Page 60 of My Fake Fiancé

Juliana

I pace around my room, going back and forth between the closet and the mirror. “Why isn’t this mirror closer to my clothes? I’m sweating up a storm!” I huff and make another trip back to my closet. I hear Tatyana laughing on my bed and I throw a hanger at her. “You could be helping me right now!” I say as I stomp back to the mirror to admire or rather judge my next choice in outfit.

“No,” she says, sitting up and pointing her finger at me. “I refuse to help. I don’t support you going on this date with Callum.”

I twist my hips trying to see myself from different angles. The skirt sticks out and makes my hips look huge. I yank it off, tossing it onto the growing pile of discarded clothes. I hear the bed creak as Tatyana gets off it. She appears next to me in the mirror, looking over me, processing.

“Okay, I’ll help. But not because I approve, only because you desperately need my help.” She takes a step back and looks at me again then she turns her focus on the discarded pile of clothing. She begins to dig through them, tossing items every which way. “Where is he taking you?”

I bite my lip, thinking. “I don’t actually know. He never said anything specific.” I pull out my phone and debate texting him, wanting to know what attire I should wear.

“Put your phone down, I have the perfect outfit. It’ll work for any date. I am so good at this.” She hands me different articles of clothing, jumbled in a ball. I pull my light-toned, ripped jeans over my thick thighs, jumping and wiggling a bit to get myself into them. I breathe heavily when I get them buttoned.

“They are a little tighter than I remember.” I frown and look at myself in the mirror. My hips are a little muffin top-looking but then Tatyana hands me a cute gray, long-sleeved but thin crop top with purple and green flowers on it. The crop top is longer than usual ones so it kisses the top of my jeans. I twist to uncomfortable angles to look at the outfit. “Okay, not bad. But what if it’s chilly out?” She goes into my closet and digs through a drawer of scarves. She returns carrying a beautiful green one that matches the green of my shirt, a scarf that I did not know I owned. I wrap it around my neck and nod. “Okay, fine, that is cute and keeps my neck warm but what about my arms?” I turn to face her. She hands me a pair of gray booties and socks that won’t be seen and I plop down on the bed to put them on.

“Honey, if he is trying to prove he’s a gentleman, he will give you his jacket.” She states firmly then leaves my room. I struggle to get off the bed with my tight pants on, then I follow behind her, grabbing my purse and sifting through it to make sure I have everything I might need. “Don’t be out too late. And you better come right here afterward. I mean that. He isn’t taking you back to his place, he isn’t taking you to another location, none of that. You got it?”

“Yes, Mother.” I roll my eyes and she throws a pillow at me as she dives onto the couch.

“I am going to wait up.” She states, leaving no room to argue. “Text me if you need anything. I’m serious. If he’s being a jackass, which is likely to happen, text me and I will come pick you up.”

I nod then blow kisses at her which makes her roll her eyes but smile at me. I leave the apartment, shutting the door behind me and head to the stairs. I wish we had an elevator, I don’t want to get sweaty. I take my time going down the stairs and then find myself at the door to the lobby. I check my reflection in the window near the door and tuck stray pieces of hair behind my ear.

Once in the lobby, I look around. The small lobby has a stand for the doorman and a chair next to it but little else, and we’ve never had a doorman either. I check my watch and see the time is 6:58 and I push open the doors of the building, the gust of wind making the door heavy before I am let out into the humid air. I guess I won’t be needing his jacket. I look down each side of the sidewalk, seeing unfamiliar faces before my eyes land on a figure leaning up against the side of my building. When I see him, he looks up and grins at me. He walks over to me and offers his hand.

“Shall we?” I smile and accept his offer, sliding my hand into his. And it doesn’t fit. His hands are warm and clammy. I think about how perfectly my hand fits into Kurt’s hand but I quickly shake that thought away. “You look amazing.” He says smiling over at me and giving me a quick once over.

