✿ Aileen's POV
The next time I wake up, sunlight is streaming across my face and a pleasant weight across my stomach. Reid's arms are wrapped around me from behind, his body perfectly fitting against mine.
He must have gotten cold during the night. He's sick. It doesn't mean anything.
But no matter how many times I repeat those words in my head, I can't bring myself to pull away.
When he lets go, I'll leave. Only when he doesn't need me to help him out anymore.
But not a second before.
✯✯✯✯✯✯
A smile drapes across my face as I hang up the phone.
Marking my territory.
I turn away from the large windows in time to see Reid stepping into the kitchen.
“Morning” I smile, “I just saw the most beautiful doe outside.”
When he doesn't reply I make a face at myself.
“What's wrong? Do you have a fever again?” I ask, already walking up to him.
He waves me down and I stop.
“Ookay?” I chortle, waving in the direction of the coffeepot. “There's coffee if you'd like some.”
He makes a beeline for the pot and pours himself a big full mug.
“Hey, you okay?” I find myself still asking.
Slouched over the steaming mug in the kitchen, he grunts a reply.
“Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?” I tease.
He did cross boundaries.
He glances at me with bleary eyes and gulps down his coffee like it's tequila after a hard day. I shake my head and maneuver toward the fruit juice, giving him a wide berth. Humming under my breath, I search the cupboards for a glass.
“I'll be going out later. Do you want anything?”
He shrugs.
“If I do though, I'll go get it.”
I jut out a hip.
“You wanna go out today?” I study his hunched form. “More importantly, are you even capable of it? You can’t seem to hold a civilized conversation, much less drive a motorized vehicle.”
“For the love of God, Freshie. It’s not even nine,” he grumbles.
His eyes drop back to his mug as though his outburst had taken too much out of him.
Alright, grumpy.
I hide my troubled expression under the awning of my lashes and silently do my own thing.
“Damn it” Reid’s cussing two seconds later.
I look at him as he rakes his fingers through his hair. By the remorse on his face, he’d probably misread my expression and thought he’d hurt my feelings.
“I didn’t mean to sound like that, Lee. Sorry. I promise to be better behaved once I finish my coffee.”
“It’s fine” I wave aside his apology, pouring myself some juice and topping his coffee off as well. “It’s gorgeous outside. I’m going to drink this out on the porch.”
Surprisingly, he follows me outside and settles his six-foot-three-ish frame into the yellow-and-white chaise. Sinking into its twin, I sigh and soak in the vast otherworldly hills spread out before us.
“Is there more of your Mom's ancient soup left?”
Ooh, a complete sentence.
The caffeine seems to be kicking in and he even manages to give me a small smile.
“Not really. But I'll make you some if you want.”
He nods, inhaling the steam rising from his mug, and then takes a sip.
“I'd like that. It was really good.”
I chuckle.
“So you mentioned last night.”
“Although it's ancient.”
I stick my tongue out at him.
“I’m proud of my family legacy. It was originally my great-great grandma’s recipe. But my Mom changed bits of it into this current one.”
“Your great-great grandma, huh?” Reid’s gaze strays to my lips as though waiting for another glimpse of my tongue.
Without conscious thought, I wet my suddenly dry lips and watch as his pupils swallow the green of his eyes.
Gah.
“Mm-hmm” I clear my throat, unnerved by the charge in the air.
“Backs my point about how ancient it is then” he smirks.
I roll my eyes.
“But you're a fantastic cook and I know for a fact that your great, great, grandma, and your mom, would be so proud of you” His voice is now a husky caress.
Nervous energy flutters through me and heat blossoms on my cheeks. Reid smiles at me and only shifts his eyes to the horizon when my phone dings. I glance at the notification on the screen and exhale with relief. After sending out a reply, I smile to myself.
“Who's that? Parker Walker?”
I give him a look.
“No. It's the moving company I called.”
He flashes me a smile.
“Oh, so it's really happening?”
“Would you like it not to?”
“God no” he chortles. “There's no one else I'd do this with Lee. Seriously” he says softly.
A flutter of happiness tips the corners of my mouth.
Don’t ask why I’m so happy about that.
He mirrors my smile, and I forget to breathe for a while.
“Well, then you won't mind hearing about the changes I'd like to make concerning the contract” I continue, slightly out of breath.
“Amending the constitution you said” he teases.
“Har, har.”
“Let's hear it then” he shifts to face me.
“I wear what I want when I want to, and you can't let anyone recreate me.”
He chuckles.
“You can make a trash bag look exquisite on you Lee,” he says. “And I know what I said about your thrift store clothing before. But I've seen you dress. And I don't have a problem with any of it. If you're comfortable, then I'm okay with it.”
I crack an appreciative smile.
That went better than expected.
“Thank you.”
“On one condition.”
My smile drops.
“You just had to, huh?”
He just smiles.
“I get to buy you clothes I think you'll look even better in.”
“What did I just say about not recreating me, Armani?”
He shrugs.
“And I agree. I just think it's only fair for me to be allowed to buy you something I think you'll look even better in.”
