Page 53 of The Fake Out Flex

"I haven't had much of a chance lately with how busy and stressful the move has been, but I'd love to get back into it."

"Favorite genres?"

"I'm afraid I'm kinda boring. I mainly like YA and clean romance."

"Boring? Hardly," Beth says. "The best people in the world read those two genres. Come in one day, and I'll hook you up."

"That sounds great. I will."

"It's so funny," I say to Beth. "How you're all in on reading romance, but in real life, you're the most anti-love person I know."

Beth grins. "I am a complex and nuanced individual."

"You can say that again," Hannah says before giving me a nudge. "So, now that you're caffeinated…"

Uh-oh. I can feel the conversation steering back to me. Where's the eject button?

"Clue us in, Evie. There's only so much to be gleaned from social media stalking."

And that sets off the morning's first proper round of fast talking.

Summer: "How was the ceremony? Did they write their own vows or go traditional?"

Beth: "Was Bryce floored when you showed up with Fraser? I bet he was. I would have loved to have seen the look on that mousy little face of his. No offense to mice."

Hannah: "The band looked super crappy. Were they super crappy?"

Beth: "Did you go all revenge romcom crazy ex-girlfriend on them?"

Hannah: "I saw the bride's dress on Insta. I wanted to hate it."

Summer: "I saw it, too. And same. I tried to make myself hate it. I just couldn't. That girl's got good taste."

Beth: "Except when it comes to men."

Summer: "One hundred percent agree."

Beth: "But anyways, back to you, Evie. Details. All of them. Spill. Now."

Hannah: "And start with Fraser. Everything else can wait. How dreamboaty was he?"

Ladies and gentlemen, The Fast-Talking Four. I did warn you.

I lengthen my stride as we start climbing the hill. "Fraser was great. He couldn't have been a more perfect wedding date. He checked in on me to see how I was doing the whole time. He kept getting me drinks even though I couldn't settle on anything. He stared at Bryce the way a sniper surveys their target. He asked me to dance seven times."

Beth's eyebrows shoot up. "Seven times?"

"Uh, yeah," I pant. "To, you know, make it believable. Keep up the pretext that we're a real couple."

These girls are my besties. There's no way I was going to hide that this was all for show with them.

I glance over at Amiel. "What happens on this sunrise walk, stays on the sunrise walk."

She grins and nods in agreement. "Understood."

I like her already.

Hannah: "Uh-oh. She's got that look on her face."

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