Let's Make Up

Pretend

"Was it just me or was John kinda hot today?" Molly heard Emily ask the two other women in the office, as she entered the kitchen area to grab herself and John some coffee before the buyer arrived.

"I feel like we've always had good chemistry." She continued, trying to sound sexy and not caring who heard her.

Emily was known for being loud and outgoing but Molly didn't appreciate it as much as she had before when they'd had lunch together and all had a gossip session.

"I don't know, I wonder if he has a thing for me, we were so in sync this morning."

Molly grabbed the milk for John's coffee, adding in the perfect amount, making it just the way he liked. She had a hard time picturing the two of them together regardless of the truth that they worked in tandem to get the manager out of the office.

She stepped out from behind the fridge, towards the table where the women were seated and took a drink from her coffee while holding John's in her other hand.

"Not trying to eavesdrop..." Molly interrupted, "But just to let you know, Johnny is already seeing someone."

Emily rolled her eyes. "You've got to be kidding me."

Molly just shrugged and gave her a curt half smile.

"Is she cute? Do you think I still have a chance?" She asked.

John walked in, looking like he was on a mission, and got Molly's attention. "They're in the parking lot, we have to get going."

"Okay, here's your coffee, Johnny."

She handed him the mug she filled for him and he thanked her, taking a sip from it and looking directly into her eyes.

Emily tried to get him to notice her by wiggling her already too-tight shirt down to reveal a bit more cleavage.

"Good luck with the meeting, Johnny." She said.

"John." He corrected her immediately, without any emotion.

Molly smirked a little at him not having said anything when she called him by the nickname, but Emily continued without noticing the double standard.

"Well, do you think you might be able to drive me home today?"

He started to turn and simply told her he couldn't.

Her voice became slightly sour while still obnoxiously loud. "How come? Have to get home to your girlfriend?"

John flicked his eyes over to Molly for an instant and smirked as well.

"Yes."

"So that's it then? When do we get to meet this mystery girl?" Emily taunted and he ignored her.

"Molly, we need to be ready in the conference room. Make sure you have your notes and we'll call Dennis together later."

She nodded back at him and he left the room to greet the company's representatives, sparing no more time or words for Emily.

She jeered and again asked Molly if she had a chance or if she thought the girlfriend was maybe just a fling.

Molly smiled at the woman who she now found extremely annoying, and then over at Rosie, who had been quietly watching the entire time.

"Well, I get the feeling they're really serious." She said.

Rosie winked at her and told her to go to the meeting, laughing at Emily's fake display of anguish at Molly's news.

Placing down her cup, notes, folders and pen, Molly adjusted her clothing before sitting in the spot beside where John left his items as well. She wasn't nervous for the meeting since, in her mind, anyone who wasn't Kent, would probably do a good job. She had total faith in John's capability. Finally, John came in and called Molly over. He got the buyers, a man and woman, seated, and told them they'd be right back.

"We're going to grab them some water and that box of donuts that was in the kitchen, if there's any left." He leaned close and made his voice into a whisper, "I need you to do something for me... if you're willing, that is."

Molly searched his eyes as they walked and he brought his face close to her ear again.

"They're a couple that works together and they're especially interested in family run businesses because of that. Can you pretend we're married?"

She felt her face get hot and redden as he looked at her for confirmation. She nodded at him, so he smiled back in a way that showed his dimples, and made her heart skip a beat.

Once they got everything, including some complaints from the kitchen that the donut box was being stolen, John opened the door for Molly and helped place everything down for their guests. They stood up as he closed the door behind himself, so she started shaking their hands, and he spoke for her.

"Robert, Carol, this is my wife, Molly."

Carol looked at her husband and beamed.

"Bob and I are also married! How nice to see other couples who work together!" Robert, or Bob, as she called him, nodded, also pleased, and made cordial small talk.

"Have you been married long?"

Molly tucked her hair behind her ear through her own nervous habit and John answered for them again.

"We're still newly weds. But it feels like I've known her my whole life. Poor Molly, her ring is still in the shop getting sized properly."

She smiled to herself and cut in, talking directly to Carol the way she would with her older clients from her previous job.

"You know how men are!" She waved her hand and playfully pushed at John's shoulder. "You tell them you're a size 5 and they get you a size 7 because bigger is always better for them right?"

John glanced at her feeling like maybe she mentioned her ring size on purpose. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. You'll get it soon so that you don't have to keep reminding me that your hand is empty."

