How to Fake a Love Story

3:Of New Beginnings

To Ryan Grayson, love equalled money.

Little of it was good but lot of it was infinitely better.

And Jared Winston had a lot of it.

After listening to the interview the night before, Ryan had managed to book the next available flight for him and Cierra to Rosewood, America first thing in the morning. The last minute decision had cost him more than he wanted to spend but it was all for the greater good. He knew that this was the person they had been waiting for.

Two days later, he stepped out of the plane dragging a groggy accomplice along with him and stared at the rising sun. It had been years since he set foot on the American soil and there was a strange feeling of nostalgia as he looked around the airport. While he had no attachment towards the place itself this would be the place where he would hit jackpot.

America was a blessed country.

His land of great fortune.

His boon-

"You are an idiot." Cierra leaned heavily on his shoulder and he grimaced at her. She smelt of some weird combination of food and chocolate that had him wrinkling his nose as she shuffled closer to him. He resisted the urge to push her off and instead concentrated on her words.

"This is our chance to earn the money we deserve and retire once and for all. No more girls and no more red headed demons." He grinned widely at the thought of never seeing Myra again. That would be the greatest thing that could happen to him; after getting all the money from Winston that is.

"Of all the places to come, we come here." Ryan raised an eyebrow at the apparent disgust in her tone. He never heard her speak in such a way about anything and he made a mental note of delving into it later when there weren't more pressing matters at hand.

"You shouldn't insult the place." Ryan wagged a finger. "The love of my life is here."

"Do you think he is going to believe you are gay? He will just look at you and know that you are straight. They can detect the vibes." Cierra made a vague hand gesture.

He grinned full force, confident about his acting abilities. "Then I will just have to give out those vibes myself."

"It's a man you have to seduce not a woman." Cierra stood straight and stared at him in her usual condescending way. Despite her pink hair and slightly small stature, she could be perfectly intimidating when she wanted to be.

He rolled his eyes. "What's the difference? It's the same thing. Let's get to a hotel and then search for a house. I've got cash."

Not that it had much of an effect on him.

"If I die in this country, I am taking him with me." She murmured, glaring at his retreating back before following him.

——————————————

Cierra felt giddy.

The counter-tops of the kitchen were made of marble, the fridge was filled with food and-

"Cierra!" Ryan shouted.

-and there was a huge TV in the sitting rooms with leather sofas and-

"Cierra!"

-and she was supposed to be living with a spoiled, two year old arrogant child.

How she got stuck with him would forever remain a mystery to her. He was petulant, vain, greedy and weak enough to lose a wrestling match to a kitten.

The last two years had seemed to pass by in a flash. One minute, they were trying to con each other out of money and the other, they were both conning money out of other people together.

And now, here she was, stuck with a child.

She dragged herself out of the gorgeous kitchen and into the equally gorgeous living room where Ryan and their realtor sat across each other. She sat beside him, pointedly ignoring the sour look on his face.

Such a child.

"Your husband seems to be worried about something." The realtor said in fluent French. "Is everything alright?"

How did Ryan manage to find an actual house rather an apartment itself would remain a mystery. The money part was obvious. Myra, Tania and the trail of tears, empty bank accounts, murderous women and endless running would guaranteed them both a comfortable lifestyle for quite some time to come.

What she wanted to know was how had he found this house. He was tight lipped when she had questioned him but she doubted that he did it by himself. After all, the realtor spoke French and she doubted Ryan knew even a single word of it, hence his silence.

But she knew better than to question him further.

"This brat is not my husband. He'll be fine. However much the rent, we are ready to take it. Cash. How long will this take?" Luckily, she knew French. She had learnt that the woman's husband was the one who usually handled the clients but since he wasn't available, she had to come herself.

"Cierra." She nearly growled as she whipped her head towards him, her long pink hair hitting him on the face though he didn't seem to notice.

"What?" He was pushing it. Dragging her here and now irritating her. One more word out of his mouth and he would get it.

He bit his lip. "I just realized something."

Her anger evaporated at his sad tone. This was going to be good. Maybe he had realized how ridiculous this all was and might consider leaving.

She was sure that Ryan was more or less homophobic in some way or another. It would explain why he unconsciously kept a self- imposed restraining order whenever Scott, her only other friend dropped by unannounced to visit Cierra.

Cierra never told him that Scott wasn't actually gay since lying to him about it on April Fools'.

Last year.

This was going to be good.

He looked at her with wide grey eyes. "I won't be able to con anyone else for the duration of our stay here if I have to concentrate completely on my true love. We may starve!"

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down. He was just an i***t. A pretty i***t with an unhealthy obsession with money.

An i***t nonetheless.

With a shocking amount of restraint, Cierra turned back towards the realtor. "How long?" She repeated.

The realtor smiled. "Not long, since you are paying cash. I just need your signatures and it will be ready within a week."

Cierra sighed. "That's perfect. Thank you."

The realtor smiled graciously. "Thank you."

As soon as the woman made her way out the door, Cierra's polite smile dropped and she turned to scowl at Ryan. "If you are so worried about it then why don't you drop this and go back to your usual targets?"

Ryan waved his hand carelessly. "I am not worried. I was just thinking about the potential candidates we may lose since I am pursuing only one person."

"A person who is gay." Cierra emphasised, folding her hands across her chest.

He rolled his eyes. "Doesn't matter. I can become gay for a few months."

She glared at his stupidity. "You just don't become gay, Ryan."

Ryan scoffed, waving the matter off as irrelevant. "Love conquers all boundaries."

"Too bad your true love is owned by someone who is gay."

He frowned at her. "I think you are just homophobic. Jealous I found someone to spend the rest of my life with?"

Cierra snorted with laughter. "It's funny how you brainwashed yourself to believe that you are in love with that queer." She stood up and stretched, looking forward to a long bath and tasty food. She had to take another look at the fridge and go shopping for anything that was missing from it.

Entering the kitchen, she opened the fridge and mentally catalogued everything present while simultaneously making lists of items that were missing. "By the way, how are you going to catch his attention?" There was no answer and Cierra got a strange feeling that she was talking to the wall. Straightening up, she peeked into the living room.

The couch was deserted and the door leading outside was open.

Damn that i***t.