Play Me
By Zoe Ashton
3.5/5
()
About this ebook
All I wanted was to make my family happy and fend off their nagging and questions. So, while I still continued to lead a life as a raging workaholic in New York with close to no social life, I invented a boyfriend.
To my family, I fed stories about a heroic, charming and loving boyfriend … and this lie continued for two years. I constantly came up with excuses to not introduce him till my family put their foot down. They demanded to meet this new “love of my life” or else …
I should never have lied in the first place, but now I had no option but to come up with a plan. Dizzy with desperation, I asked the first guy I saw.
Damien went to the same gym as I did and even though we had never spoken to each other before, I invited him for an all-expense paid trip to Napa Valley to pretend to be my boyfriend.
Shockingly, he agreed, and now I wondered if this, too, was another one of my failed plans.
How am I going to get out of this without hurting my family? I invited a complete stranger to our home, and now it seems like he is out to prove himself to be the perfect boyfriend.
Read more from Zoe Ashton
My Bad Boy Professor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Naughty Professor Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5College Romance Box Set: My Undisciplined Professor Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Million Letters Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMy Disobedient Professor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Play Me
Related ebooks
Going All In (Heat Wave Novel #4) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHate to Want You Billionaire Enemies to Lovers Romance Story: Arrogant CEO Hero, Sassy Heroine, Slow Burn Second Chance Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnything For Love (The Hunter Brothers Book 1): The Hunter Brothers, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Confessions of a Bad Boy CEO Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Stick Handler Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5You Were Always Mine: Kincaid Sisters, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMy Best Friend's Brother: Make Her Mine, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5His Infatuation: An Older Brother's Best Friend Romance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Falling For My Best Friends Brother: One Night Series, #2 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5His Obsession Next Door: In the Line of Duty, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Perfect Catch (A Contemporary Sports Romance Book) Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Scorched: Fanning the Flames, #3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConfessions of a Bad Boy Millionaire Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Too Enchanting: The Lewis Cousins, book 4 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Billionaire Badboy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hers to Forget: Sideswiped Series, #4.5 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsImproper Proposal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Too Tempting: The Lewis Cousins, Book 1 Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Mark to her Heart: AFL Groupies, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Limited Engagement Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Protecting Love: Finding Love Series, #2 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hot Mess: Life Sucks, #2 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pride & Surrender Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBe Mine Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rushing Amy Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Pretend You're Mine: Diagnosis: Love Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Her Surrender: A Second Chance Romance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Crazy Dreams (Dreams #1) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHating My New Boss: Hate Love, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Regret: A Second Chance Small Town Romance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Romance For You
Before We Were Strangers: A Love Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Heart Bones: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All Your Perfects: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hopeless Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Confess: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ugly Love: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Finding Perfect: A Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Without Merit: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5November 9: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chased by Moonlight Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Favorite Half-Night Stand Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wish You Were Here: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Something Borrowed: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It Starts with Us: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Swear on This Life: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe Now: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wuthering Heights Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dating You / Hating You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stone Heart Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe Not: A Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bossy: An Erotic Workplace Diary Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Adults Only Volume 3: Seven Erotica Shorts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tess of the d'Urbervilles Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Under the Roses Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Buzz Books 2023: Spring/Summer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Roomies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5After Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Seven Sisters: Book One Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Second Glance: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Play Me
12 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Play Me - Zoe Ashton
Chapter 1
Mabel
I stared at my phone screen for a few minutes; the text message from my mom wasn’t going anywhere. I couldn’t just magically make it disappear. In fact, the longer I stared at it, the clearer it became.
I can’t wait to see you, honey, and bring your boyfriend this time. No excuses.
I read it again, just for good measure. Nope. Still said the same thing. I’d made him up a couple of years ago—two years to be precise—and I found that having an imaginary boyfriend got me out of a lot of scrapes. For instance, the time my mom insisted that I attend my step father’s dad’s funeral. I sent her a quick text to tell her that my boyfriend broke his leg playing football and that I had to stay home and take care of him. I know that sounds insensitive, and I should have been there to pay my respects. But, the man was ninety-six years old, and funerals always made me laugh uncontrollably, no matter how sad I was feeling.
