Their Save-the-Date Charade, page 13
Frowning, he pulled his suit jacket off the back of one of the conference chairs. “That’s odd. Did they give you a reason why they called you instead of me?”
“Well, apparently they tried calling you, but you weren’t picking up your phone.”
Alwan genuinely looked surprised as he patted his trouser pockets and then checked inside his suit jacket before he snapped his fingers. “Right. I left it behind in my office. Probably put it on silent too. I’ve been working out of this room for most of the day between meetings with some of my old clients and with Abdel and his team.”
“How’s it going with Abdel?”
“Good,” he said with a big grin. “His people are sending over the contracts to make it official.”
“That’s great news!” Lulu didn’t want to dampen his spirits but she needed to speak her mind, so she added, “I’m a little worried about what your parents might want. Do you think they know we aren’t really…you know, romantically involved?”
He was silent for a moment, and then he shook his head. “I highly doubt it. If my parents knew, they wouldn’t be sitting on the news without immediately giving me an earful about it. Literally. As in they’d be pulling on my ear and yelling at me.”
“Are you so certain?”
“I mean, I’m hopeful,” he chuckled. “But that isn’t what you want to hear.”
“Not one bit,” she said with a sigh and a small tired smile.
“Don’t worry. Even if they do know and want to ream us out, we’re in this together.”
After everything she’d just done to redraw the boundary line between them, Alwan had gone and blurred it again and with only one word. Together.
* * *
For Lulu’s sake, Alwan had put on a brave face as they later drove to his parents’ lakefront restaurant.
He knew she was nervous and used every opportunity to remind her that he was right by her side and wasn’t going anywhere. When he parked his car, he reassured her again that he would be there with her every step of the way. When they walked up to the building, he held the door open for her and gave her an extra big smile. And when the hostess instructed them to go upstairs, and it was only him and Lulu in the elevator together, Alwan sidled closer to her, brushed the back of his hand against hers and looked down at her. Without saying a word, he tried to communicate that they would be all right.
Lulu must have gotten his message because she offered him a conciliatory smile right as the elevator pinged and the doors slid open.
“Surprise!”
The loud cheers and sound of confetti poppers had Alwan immediately covering Lulu with an arm, his instinct to protect her riding over his confusion as he assessed the unusual sight before him.
People. Dozens of people were standing in front of the elevator and staring back at him and Lulu. All people he knew. Family, friends, aunties and uncles from both the Somali and Sudani communities, and even neighbors who lived near his parents’ home whom Alwan hadn’t spoken to in a long while. But there were also faces he didn’t recognize; faces he was starting to realize probably belonged to Lulu’s friends and extended family.
Lulu squeezed the arm he had thrown in front of her and whispered, “Did we just walk into a party?”
“It seems so.”
Before Alwan could answer, someone cried, “Let’s get the party started!”
Of course it was Malek. Pushing his way to the front of the crowd, his cousin strode into the elevator and obnoxiously blew a kazoo in Alwan’s face. “Come on, you two. As the guests of honor you can’t leave everyone hanging.” Waving at them to exit the lift, he made some sort of signal that had the music turning on.
As soon as they cleared the lift, Alwan was pulled one way and Lulu the other into embrace after embrace. Everybody was taking a turn congratulating them on their engagement. By the time they were standing together again, it was under a beautiful, intricate balloon arch with his arm wrapped around Lulu’s shoulders and a photographer snapping their pictures.
“Stand closer, lovebirds,” Malek called out, laughing when his wife, Rima, gave him a censuring look, though even she appeared as amused as everyone else.
After what felt like forever, the photographer signaled for Lulu’s parents and sister and his mother and father to join them in the pictures. Then other relatives jumped in and friends after that.
Taking it with stride, Alwan laughed along and smiled with everybody, all while inside his anxiety jangled louder with every second that passed. Because he hadn’t had a moment alone with Lulu to gauge how she felt about all of this. Though she flashed pretty smiles for the camera and chatted contentedly enough with their family and friends, he knew better than to take her cheerfulness at face value.
