Chapter Twenty-Nine—Lidia

All our pint-up emotions bubbled over into laughter—well, at least for me it did. I felt lighter than ever knowing the dirty scoundrel lied about being married.

But just because Seth lied about being married to his Grandfather didn't change the fact that Jace and I weren't really married. Jace seemed happier, but a hint of sadness still lingered around his eyes.

The night we found out, we laughed and drank until I passed out like the lightweight we both knew I was. When Friday morning rolled around, the air between us felt tight.

Jace kept to himself mostly during the day at work, his fingers tapped un-rhythmically most of the day making my eye twitch with nerves.

The secret phone calls started to make my hair stand on end. My phone buzzed against my desk around lunch, and I cringed as my mother's number rolled across the screen.

We hadn't talked since their impromptu visit, which meant she probably knew about the marriage. I glanced over at Jace, who lifted a dark brow at me and moved his chair to face me.

I answered the phone. "Hello."

"Lidia Lambert," mother's voice sounded irritated. Bingo, was his name-o. "This better be some kind of façade or mirage I'm looking at on the gallery's website. Is this a mural up your skirt!"

Ouch. I chewed on the end of my pen and tried to come up with a lie, but I came up with nothing. "Momma, "I said softly. "I painted that."

She gasped. "You painted a mural up your dress? Wow … adult life has changed you."

I rolled my eyes. If she even knew about my lack of a sex life, she wouldn't say that. "It was a joke. Ha. Ha. Gah, no one gets it but me."

Dad's voice piped in from the other landline. "Don't quit your day job."

I rolled my eyes. "Is this why you called?"

"One of the reasons, the second reason is why did we get an invitation to a marriage celebration. And why does it have your name on it. I can't imagine you being married without telling us."

To lie, or not to lie. That seems to be the question of my life.

I glanced at Jace who braced his elbows against his knees and titled his head. "Who is it?" he mouthed.

"My parents," I whispered back, covering the mouth speaker of my phone. "They want to know if I'm married and why they are just now hearing about it."

Jace seemed to be lost in thought for a few seconds. "Tell them the truth," he finally said and went back to his laptop.

The coldness in his voice traveled down my spine and caused it to stiffen. "It's a long story," I said. "I'm not really married, Momma. You didn't miss anything."

Dad grunted. "You're faking a marriage, Lidia? I agree with your mother, adulthood has changed you."

Shame crawled up to my head and hung over me like a dark raincloud. They were right, I wasn't this liar. I wasn't this person. Loudly, I cleared my throat. "Well, you can come if you want. I don't care."

Mom and Dad whispered something before she said, "We'll think about it."

"Okay. I'll talk to y'all later."

They hung up without saying goodbye. I really couldn’t blame them. Playing this game and lying to people wasn't right. But I'd agreed, and it'd make it worse if I didn't go through with my promise.

A headache started at the base of my neck and traveled up to my temples. Heather, the new receptionist, tiptoed in around lunch and asked if she should order something for us.

Jace gestured toward me. "Whatever Lidia wants."

I shrugged. "A burger is fine. Everything."

She gave a thumbs up and stopped at the entrance to our office. "By the way, I love the mural," she laughed. "Not to overstep my boundaries, but I noticed the picture in the college paper a few weeks ago. I thought it was a funny idea."

I straightened my shoulders. "That makes two of us."

She smiled and walked back downstairs to order our food. I was in the middle of smiling like a deranged idiot when Jace's pens scattered across the floor, and he hissed out something beneath his breath.

I watched his rub his eyes roughly. I crawled over and started picking up his pens. "You don't have to do that," he said, helping me.

"Well, I've been in this predicament, and you had to clean up my mess that time. So, I'll lend a helping hand."

Jace didn't respond and I felt my anger rising. Tuning to face him on my knees, I slammed the penholder down on the wood and fumed his way.

His dark gaze lifted to me.

"What is your problem?" I asked.

So many emotions flickered across his face it made my heart heave. Jace opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I searched through the array of feelings on his face but noting made sense.

He abruptly stood up. "I have some errands to run, I won't be back until late. I'll have a driver pick you up at my apartment for the party tonight. Gemma will drop by your dress before we close."

Jace stormed out of the office, leaving me sitting on his floor like a rejected dog. I couldn’t fathom what happened to make him this way. One day he tells me he loves me and the next he's distant and cold.

I sat back on my butt and finished gathering the pens, not bothering to get up soon. I watched out the window at the clear blue skies and the array of birds flapping by.

Heather's heels sounded distantly up the staircase, but I didn't move. A bird flew right into the glass window of Jace's office and flew off in a daze.

I feel you, little guy. I feel you.

I ate my burger in silence and finished the rest of my day alone. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I listened to my Pandora on loud, not caring if someone came in and could hear it downstairs.

Gemma brought by my dress in a silver wrapped box without a word or an extra glance. I opened the box, surprised to see a white knee-length dress with lace sleeves and a decently revealing neckline.

Someone else delivered a pair of modern-day Cinderella heels with a strap around the ankle shortly before I got ready to leave. I felt nervous knowing we'd be the center of the party, but maybe it'd be one last shindig before his Grandfather outed us.

Jace's apartment was quiet when I walked inside. It felt out of place to be there alone, but I did as he asked and got ready. The driver appeared right on time and ushered me to the car and into the back seat.

My knees bounced nervously. I wished I didn't have to enter by myself but whatever. The driver glanced back with a grin from underneath the rim of his driver's cap.

"There is some champagne in the back of the passenger's seat, if you want a swig. You look ready to hurl," he laughed.

I chuckled and unscrewed the top of the champagne. "You're my type of guy," I said with a laugh. I chugged the champagne, feeling the bubbly goodness travel down my throat.

