Page 47 of It Started at the Lake

Bennett

I’m on the back patio in my favorite lounge chair, staring out at the lake. I love how calm the water is in the morning. Like the restful night restored its inner peace, rejuvenating it for the chaos to come.

The creak of the door opening and closing behind me makes me sit up and turn. Millie’s wearing a leopard print swimsuit that clings to her curves, showing off her beauty. Though she could wear a sackcloth and I’d still find her cute. It’s her personality shining through her countenance like sunshine that I find alluring. In a friendly way.

“Good morning,” I say, greeting my fake girlfriend. Man, that sounds weird. Though I am incredibly grateful she said yes to this scheme.

“Morning.” She glances at my chest, her cheeks reddening before darting her gaze to my face. I can’t stop the smile that lifts my lips. This view isn’t new to her, and yet, every time she sees it, she blushes. “Are we doing wetsuits again? Because they’re not my favorite.”

“I am. The water is just as cold as when we got here. If you don’t want to, you can pass.”

She flares her nostrils and sighs. “Fine. I’ll be a can of biscuits again.”

I playfully punch her shoulder. “That’s the spirit.”

We head toward the boathouse.

“Speaking of biscuits, biscuits and gravy or waffles with whipped cream?” she asks.

I’m full from the oatmeal and eggs I ate, but the mention of food makes me want more. “If my Aunt Clara's cooking, I’ll take either option. If I’m cooking, waffles. They’re easier and don’t take as long.”

“Solid choice. I’m a waffle, pancake, French toast type of person in the morning.”

This game is perfect for us to truly sell our relationship with my family. The more random facts we learn about one another, the better off we are. “I should know your birthday, favorite color, and flower.”

As we wrestle ourselves into our wetsuits and get the paddleboards and oars ready, Millie responds, “My birthday is October second. My favorite colors are coral and slate blue. And my favorite flower is dahlias. There’s this kind called Connecticut coral dahlia. They’re stunning.”

A flower delivery for Mils is a great way to show my family I’m “serious” about fake dating Millie. “I don’t have a favorite flower, but my favorite color is light blue.”

“Good to know.”

We get to the shore and I show Millie how to balance, row, and switch between sitting and standing on the paddleboard. Wading out about fifty yards from the shore, we sit cross-legged on our boards. “I think the best way to sell this fake relationship is to start off by crossing things off your bucket list. As we spend time together, it’s only natural they’ll get the hint, and when we announce we’re dating, they’ll believe it.”

This plan also gives me time to wrap my head around the fact I’ll eventually have to hold Millie’s hand and hug her. Kissing is off the table. Something tells me Millie won’t mind. Her man-ban keeps her from falling for me and there’s no way I’ll ever be ready to move on from Jen, regardless of the reactions my body sometimes has when I touch Mils.

“I don’t have an official ‘firsts list’ written out. Mainly because I’m not exactly sure what all my possibilities are. Do you want to help me figure out what we should do?”

That’s a dangerous question. What if I only tell Mils the things I like? I’m a little tempted, but she’s doing me such a huge favor, I can’t be a jerk. “Is there anything in particular you’ve thought of? We can start there and then I’ll add on.”

Millie shrugs. “Not really. We’ve been boating, kayaking, and now paddle boarding. A hike or two might be nice. What else is free?”

If we hiked every day of the summer, we still wouldn’t get to every trail within a half an hour drive of us. “We can arrange hiking for sure. There’s also an old railway two towns north of here. They do scenic rides. There’s the castle on the other side of the lake we can tour. And any water activity you can think of is free. We have all the equipment.”

“I for sure want to hike, and I’ve loved kayaking and paddle boarding. Whatever else you guys have stored in that magical boat house of yours, count me in.”

“I’ll get a schedule set up for us. Are you okay spending a lot of time with me and less with Evie?” I’m hogging Millie’s summer. I should have thought about it before blurting my question to Mils last night. But she said yes. Usually when dating, you willingly give up other activities to be with your partner. Maybe I’m making a big deal out of nothing.

Millie shifts from sitting cross-legged to straddling the board, her feet dangling in the water. “She has Eric, and I’m working. We’ll catch one another when we can. No problem.”

“I know I said it last night, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to say it enough. Thank you, Mils. I’m asking a lot of you, and I appreciate your sacrifices and willingness to help me out.”

She swirls her toe in the water. “In the end, you might regret asking me. Besides my bucket list, you promised to help me.”

Oh. Right. I got caught up in what I’m gaining. I forgot about the extra help she asked for. “What exactly am I doing for you?”

She looks at her hands resting on her thighs. Taking a deep breath, like she’s scared to speak, she says, “The real reason I’m on a man-ban is because I don’t know how to pick the right guys to date. Evie and I usually meet men at the bar or at university activities. But my radar is off, because everyone I’ve dated is a jerkface-loser. If we act like this is real, can you tell me what I’m doing that either is attracting the wrong kind of attention or scares off men?”

Yikes. That’s a lot. What if I find some major red flags? From what I’ve seen so far, I don’t think I will, but I also haven’t witnessed every side of Millie yet. “Why do you think I’m qualified to help with this?”

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