She can’t be happy.
It was his fault for not calling back his parents and grilling them until they confessed about the surprise party. He’d have to find a way to make it up to her, starting with a rescue. But it wasn’t easy finding an opening.
After taking photos for what felt like a whole hour, they were pulled over to the cake table, where they took more pictures, and then he and Lulu were obliged to make a speech thanking everyone. Hoping that was all of it, Alwan bit back a groan when their well-wishers started making toasts blessing a marriage that he knew wouldn’t ever be happening. It was tough sitting through that part, staring into the faces of all these people who cared for them and knowing he and Lulu were lying to them.
But I’m the one that wanted this.
Lulu hadn’t approached him with the fake engagement, and she’d only signed up because he had tempted her with the money she had needed for the repairs on her motor home.
Thinking on that only made him feel worse.
And if it wasn’t easy for him, it had to be harder for Lulu, especially when some of the blessings mentioned children. Every time that happened, Alwan flicked a concerned look at her, but her beautiful smile and bright eyes gave nothing away.
Biding his time for a chance alone with her was a grueling test in patience.
The opportunity finally came when Lulu fanned a hand over her face at one point, pushed out of her chair and excused herself to get fresh air on the balcony.
“I’ll go with you.” Alwan stood quickly, his eagerness to escape the crowd and grab a moment with her not going unnoticed.
But other than laughing and flinging them knowing looks, their families didn’t stop them.
As soon as it was just the two of them, he jokingly wiped at his brow and sighed. “Whew. Finally some peace and quiet. I thought we’d be in there, taking pictures, forever.”
Lulu rewarded him with a smile. “It wasn’t that bad. You’re exaggerating.”
“I wish I was. Look, it’s already past eight. How did three hours fly by so quickly? Who takes photos for that long even?”
“Stop,” Lulu said, snorting a giggle.
Hearing her laughter soothed his worry that she had been uncomfortable about the party this whole time. Feeling a little better, he still apologized. “Listen, I should’ve checked in with my parents. I honestly never thought they were planning anything like this, and if I’d known, I would’ve shut it down. I’ll understand if you’re upset with me.”
“You think I’m angry at you?”
He stuffed his hands in his trouser pockets. “Aren’t you?”
She shook her head. “I’m not mad. Surprised, yes, but that’s kind of the whole point of the party.”
“I guess it is,” Alwan said with a chuckle.
Lulu smiled back. “Also, even if I was irritated, I still wouldn’t have wanted you to say anything to your parents. They might have suspected something.”
He nodded slowly, her reasoning clear to him.
“Besides, look at it this way, everyone’s happy,” she said, nudging her head behind them at the glass walls separating the balcony from the restaurant.
Alwan saw what she meant when he glanced back over his shoulder at their families and friends chatting and laughing inside. Turning his head forward again, he looked out at the reds and golds the setting sun painted the sky, the fading light of day rippling off the calm lake, and the breeze a couple degrees cooler as it swept over his face.
“You’re right,” he said. “Let’s not take this moment from them just yet. I mean, we will have to eventually once we finish up our partnership here.” Despite knowing this was always how it would end when he’d first asked Lulu to be his fake fiancée, Alwan hadn’t given too much thought to how they’d break up. They had agreed early on to let their families know together that it had been a mutual decision. It would be their last act together before they moved on with their lives apart.
And now that it was on the horizon, it suddenly seemed to be the only thing on his mind.
The end of this.
No more reason for him and Lulu to talk or even see each other. Somehow the thought of that pained him physically. He swallowed with difficulty, his chest suddenly a little tighter and his eyes burning a little more. Telling himself that it was because he’d simply gotten used to her presence in his life, and that he’d only be mourning that loss, Alwan found his conviction swaying when he looked over at Lulu and was, as always, floored by his strong attraction to her.
