Just Pretending: An Age Gap Enemies to Lovers Romance (Alpha Billionaire)
Just Pretending: Chapter 15

Devin’s surprises were the best. He caught me off guard by paying attention to what was important and excelling at the delivery.

I was dressed in stylish jeans with strategic rips, and a cute t-shirt— possibly the only cute thing I found shopping— with “BRIDE” emblazoned across my chest.

It made Devin smile when he finally joined me for breakfast.

“Are you seriously wearing a bride shirt?”

“Yes, I am. This way if I’m acting a little weird today, everyone will attribute it to me being a newlywed.”

“A little weird? How?” He poured coffee into a cup.

I shrugged. “Oh I don’t know, maybe walking like I’ve spent a week riding a horse.” I was unexpectedly sore.

Devin’s smile turned devilish and I swear he smoldered at me over his cup of coffee. “That won’t last long, and you’ll be ready to get back in the saddle before you know it.”

I blushed. He laughed at me. Or was it with me? His laugh did crazy things to my nerves. He did crazy things to my nerves.

“We have an appointment soon. We slept in,” he announced, looking at his watch.

I wished we could have stayed in bed longer. I wished for a lot of things. In the meantime, I held onto his hand as we strolled down through the lobby and out to the shopping district of the hotel. Everything was high-end and made for people not built like me.

We entered a salon, and Devin gave the lady at the front desk our name. She guided us back into a large sumptuous room draped in golden velvet curtains. Several full-length mirrors were strategically placed around the room, including around a small stage-like area. Devin and I sat on a comfortable couch and we were presented with flutes of champagne.

An older lady with more style than I think even my mother possessed approached us. With a clap of her hands, she said, “You must be Harleigh. I’m Beverly, your shopper. Let me take a look at you.”

I stood up and she twirled me around.

“Devin?” I asked. “What’s going on?”

“You were complaining about mall shopping, and the concierge did such a wonderful job with your dress so I arranged for a personal shopper before you woke up.”

“Devin, I can’t—” I started to protest.

He cut me off. “You can. You need a new wardrobe, you can’t go around in those frumpy clothes all the time.”

I opened my mouth and shut it. Beverly stood there and waited for us to finish. “Are we ready? Let’s take some measurements.”

Once the tape measure went from around my boobs to around my middle, she stopped. “I just made a wedding dress for someone with your exact measurements.”

I may have jumped a little in my excitement. “That was me! White strapless with the dotted tulle. It was perfect,” I gushed. “So was that bra. Can you help me get some more bras like that?”

“Of course, that’s why you’re here. I’m going to help you get clothes that fit properly. Now tell me what you like to wear,” Beverly said.

I described my slouchy yoga wear and displayed my holey jeans.

“How do you feel about fitted, or semi-fitted tops?”

I shrugged and gestured at my breasts and waist and hips with a swirling motion of my hands. “This doesn’t usually fit into anything fitting.”

“Well, that’s because you do not have an off-the-rack body, in an off-the-rack world. Let me go pull a few looks for you. I’ll be right back.”

“You have clothes my size?” I couldn’t believe a place this upscale would have anything in my size.

“If we don’t, we can make it your size.”

I sat next to Devin and gulped champagne.

Devin took the glass from me. “Take it easy. You do not want to get buzzed early in the day.”

I sighed. “This is unreal. I only ever thought wedding dresses were bought this way.”

“Harleigh, you don’t need to shop for the discount clearance racks. You can afford custom-made clothing.”

“No, I can’t. Devin, I know you are aware of my monthly payout. I don’t get this”— I gestured at the room— “kind of money. Tina did, not me.”

“You’re an heiress now, I don’t think you quite understand what that means. And, as my wife, I can buy you some clothes.”

I stared at him.

“Yes, I can afford for you to shop like this. At least until you realize you can afford it yourself,” he chuckled.

I tried a few items on. If something fit my boobs, it billowed out around me like a tent. If it fit my waist my breasts were not contained. I felt defeated until Beverly showed up with clips, and began adjusting the clothes until they fit.

