Chapter 3
Matthew awoke to the familiar tone of his phone receiving a text message and he reached to the bedside table with a groan. He swiped the phone to view the message, eyes widening when he saw the message from Claire. It wasn’t the fact that she’d sent a text that bothered him, no. It was what the text read. Apparently her sister, the very sister that was getting married, had already insisted upon meeting Claire’s new boyfriend. His eyes bulged as Claire begged him to meet them for lunch at a popular restaurant downtown. He knew he should say no, he hadn’t signed up to immediately play the boyfriend game; he’d intended to work out their plan a bit more before meeting the family. However, he knew it would look outright awful for her supposed boyfriend to refuse to meet the sister. He groaned under his breath, slipping out of bed and into the bathroom to prepare for the impromptu date.
Around a half hour later, he grabbed the keys to his little red sports car and slipped out the door. He texted Claire to inform her that he was on his way to the restaurant, shoving his phone in his pocket and glancing at his reflection in the side mirror of his car. He flopped into the driver’s seat, turning the ignition and reveling in the powerful purr of his engine. Not wanting to be late, he sped to the restaurant as quickly as the speed limit would allow— or perhaps a bit more so. He spotted Claire outside the restaurant, standing next to a woman who looked similar but remarkably homely in comparison to his… his fake girlfriend. He pulled into a parking space, running a hand through his hair before stepping out and approaching the two women. Claire’s sister spotted him before Claire, eyes wide as she sputtered and pointed at Matthew. Claire quirked a brow, following her sister’s gaze and immediately lighting up upon seeing the man. She waved happily, much to her sister’s surprise, and Matthew rushed forward to gather Claire into his arms. She squeaked, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing a kiss to his cheek.
“There’s my girl,” he said in a forcibly tender tone, though he was somewhat irritated to be forced into the act so soon.
“Matthew, baby, I knew you would come through,” Claire cooed, cupping his cheeks in her hands. Her sister watched in slack-mouthed awe, gasping audibly.
“Claire, that’s who you’re seeing? Jesus, kid, he’s gorgeous,” the woman announced, and Claire reddened in embarrassment. “Matthew, yeah? I’m Courtney, Claire’s sister. Once mom told me she was bringing a man to the wedding, I had to see for myself,” the woman, Courtney, chuckled.
“Nice to meet you, Courtney. I see that good looks must run in the family,” he lied smoothly, gripping Claire’s hand in his own. He brushed his thumb against the back of her hand, not really realizing he was doing so.
“Aw, you’re too sweet. I told Claire, here, that I would treat the two of you to lunch. The looks of that sports car, though, you don’t seem to be hurting for cash,” Courtney grinned, leading the fake couple into the restaurant. Claire held Matthew’s hand almost unbearably tight and when he glanced towards her, she was offering the most apologetic look she could muster. He smiled gently, mouthing that it was fine before turning his attention back to her rambling sister, managing to tune back into what was being said. “Claire’s never had much luck with men, I thought she was one of those lesbians, for a spell. Has that big butch personality, like a man,” Courtney continued to ramble, and Matthew narrowed his eyes dangerously.
“It’s a shame that to have such an outgoing and vibrant personality is considered manly. Your sister and I get along so well because of her personality. She just needed a man who could handle her. I’m just glad I came along before someone else got the chance,” he said coolly.
“Courtney’s never quite understood my weakness for alpha males,” Claire muttered, to which Courtney only laughed. Courtney guided the two to the table she had reserved, and Matthew pulled out a chair for the woman he was pretending to court. Claire shot him an appreciative smile, and he leaned in to ghost his lips to her ear.
“Play it cool, Barkley,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he drew away. Courtney looked utterly thrilled, and Claire herself was blushing prettily in the low light of the restaurant. He smiled to himself, taking a seat directly at Claire’s side. Courtney sat across from them, smiling to herself.
“I’ll be honest with you. I’ve never seen Claire this happy in… her entire life. She’s always had to put up this big emotional wall when it comes to men, but I can tell she really cares about you. I can tell you care about each other, that is,” the woman smiled. Claire turned an even brighter shade of red, and Matthew could do little more than chuckle to himself.
Awkwardness aside, the lunch date passed with little trouble. Courtney couldn’t stop fawning over the new couple, hinting that she would be aiming for Claire to catch the bouquet. As Courtney got in her car to drive home, the couple stood side by side, waving to bid her farewell. As soon as she was out of sight, Claire began apologizing desperately.
“I’m so sorry, Matt, I didn’t think she would be so demanding, and I didn’t mean-,” she blurted, cutting herself short as he ruffled her hair.
“I’ll admit, it was a bit trying to force this… thing, so soon. But I think, all things considered, I think it went well. Your sister lives in town?” He inquired, glancing in the direction the other woman had driven.
“Y-yeah. I was going to suggest… that is, I was thinking we could spend more time together. Off the clock, so to speak. So we can get to know each other a bit more, and cover our tracks…,” she trailed off, glancing uncertainly up at him. He was hesitant, wondering if there was something deeper to this whole charade than he had initially expected. He dismissed the thought, however, nodding his agreement to her suggestion. Even if he suspected he was being used, he couldn’t shake his budding attraction for the woman he was faking a relationship with.
“I think you’re right. If your sister lives in town, she could spot us anytime,” he muttered. She smiled, seemingly satisfied with his agreement. He knew this situation could go downhill any given time, but at this rate, he would be happy enough if he could just land his friend in bed. Just to satisfy a craving, if nothing else. What were friends for, after all?