He looked her over, from her springy curls down to her floral print blouse, long frilly skirt and cute strappy heels, and his breath sawed out and his suit suddenly felt too stuffy. Prying his fingers off the balcony railing, he unbuttoned his suit jacket and was in the middle of loosening his necktie when Lulu spoke up softly.
“We’ll let them down as gently as we can. As long as they see that we’re both on the same page with the breakup, your parents will understand and my family will too. I believe they’ll just want what’s best for us.”
Lowering his hands off his tie, feeling no better, Alwan jerked a nod and forced a smile. “Of course. Same page. Right.”
He wasn’t surprised when her brows knitted together and she frowned. “Are you okay?”
Nodding again, he hooked his arms over the railing and stared ahead, finding it hard to look at her and breathe or think normally. “I’m fine. Just thinking…”
“About?”
Not ready to divulge the strong attachment he had to her, Alwan grasped for an excuse and landed on one. “Just the good news that we’ve scored two tickets to this star-studded charity gala. My parents go every year and try to get me to join them, but I haven’t had a reason to until now.”
Until you, he wanted to say, but instead he just stared at her for a beat, his attention lowering to her parted lips, his heart rate picking up.
Blinking, he snapped his gaze from her mouth back to her round eyes.
“What I mean is that it’d be a great place to network and build on referrals.”
“I bet it’ll be good for your practice.” Lulu tipped her head to the side. “When will the gala be happening?”
“In two weeks, not that you should feel pressured to come with me or anything.”
“Alwan, we’re a couple.”
His breath hitched.
Lulu seemed to have heard it too because she bashfully bowed her head and toyed with the dangling silver charm on her purse. “As in we’re a couple for now and we have to present a united front, so I’m going with you.” She peeked up at the end, her brown cheeks redder, her glossy lips twitching up.
“I… I’d be grateful for the support, thanks.” Compelled by a gravitational pull stronger than him, Alwan drew nearer to her. First one step, then another. An outpouring of feverish warmth flared through his body that had nothing to do with the mid-July heat blanketing the city. He raised his hand, held it hovering near her cheek and vibrated with anxiety the second it took her to give him permission.
It was only a quick little jerk of her head, but it was plenty enough for him.
Electricity tingled out from where his fingers and palm cupped her wondrously soft cheek. Smiling, Alwan wasn’t shocked at all by the chemistry sizzling between them. It’d been there from the start. From the very moment he clapped eyes on her again in the thick of the Albertan wilderness. And after the attraction came the affection. This strong urge to be near her all the time, to bask in her attention and…
And what?
He had a suspicion of what he wanted, but he couldn’t afford to think on it too long. At least he could take comfort in the knowledge he wasn’t unaffected alone.
Lulu’s long black lashes fluttered, her warm breath teasing over his thumb when he stroked her bottom lip, her sigh floating up to his ears right before she shut her eyes, swayed forward and tipped her head up to him.
For a moment he had a flash of another time they’d been in a similar position.
Only then he had denied them both at the last second.
The self-restraint he’d shown that first time was nowhere to be had now. Not even the fact that they could clearly be seen from the restaurant registered in his head fully. None of it mattered. Only her. Always her.
Reading her invitation loud and clear, Alwan lowered his head tortuously slowly and focused his sights on her all-too-tempting mouth.
He was going to kiss her.
Another inch and their lips would connect.
Almost there…
“Alwan!” Malek appeared and they pulled back from each other quickly. “We’re taking more group pictures, so if you guys can stop making googly eyes at each other long enough, we need you in here.”
Alwan had never wanted to wring his cousin’s neck more than in that moment.
Giving him a death glare, he growled, “We’re coming,” and Malek took the hint and left.
When he looked back at Lulu, she had her face covering her hands but peeped out at him from between her fingers.
“God. How are we even going to go back in there and look everyone in the eye?” she moaned.
Though embarrassed too, Alwan held out a hand to her, his heart thudding faster when she slipped hers into his. “Easy. We’ll do it together.”
