The Best Man by Renshaw Winter

Author:Renshaw, Winter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-03-22T16:00:00+00:00

24

Cainan

“Can you believe this shit?” Grant blows a breath into the receiver Thursday morning. I check the clock—my nine AM should be here any minute.

This is the first we’ve talked since brunch last weekend, and I have to admit I’m relieved he’s pretending like our heated little moment never happened. Moving on is in everyone’s best interest.

“I’m so sorry … I know you really liked her.” I drum my fingers against my desktop. Pretending to be shocked at this news and lying to my best friend isn’t my finest moment, but the truth would make things ten times worse.

“I just … she blindsided me,” he speaks slowly, as if he’s dumbfounded with disbelief. I picture him slumped over his desk, head in his hands, staring at the wall with wide eyes.

“You really didn’t see this coming?” As much as I want to remind him of the fact that he literally said she was having second thoughts a few days ago, I opt not to go down that road.

“I mean, maybe? She’d been kind of quiet the last couple of weeks; thought maybe she was pulling away. Then I thought it was my imagination. Guess I didn’t want to believe she was having a change of heart.”

“She could still change her mind.” I say the kind of thing I’d want to hear if I was on the other side of this. “You never know.”

“She’s moving to New York for a few months.”

I almost choke. “What?”

“Some job trade thing with one of the actuaries at the Manhattan branch. It’s just until the first of the year.”

My heart races as fast as my thoughts. I’ve spent the past several days wrapping my head around Claire’s dream theory, ignoring the lingering pull that remained, and convincing myself to let the whole thing go because it was as unrealistic as it was impossible.

“I need you to keep an eye on her for me,” Grant says. “Make sure she doesn’t meet anyone else.”

“And how exactly do you propose I do that? You realize I’ve met her all of twice.” Another necessary and pseudo-harmless little lie I’m not proud of.

“I want you to date her.”

His words land like a lead anvil. For a moment, I’m certain I misheard him.

“What?”

“I mean, don’t fuck her,” he says with a casual chuckle. “Just … fill that void so she doesn’t have time to date anyone else.”

“Absolutely not.”

He’s out of his goddamned mind.

“I’ll pay you,” he says in a tone that borders between mild ribbing and serious-as-a-heart-attack.

“The hell is wrong with you?” Screw Grant if he thinks he can pay me to be a goddamned heartbreaking con man in this innocent woman’s life.

“You’ll do it. You know why? Because I’d do it for you.” His words are the God’s honest truth, and we both know it.

“Look … you know I love you like a brother, and I’d do almost anything for you—but I’m not going to fake date your ex-fiancée.”

It’s an insane plan that will never work, not to mention wrong on a myriad of levels.

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