Chapter Ten
Fallon
To keep my mind off what Connor might be telling my boss, I decided to text Leah.
Me: Leah. It’s Fallon. I have a new phone. Nana is getting a new tablet, too. Think you can help her set it up?
Leah: That explains the long ass number. I thought you weren’t going to get a new phone since this job was only temporary? And how the hell are you affording things like new phones and tablets for Nana? Did you finally get a raise?
Me: Connor sort of got it for me.
Leah: Connor? The hot guy from your apartment who is your boss’s brother and “just friends?”
I sighed. How did I explain Connor to my best friend? The truth was stranger than any fiction, and if I really wanted this whole agreement to work, could I tell her? Either way, I needed to talk to someone, even without giving the nitty-gritty details.
Me: Can you talk? Maybe a video chat tonight after work?
Leah: *sigh* Okay. But I better get some good details.
“And to think, I was just bragging to my brother, a.k.a. your boss, about how good of an employee you are, and now you’re texting under your desk.” Connor’s smooth voice knocked me out of my trance.
“It was just one message,” I quipped, sliding it in my drawer.
Every time he was near me, I swore my heart beat faster. How the hell did he know how to get to me? Probably because he had a lot of practice with other women, like the waitress at the pub.
And now I was with this man who furnished my apartment. Who took me out for more dinners in a few days than Ray ever did. A man who wanted to marry me, even if it was for an inheritance.
And he wanted to do dirty things, which, if I were honest, were at the forefront of my brain most of the day.
Dammit. Why did he have to show me those tattoos and accept my offer to sleep in the bed?
The nagging “this is just temporary” in my head kept coming back to me. I couldn’t jeopardize this for Murphy Pubs or my nana. If there really was a divorce settlement in this, I could be home by Christmas, giving Nana the greatest gift—a secure future and job for myself back home. But that future didn’t include Connor.
Why the hell was I thinking about anything past six months with him?
“You ready for lunch?” Connor asked, knocking me out of my reverie.
“Um. It’s early, don’t you think?” I asked, clearing my throat.
“Yeah. But I’m starving, and Jack and I have a call later that’s going to test every single ounce of patience I have. I need something to make me smile before that.”
“I guess, since you asked so nicely, I can take a lunch.” He put his arm out, and I took his hand like we’d been doing the past few days. It was so automatic that I could almost forget we were playing pretend. Almost.
…
We walked down Grafton Street near Trinity College. The place bustled with street performers and musicians in front of every restaurant and shop.
At a little deli, we each had a sandwich, then slowly made our way back to work.
“So this is how many dates now? When are you going to marry me?” Connor asked, knocking me out of the trance I’d slipped into while watching a juggler.
I shook my head then leaned in close to him so the juggler and other performers couldn’t hear us. “You can’t just randomly ask that. I’ve never been proposed to before, but I don’t think that’s how you do it.”
“Then, how should I?” he asked, raising his eyebrows, and a small smile crossed his face.
I shrugged. “Roses. Flowers. Romance. Maybe a cheap ring. That is, if you want to make it believable for the board,” I said, quickly correcting myself so he didn’t think I was trying to take advantage of him in that way.
Though, a tiny part of me already loved the little ways he showed he cared. This wasn’t real, but my stomach fluttered with excitement whenever he surprised me with something new.
“So if I did that—all of that—you’re telling me we can get on with this wedding planning? Because I have a buddy who is a priest, and he’d be more than happy to marry us ASAP.”
“Is this how you talk to all of your girlfriends?” I asked, glancing in the window of a cosmetics store.
“I can’t remember the last real girlfriend I had,” he muttered.
There went that choking thing again, and this time I had to pound my fist on my chest before I stopped walking and turned toward him, speaking in a scratchy voice, “Are you serious?”
“What?”
“Not having a girlfriend. I thought those were just rumors, or maybe some girl broke your heart in boarding school and you can’t stop brooding over her.” I turned my attention to the street instead of him.
“That was Jack, not me. No serious girlfriends, pinky. There’s a big difference between a relationship and just shagging,” he said bluntly.