Buying it for me doesn't require me to actually wear it.
“Fine.”
“Excellent. You may proceed.”
I get comfortable.
“Sirius.”
He arches a brow.
“What about Sirius?”
“He moves in with us.”
Reid laughs.
“Not a problem.”
“You, have to back me up whenever I say anything.”
“Now hold on a minute” he sets his almost empty mug down.
I sip my juice.
“What if I don't agree with whatever it is you say?”
“You say you agree” I shrug.
“And what do I get?”
“I'll back you up whenever too.”
He hums.
“Anything else?”
“I call dibs on the left side of the bed.”
He frowns.
“Absolutely not. I already sleep on the left side of the bed.”
“Well, you migrated to my side last night.”
“So?”
“So, I get to sleep on the left side of the bed now.”
“No.”
“Yes, Armani. It's furthest from the door. If we're ever under attack, you get to play hero.”
“Why can't you play hero?”
“And deprive your adoring fans from seeing all that glory?” I smirk, using the opportunity to appreciate his form.
“Touché, Freshie.”
I laugh.
“But you see it too, right?” he mirrors my smirk.
I just beam at him.
“Oh and also, you can't call me Freshie anymore.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because I came up with it and because I just said so.”
“Don't I get to say stuff too?”
“You drafted the first contract.”
“Yes, but with all these changes, this is practically a new one.”
I exhale.
“Fine. Let's hear it then” I mimic him. “Should I take notes?” I tease.
He gives me a little smile.
“You can't flirt, kiss, or sleep with anyone else for as long as this contract remains valid.”
Well, that escalated quickly.
“What?” I ask the moment his expression turns serious.
“If someone catches you 'cheating', it could risk everything” he adds.
“And that won't be a problem for you?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.
He hesitates for a bit, then shakes his head.
“It won't.”
I nod.
“What about you?”
I almost laugh.
“My love life is as non-existent as it can get, Armani. It's no problem for me either.”
He nods.
“But how's Geo going to take this?”
I put my now-empty glass away and let out a loud groan.
“Give it up, Armani. Geo and I aren't an item.”
“What about Parker Walker, hm? No kissing? That's gotta crush him someway.”
I fold my arms.
“Parker and I aren't an item either. You must be proud of all the efforts you put into that one. Showing up uninvited and threatening to throw me over your shoulder like that.”
“I saved you from becoming Mrs. Parker Walker for the rest of your life. You're welcome.”
I roll my eyes.
“Whatever. Is that all?”
“No. I want you to make me a pretzel pudding bread whenever I want.”
I narrow my eyes at him.
“I'm sorry what?”
He nods.
“You'll make me a pretzel pudding bread whenever I want.”
“How'd you even know I make pretzel pudding bread? And you don't even know how it tastes.”
“Yes I do” he smiles. “Hernan sent my assistant snack hunting a few days back and she just happened to return with your pretzel pudding bread. And Lee, your hands are blessed.”
My stomach flutters and my cheeks heat up. But I simply shrug.
“I try.”
He smiles.
“Anything else?” I clear my throat.
He stares at me for a while, making me wonder what's going on in his head. Then he blinks a nods.
“Actually yeah. If we’re going to make this marriage work, we really need to put in more effort.”
I arch a brow.
“That's why I will be taking you out on dates.”
My brow falls back in line and contours into a frown.
“What? No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not going out with you, Armani.”
Fake or not.
It'd only complicate things.
“Being engaged makes us practically married. And being married doesn’t mean I’m going to stop chasing you. We’ve gotta keep the magic alive. Put in the work” He grins at me, his eyes dancing with mischievous fire.
A twinge of pressure between my legs almost makes me squirm in my seat. I settle for a quick thigh clench, hoping he doesn’t notice. I did not want him to think he was getting to me. He was incorrigible enough as it was. He didn’t need more encouragement.
“Say yes, Lee. C'mon. You make great company and you know I'm fun. Say yes. You know you wanna.”
Reid looks me in the eye and I have to try my hardest not to groan.
Why is it so hard for me to resist this man?
“Alright fine” I roll my eyes, “I'll go out with you.”
He beams.
“But just so we're clear, it's all pretend. Part of the ruse.”
The way his smile not-so-subtly drops tugs at my heart. He chuckles instead and then nods.
“Of course. Otherwise, it could risk breaking the golden rule. After all, I am pretty charming” he settles with this instead.
I nod, scolding myself for ruining whatever moment we were having. Reid stands up.
“I think that's it for me. You got anything else you wanna add or take away?”
The stupid statement I just made.
I shake my head.
“Okay. The Constitution is fully amended then. I have to go check in with Hernan about work. I'll draft up this new contract for you later today.”
I nod, afraid if I speak, I'll say another stupid thing. Reid turns away from me and moves toward the opening.
“Armani, wait” I call out, hand stretched out.
He turns.
“Do we... tell our families we're... back together?”
“I already thought ahead of that one. We won't have to because they'll know.”
My forehead creases.
“They'll know? How?”
His lips curve into a small smile.
“I'm taking you on a date.”