Chapter Nine
“OKAY, VELVET OR silk satin?”
Alwan held up two black bow ties, and from where Lulu sat perched in a highly comfortable armchair inside his luxuriously spacious walk-in closet, she could’ve sworn they looked the same, except for the subtle glossy sheen on the silk option.
“Is there a big difference?” she asked with squinty eyes before throwing her hands up and sighing in frustration. “I doubt anyone will notice or care.”
He grinned and laughed lightly. “I will though, and I don’t want to be distracted thinking I made the wrong choice and messed up this opportunity to rub elbows with Toronto’s elite tonight. That’s why I need your help.”
Though he was smiling, Lulu sensed the undercurrent of uneasiness in his voice. He hadn’t needed to spell it out that he was nervous about the charity gala and the networking he’d have to be doing all evening. She’d probably feel the same way if her business somewhat hinged on making the right connections with the right people. Sympathetic to his plight, she softly sighed and pointed to the bow tie she preferred.
“The silk, then. It matches the lapels of your dinner jacket.”
Alwan’s brown eyes sparkled at her, and his handsome smile delighted her probably more than it should.
“Silk satin it is.” Turning up the collar of his dress shirt, he strolled over to one of two full-length mirrors at the back of the closet and tied the bow tie in a practiced, fluid motion. Whirling back to her, and sounding nervous again, he asked, “Does it look good?”
Her heart panged for him as she nodded reassuringly.
He’s really worried, isn’t he?
She bit the inside of her cheek, suddenly buffeted by the need to free him of his doubts. Like all her fluttery feelings around him, it confused her, but it didn’t stop her from asking, “Are you nervous?”
“Is it that obvious?” Alwan said with a soft laugh, walking over to the glass-topped dark wood storage unit in the middle of the closet. Pulling open one of the drawers, he plucked out studs and a pair of round silver-and-onyx cuff links, and while he clasped them on his dress shirt, he told her, “I’m trying to think positively, really I am, but my mind keeps conjuring up the worst-case scenarios.”
“Such as?” Gripping the chair’s tufted armrests, Lulu sat forward when he frowned at her.
“Everyone laughs at me. Nobody wants to work with me. I have to close the doors on the practice.” He tightened his lips, his hands curling into fists atop the dresser. “It sounds crazy when I say it aloud. Even so, I can’t stop worrying that all of it will come true. That I’ll fail at everything I try and disappoint the people around me, the ones I love most.” Alwan was looking right at her as he said that last part.
Heat flushed through her, her face warmer from it, her toes wriggling under the voluminous skirt of her evening gown, and her fingers curling into the soft fabric of the armrests.
He’s talking about his parents, his family. Not you.
As rational as it was, that thought did nothing to cool her body temperature.
What helped in the end was reminding herself that this moment wasn’t about her. It’s about him. Alwan was crying out for reassurance, even if he wasn’t saying it out loud, and she just couldn’t turn her back on him.
He needs you now.
Keeping that in mind, Lulu forced a calm into her voice she wasn’t feeling at all and said gently, “That could happen, sure. But what if it doesn’t? What if, instead, you make connections tonight that not only help your business but also prove you’ve chosen the right path?”
“I… I don’t know.” He looked away, his head bowed, shoulders sagging with the invisible burden he carried.
Her body took control and before she fully understood what she was doing, Lulu was out of her chair, the long skirt of her dress sweeping over the plush carpeting in his closet as she walked to where he stood dejectedly.
Taking a sharp breath, Alwan snapped his head up to her when she touched a hand to his fist, his eyes wide with the same surprise she was feeling.
She didn’t know why she’d gone to him, or why she was holding his hand. Only that a pressing need to comfort him had pushed her into action and overridden everything else. But now that her brain had caught up with her limbs, rather than letting go of him Lulu kept her hand right where it was, and all because that need to support him and be by his side still overpowered rational thought.
