Hired Love

Roman was a fucking charmer.

Her mother had taken to him instantly, drawing him to her side and into the house. Stacy had been left behind to follow, stunned. He'd flashed her mother an award-winning smile and the woman had all but melted. Jesus, even she hadn't been able to make her mom beam that hard.

The entire family was present, meaning they were the last to arrive. Her mother's older sister, Aunt Emma, was there with her husband and her twin boys, Benjamin and Benedict. Benjamin had a five-year-old daughter, Olivia, whom Stacy completely adored. No one knew who her mother was because Benjamin wouldn't say. Eventually, they stopped asking.

Aunt Phoebe was much younger than her mother, closer to Claire's age. She'd come unexpectedly, according to her older sisters and it had been too late for grandma to get rid of her. Stacy knew they were joking; her aunt was a complete delight and she never seemed to lose her youthful exuberance even as the years went by. Her husband was there too, Mitch, with their nine months old baby. Stacy loved them dearly.

And then there was Claire. Her sister didn't look too happy to see her in her own opinion. There was so much that went unspoken between them, so much bitterness. They'd never really been close. Growing up, she'd been the younger sister no one noticed, always on the sideline, shadowed by her older sister. Claire had been the opposite. Three years older, she depicted confidence on another level. Stacy wouldn't say she'd been timid or naïve, only that her sister managed to get everyone attention on herself so much that Stacy altogether stopped trying to seen or heard and just went with the flow.

Beside her was Matt. So he was her boyfriend now. It was the first time they'd met since she'd caught them both. While he looked somewhat guilty, Claire's head was hanging high, daring Stacy to make a move. She knew it would be tragic for Stacy to bring up what happened right here in front of the entire family and yet she was baiting her.

Well, Stacy wouldn't take it. Not when she had a handsome, brooding, hot piece of meat pretending to be her fiancé. After getting pleasantries out of the way, "Everyone, I would like you to meet my fiancé, Roman."

She made sure to make the ring on her finger visible enough for everyone to see. Though she hadn't acted like it on the plane, she couldn't deny she absolutely adored the jewelry. It was beautiful. It was a diamond snowdrift ring, with a flurry of white diamonds that crescendo towards the stunning focal diamond. He'd known her size too. The ring had fit perfectly.

Stacy didn't want to think of how much it'd cost Roman and how he planned on getting his money back. She focused on the shocked faces of her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend. The smile on her own face wasn't even fake. She was pleased beyond measure. She considered herself a very reasonable and clear-headed person but there was no denying it; revenge felt good.

"Oh, my God Stacy!" Aunt Phoebe grabbed her fingers and hugged her "Congratulations, my love. It's so beautiful." Guilt pricked Stacy at her aunt's genuine happiness. She glanced at her mother. The joy beaming on her face did nothing to diminish the growing guilt. Suddenly Roman was hugging her from the back and kissing her head. It felt strangely familiar. His arms around her seemed to envelope her senses, and if she hadn't known better, she'd have thought he actually meant it.

She'd just sealed her fate. There was no going back from here. The family offered their congratulations and heartfelt wishes and for the umpteenth time, Stacy reminded herself she was doing this for the greater good. "Congratulations," Claire said when the jubilations had calmed down. "Stacy."

Somehow the name didn't sound so good coming from her. Her expression was straight, unchanging. Stacy didn't want to think too much of it but for a moment there, something had pricked at her. Matt avoided her, choosing to smile from a distance.

Roman's grip on her waist tightened. "I should be the one getting congratulated. Stacy has made me a very happy man." She felt the kiss on her forehead again. He'd probably figured out that Claire was her sister. It was all for show, she reminded herself again. It just felt really good to have everyone's attention on her for the first time in a very long time.

Aunt Phoebe cooed, a hand absentmindedly wrapping around her husband's arm. Her mother smiled and her cousin Benedict rolled his eyes. All in all, it went well. At least Stacy didn't get any weird energy from anyone that wasn't Claire. In her opinion, Claire could go fuck herself.

Her mother announced dinner in an hour and instructed everyone to go to their rooms and freshen up. Though Stacy didn't say it out loud, she was dreading the next few days. There was a lot she and Roman hadn't figured out about their supposed relationship and she most certainly didn't want to 'wing it' like he'd suggested.

"Your family seems nice." Roman said as they shut the door to their room. Her mother hadn't taken their unwed state into account, instead deciding to put them both in the same room. Great, she thought. Not only was she going to have to deal with his nonsense for a week, but they also had to sleep in the same room.

Walking to the bed in the middle of the room, she tossed him a pillow.

"You're sleeping on the floor."