Page 15 of The Match Faker

‘Exaggerating much?’ Trudy took my hand. ‘Come on. Let’s go and get those cocktails. I have an idea I’d like to run by you.’

‘It better not involve anything to do with a certain arrogant action film star whose name begins with L.’

‘Leonardo DiCaprio? Nope. As far as I know he’s not arrogant and doesn’t consider himself an action film star, so I guarantee it has absolutely nothing to do with him!’ she laughed.

I’d happily chat about Leonardo.

Liam, on the other hand, was a no.

So why did I get the feeling that my best friend had other ideas?

6

Liam

Mia Bailey.

Damn.

I took another gulp of my scotch and shook my head. Of all the people I could’ve bumped into backstage at an obscure theatre show, she was the last person on earth I would’ve thought of seeing.

How long had it been? Fifteen years? But she hadn’t changed.

Still wore her hair tied up in that tight bun.

Still had that giant judgemental pole stuck up her fine arse.

And still annoyingly attractive.

But I still wasn’t going there…

Not that she’d ever be interested anyway.

Once upon a time, I thought we might have something. We lived on the same street, went to the same school. We were even in the same class.

Despite the fact that Mia always got good grades and I was seen as the class clown, somehow back then it didn’t matter.

We used to hang out together every day after school. But when we were sixteen, things changed. Mia went cold. She started avoiding me and hanging out with that dickhead boyfriend of hers, Boris, and we grew apart. With all the shit that was going on at home, the timing wasn’t great.

And when Mum took me away to live in Spain, Mia didn’t even bother to come and say goodbye. Or reply to my messages.

If anyone should be pissed off, it was me. Yet she acted like I was a piece of trash the cat dragged in.

I ground my jaw as I scanned the room. Looked like she’d left. Good.

To think that when I’d seen her, I’d thought about going in for a hug and letting bygones be bygones. But after she’d sneered, I’d seen sense.

Trudy was chill, just like she’d always been at school. She was happy to share her number and meet up, but Mia made it clear she’d rather suck a leper’s dick than sit with me. What was her problem?

Whatever.

My phone chimed. I pulled it out of my pocket, then groaned when I saw who’d messaged me.

The Sperm Donor

Can you send me some money, son? Kids need new computers.

Arsehole. The Sperm Donor was my dad. Giving Mum his sperm was the only thing he’d contributed to my life. And these days, he only ever contacted me when he wanted something.

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