Ring of Truth (A Silver Script Novel Book 1) (13 page)

Erin smiled. “I don’t think they’d mind at all. They’ve done several here.”

“Great, let’s go talk to them.” His mom turned and headed toward the pastor with his dad following after her.

Erin looked up at Jake in horror. “She’s doing it right
now
?”

“My mom is persistent. And they’re leaving today. Come on.” He grabbed her hand and darted around a few groups of people who were still talking, but it was too late. Jake’s mom was already introducing herself and gestured toward him.

“Oh, there you are. This is Reverend Thompson. He would love to officiate your wedding. After an interview, of course.”

Jake glanced between them before shaking his hand. “Hi, I’m Jake. I assume you already know Erin?”

“Yes, of course. You’re very lucky to have found such a kind and giving woman.” He then shook Erin’s hand.

Jake nodded. “She really is amazing.”

Erin’s face went to an even brighter red than it already was. “Okay, okay. That’s enough.”

The Reverend laughed. “Fair enough. Now, when were you thinking of holding the ceremony?”

“We haven’t really thought of a date. I guess it depends on when you’re available.” Jake groaned inwardly. This was not the best way to get to know a pastor.
Hi, I’m new to your congregation, and I’m already lying to you.

“I’ll look at my schedule and get back to you.” He put his arm on Jake’s shoulder. “Welcome, again. I hope you feel like you can be a part of this congregation.”

Jake could see the guilt in Erin’s eyes, and knew she felt the same way he did. He put his arm around her and they walked out of the church while his parents chatted behind them.

“I know. We’ll fix this,” he whispered. “Where are your parents?”

Erin sighed. “They had to take an earlier flight. There was an emergency at his firm back home.”

“Emergency?” his mom said from behind them. “Did I hear that right? Is everything okay?”

Erin turned. “Yes, things are fine. One of his accounts is trying to back out, and he’s going back to fix things.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. I was hoping we could do brunch together. Oh, well. We’ll have plenty of time for that. Would you two like to come with us? We have one last chance to tour before we have to leave.”

Erin smiled sadly. “You can go on without me. I’m worn out from last night, and I need to get a few things done for tomorrow. It was really nice to meet you both. Thank you for dinner the other night.”

“Is everything okay? Are you sure your dad is fine?” His mom leaned in, concern etched in her face. “Did we say something wrong?”

“No, I’m fine, really. You’ve been so sweet.” She hugged his mom tightly and then hugged Sam. “I’ll see you later, Jake.”

“I’ll call you tonight.” He leaned down and kissed her, surprising himself. It had been out of instinct, but it felt so natural. He wanted to go with her, but knew she needed some time alone. He felt the same way.

She walked off, her head down. Jake watched until she was around the corner, and then turned to find his parents whispering.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Your mom is worried we scared her off.” Sam scratched his chin. “Did we do something wrong? Push too hard?”

“No. It’s just …” Jake stopped Not yet. Not at the church. “Last night wore her out, like she said. She loves you guys. So, where are we going?”

“We haven’t decided. Do you know of somewhere close?” His mom readjusted her purse and dabbed at her eyes.

“There’s several, but I’ll take you to the little diner that Erin introduced me to. I think you’ll like it, and it’s not too far away.” Jake started walking and his parents followed. He’d been craving one of their milkshakes. He tried to ignore the fact that he hoped she’d stop there on the way home.

***

The diner was busy for a Sunday morning, but there was one more booth near the window. They sat down and looked through the menus. Jake played with a packet of sugar while he waited to order his food.

“This all looks fantastic. I can’t decide what I want.” His dad set down the menu. “I give up. What do you like here?”

“Erin would recommend the James Dean. I have to say I agree … without the mushrooms.” Jake smiled to himself.

His mom’s eyebrows scrunched together. “This doesn’t say there are mushrooms.”

Jake laughed. “I know. Erin adds them.”

His dad leaned forward. “You’re head over heels for this girl, aren’t you?”

“What do you mean?” Jake asked.

“You’ve talked about her nonstop since she left this morning. It’s good to see that you’re past the heartbreak of, you know.” His dad shrugged when his mom elbowed him.

Jake set the sugar down. “Yeah, she’s pretty amazing. And nothing like that other person.”

The waiter came to take their order, saving Jake from having to talk about Melody. Sam and Jake got the James Dean meal, and his mom chose a breakfast platter.

“So what are your plans today?” Jake took a drink of his water. He’d planned to go with them, but he was eager to get home so he could call Erin.

“Mom wanted to shop for your niece and nephew. Their birthdays are coming up, and she wants to check out the toy store. And I was planning to hang out in Central Park. See the zoo, enjoy the quiet.”

Jake laughed. “That’s what home is for. But that sounds fun. I can help you find a gift, and then go over to the park.”

The waiter brought their food, and set down the syrup for Jake’s mom. “You should take a tour of the park. It’s worth the money.”

“Thanks. I’ll look into it.” Jake’s dad smiled at the waiter, and popped a fry into his mouth as she walked away.

“Sounds like we have our day planned out for us then.” Jake took a big bite of his burger. The flavors burst in his mouth, and he had to admit Erin was right. As good as the burger was before, the mushrooms made it ten times better.

Jake didn’t realize his parents had said anything until they started laughing.

“Earth to Jake. What is going on? You haven’t been yourself since we left the church.”  His mom set the fork down. “We did say something wrong, didn’t we?”

Jake sighed and put his burger down on the plate. “You didn’t do anything wrong. We did. Well, it was my fault, but Erin went along with it.”

His mom cleared her throat and wiped her mouth with her napkin. “What exactly did you do?”

