MY FAKE LOVE AFFAIR

ours ago, she was a face on TV. Now, she was in my car and thanking me for help

grace. The woman had the look of someone with mon

alluding to some exotic bloodlines. I imagined she had dark eyes. I wis

d expect a high-powered attorney to wear into court. It demanded respect a

at she did. Was she born

of there,” she said. “I suppose you kno

odded. “Sure. I

. It’s nice to m

know who you are, can

often hounded with dumb questions as well as intrusions on he

road that was a little sketchy, but I didn’t plan o

hat wo

that Brock guy?” I as

l never have regrets, but I have to say, I’m having some serious regrets about that decision. Like my dad says, regrets are like

surprised me. “I only know

aid. “Were you guys

edding are a joke. I barely spoke to him. I travel a lot for work, and he was on tour. The picture they keep splashing all over was one of the few times we were

s to boost his career?” I asked. “Or i

nship became its own entity. I felt like I was an actor in a play. It wasn’t my reallife. Brock and I weren’t real anymore. In the beginning, it was fun, and I did think there was a real chance for

that’s public knowledge, but I honestly don’

kup only happened last

hnic

we did FaceTime on occasion, but nothing like a relationship. We were in different time zones. When I

broke his he

guy, but he’s not the guy in the songs he sings. He doesn’t bring roses in the middle of th

d to get more free press. He’

eb

space inside my car. “It’s a he, not a what. He is or was a huge star. Brock wants to be bigger than Michael Jackson

J status. I’ve never heard of the dude. I might have heard him on the radio or

perfect nose scrunched under the glasses with the

y eyes on the road. “N

” “No, not so much. I’m more of a nineties alternative guy. I don’t pay a l

n’t blame you. I’m more

cowboy boot

wboy boots. You really do

ied to avoid those things because I didn’t want to see anything about my half-brothers. The Bancroft family was big on

on’t,” I said.

lf-made woman. Mostly. I won the lottery a few years ago and in

surprise. “I assumed you g

. I grew up middle-class. I didn’t come from m

,” I

rprised?”

I formed an opinion. I’m sorry for that. I k

ises you?”

think I’ve seen you on the news once or twice,” I said. “You came off as this prim and proper woman who was educated at

prim, and proper?” she asked

ed or comp

efreshing to meet someone that

u obviously

between Brock and me,” she said. “I’m not going to worry abo

as much as I’m enjoying this

ant to go

o people just delivering me to where I’m

She was a conundrum. She reminded me a lot of me and Thomas. We w

tle crazy to pick up a random woman in traffic

eautiful woman who hopped into a complete stranger’s car. Didn

he’s going to lay into me,” she said. “B

o, you were a little af

he said. “I went with t

l be so pro

on social media,” she said. “And no one will be able to follow me to my dad’s place.

t thi

ou one,”

big deal. You were a damsel in

the s

” she sang out in

ight place at t

to a stop in front of a town house in a nice neighborhood. “

or. I’m a nice guy

foot on the curb. She opene

w, she pulled my hand into he

my

u a favor, you collect on it. Maybe not tomorrow or next week, but

o know,

said and got

She was beautiful. Her slacks were tailored. I knew a good suit, and she was wearing a very expensive designer pantsuit

d definitely know who she was. He was going to lose his shit when I told him. I was the m

life usually came through s

finally had somethi

one f

ning. Thomas would make sure I knew it was the car. He was the one who’d pushed me into driving something