“Thank you. You clean up nicely.” I respond and he grins at me. I can’t help but smile even though something seems amiss. Our hands swing between us and I am grateful for the bit of space. “So, what do you have planned for this evening?” I ask, trying to seem excited.

“You’ll have to wait and see.” I groan, tilting my head back.

“Please?” I whine a bit, hating surprises. This only makes him laugh and he shakes his head. “Fine, but if it is a fancy place I will be so mad at you for not warning me. I’m not dressed for anything fancy.”

“Don’t worry, you look perfect.” I blush a little, looking down at the concrete, and watching our shoes take different strides. His are long and slow, while my stride is quick and rushed, my short legs trying to keep up with his lengthy ones.

He lifts his arm, our hands still intertwined, and drapes it over my shoulder, pulling me close to him. The air is muggy and I don’t need the extra heat but I know he is trying to be sweet so I lean into him, our hips bumping as we walk.

“I hope you don’t mind walking. I thought it was a nice night for a walk. That way we can spend more time together and if you get really hungry, there are a bunch of restaurants around here so we can always stop if you see something you like.” I smile, appreciating the thought but wondering if he doesn’t have anything planned except for stopping whenever I get hungry. He seems to sense my hesitation. “And yes, I do have something planned but it’s a few blocks away and I know you, you are always hungry. And I am just trying to show that I am flexible when it comes to things you want to do.” He points out and I laugh.

“Alright, alright. Well, I am a bit hungry but I think I can wait.”

We continue our walk, in silence, taking in the lights and the scenery around us. The sky gets darker and the lights of the city come to life. Bicycles pass us, their orange and yellow lights flashing, making their presence known. The headlights of cars light up the darkened alleys and expose their hidden secrets before moving on to their next target. The chatter of the people on the sidewalk around us blends into the humming of the street lamps and the chirp of the crickets. The moon comes into view as we round a corner and make our way down the block.

“It really is a beautiful night.” I look up at the moon and then feel eyes watching me. I look over to Callum and smile. “What? Do I have something on my face?” He smiles at my usual line and laughs.

“No, no. Your face is perfect.” I blush and look away. He stops walking and tucks his hand under my chin gently lifting my face to look up at him. He looks like he is about to kiss me and I panic. My body wants to accept his kiss but my heart and mind know I am not ready for it yet. He smiles at me before doing anything. “We’re here.” He releases my chin and opens the door of the restaurant for me.

“Thank you,” I say, my cheeks still pink, a little embarrassed. Callum retrieves my hand when we enter the restuarant, pulling me through the crowded space. I let him lead me, trusting him while I take in the scene.

The restaurant isn’t too fancy but it is very popular. The taco joint has high tables scattered around with a few lower seats thrown in the middle. I watch as couples of all ages, sizes, and ethnicities, munch on their delicious dishes and talk happily. The atmosphere is welcoming. The walls have murals painted onto the brick and concrete foundations. I take time to study them as Callum leads me to our table. We take a seat next to what I’ve decided is my favorite mural. The mural depicts a giant taco and a margarita with faces, having what seems to be a funny conversation. The speech bubbles have faded so I can’t read what they have said to each other but their expressions are enough for me.

Once we are seated, I turn away from the mural and face Callum. He opens his mouth about to speak but a waitress appears at our table and places menus in front of us. “Hi, my name is Melissa and I will be your server for the evening. Have either of y’all eaten with us before?” We both shake our heads and it makes me a little excited to think about us sharing a new experience. The waitress goes on to explain a few items on the menu but I tune her out and start to look over the menu for myself.

“…and she’ll have a Dr. Pepper.” I hear and I look up from the menu. Callum looks over at me and smiles.

“Alright, I’ll go get your drinks and give you some time to look over the menu.” She leaves the table, leaving us to each other’s company.

“I hope you didn’t mind me ordering for you. She did ask you but you were very concentrated on your menu. You do still like Dr. Pepper, don’t you?” He asks, starting confident and then wavering with his question.

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