Page 50 of Fake Out

Which is odd because we haven’t had any real dates, only fake ones planned for people to see us out as a couple.

I’ve been trying not to overthink it, but it does seem weird. Plus I’m starting to get some real cabin fever. With no practices to go to, there’s no reason to leave my house during the day.

“Let’s go to River North,” I suggest, thinking about the lounge I used to frequent there.

Immediately, her face changes. “Oh. I… dunno.”

“Why not?” I ask.

She shifts in her seat, fingers tracing the edge of her empty plate.

“It’s just… I mean, we’ve been laying low. Going to a popular spot like River North is risky.” Her words hang in the air like a dull warning bell, gnawing at the edges of our comfort.

“But we can’t stay cooped up forever,” I reason, trying to keep my voice steady. “Besides, we’re supposed to be seen together. That’s what you keep saying.”

She folds her arms on the table. “All of the times we’ve gone out since getting back, Isaac knew about those. He’s been grilling me on our date schedule.”

“O-kay.” I still don’t get it. “So what if we go on an impromptu ‘date’? For all he knows, you just called me last minute and set it up.”

Her lips twist. I’m not getting to her.

Which makes me sigh with frustration. Her boss knows all about this “fake” relationship. How could he even suspect that hiding behind it is a real relationship?

A delicate one. A new one.

I don’t want to fuck things up this time around, and I want to be normal with Marissa. Normal people don’t stay hidden away day in and out.

Also…

“So what if he finds out that we’re really dating?” I ask.

“He’d be pissed.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he always finds something to be pissed about.” She rolls her eyes. “That’s just his personality.”

I feel a tickle of laughter dance up my throat but swallow it down. Her assessment is precise. Isaac is the kind of guy who’d find fault in a rainbow after months of rain.

“All right,” I relent, shifting my gaze to the window and watching the rain bounce off the glass. “We’ll stick to the set dates.”

“Thank you.”

I push my fingers through my hair. “But when can we go public?”

My chest tightens. I hate asking the question; talk about putting your heart right out there.

I’m crazy about this girl, though, and that means I’m doing things in a fresh way. Even if it’s uncomfortable sometimes.

She chews on her bottom lip. “I haven’t thought about that.”

I blink at her, the answer feeling like a punch to the gut. “Oh.”

She sits straighter. “It’s not that I don’t want to.”

“What are you worried about? Why does your boss have so much power over you?”

Her face turns red.

---