Faking it with Damian Black by Louise Jane

Everyone was in attendance, including my brother-in-law, Aaron, and that punk

Italian, Gianni, I don’t know what the f uck he’s doing here, but my mood

faltered seeing him on my turf.

“You’re organizing Georgina Lantz’s wedding anniversary?” Nancy’s eyes nearly

bulge out of their socket, her utensils cluttering against her plate.

“Yup.” Candice replied, punctuating the “p’ sound as she played with the peas

on her plate. She looked up, delight dancing in her eyes. She’d been extra chirpy

all evening, it’s f ucking annoying. Whatever question was thrown at her, she

answered them with a huge grin. I wonder what’s up with her. This would be the

biggest event we ever handled.”

Dad leaned back in his seat, pride in my step-sister gleaming in his eyes.

“Congratulations, ladybug,” he muttered. “I think you’ll be needing a bigger

office soon.”

Even though Candice wasn’t his blood, he never treated her differently. Back

when we were younger, whenever I would pi ss off Candice, he’d take her side

and makeapologize.

“Thanks. Dad,” Candice lowered her gaze to her plate, “but we still have so much

to learn, right?” she looked at Millicent and Andrea, both humming in

agreement.

“But I think your dad is right, Can.” Andrea said, biting down on her asparagus.

“Our hands are full with Constance’s wedding and Georgina’s anniversary. We

need to start hiring more people to work with us on a regular basis.”

“What do you think, Millie?” Candice asked Millicent, who’s been eating her pot

roast silently.

“We need to ch*ck our budget first,” Millicent said. “Hiring regular employees

will be more costly than hiring part-temployees at every event.”

“Awe look at you two,” Leonor said, her eyes misting, gazing at Millicent and

Candice. “Our girls have really grown up. Nancy.”

“You remember when they begged us to take them to the One Direction concert

for Candice’s sixteenth birthday?” Nancy laughed, nostalgia stirring in her eyes

as she gazed at Millicent and Candice’s picture hanging on the wall with longing.

It was taken on Candice’s sixteenth birthday. Nancy and Leonor taught them

how to bake Candice’s birthday cake, and they were covered in fiour. I remember

entering the kitchen that day, swiping a finger on the icing on Candice’s cake.

She quickly turned into a dragon and threw a bowl of fiour in my face. She

missed, though, but Dad madeapologize for making a

mess.

“Mom!” Candice groaned. “I want to forget everything about that concert.”

“They didn’t realize we were Directioners too!” Leonor said, our moms laughing

their hearts out.

Millicent giggled. “You cheered louder than we did!”

Candice rolled her eyes. “And they cried more than we did when Zayn left the

group.”

“Don’t remind us!” Nancy gasped, offended. “I’m

still nursing my wounded Directioner heart.”

|||

09:29 Sat, Feb 10

Chapter 47

That made everyone at the table laugh.

“So Gian, how’s your old man doing?” Robert asked. Apparently, he met Gian’s

dad on one of his trips to Italy, visited his vineyard, and learned a thing or two

about wine making from him.

Gian’s shoulder went rigid. It was subtle and if he wasn’t sitting across from me,

if I wasn’t watching him the entire dinner. I wouldn’t see how his expression

changed from calm to fazed. “He’s still pi ssing off a lot of people,” he said, and

Robert caught the pun in his statement, chuckling.

“Spoken like a true Romano,” Dad piped in, raising his glass of wine toward Gian.

My brows creased. I was a few minutes late for dinner, and it seemed I missed

more than the appetizer. This information wasn’t on Riggs’ file. Does that mean

Gian was actually related to the Romanos?

Gian is a puzzle I needed to solve. There was something off about him, or was it

only me? Everyone seemed to like him, even Aaron. I overheard they’d be

discussing business tomorrow at lunchtime. I zoned out from the conversation,

sipping my wine quietly.

The conversation over dinner fiowed smoothly from what I could tell until

dessert had been served.

Candice then called our attention. Silence swelled over the dining room. I have

sannouncements to make.”

Millicent nodded at Candice for support, makingfrown.

“More good news?” Nancy asked, taking a spoonful of her lava cake.

Candice nodded, her eyes going around the table and finally landing on Aaron.

She reached for her husband’s hand, her eyes already misting. “Babe… you’re

going to be a dad.”

Aaron literally choked on his lava cake. Candice had to slam her fist on his back,

and I handed him a glass of water. Poor guy.

“What a f ucking good way to announce your pregnancy, pigtails. You’re gonna

kill your baby daddy.” I rolled my eyes at her. I think I was the only one who

wasn’t shocked by this news. Everyone was silent. It took them ten seconds

before cheers fiooded the dining table.

The ladies gushed about baby names, the baby’s gender, and baby showers. The

guys and I had to remove ourselves from the dinner table, or we’d be deaf

before the night was over.

“How do you feel?” I asked Aaron. We moved to the lounge and opened a bottle

of Macallan to celebrate the beginning of Aaron’s road to fatherhood and

celebrated the goods like regular human beings

“I don’t know. I’m happy and nervous at the stime,” he answered honestly.

The guy might be a good lawyer with an excellent poker face. But I believe he’s

telling the truth. He never lied about Candice, anyway.

“I’m happy for you and Candice,” Robert said. “But having a kid is not a walk in

the park”

Dad nodded a yes, looked at me, and said, “there’s no manual on how to raise a

child. You learn and you go and hope that he doesn’t end up in jail.”

I groaned, and everyone laughed.

“Don’t forget about the out-of-this-world cravings. Robert piped in, shaking his

head. “Man, I remember Leonor askingto buy her the sweetest peach in

December in the f ucking middle of the night, or she’d kickout of the room if

I didn’t. I went to every twenty-four convenience stores that night.”

hadn’t heard this story before, and I found the horror on Aaron’s face hilarious.

“Did you find one?” Gian asked.

“Nope,” Robert chuckled. “I knew she wouldn’t letinside the room, so I slept

on the couch. Then, in the morning, she got furious that I left her alone in the

room.”

Sat, Feb

Chapter 47

Aaron slumped back in his seat by the sectional, looking at the ceiling as though

that would save him from the crazy pregnancy hormones.

“But being a father to Millicent was the best thing that happened to me, Robert

said.

Dad nodded. “I wouldn’t have you and Candice any other way. I’m sure your

parents would tell you the same, son,” he directed that last sentence to Aaroin.

“I would try my best to keep Candice and the baby safe.” Aaron sighed. “Is this

real?”

“I f ucking real,” Gian butted in, slapping Aaron’s shoulder.

“Congratulations. I promise to keep my couch vacant specifically for you,

brother,” I said.

“Shut up, man, Aaron groaned.

“I can’t wait to spoil that kid. I added, and Dad shook his head at me, pinning