Page 48 of Bi-Partisan

“I’m developing some sort of feelings for someone who is supposed to be my fake boyfriend.”

“So?”

With a huff, I lift my head again to level a look at my best friend. “We’re only doing this to save his image.”

“Adrian,” he says, using a tone that sounds more like he’s saying ‘hey, you idiot’. “That guy just spent an entire evening talking to your friends and family, asking to hear stories about you, looking at the handful of pictures of your childhood your mom had saved on her phone. He texts you all the time and brought you flowers. He wouldn’t do that if this whole thing was really only about saving his image.”

He’s probably right. “But he said he didn’t have time to date,” I point out. “And our arrangement has an end date.”

“Okay, but hear me out.” He points his chopsticks at me. “What if it didn’t?”

I can’t help rolling my eyes. “Case…”

“Sure he said he didn’t have time to date but that could have changed,” he says with a shrug.

“Except that it hasn’t changed,” I argue. “He’s still just as busy, and he is still one of the about five hundred most important people in the government.”

“You say that as if ninety percent of those people aren’t married with families. His schedule may not have changed, but his priorities might have. Because—and I don’t want to put too fine a point on this—he wrote a freaking federal bill to help a cause you’re passionate about. If that’s not a romantic grand gesture, I don’t know what is.”

“You need to stop watching rom-coms,” I say. Although, I did get all warm and fluttery inside when I read the cover page and realized what he’d done. It felt like a grand gesture moment.

“Don’t yuck my yum, especially when you know I’m right.” He pops another dumpling in his mouth.

I sigh. “So you think I should, what, exactly?”

“Shoot your shot,” he says, the words coming out garbled because of the dumpling still in his mouth. He finishes chewing, then swallows. “Let yourself have this. I think this could be good for you.”

“That’s what you said when you convinced me to go along with this arrangement in the first place.”

“And I stand by it.”

I grab up my chopsticks again and pick at my lo mein.

“Just think about it, okay?” he says.

“I will.”

I don’t think my anxiety will let me do anything but that.

Chapter 16

Adrian

Song: Born This Way – Lady Gaga

5 People

May 12, 4:53 PM

Mina

Hey y’all! DC pride is coming up. It’ll be Jamie’s first pride as an out and proud bisexual, so who’s in?

Sophie

Hi!! The token straight is in!

Oh, and this is Sophie for the two unknown numbers in the chat

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