Maybe some liquid courage would get me through tonight.

The downtown convention hall where Jace decided to host our get-together compared closely to something off an overrated romantic comedy.

Lights lined the walkway and a band played in the background surrounded by the sound of laughter. I sighed and took one long gulp of champagne before stepping out of the town car.

Two door hops opened the door for me, and I giggled, almost tripping over the step to get into the building.

I can do this. I can pretend one more night and even deal with an outburst from Seth or Johnny Archer.

I got this!

The opened floorplan of the gallery looked movie worthy with ceiling to floor glass windows, decorative lights and hundreds of round tables with expensive bouquets of pink and white roses sitting in the middle of them.

Most of the party sat at designated seats, smiles on their faces and laughter in the air. The champagne must be flowing because the atmosphere was light and fluffy.

I made my way toward what looked like a makeshift stage with a decorative arch with roses climbing up like a trellis. Jace hadn't answered my many text messages, so I walked around out of place, looking for my name.

In the front corner of the room sat a table with mine and Jace's name on it. Still no Jace. Where in the—

Seth, Leanne and his Grandfather made their way down the middle row, talking with everyone as they sat at a table directly across from mine.

Normally I would have cringed at their sight, but the liquid courage jolted me alive like some kind of superhero elixir. Mr. Archer made eye contact and I have him a cute finger wave before lowing the table a kiss.

His Grandfather's mouth opened in disbelief and Seth smirked. Oh just wait … if this guy outs us, I'm going to let Seth and Leanne have it in front of this entire building.

Insert evil Plankton laugh.

The band stopped playing moments later, causing silence to cascade over the room. Everyone's attention drew to the stage where Jace finally made his presence known.

I wished I could say he looked better, but he didn't. He looked nervous, his throat working his nerves down to his stomach and his hand clutching a glass of amber liquid.

"Good afternoon. Thank you all for coming, especially on such short notice."

His dark eyes moved across the room, not stopping on his Grandfather's table, but landing on me. I felt his gaze in my stomach, and I gave him a finger wave that made him furrow his dark brow.

Slowly he shook his head. "Are you drunk?" he mouthed.

When I chuckled beneath my hand, he smirked softly before clearing his throat. "On the invitation you might have seen that we are here to celebrate our marriage," he said gesturing toward me.

Jace's Grandfather straightened his tie, and began to stand when Jace said, "Well, that's not true. Lidia and I have not gotten married. See," he said softly, swaying on his feet. "Eight years ago when I was given the Archer Gallery my Grandfather here," he pointed directly at him, making Mr. Archer squirm. "Made me promise to be married by the age of thirty-five. Well," Jace said, chugging the rest of his glass, "here I am, two days from thirty-five and no wife."

He sat down his glass and straightened his tie. "And if I wasn't married, the job was given to my younger brother, Seth," he pointed and squinted his eyes. "Who just so happened to get married last month. Coincidence—ha, no way—but in the meantime, I concocted a plan. This plane," he gestured toward me.

Being the dramatic I was, I stood and took a heavy bow, making some people scoff and others laugh.

"—Lidia Lambert was my original plan. We'd pretend to date, because I knew I'd never fall for someone like her."

I furrowed my brow and gave him a look that made him laugh.

"But," Jace said, taking the microphone off its stand and descending the stairs. "Things got out of hand quickly, and I realized this modest, beautifully quirky woman was … perfect for me."

Where is this plan going? I was too tipsy to object, so I sat back as he walked closer and grinned. Jace stopped in front of me. "So, no, I'm not married to Lidia Lambert right now, but that's why I invited you all here," he glanced around before looking down at me. Slowly, he bent his knee in front of me, pulling out a box. I watched in amazement as he showed me a ring more beautiful than his grandmother's on my hand.

"Lidia Lambert, I want you. I want your clumsy, crazy, loud-mouthed, filter less ass as my wife. Will you marry me, Lidia? Will you be the real Mrs. Jace Archer?"

My eyes widened and by the hushed whispers that raced across the room, I knew I wasn't the only shocked person. The chairs next to us moved and the microphone was snatched from Jace's hand, but Jace didn't look away from me.

His dark eyes soured into mine, and I felt my spirit leave my body. "Are you serious?" I whispered.

Jace nodded. "I wouldn't lie about this. Please, marry me."

A whirlwind of emotion stormed me. I felt light-headed and it wasn't the alcohol, it was love.

'This is all a ploy to keep his job," Seth's voice sounded over the microphone. "You have to see that," he pleaded.

I couldn't look away from Jace. Slowly, I swallowed down all my fears, and took the ring from the box. Jace slowly replaced it. "Jace Archer," I whispered.

"This is bogus!" Seth screamed.

Ugh. I shot up from my chair, grabbed the microphone and said, "Yes, I'll marry Jace Archer. And … since Jace was too nice to say it, Leanne Cox is already legally married, so their marriage is void." I looked at Johnny Archer, and to my surprise, he smiled. "You're welcome." I dropped the microphone and turned to Jace.

He pointed toward the arch on the stage where a preacher stood. "Now?" I blurted.

Jace tucked my hair behind my ear. "If you're ready." I glanced over the room, seeing my parents sitting at a back table and Scotty beside them.

I nodded at Scotty who rolled his eyes and grinned.

"Okay," I said softly, taking his hand. "Let's get hitched."

Jace pulled me up the stairs, ignoring the set of feet that scurried from the room and took my hands. "This is crazy," I whispered. "All we need is some cheesy music to play."

Jace chuckled. "Don't tempt me. The band if at my mercy for the night."

A tear slipped from the corner of my eye, and I felt pride swell in my chest. "I'm the best thing that's ever happened to you."

Jace burst into laughter. "Damn straight."