This time I was a little more prepared for a brash answer but still had to swallow the lump in my throat before turning to him.
“Pinky, you’re gonna need to get better reflexes. Especially that gag reflex.” He cracked a small smile.
I glared, and he laughed in response. “Do you want me to say something romantic? Like maybe I’ve just been waiting for the right girl? Or my mam dying when I wasn’t even out of nappies probably fucked me up?” he asked, rocking back on his heels.
I blinked. This was the first time I’d heard anything about his mother. He never spoke about her, and neither did Jack. All I knew was that she died not long after Sean was born, and their late father never remarried. I had no idea how in the hell I was supposed to respond to this information. “I’m sorry?” I squeaked.
He shrugged. “Mam left this world when we were lads, and Da raised us. Nothing to be sorry about. We all turned out just fine. Now I have my American girlfriend who says she’ll marry me if I give her flowers and romance.”
I wanted to push further and learn more about his mother, but it wasn’t the right time.
“Ever done the flowers and romance thing before?” I blurted, wishing I knew how to stop spitting out whatever I was thinking. Nerves and the lack of a filter in certain situations did that.
“Do I detect jealousy?” he teased.
“No, I have nothing to be jealous of,” I quipped.
His hand found mine, and my gaze traveled up his arm to his eyes. “Look, Fallon, it’s no secret that I’ve been with a lot of women on both sides of the pond.”
I wrinkled my nose. “That doesn’t help your case.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “You and I have an agreement. I’m not with anyone else, romantically or sexually. Your bed is the only one I want to sleep in.”
“Are you making this a regular thing now?” I asked, hesitantly. I guess it was his furniture and his family’s flat, so I didn’t have any ownership of it. But the thought of sharing the small bed with him every night had butterflies flying in my stomach.
“Do you want me to?” He lifted his chin slightly.
“I mean…I guess technically it is your place. Well, the company’s place…” I trailed off.
“We close on the house in less than thirty days. I can wait until then to live together if you’re uncomfortable,” he said, his words softening.
“It might look more real if you stay,” I blurted. I didn’t think about what I was saying and just went with what my heart was pulling at me to do.
The smile broadened on his face. “All right. It looks like we’re moving in together. This is the next step, right? Then we have the proposal and marriage, and soon it’ll all be over.”
“Don’t get too far ahead of yourself, yet, Mr. Murphy,” I said as we turned the corner.
“I always do, future Mrs. Murphy,” he said, squeezing my hand.
…
Connor was working later but said he would be home for dinner and that he’d cook. I had to remind him that I didn’t own pots or pans—or we didn’t, I guess, since he was moving in.
But he just smiled and said he would be home after six.
When I got into my flat, I slipped off my shoes by the door, ready to video message Leah, when I stopped and did a double take. Not only were there fresh fruits on the kitchen counter, but there was a tea kettle on the stove and a toaster near the washer.
I opened the fridge door, and while it had been empty before, it was now stocked to the brim.
In a trance, I closed it. Every cabinet and drawer held stuff, as if fairies had come and given me a fully stocked kitchen.
But I knew it wasn’t some mythical creature. Connor was a constant surprise.
No one had ever been this generous with me.
Not even my parents. And especially not Ray. The nicest thing he ever bought me was a used iPod that broke after the first time I used it. Nana did the best she could for me, but I’d never had anyone shower me with gifts like this. It was too much.
Tears welled in my eyes. Was this all so that he could take his spot as head of the company, or was there something more?
My phone buzzed, alerting me of my incoming video message from Leah, and I couldn’t dwell on my thoughts of Connor anymore.
Shaking away my tears, I answered the call. Leah with mermaid-like eyeshadow greeted me.
“Hey! Where are you?” she asked, tilting her head.
“Um. At my place,” I said, taking a seat on the couch. Connor was wrong. This thing was comfortable.
“Since when does your apartment have furniture? Or pictures for that matter?” she asked, raising her painted-on eyebrows.
I glanced behind me at the black and white photo of Dublin castle.
