Fake It Till You Break It

1 “Oh, yes, right there,” Kristen Bennett cried out, rolling her eyes at the same time. “You like that, huh, baby. You know I’ll give it to you right. I love hearing you scream for me,” he grunted over her. His thrusts met her body but did absolutely nothing for her. So she did what her mother had taught her. She faked it. She was pretty sure her mom didn’t mean to fake it till she made it in bed, but it worked. Actually, no, it didn’t. It never worked. After a few more grunts, he was done, but she was far from it. She’d faked it well enough for him to make it but she would be strung out for the rest of the day. Thankfully, he never stayed long. He climbed off her when he finished and went to the bathroom. She watched him walk away, his tight a*s and tanned back were part of what had attracted her to him, but his severe lack of skills in the bedroom were quickly becoming a deterrent. Good looks only got a girl so far. And she was pretty sure she was as far into the ‘relationship’ as she was going to get. He came back to her bed, his flaccid c**k bouncing as he walked. She never liked to look at them afterward, preferring to keep the visual of a hard c**k in her head. His seemed to go soft faster than others she’d seen, but she didn’t really care at that point. She was done with him anyway. “So listen, babe, I’m thinking this isn’t going to work out anymore. I mean you’re great and all, but the s*x is just not that good. You’re hot, but I need a woman with a bit more substance. I hope next time I’m at the winery we can have a drink, though,” he said casually as he tugged his shorts up. Shock swept through her. He was dumping her? Because the s*x wasn’t any good? At least he got an o****m out of it. All she got was a sore crotch and the unending need to take a shower. Fuck it, who cared. All that mattered was he would be gone. If it was his idea, then who gave a s**t. “Yeah, maybe,” she mumbled as he pulled his shirt on. She felt embarrassed but more than that just empty. Maybe it was time to give up men altogether. After all, the only ones she’d met lately were hot as the sun but dumb as a pile of bricks. She didn’t need the drama they brought into her life. She could use the energy to help out at the winery, maybe implement some more of her ideas. He walked out without another word, and she jumped into the shower, ready to wash off his smell. The scent of her shampoo, the new lavender mint one she’d just bought, was enough to reinvigorate her. She was ready for a new page in her book. One that didn’t involve men. She wanted some time for herself. Time to regroup who she was and sink her teeth into the winery she shared with her brother and seven cousins. The first time she ran with one of her ideas, it was a huge success. She could do it again, and prove to all of them that she was more than a screw-up who spent more time on her back than behind the bar. “Get out of the shower, you dirty w***e! I saw that man running from your bed,” came from outside the bathroom. Kristen would have been worried, except she knew that voice. “Ha! If only I was half the w***e you are, he would still be in my bed!” Sad but true, Kristen thought as she rinsed herself clean. She turned the water off and wrapped a towel around her wet body, her chocolate hair dripping down her back. “Another one bites the dust, huh?” her best friend, Ian Losson, asked when she walked into the bedroom. He was sprawled on her bed where Kristen had just had s*x. She laughed, the thought of s*x with Ian more funny than anything. “What’s so funny?” “I just had s*x there, and you’re sprawled out like you’re ready to take me for round two. It just struck me as funny.” “You wish! So what happened with lover boy?” Kristen snorted and rolled his eyes. “He said the s*x wasn’t good enough so he’s done.” Ian narrowed his eyes at her. “Isn’t he the one you had to fake it for?” “Yep,” she said with a pop. “And it wasn’t good enough for him? What an idiot.” Kristen bit her lip and turned toward her dresser so she wouldn’t have to look at her best friend. She could talk to Ian about anything, she always could, but some things were hard to say. “Do you think there’s something wrong with me?” She heard him climb off the bed and approach her. He gently spun her around to face him and tipped her chin up with a soft touch. “There’s nothing wrong with you, honey. He’s the i***t. I already said that.” She gave him a half grin. “You’re biased.” “True, but I’m also honest. You know I’d never lie to you.” Ian pulled her into a hug. Kristen pressed her wet head against his chest and enjoyed the feel of his arms around her. She’d never been interested in Ian, but she loved him. He was like a brother and best friend all rolled into one. “It’s too bad you’re gay or we could be together.” “Please. You couldn’t handle me,” he teased, leaning back to look at her. “Are you going to be okay?” Kristen nodded. “Yeah. This was the last straw for me. I’ve been feeling off for a while. I think I need to take a break from men. Focus on the winery for a while.” “I thought things were better after the Memorial Day success?” “They are, but I’ve got more ideas. Things I’ve been thinking about but never had the time or guts to try. I think now’s the time to try.” Ian eyed her carefully, and Kristen worried he didn’t think she had what it took to make her ideas successful. Like he thought she wasn’t good at what she did. Then he nodded once. “You’ll kick some serious a*s. You should do it. And if you need anything, let me know.” Kristen smiled, and her shoulders sagged with relief. Knowing Ian was behind her gave her the confidence she needed to move forward. She just hoped her cousins and brother had as much faith in her. “I have my first activity this afternoon with InZane’s,” Kristen said as she slid a black bikini bottom up her curvy legs. She’d never been ashamed of her body, but she knew she wasn’t model perfect. She carried too much weight in her belly and had hips that were a little too wide for some men, but she loved the way she felt. She enjoyed food and wine and hated stopping her life to do something as boring as exercise. s*x was her exercise. It had been since her first time. But she wasn’t going to think about that. “Ooh, I forgot about that. Are you excited?” Kristen