✯✯✯✯✯✯
✿ Reid's POV
“But just so we're clear, it's all pretend. Part of the ruse.”
Her words ring in my ears and I frown. But it doesn't last long when the doorbell heralds Aileen’s arrival. I open it to find her with two movers in the hallway outside, all of them laughing hysterically.
“Yes, I’m serious,” Lee says, in the middle of a conversation that they all find incredibly amusing. “It really happened. Cross my heart. Oh, hi, Re—I mean, hi, babe.”
I glance at the two movers and their smiles fade.
“Bedroom is to the left. End of the hallway.”
They nod, readjusting their grips on the boxes they carried, and move past me.
“Wow, way to ruin the mood,” Lee mutters.
“Excuse me?”
She presses her lips together, almost as if she was surprised she’d said that out loud.
“Never mind.”
I simply hum. She was dressed in a yellow top and cropped jeans, wedged heels showing off her bright pink toenails. Her hair was up, just a few little wisps hanging down around her neck.
The movers go back out for another load. I decide they don’t have any more need of me and go into the kitchen to pour myself a drink. Aileen follows me in.
“So, what have you been up to while I was gone?”
I shrug.
“Nothing much.”
“How informative, Armani.”
“Do you need a speech?”.
“I don’t know. It might be nice.”
“I’ve been working.”
She leans her hip against the counter.
“When are you not?”
I definitely needed the drink. It wasn’t Aileen’s attempt at conversation that had me reaching for the bottle of Scotch in the cupboard. Seeing her in the kitchen, dressed in comfortable clothes, was almost as disconcerting as seeing her in that pastel pink had been.
“Sorry, I guess you don’t want to be bothered. I’ll just go...” She makes a vague motion over her shoulder toward the other room.
“You’re not... bothering me, Freshie.”
Why I was suddenly worried about her feelings, I had no idea. But I didn’t want to hurt them. I pour my drink but pause.
“Would you like one?”
“Yeah. But just a little.”
Her quick reply almost makes me crack a smile. The corner of my mouth twitches. I pour us both a drink and hand one to her.
“Thanks.”
The movers come in, dragging suitcases and another box. How much stuff had she brought? They take it past us, down the hall toward the bedroom. One of the movers pokes his head through the open door.
“Miss Wilmore?”
Lee gives him a warm smile.
“Jason, I told you, just call me Lee.”
“Okay, Lee. Where should we put this?”
From where I'm standing, I can’t see what he's referring to.
“The living room.”
“Sure thing,” he says.
“I'll go see if there's anything else they need my opinion on” she whispers to me and wakes out.
I take a sip of my Scotch, then head for my office. I had work to do. But the sudden laughter from the living room makes me curious.
What are they laughing about now?
“Dom, you're killing me here,” Aileen says, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.
“We got everything,” one of the movers— Dom, apparently, says. “Is there anything else we can do to help?”
“I think that’s it,” Aileen says. “You guys have been so great. Thank you. Bring it in.”
She opens her arms and the two men both hug her. I watch from the hallway in horror. She walks them out and hugs them again as if they're old friends.
“Well, that’s a wrap” She shuts the door behind them.
I leaned against the wall.
“Friends of yours?”
“Who, Dominic and Jason? No. They were just the moving guys I hired. Not that I really needed it. I didn’t bring over anything heavy. Why?”
“It just seemed like you knew them. Hugging and all.”
“No, but they were hilarious. Such fun guys” She casually replies, oblivious to my tone.
Aileen glances around, putting a finger to her lips.
“Where did I leave my drink? Oh, there.”
I follow the direction she points and a large yellow something—I wasn’t sure what it was—in the living room catches my eye.
“What is that?”
“Hmm?” She walks over and picks up her drink.
“This? Oh, it’s my bean bag chair from college.”
“You brought a bean bag chair? And you’re putting it in the living room?”
She smiles.
“Yep.”
“Why?” I glance at it again, a big yellow blob sitting among the carefully chosen furniture. “It’s so fuzzy. And very yellow.”
“That’s very observant of you, Armani.”
My gaze snaps to her.
“Okay I'm sorry” she chuckles. “But it’s comfortable, and a great place to read. Plus, I know Anika's going to hate it.”
That gets me to roll my eyes.
“Right. Go get dressed, we're going out.”
“Out where?”
“On our date.”
“Yeah I know that. But where are we going?”
I give her a look.
“Just go.”
“Are you wearing that?” she gestures at my clothes.
“No. Now go.”
“You sure you're not in your period? Because...”
I throw a dishcloth at her and she ducks out of the way.
“Fine, fine. I'm going” She laughs, turns on her heel, and walks— no, she doesn’t walk.
It’s not quite a skip, but there's a spring in her step that makes her seem a little bit bouncy. And bouncing makes me think of her tits.
God.
I clear my throat as if that can clear my head. This was going to prove to be more distracting than I’d anticipated. Spending twenty-four hours with her, day and night.
So help me God.
I move into my home office and sit down with my scotch. We were both adults. This didn’t have to be a big deal.
Thank you for reading!
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Ciao
~the_atticwriter