Molly blushed and Carol laughed, agreeing that her husband was like that as well. She looked like a woman who took care of herself and had aged gracefully. Carol had some crows feet that appeared around her eyes when she smiled, but Molly thought she must have been a total knock-out when she was younger. Owning a successful company in the city surely helped her maintain herself. Bob also looked like a well kept man. He had a bit of weight on him but stood straight and had a nicely trimmed beard that was all white.

"Well, let's sit." John told them and he guided Molly to their chairs as well by having his hand on her waist.

John showed the couple some rough drafts of the magazine's latest issue that was in the process of getting approval for printing. He also pulled out some statistics for them to show their sales in stores and how broad of an audience they reached. Molly informed them about the writing incentive for freelance stories and how they had submissions open from readers who wanted to send in their own letters or stories, photos, and even recipes, that they really wanted to share. It was a nice thing to include, especially when the seasonal markets were up, or during the holidays.

"We like Lakeway, we've always liked this town, but in the city there's so much life and a young crowd. Our only real worry is that there won't be enough included in your paper that people in this town don't already know about or will be important to the city folk." Bob said, "How do you feel about that?"

John agreed that things could get limited, especially with the way people talk in town, but that they printed much quicker, and if there were a big enough story, then people didn't mind reading and hearing about it over and over, just so they could get more in depth information and different perspectives.

Molly put her pen down and placed her hand on John's arm to let her talk.

"Sir, I actually moved here from the city and let me tell you, I swear I am the ONLY person here who doesn't drive."

Bob and Carol listened and looked at her while wondering how that pertained to the conversation. John had experienced her having strangely timed input before, so he stayed quiet as she reached her point.

"In the city, everyone is late because traffic is bad and no one drives, so they just take the subway or call a car company. It's unreliable. Everyone here learned to drive at 16, or younger, and never stopped. If there is something worthwhile to drive out for, or get a story on, you can be sure that they'll just hop in their car and get there. You can't guarantee that in the city. How many recycled stories do you read or hear? You might be able to reach more with an online presence, but our journalists and photographers will be there on the scene to get you that content immediately."

Carol raised an eyebrow and smiled with sophistication as she watched Molly.

"One of my initial tasks here was to get a couple writers off each other's backs because there was a fight over who got their story out first."

The couple thought about it and Bob finally spoke.

"You make a great case. Online stories can get sloppy and seem to only focus on trivial things like the local celebrities. The actual language in it has become very simple."

Carol tilted her head and narrowed her eyes a little at Molly.

"You know, now that Bob brought up local celebrities, you look very familiar. You said you're from the city?"

John tensed, hoping Molly's speech didn't derail any hope of progress.

"Yes." Molly said, "Born and raised there. You might have even published photos of me with my ex, Julien Winter. I was his makeup artist."

The woman nodded with clarity. "Ah yes! He's very popular with the young women. Good for you for growing out of that scene." She smiled at John sympathetically.

"Bob would never admit it if you asked him, but when he met me, I was a dancer. Right, Bobby?"

Molly smiled at them and John relaxed only slightly, still not sure how to proceed just yet.

Bob shook his head, slightly embarrassed, and Carol patted his hand.

"I think we found some very like-people here and I'm already interested in local events. How can we get more involvement from your team and not just the townspeople?" She asked.

This time John spoke up, mentioning that they had several young employees who were heavily involved with social media. If there were certain things that Bob and Carol would like to be focused on, he would have no issue with delegating and getting the more youthful hires to go that route. He divulged that he and Molly were going to the city on Saturday and offered to bridge the gap between them if need be, as long as it didn't interfere with the weekends with his daughter.

Carol asked cautiously, but politely, who the girl looked more like and Molly told her, without wavering, that she had become Avery's step mom. She felt a surge of empowerment while explaining, and John was touched by how willing she was to uphold both the company and their relationship. He put his hand on hers and squeezed it in front of the buyers.

Suddenly, Bob tapped the table top with his knuckle.

"We'll give it a shot. I'd like to get the marketers together to discuss a name and logo change since the stories won't just be from the 'Lakeway Local' anymore. Can we meet some of your staff and writers while we're here?"

John clasped his hands together, very pleased, and got up from the table to open the door for the couple.

"You can meet everyone right now."

Carol touched Molly's arm before they stepped out, and leaned in close while lowering her voice.

"Your husband seems like he cares very deeply for the magazine."

Molly nodded and knit her eyebrows at the tone of the woman's voice. "Yes, he does."

"Any particular reason for that?" She asked.

Molly watched John walk in front of her and thought he looked effortlessly confident.

"I think I'm lucky enough to say that's just how he is."