Chapter 3
Farkle released a breath, seeming to relax at the reminder, and Maya smiled to see it. Then Farkle started chattering, and for a while Maya tuned him out with a practiced ear.
Eventually she interrupted him mid-stream to ask, "What do you have planned?"
"For us today?" Farkle asked, seeming surprised that she was actually curious. She had honestly just wanted him to be quiet for a second, but why split hairs? She nodded, only for him to grin, looking far too pleased with himself as he replied, "I'm not telling; I want it to be a surprise."
Maya raised a skeptical eyebrow, declaring dismissively, "You're not capable of keeping a secret."
"Watch me," Farkle said confidently – and though he was jittery with anticipation by the time Jacobs parked, he didn't say a word for the rest of the drive.
"I'm impressed, Farkle," Maya grinned at his silence as Jacobs came and opened the door for them – then she got a look at the Minkus family, well, mansion, and became really impressed. She would bet a month's worth of her mom's salary that there were no leaks in this place. She breathed out a "whoa…" as Farkle handed her out of the car. "Nice place." Farkle blushed, and it crossed her mind to wonder if he was uncomfortable showing her the wealth he was apparently surrounded by. He shrugged, and Maya noticed then that he hadn't let go of her hand yet. She didn't point it out, telling the chauffer, "Thanks for the ride, Jake."
Farkle smirked at her flippancy – and the way Jacobs' bushy eyebrows shot up again – before he tugged her… towards the backyard. She was a little disappointed that they didn't seem to be heading into the house, and asked, "Where are we going?"
"To my favorite spot on the property," he answered, and he was so excited that she couldn't bring herself to object.
What she saw in the backyard wasn't disappointing anyway. There was an in-ground pool surrounded by a wrought-iron fence with a patio area and barbeque pit and grill nearby. But Farkle was leading her away from even that – towards a treehouse at the opposite end of the yard, she realized as they walked past a tennis court.
"You like tennis?" she asked curiously.
He looked incredulously at her. "No, not really. My mom likes it, though, so I play. Do you like tennis?"
Maya shrugged. "I'm more of a volleyball person. Whose idea was the grill and barbeque pit?"
"Also my mom's." He started up the treehouse ladder ahead of her, declaring, "The outdoors is more her thing. The library is my dad's baby. And this –" he smiled, stretching out his hand to help her stand in the treehouse. "Is mine."
Maya looked around, a little impressed despite herself. In spite of its unassuming exterior, even she could tell that the lab the treehouse contained was a very nice one. "So this is how you ace chemistry," she muttered, walking around as she got a better look at the setup – not that she knew exactly what she was looking at, for the most part. Farkle followed at her heels, holding her hand the whole time. However, given the day they'd had together, she just didn't care. "Have you ever brought Riley or Lucas here?"
Farkle shook his head, admitting worriedly, "I never know how they'd react to… everything."
The obvious way the Minkus family wealth was displayed here. "Then why did you bring me?" she asked curiously.
He grinned, answering simply, "You're my new wife. I thought it only fair that you get to see this part of my life."
She smiled back at him, able to appreciate at least the sweetness of the gesture. "Thanks, Farkle."
"For what?" he asked, walking over to a mini-fridge – seriously? In a tree house?!
She shrugged. "For letting me see this part of your life."
"You can become a part of this side of my life, too, if you want, as my honorary fake wife."
"How would I do that?"
He started to dig around in the fridge, answering, "At first I thought maybe I'd invite you to dinner with my parents and Seamus and I, but I decided you'd think that was moving too fast – even if we are married – so I went this route instead."
Farkle started pulling small containers of food out of the fridge – chicken sandwiches, pasta salad, and strawberries – and Maya looked at it all skeptically as she asked, "Who's Seamus?"
"My little brother," Farkle replied, taking plates, forks, cups, and a picnic blanket out of a cabinet. "He's eight."
"And your dad's name is Stuart," she recalled, watching as he opened the chilled containers.
He nodded as he spread the picnic blanket out in front of a window, adding, "My mom's name is Jennifer."
"You know," Maya said slowly, taking initiative of her own to bring the food over and set it on the blanket. "If you want me to, I really would be happy to meet them. I'm curious."
"About what?" he asked, setting the dishes on the blanket.
"Your mom, I guess. What sort of a woman would marry a Minkus, I want to know." Farkle raised an eyebrow and he didn't even have to say the words before Maya did it for him with a smile. "Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?"
"You did," Farkle replied with a grin before he gestured to their picnic. "Care to take a seat, my lovely fake wife?"
She nodded regally, teasingly, as she folded herself Indian-style on the picnic blanket, declaring, "Don't mind if I do, my dashing fake husband!"
Farkle's smile widened – pretty obviously despite himself – as they filled their plates.
"This is good," Maya complimented as they began to eat. "My compliments to the chef."
"I'll let you tell her yourself, if you were serious about wanting to meet my mom."
"She made all of this?"
He nodded. "She's a good cook, and when I told her I was thinking of doing a picnic like this for us, she volunteered her services, as it were."
"You told your parents about the wedding?" Maya asked cautiously.
