Pretend for Me (21 page)

Sara settled with no makeup then made her way out of
her apartment. She waited for the taxi to pick her up. The taxi dropped her off
outside the store. Before going in she grabbed a coffee and a sandwich from the
deli shop down the road.

On her way back she saw plenty of people milling
around the street. She ignored them and made her way into the shop.

“Miss Carroll, I’m so pleased you could make it.”

With the success of her book her real name had been
found out. All of her books now possessed her given name instead of her pen
name.

She shook hands with the manager and a few of her
team. “We’ve got everything set up for you.”

“Why is there a podium?” she asked when the manager
led her over to a stand.

“Your publisher agreed to you answering some questions
about the book. The readers love your work and want to know more.”

Not saying anything, she listened as the manager took
her through the schedule. Sara finished her breakfast and then went into the
staffroom to wait for the right time.

When she was called out she didn’t expect to find what
greeted her.

Sara stared at the mass of people crowded in the book
shop. She thought the manager had been kidding when she informed her that her
book had been one of the biggest sellers in a long time. The manager had asked
for her to take some questions. There were so many women who wanted to know so
much about the book. She had agreed not expecting so many people. There were
even a few television crews to film it.

“I didn’t think it would be this busy,” Sara whispered
to the manager.

“I wasn’t expecting the television crews. I wonder why
that is.”

Smiling at the woman Sara walked out to where she
needed to be.

She stood on the podium and wished the floor would
open up and eat her. Her age and the success were doing the rounds. Her parents
kept calling, which she still refused to answer. Why was she thinking about her
parents when all those people were staring at her?

Shaking her head, Sara waited for the first question
to come her way.

The woman nearest fired her questions at her.

“What made you write the book?”

“Will there be another one?”

“Where did you get your inspiration from?”

The questions continued to be fired at her. She turned
toward the manager, who settled the crowd down. Sara’s hands were shaking as
they spoke. The manager pointed to a woman to ask the first question.

“Is the book based around life experiences?” the woman
asked.

Andy. The book is about him.

Shaking her head Sara looked over the crowd of people.
The book had been written because of Andy. He inspired her to write the book.
He and the change in their relationship had been the real motivation. She thought
of Andy but shook her head anyway. “The book is a work of fiction. It has no
basis on my life.” In her heart, it had been otherwise while she’d been writing
it, but not now.

In the book the couple lives happily ever after. What did I get?
Nothing!

The manager pointed to another woman.

How am I going to survive this? They want to know details, and I’ve not
got them. The truth is too damn painful.

She’d been trying to get over the man she loved. With
the success of the book she felt she couldn’t go anywhere without thinking
about him. The book was a constant reminder of what she’d lost because of her
family.

Running her fingers through her hair, Sara listened to
a woman repeat the question. She needed to survive this.

“The lead
character, Andrew, he feels so real to me.
Is he
still in your life?” another woman asked.

This was so hard. Tears filled her eyes, and she
looked down at a copy of her book that was pressed into her hands. She flicked
through the pages wishing she could make him appear. They’d left so many things
unsaid. Had he even read a copy of her book? She’d put her feelings out there
for him to see and read. So many people skimmed the dedication when in fact it
was really the best part of the book. Did Andy even know the book existed? If he
did, did he skip the dedication? The dedication showed the author’s thoughts
and feelings. She’d dedicated the book to Andy because it had been written with
him in mind.

These women didn’t want to know about her real life
Andrew. They wanted to know if there was a man out there for them. She smiled
gazing down at the book. The argument she had with Andy about real men compared
to fiction heroes flashed across her mind. Sara saw Andy had been right. There
was no men out there that were like the men she’d read about in fiction.
Romance books did not tell the true tale. They only told what a woman
fantasized about. She felt the bitter truth consume her. “There is a real life
Andrew. We meet him every day. They’re the men we work with and for. The men we
pass in the street.” She lifted up the book. “This is a book of fiction. What
Andrew does in the book, no man would do in real life.” She quoted Andy’s words
to the crowd of people.

Sara didn’t want to believe any of the words she’d
spoken. She believed in love and the power it held. Saying the words felt
bitter and like she’d finally decided to give up on love.

“I knew a woman once who argued until she was red in
the face. She argued until her face was the same color as her hair. She told me
there was a man out there for every woman.”

Her heart stopped beating. His voice filled the room.
She searched the crowd looking for him. The last time she’d heard that voice
he’d been about to walk away from her. She felt drunk from hearing him once
again.

Where was he?

“This woman also told me the right man would even make
himself look like a complete fool in front of her entire family. What happened
to that woman?” Andy asked.

Murmurs filled the room, and then she spotted him. He
stood on the edge of the seated area. Andy stood wearing a jacket and holding a
copy of her book for her to see.

She stared at him. His eyes caught her attention like
they always did. Her heart created a new pounding rhythm inside her chest.
Licking her lips she stared down at her copy of the book.
 

“That woman who spoke those words finally listened to
the man who told her otherwise.” Her heart felt like it was in her throat.
After all this time Andy stood less than ten feet in front of her. She didn’t
know what to do. The desire to run to him was strong. She pushed all of her
thoughts from her mind.