Over the past two years, I used the boyfriend excuse over and over again with my family. So much so that they assumed that things were going really well, that I had finally settled down and found myself a caring, kind man who I was very much in love with.
The truth, however, was that I was still living by myself in a studio apartment in Brooklyn, watering my plants before going to bed, piling up my laundry to the point of running out of clothes and I hadn’t had a second date in three years. Not to mention that I was still working fifty hours a week as Chloe Lopez’ assistant at her fashion magazine, and had close to no social life other than checking my social media feed over a bowl of popcorn and a third glass of wine.
So yeah, when my mom sent me that message, my head was in a tizzy. Not a big deal, I figured. I’d just make up another excuse about why he couldn’t make it. It’s only their anniversary. I hadn’t brought him home for Christmas last year, so surely they wouldn’t make a big deal out of an anniversary.
I was half dressed, and so I walked over to the mirror in my bedroom, and fit my cell phone between my ear and shoulder. The phone was ringing, and my mom answered promptly.
Hi, honey, did you get my message?
were her first words.
Of course I got your message, mom. I’m calling you now because I got your message,
I said indulgently, while I slid a pair of high waisted black pants up my legs.
That’s right. Anyway, so you’re going to bring the boyfriend?
she asked excitedly, and I bit down on my lip. I had to fine tune my voice so that she wouldn’t detect I was lying.
I really want to, mom, but he has a meeting in Florida that he absolutely has to attend. He wishes he could come, though,
I said, squinting at the same time.
It’s been two years, and none of us have met him, Mabel,
mom said, and I sighed.
I know, I know, mom. It sucks. I’m hoping he can make it for Christmas this year, but you know how I explained that his family is really traditional and they want him there for family holidays,
I said, while I tucked in a floral silk blouse into my pants.
Well, then he’ll just have to cancel his meeting in Florida,
I heard her say. I gulped and straightened myself, gripping the phone tighter in my hand.
No, mom, you don’t understand. He can’t skip this meeting,
I said, and I realized that my voice was beginning to sound a little screechy.
"No, you don’t understand, honey. I want to meet him. You’ve been with him for so long, but you refuse to let us see him. I’m starting to think that there’s something wrong with him. Or you’re just embarrassed of us," she said, and I rolled my eyes. This could not be happening! At eight in the morning on a Sunday.
Mom, I’m going to try, but I don’t think he’ll be able to get away. And also, there’s nothing wrong with him, and I’m not embarrassed of my family,
I said with a huff.
Then bring him. Let us judge him for ourselves. It’ll be fun. It’s only a small family affair. Your sisters are bringing the whole family, so he’ll get to spend some time with your nieces and nephews too,
she said, and I remained silent. My brain was already working on overdrive. If there were ever the opportunity to say it, now would be the time. I could get away with just telling her that we’d broken up. Or admitting that the whole thing was a lie. Maybe he died? My mind was racing with ridiculous ideas, while my mom continued to talk.
So, you’re bringing him?
she said, and those words snapped me out of my thoughts.
I’m going to try. He’s going to try. We’re going to try,
I said stupidly, and I could hear mom smiling through the phone. There was a change in her voice, and she sounded delighted.
That’s great, honey. We’ve been so worried about you lately. We hadn’t heard much about him lately, and we were hoping you two hadn’t broken up,
she said, and I bit down on my lip.
Gotta go, mom,
I said, beginning to pull the phone away from my ear.
Oh, honey, wait. What is his name? You’ve told us so little about him,
she said, but I ignored her.
Gotta go now, bye. I’ll see you on Saturday,
I said and cut the call.
My shoulders were heaving by the time I flung the phone on my bed and turned to look at myself in the mirror. I shook my head absent-mindedly, thinking over and over again that I was now totally screwed.