“Oh. Yeah. Um. Since it’s a company place, Connor thought it might look better furnished,” I half-lied.
“My, my, this ‘friend’ Connor seems to be awfully generous to his employees,” she said, making a quote sign with her fingers when she said “friend.”
“No…” I sighed. “Just with me. I mean, maybe he does buy other employees or girls furniture, breakfast, and lunch. I don’t know.”
“It sounds like he’s made quite an impression on you. And if he hasn’t, he’s pretty freaking hot, and generous with his money, so if you want to send him over to the U.S., I’ll take him off your hands.” She laughed.
“It’s not like that. We’re friends, and he has a lot on his mind. His dad just died, and he and his brothers are trying to figure out logistics with the company,” I stammered. I didn’t even want to acknowledge my stomach hardening with the twinge of jealousy, thinking of her with Connor.
“So? I don’t know any guy who would let that stop him from getting in a little stress relief. By that, you know, I mean, doing the nasty.” Leah rolled her eyes.
“It’s not that simple, okay?” I groaned.
“Why? You have a rich, sexy guy, who buys you nice things and treats you well. I’m sorry, Fal, I’m team Connor, and don’t know why the hell you’re resisting this,” she said.
I frowned, trying to figure out how to word everything without coming out and telling her the truth. “It’s…”
She rolled her eyes. “I know, I know. Not that easy. But I don’t see a problem here. He takes you out. He buys you things, and obviously you like him, or you wouldn’t be so flustered and rambly when you talk about him.”
I drew my knees to my chest, putting my forehead on them. “You don’t understand.”
“You know what I think?”
I nodded, not looking up. This was why I called her. Even though I wasn’t telling her the whole truth, I needed my best friend to talk to me and help me stay a little sane. “Yes, I do.”
“It’s a little crazy this rich guy is vying for your attention, but you’re a hell of a catch. You’re the sweetest, kindest person I’ve ever met, someone who has always done anything for everyone else but her. You need to do this for you, and by “do,” I mean do that hot Irish man.”
“What would my nana say if she heard you talk like that?” I asked.
“Nana would say that your friend has a smart mouth, but that you need to do something for yourself, honey.” Nana’s scratchy voice rang through the phone.
I froze, staring at Leah, then watched as the screen slowly moved to my nana’s face. “Leah, you could have told me you were there with her,” I said through gritted teeth, wanting to hide behind a pillow and pray her hearing aids weren’t turned on.
“I thought you wanted me to set up her tablet. I didn’t know we’d be talking about your lucky clover of a man.”
Heat rose up my neck just thinking about Connor’s tattoos and when he first showed them to me. “Sorry you had to hear any of that, Nana,” I stammered.
“What? You think I haven’t heard worse? Your grandpa was a bootlegger. Back then, he and his boys were much more crass. But your grandfather never decorated a fancy apartment for me or bought my grandmother one of these tablet things.”
“They’re just things because he has a lot of money,” I said, deadpan. Money was supposedly the root of all evil, and now I had the chance to get more than I ever dreamed of. My stomach lurched as I looked around the room at the gifts he’d given me, the ones he said I deserved. But at that moment the only thing I thought was how this could all go wrong so quickly.
What if someone in the company found out we were doing this? What would they do to us? Would we both be out of a job? Then there were the other worries, which I tried to clamp down. The part that wondered how long he could stay with me without his eyes or hands wandering.
Nana smiled. “Honey, any man who would think to take care of your nana is something. There’s good in him.”
“There is.” I nodded. He cared about his company, and maybe he did care about my well-being and happiness if he was trying to make things more comfortable for me, even for my short time at the flat and in Ireland.
“Now, Leah here is going to help me set up this fancy electronic device so I can talk to you more. You can message me anytime once I get this figured out, okay? Day or night. For you, I’ll learn this and be here, even if I can’t be physically.”
Connor buying things for my grandma might never sit right with me. But if he could give me a little more time with her, then I had to be grateful for that. He didn’t have to do any of these things, and he was. And that was why it was getting so much harder not to fall for my future fake husband.