“Oh, man. Nothing like that. Erin’s parents were coming into town, and you two were coming into town, and neither of us had dates even though you were all expecting it. I asked Erin to … pretend to be dating me.” Jake went on to explain about the ring, and everything else that had happened since then. The disappointment was evident on his parents’ faces as they picked at their food in silence.

When they didn’t say anything for a few minutes, he continued. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. And then it just kept escalating. Erin’s family kept congratulating us, and then this morning … I think that’s what Erin is upset about.” He held a hand up to stop his mom from apologizing. “Not you. I think she would have loved to use the pastor. It was the lying that got to her. And to me. And I’m sorry. I’m actually relieved I told you before you left.”

His mom stood without saying anything and walked into the bathroom. His dad stared at the door for a moment before turning back to look at Jake.

“Why did you think this was okay?” His low voice beat into Jake’s soul.

Jake ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know. We both just needed dates.”

His dad glared at him. “That’s a weak excuse, and you know it. How long have you known her? Did you just pick a random person off the street, or did you actually put some thought into it first?”

Jake’s anger flared. “That’s not fair.”

“Neither is lying to your parents,” his dad argued back. He stood and left the table and walked over to the bathroom. He tapped on the door and spoke softly until it opened. His mom came out, her eyes swollen from crying, and they left without saying good-bye.

Jake wanted to kick something, but knew it was all on him. He’d made the deal, he’d pushed it, and now everyone around him—everyone he cared about—was angry with him. He pulled out what cash he had and dropped it on the table before leaving.

The morning was chilly when Erin left her apartment that morning. She pulled her jacket closed and kept her head down to protect her face from the wind. It was good they’d have her go through makeup before the shoot that morning. Her hair was already flying around her face, and leaves whipped around her.

A cab pulled up to curb and she climbed in, thankful to be out of the wind. Erin directed the driver to the studio and stared out the window. She’d considered asking Jake if he wanted to go with her, but he hadn’t called at all the day before. Never mind that she hadn’t texted or called him either. Walking away from him probably hadn’t been a good idea, but it was all too much to handle at the moment.

“Doing anything exciting?” the driver asked.

Erin looked at him surprise. “What?”

“Doing anything exciting? If you’re going to the studio, you must be doing something fun.”

“I’m shooting a commercial.” Erin slouched down in her seat, wanting the ride to be over.

The driver laughed. “All right. I get it. I’ll be quiet. Just saw that you were down, and wanted to cheer you up.”

Erin smiled, but didn’t say anything. When they pulled up at the curb, she made sure to tip him a little more than usual. “Thank you for trying to brighten my day.”

The driver tipped his hat. “Any time.”

Erin was the first one from her group to show up, so she was able to sit and go through the different ads Mr. Smith had suggested. They would be short and simple, but he wanted a variety, so Erin had helped find another couple to trade off doing the commercials. That would help Jake since he would be starting the other job soon.

Voices came down the hallway, so Erin stood and smoothed her dress and hair. Oh, man. Her hair. She quickly brushed her fingers through it to calm it down. When Mr. Smith came in the room, Erin moved forward and held out her hand for him to shake.

“Welcome. I’m glad you could make it.”

“I love to see my visions come to life. Did you see the changes we made?” he asked.

“Yes, and I think they’re great. There are a few more changes we can make if we need to the family commercial, but I like the concept.”

Jake walked in with another couple and set his stuff down on a bench. He smiled over at Erin, but didn’t come over to say hi.

“Erin,” Debra called out. “This is Brooke and Liam. They’ll be the other actors on this project. We’ll have each of you go through the scenes and then decide from there which we can use.”

“Nice to meet you.” Erin remembered them from their profiles.

The director came in and studied the stage before turning to the group. “Okay, let’s have Jake and Erin first. Then we’ll move on.” He handed them their scripts, and Erin walked over to the set where Jake joined her.

“Hey, how was your Sunday?” he asked.

Erin shrugged. “It was quiet. What time did your parents leave?”

Jake frowned and looked away. “I don’t know. They were angry when they left, so I don’t know what they did after that.”

Erin gasped. “You told them?”

Jake nodded. “It went about how we thought it would. Let’s forget about it for now. Not much we can do, and I need this to go well.”

“Okay.” Erin gave him a hug, but he seemed tense for some reason. The meeting the day before must have really gone bad. They walked over to have their hair and makeup done. Erin couldn’t help glancing over at Jake, but he continued to stare straight at the mirror in front of him. Once they were done, they went back to the set and waited for directions.

“Let’s get ready,” the director shouted. “You two sit there near the Christmas tree. Yes, right there. And … action!”

***

Erin caught Jake’s eye as she walked toward him and handed him a gift. His dimples showed as he pulled out the teddy bear she gave him. Jake then went down on one knee and pulled a box out of his pocket. Erin put her hands on her cheeks in excitement before holding out her hand for the ring. They ended with the two of them leaning in for the kiss.

“Cut! Let’s try it again. We need you two to feel more for each other. You’re in love, and this is the moment he’s going to show how much he cares. Got it?”

They both nodded and get back into their positions.

“Action!”

Erin went through the motions again, this time ignoring all the people around them. She pretended like this was real. It was easy enough, because they’d been pretending to be engaged for a few days already. Her smile slipped, and the director yelled, “cut!”

“Emotions. You’re in love with this guy. One more time.”

The look on Debra’s face told Erin that she better get it right this time, or she was in trouble. Okay, enough with the sad. She cared a lot for Jake, so she just had to show it. She poured all of her feelings for him into her acting. The friendship, the feel of his lips on hers, everything. It was just enough so that when Jake slipped the ring onto her finger, she had tears of joy in her eyes. Jake leaned in for a kiss, and Erin held her breath in anticipation.