Page 13 of Text Appeal

“Oh, really? They love you that much, huh?”

“I think, at heart, they want me to be happy,” he says. “We show them that you do that, and they’ll put out the welcome mat. Which is what you want, right?”

I don’t answer due to thinking deep thoughts. As tempting as I find fake dating as a trope, I don’t know about trying it in real life. And with Connor. Though I am curious.

“It would also be good research for your writing,” he says. “How many people in your field can say they’ve actually fake dated someone?”

“Hmm.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I need more information.” I cross my legs and get comfortable. “Who would know the truth?”

“Just you and me.”

“You wouldn’t tell anyone? No friends or family?”

“No. Absolutely not.” He shakes his head. “What about you? Can you keep it on the down low?”

“Yes.”

He narrows his gaze. “What if Grandma comes at you with cookies again?”

“That was different. I can keep my mouth shut when it matters. Even while baked on baked goods.”

He doesn’t seem convinced, but he’s polite enough to say no more on the subject.

“How long do you envision us fake dating for?”

“I don’t know.” He sits back and rests an elbow on top of the couch. Such arm porn. Rodin would have sculpted him for sure. “A month maybe?”

“What exactly would it involve?”

He contemplates this for a whole second. “I’ll take you out to dinner once a week. Say a local restaurant or bar. Somewhere public so we’ll be seen, and you get to meet people. That should do it.”

“Is that really your idea of showing me around town?” I ask, wrinkling my nose.

“What?”

“And you’re telling me that when you’re interested in a woman and dating her exclusively, you only see her once a week?”

“Summer’s a busy time for me.” Out comes the shit-eating grin. Though it doesn’t stick for long.

“You really haven’t thought this through at all, have you?”

“Riley…”

My name in his deep voice heaped with charm hits me straight between the hips. Which is annoying. “You want to convince the town that you’ve moved on so they stop shipping you with your ex? That’s your goal here?”

“Correct.” He raises a finger. “I think it can be mutually beneficial.”

“Yes, you’ve made a semi-convincing case for that. But if we’re really going to do this, then you’re going to need to pretend to be as into me as you were with her.”

His smile dims way down. “I don’t know about that.”

“It’s up to you. But, as you pointed out, you were born and raised here. These people know you. They know how you behave when you’re serious about someone. Also—there’s no way I am risking anyone finding out you’re cheating on our supposed relationship. Not happening. The local mythos of you and your ex will take some work to overcome. Do you really think having dinner with me once a week while seeing someone on the side will do it?”

He starts strangling his ballcap some more. “No,” he says with a frown. “Grandma said you’re just here for the summer?”

---