Marrying My Fake Boyfriend

Cherrelle groaned. The man just didn’t know when to stop. He had to have something wrong to believe he could win a married woman from her husband, even when the wife wanted nothing to do with him.

“Get it into your thick head that maybe I’m actually attractive without the billions to my name.”

“He’s all wrong for you,” Jason insisted. “You’ll see that soon. I’ll see you soon, Cherrelle.”

Then there was the definite click of the other end hanging up. Sarah scoffed rudely.

“I think that guy has a few screws loose. Who keeps going after a woman when they’re clearly not available?”

“A spoiled rich kid who thinks the rules don’t apply to him.” Hanging up her end, Cherrelle stood up and went back to the couch. “Come on, take my mind off him. What’s next on the list?”

*****

The rehearsal dinner went well with very few hitches. It was an enjoyable meal as well, and Brad found himself in high spirits. He and Cherrelle had laughed and joked throughout the evening, both of them completely comfortable with each other’s company. Everyone around them had commented that they looked really happy.

Now he was watching Cherrelle from across the room as she spoke with Michael and his stepmother, Georgina. Both Georgina and his father, Rowan, had taken to Cherrelle immediately and had welcomed her as a member of the family already. Brad hated lying to them that it was a farce, but he liked seeing them happy that he was finally happy.

And he was. He was happy. Brad had come to the conclusion that he was in love with Cherrelle. There was no other explanation to his feelings towards her. While they scared him, Brad was under no illusions; the love was only one-sided. Cherrelle treated him with affection but only as one friend to another. He had thought he had seen her looking at him a few times in a way that had his body heating up, but then it was gone.

He was alone in his affections. But as he watched Cherrelle traverse the room and talk with everyone, her smile lighting up the room and her laughter like music to his ears, he didn’t really care. He could just listen to her all day and never get bored.

“She scrubs up well, doesn’t she?”

Brad looked around. Serena had moved to stand beside him. She was wearing a silver shimmery dress with spaghetti straps and a skirt that barely covered her backside. Her hair was loose about her shoulders, and while she looked lovely, she also looked young. Brad looked away and watched Cherrelle again.

“She’s beautiful,” he murmured.

“No!”

“What the hell are you doing?”

Serena jumped away and Brad found himself staring into the furious face of Logan Mason. He leaned against the wall and he tried not to sag to the floor.

“I’m not doing anything except trying to get your younger daughter to leave me alone,” he said curtly.

“You won’t get out of it that easily.” Logan’s furious expression changed into a triumphant smirk. “You were cheating on Cherrelle. In front of everyone!”

“No! How many more times?”

Logan looked at Serena, who was staring at the floor. He looked back at Brad and shook his head.

“I knew it. You couldn’t keep your hands to yourself. The wedding’s off.”

“You’re crazy.”

Then Logan moved so fast Brad nearly missed him. He moved his head, but the punch Logan threw at him still glanced off his jaw and knocked him sideways. Regaining his balance, he launched himself at Logan, getting a satisfying punch in before they were on the floor and Logan was on top, hitting Brad in the face.

People began turning at the fighting. A couple of guests actually got out their phones and began filming the fight. Serena started screaming but didn’t move to help. Brad was more focused on getting out from under Logan, who seemed to be on a mission to beat his face to a pulp.

“Okay, that’s enough!”

Suddenly Logan’s weight was off him, and Brad gasped in some air. He looked up to see Jim, Michael, and Ken wrestling Logan away. Sarah knelt beside him, concern behind her eyes. “You okay?”