the sofa and started to pull on a pair of battered brown Blundstones. His hair hung in damp waves, brushing his shoulders. Shades of dark amber were starting to appear as the strands began to dry. He’d changed into a pair of jeans and a green plaid flannel shirt over a Seattle Emeralds T-shirt.
“Sorry if I took too long,” he said.
“Not at all. I don’t know about you, but I’m on the verge of going from hungry to hangry,” she said, heading toward the bathroom. “Give me a minute, and I’ll be ready to go.”
Jason’s toiletry bag sat on the counter, his cologne and deodorant sitting next to it, and there was still a hint of steam on the mirror. Joy picked up the small bottle, inhaling the mix of cedar and citrus. She carefully put the bottle back in its place, shaking off the memory of how good the scent smelled on Jason’s skin.
When she came back out, Jason looked her up and down. “We match.”
Joy looked down and realized her green sweater matched Jason’s plaid shirt.
“It’s a pretty color on you,” he added.
Their eyes met, and the look of appreciation made her heart flutter. Jason Anderson was checking her out. Men looked at women all the time. That didn’t mean anything serious, she reminded herself.
“Are you working on something new?” she asked, gesturing to the guitar he was holding.
Jason looked down at his instrument and back at Joy. “That’s right, you two haven’t met yet. This is Rusty.”
“Rusty, huh? It looks like you two are old friends.”
“I got him when I was eight, and we’ve been thick as thieves ever since.” Jason stroked the worn burnt-orange finish as he talked. “He’s kept me company on a lot of lonely nights on the road. We’ve written all my songs together.”
She couldn’t help but smile at the way Jason talked about his guitar as if it was a real person. “Let’s grab some sandwiches, and you can tell me more about Rusty.”
Jason put Rusty back in his case. “Sounds good to me.”
They made a quick stop at a little deli on the way to walk around the lake, grabbing a couple of sandwiches and drinks before Joy drove them toward Greenlake.
A circle of blue sky kept the clouds at bay, allowing a group of rowers to glide across the lake, their oars dipping in and out of the water in perfect sync. Jason and Joy stopped to have a makeshift picnic on one of the benches that dotted the path around the lake.
Jason mumbled something unintelligible around a bite of his sandwich.
Joy finished chewing and swallowed. “What did you say?”
Jason wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I was asking if you come here often.”
“This is my favorite time of year to walk the path around the lake. During the summer, it can be a madhouse. It’s so crowded, with a mix of skaters, runners, and bicyclists. Greenlake can be worse than the bar scene when the sun is out. A lot of people come for no other reason than to check each other out. I like it now, when the trees are changing color and it’s quiet.”
“I’m glad we’re here in the fall. Navigating crowds is something I’d like to avoid. I was looking forward to spending time with my family and be able to hang out and avoid any publicity.”
Joy paused. “I guess our engagement kind of ruined that plan.”
“I’m not going to let that happen. We’re going to have a good Thanksgiving because the only thing that matters is we’ll all be together.” Jason disposed of their empty wrappers and held his hand out. “Let’s walk.”
Joy let him pull her from the bench. He rubbed his thumbs over her knuckles and then brought her hand to his lips to blow on them. “Your hands are cold,” he said with a lopsided smile. They took a few steps, “It’s been less than twenty-four hours, but I know I enjoy spending time with you. You’re easy to be around, Joy. You’re not ruining my plans. Remember, we’re blaming Madison.”
Joy laughed and nodded in agreement. She pulled her hand out of Jason’s grasp and tucked both her hands into the deep pockets of her jacket.
“We’ve been talking about engagement stuff all day. Let’s talk about my end of the deal. What do you want to know about the guy code?”
“Can we talk about something else?” she asked.
“Nope. I’m going to keep my side of this bargain. You said you wanted to learn how to read the signs, and I’m going to teach you.”
Heat rose in her cheeks. “I was having an awful night and ranting. You don’t have to be my dating coach or teach me guy stuff.”
Jason laughed. “Guy stuff?”
“You know, how men think, or work, or whatever.” She looked down at her feet. “I sound like a Cosmo quiz,” she muttered.
“Take advantage of having me here.” He held his arms open wide. “I’m an open book and your personal Cosmo quiz.”
Joy shook her head with a laugh. “Let’s get through our big debut first, before school begins.”
“I’m sure you’ll be an A student.”
Then why did it feel like she was already failing?