Why was he here now?

“The man was a fool with the emotional capacity of an
apple
pip
.”

The crowd laughed at his words.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, no longer caring
about their audience.

“Proving to you
that I’m not giving up.”
He walked down the aisle to
where she stood. “There is an Andrew, Sara.” Andy climbed up onto the stage.
She turned to face him as he stood in front of her. He reached out cupping her
cheek and pulled her close. “And I’m the one. Sara Carroll, I’m completely,
totally in love with you.”

“You left.” She didn’t rise to his words even though
she wanted to jump for joy.

“I was a fool. You took my heart the moment I saw you
on those steps five years ago.”

The audience gasped and started flicking through the
book.

“You read my book?” she asked.

“All of it, and do you know what I realized?”

She shook her head.

“Nothing matters but what you feel. Tell me what you
feel, Sara.”

Staring into his intense brown eyes she soaked him up
like a sponge. Their time apart had only made her crave his touch more.

“I love you.” She whispered the words as the first
tears began to fall.

He said no more words. His lips claimed hers instead.
The whole room went up in
a frenzy
. She wrapped her
arms around his shoulder as his fingers gripped her head. Andy deepened the
kiss, and nothing else mattered to her. The time they’d been apart meant
nothing with the way he was laying claim to her now. He pulled away staring
into her eyes.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” she said.

“I told your family they’re not getting rid of me. I’m
your man, Sara.”

She closed her eyes resting her head against his. “I
thought you hated me.”

“Never.
In fact.”
Her eyes widened as he went down on
one knee before her. “Will you marry me?”

A collective sigh echoed around the crowded room.

“You said you’d never marry,” Sara said.

“I know what I said. I was a fool who didn’t realize
what was in front of him. I’m your man, Sara. I can make you the happiest woman
in the world. All I ask is you become my wife.”

The crowd went silent waiting for her answer.

“I’m not leaving you again. I was a fool. This is
real. What we feel is real, Sara.”

Tears fell from her eyes, and she nodded her head. How
could she deny the man she loved?

“Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Andy placed the ring on her finger and then pulled her
into his arms.

“I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world,” he
promised.

“You better.”

Epilogue

Three months
later

Andy smiled as he watched his wife dance with one of
the page boys. Over the last few months he’d worked to get his clubs reopened.
Her family demanded he accept the money as they felt responsible for destroying
his career. Andy took the money at Sara’s insistence but was determined to pay
them back in time. Andy had lost business, but with Sara’s help he’d gotten the
place back to being reputable. Her family had organized the wedding with some
help from them. They wanted to make Sara’s big day special. Tracy, Tiffany, and
Samantha were her bridesmaids while Travis had been his best man.

He never would have thought he’d be the first man to
get married. Sipping his beer he watched as Danny took Sara’s hand leading her
out onto the dance floor. Over the past few months he and her family had come
to an understanding. They all left Andy’s business alone, and in return Sara
allowed them back into her life. It was one of Sara’s requests, that they
respected him in her life
..
Andy had won her family
over. They knew the only reason Sara started talking to them again was because
of him. She’d wanted nothing to do with them, and he’d asked for her to give
them another chance.

When work got too hard, knowing Sara was waiting for
him kept him going.

Travis slapped him on the back and stood next to him.

“I can’t believe you were the first of us to get
married,” Travis said, speaking Andy’s own thoughts to him.

“I know. She looks beautiful though.” Andy stared at
Sara in her white wedding dress. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her.

“I imagine they’re going to be playing your proposal
for years to come.”

The television crews at the shop had broadcast his
proposal on the news. The real life Andy coming for his Sara.

He chuckled, thinking about the ribbing he’d gotten
from his friends. Tracy walked over to him. She gave him a hug then smiled at
him. “You’ve made my sister incredibly happy. You better keep it that way.”

She glanced over at Travis then moved away. Travis
sipped from his beer bottle. His friend’s gaze was on Tracy as she walked away.

“Is there something going on there?” Andy asked.

“What?” Travis turned to him frowning.

“You’ve not tried to get into my sister-in-law’s pants,
have you? That’s the last thing I need.” Andy groaned.

“I’ve not gotten in her panties, so stop putting yours
in a twist. This is your day. Enjoy it and don’t start condemning me.” Travis
walked away.

Andy noticed he walked in the direction of Tracy.

Great, just what he needed. His friend using Sara’s
sister for sex. He shook his head and then headed over to where his wife danced
with Danny.

“May I cut in?” Andy asked.

Sara’s face lit up when she saw him. Danny moved away
giving Sara back over to him.

“You look so beautiful.” He wrapped both arms around
her waist pulling her in close against him.”

“You look pretty dazzling yourself.” Her hands circled
his neck. Her body was pressed flush to his. Andy let out a moan.

“What do you do to me?” he asked.

“I’m hoping I make you happy,” she whispered, leaning
up to kiss his lips.

Her full breasts tempted him. All he wanted to do was
escort her off the dance floor and have his wicked way with her.

“There is no doubt in my mind, Sara. You’ll always
make me happy.”