Redeemed (Dirty Air #4)(36)
“Do you feel ready to tell him who you are?”
She shakes her head from side to side. “Not at all. Today was honestly the first time I saw him animated like that. He’s nice and all, don’t get me wrong, but he treats me like an employee.”
I feel like shit. Here she is trying to connect with her dad, and I’m stealing his attention after a few minutes. An instantaneous flood of guilt hits me, wanting to make amends. “Then no. You can’t tell him the truth yet. Lying be damned, you should spend some time around him,” I blurt out.
“Why don’t you want me to tell him the truth?”
“Because you can spend some more time with him, using me as a way to keep his interest.” God, I hope that’s not the case. It’s sad enough that she traveled all this way to find him, only to be hiding. It must be lonely for her.
Just like it is for me.
Her brows lift. “Why on earth would you want me to use you?”
“Let’s say I have my own selfish reasons for wanting you around.”
And in all honesty, I do. I like the way Chloe makes me feel normal again. It’s something I need more of, and this sacrifice seems like a small price to pay. I can build my confidence around her while she uses me as a prop.
“I feel like I’m getting the better end of the deal here.”
I shake my head from side to side. “I can assure you that you’re most definitely not.”
“Well...If you insist, I suppose it’s not the worst idea out there.” Her blue eyes brighten as they land on me.
I sit taller in my chair and lean in. “I’ll only ask for one favor in return.”
“What?”
“Join Marko and me for dinner tomorrow. It’s his last night before he leaves, and he hasn’t stopped talking about you since he first met you.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s about time we get to know each other. The real us.”
“For consistency. Smart.”
She wants consistency, I want someone to ease the loneliness I’ll feel once Marko leaves. This solution is the best of both worlds.
And with a nod of her head, I know I’ve got her trapped. She gets to spend time with her dad because of me, and I get to feel like a better version of myself.
It’s a win-fucking-win.
15
Chloe
“Let me get this straight: Santiago is famous, you lied to your dad and told him that Santiago is your boyfriend, and you plan on hosting a dinner like a happy couple to spend more time with said father who still doesn’t know your true identity?” Brooke’s voice echoes through the phone.
“Yes.” I pinch the bridge of my nose and fall onto my mattress with a loud thud. “On a scale 0 to 10, how bad is this idea?”
“You broke the rating system in the best kind of way. Imagine how fun this will be.” Brooke’s fingers typing across a keyboard echo through the speaker. “Wait. Santiago is really fucking famous! Oh my God!”
I pull the phone away from my ear. “Brooke! Stop googling him!”
“But he’s worth over 100 million dollars! How the hell did you trap this guy?”
“It’s fake, so I didn’t exactly trap him.”
“Well, damn. It’s never too late to try. You should charge him for your ‘girlfriend’ services. He can spare a few thousand dollars. Trust me. I’m checking out the layout of his yacht right freaking now! You know, because your boyfriend had GQ interview him.”
“He’s the one who should be charging me. I’m the one who needs his help now.”
“Ugh, you’re no fun.” Her mouse clicks in the background. She mumbles something about a private car collection and a house in Spain before I stop her.
“Can you quit prying into his life?”
“No. This is the most fun I’ve had all year! Have pity on a small-town girl who needs a little romance in her life.”
“You were born in New York City.”
“Excuse me, Little Miss Buzzkill. Fine. I was born with a small-town heart. Plus, it’s not every day your best friend dates someone famous! Give me a break. You’d be disappointed if I didn’t google him for you.”
“Fake dating. And I don’t want to know what the internet says about him.”
“What about the reports on how he’s hung like a horse?”
“No! Not even that!” I screech. The memory of his impressive erection pressing against me on the night we met is permanently burned into my brain.
Brooke giggles to herself. “How about the story about how he eats pussy like a seven-course meal? Or that his favorite position happens to be cowgirl because the view from below is worth the lack of dominance.”
“Oh my freaking God, where are you getting this information? Stop it!” My skin heats from Brooke’s gossip.
Nothing I chant to myself erases the images from my head. They play on a loop, reminding me why I can look but can’t touch. Been there, kissed that. Anything with Santiago spells trouble in two different languages.
Brooke rambles on. “I have my sources on the dark internet.”
“Reddit doesn’t count as the dark web.”