shrugged. “I guess. It should be fun if nothing else.” “Have you met the guy yet?” She shook her head. “No. Leo and Ryan met him, but this afternoon will be the first time I’ve been there.” “Maybe he’s hot. I wonder if he’s hot.” Kristen rolled her eyes and laughed. “You have a one track mind.” Ian thought for a second, then nodded. “I do. And right now it’s on food. Want to go to lunch? Do you have time?” Kristen wrapped her hair in her towel and finished getting dressed. Ian had seen in n***d more times than she could count so it didn’t pay to be shy in front of him. “Yeah, I could always eat. Want to go up to The Drunken Grape? I need to leave in an hour.” “Sounds good. Want to meet me there or will you be ready soon?” She scoffed. “I’m ready now.” She pulled her hair down and slid a comb through it, then piled it all on top of her head knowing pieces would fall through the day. She never stressed much about her appearance. Whether she was serving drinks to Bereton’s finest or hanging out on the lake, she was who she was, and nothing would change that. Kristen and Ian walked to the inn her family owned and through the front door. They waved to Andie, Kristen’s cousin and roommate, on their way to The Drunken Grape. One of the waitresses brought over a menu, but Kristen and Ian didn’t need it. They ordered their lunch and accepted the water Molly poured for them. “I have something to show you,” Ian said when they were alone. “I know you’re going to be mad.” Kristen huffed. “And you waited until we were in public and you knew I wouldn’t make a scene. What could possibly be that bad?” Ian slid an envelope out of his jacket pocket. He rarely wore anything but a suit with his stuffy boss always breathing down his neck. He was a hell of a lawyer, but he kept talking about leaving Bereton so he could go to a bigger firm, and a bigger town. Someplace where his s****l orientation wouldn’t be an issue. Kristen told him he wasn’t giving his boss enough credit, but she had her doubts. She hated seeing Ian uncomfortable, but his current level of discomfort had nothing to do with his job and everything to do with the envelope in his hand. Her breath faltered, just enough that she was sucking in a deep breath to feel like she got enough oxygen. Ian handed the envelope to her, but she didn’t get it. It was addressed to him, with a return address she didn’t recognize. It was a Bereton address, but she couldn’t place it. “What is this?” “Open it,” he said ominously. Kristen flipped over the linen envelope and lifted the flap. Shiny, gold paper lined the inside, which held another envelope. That meant one thing. Wedding invitation. She panicked as she opened the inside envelope and turned over the gold-embossed invitation and read the words she knew were going to be there. You are cordially invited to celebrate the marriage of Jill McDavid and Phillip Hollis Tears filled her eyes, blurring the date. She blinked them away. Just under two months. Labor Day weekend. She squeezed her eyes shut and blindly stuffed the invitation back into the envelope and handed the whole thing back to Ian to fix. Kristen dabbed her eyes with her napkin, hating that she was so upset. “I’m sorry. I wanted you to hear it from me,” Ian said quietly. “I didn’t know you were still in touch with him,” Kristen accused. When Phillip dumped her the previous fall, Ian cut all ties with him out of loyalty to her. She didn’t ask him to, but he insisted that Phillip was being a douche and that he didn’t want to be friends with a douche. The invitation in his hands said otherwise. “I’m not. I was shocked to get this.” “I better not get one,” Kristen blurted. Seeing it was hard enough. Going would kill her. “I couldn’t go anyway. I have events that whole weekend.” “I’m not going either.” “What? Why not?” “After what he did to you? No. Not a chance.” Kristen dug deep to find some semblance of give-a-s**t where Phillip was concerned. They’d dated most of their lives, off and on. He was her first boyfriend, the first boy she kissed and slept with, the only one she ever loved. She thought they’d get married one day. When she was ready. She wasn’t yet, but twenty-eight was still young. She thought they had time. He would get over his need to get married, and she would get over her need to have variety in her s*x life. She never cheated on him, but she took advantage of every time they were on a break. He didn’t like it, but she wasn’t going to cater to his whiney moods. She liked s*x. And he had issues with that. She laughed mirthlessly. Guess he wasn’t worried about it anymore. “You don’t have to sit out the wedding for me. You should be there.” “Why?” Ian asked. Kristen shrugged. “We were all best friends for years. I never imagined I wouldn’t be the one standing up there with him on our wedding day, but you should be there for him. For me.” Ian’s eyes scrunched together in that way he had that said he was worried about her. “I knew this would bother you. I’ll take the rest of the day off and we can go watch horror flicks.” “You hate horror.” “Yeah, but you love them.” Kristen smiled, then noticed Molly was carrying their food over. She thanked her and promised her they didn’t need anything else before she responded to Ian. “I’m fine.” “You were crying.” “Everyone cries.” Ian snorted. “Not you. I don’t think you even cried when he dumped you after Alyssa’s wedding.” “Gee, thanks.” “I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant you never let your emotions get to you. It always surprised me that you and Phillip stayed together as long as you did. It was obvious he was more in love with you than you ever were with him.” “Why does everyone say that?” Kristen asked, exasperated with him. “I loved him. I still do. But he’s marrying someone else.” “I know, honey,” Ian said softly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Kristen shook her head and dug in to her baked ziti. “I’m glad I know. It’s better that I know.” “I meant I shouldn’t have said something about him being more in love than you were.” Kristen rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you definitely shouldn’t have said that.” Ian gave her a half-smile and expertly changed the subject, letting her bow out without having to explain herself. It was what best friends were for.