When we left, I had an order in for an entire wardrobe, and Beverly had my measurements to tailor everything to fit. For the first time in forever, I was excited about shopping. I particularly looked forward to a dark mermaid sea-green variation on my wedding dress to wear to Devin’s work parties.

“You look happy.” He leaned over and gave me a quick kiss against my temple.

“I am,” I confirmed. Maybe even more so because he kissed me.

“We have just enough time for lunch before our next appointment,” he said.

I slipped in under his arm and he held me close. I pushed back the thoughts that wanted to remind me that none of this was real and at some point, we would stop pretending we were just married. I wanted the fantasy.

Lunch was extravagant with lobster and more champagne. Devin wouldn’t tell me what his next surprise was, not even when we were in the back of a car and headed out. He just sat back and smirked as I tried to guess.

When we climbed out of the car at a helipad, he still wouldn’t tell me. He caught me around the waist and pulled me against his chest. I gazed into his eyes and pouted. I intended to guilt him into telling me.

“Welcome to this afternoon’s helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon,” our pilot said as we boarded.

I beamed at Devin. “Really? Oh, this is going to be so much fun.”

My face was practically plastered to the window as the helicopter lifted up and then flew over the Vegas strip and out into the desert.

“Look, Devin, the Hoover Dam.” I shook his sleeve and tried to get him to look out the window.

He sat back and smiled at me. “I see it, I see it.”

I didn’t think he was looking.

The air was sharp and dry when the helicopter landed and we got out. It was warmer than I expected at the bottom of the canyon. The rock walls towered above us and took my breath away. It was beautifully stark. I never expected to see the Grand Canyon from the canyon floor. They fed us a picnic of fruits, fancy cheeses, and crackers. There was even more champagne.

Flying back over the city all lit up at night was magical. I bounced out of the helicopter after we landed and threw my arms around Devin. I was rewarded with a smile.

“Dinner?” he asked.

By the time we had dined and watched the fountain show, all the champagne I had been drinking finally caught up with me. I was ridiculously tired. The bed back in our rooms called to me. I barely had the energy to take my shoes off once we were back. Devin told me to sit on the bed. He helped me with my shoes, and then with my jeans. He gently pushed me over and I lay down.

“Stay with me,” I pleaded. I didn’t have the energy to make love to him, not that I expected him to again. But I didn’t want to be alone. I didn’t want this day to end.

“I’ll be right in the other room on the couch.”

I clutched at him weakly. “Please, one last night, just sleep.”

A moment later he slipped under the covers and pulled my back to his chest. His legs brushed mine as he spooned around me.

In the morning I was alone. I sighed with resignation, it was time to go back to reality. I didn’t want to, I wanted to go back with a husband who loved me. Instead, I was going back married, and with a big humbling dose of “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”

“Harleigh?” Devin tapped on the door.

“Come on in,” I said.

He was dressed in his standard dress shirt and slacks. His suitcase stood just outside my open door. He held out a folio of papers to me. “These are your tickets and boarding passes.”

“Aren’t you coming with me?” Reality stabbed me in the gut. It was rushing back much sooner than I was prepared for.

He shook his head. “I have to get back to work. There are some meetings I have to attend. When you get home, check in with McGrady. I will have all the necessary documents for him, so you have nothing to worry about. Go ahead and hire back any of the staff you want. You have full authority to do so.”

As he spoke I sat there in the clothes from the day before and nodded.

“You know how to get to the airport?”

“I’ll go downstairs and tell the doorman—”

“Tell the desk you will be charging the car back to the room. I’ve already made sure they will handle everything. Call me if you run into any problems.”

I nodded.

“I’ll be back in a few days. Get a room ready for me, since I’m moving in now that we’re married.”

He didn’t even say goodbye when he left. He gave me a nod and turned and walked out the door. The day before he was smiling and kissing me, this morning I got a nod.

I fell back onto the bed and buried my face in a pillow as I cried. I was married now. It wasn’t so much fun.

The house was still there when I got home. Inside it was back to normal, historically accurate, the painting mess a mere memory. I felt a soul-deep weariness. Maybe it was from too much champagne. Maybe it was because Devin had so easily returned to his normal life. And no matter what, I couldn’t return. There was no normal for me to go back to.