Page 8 of The Guy Who Fake Dated Me

Kyle ran a hand through his hair and gave me a guilty look. “I do.”

“That’s great!” I infused my voice with as much excitement as I could. Kyle deserved to be happy. He was one of the coolest guys I knew, and any woman would be lucky to have him. Unfortunately, if he was serious about Natalie, then that meant he would ask her to marry him, and that would leave me as the last single cousin in the family.

Which might not seem like a big deal to some people, but it was one of my worst nightmares.

My phone chimed. I pulled it out, hoping it was Logan so he could distract me for a minute, but instead I found a photo and a message from my sister.

Hannah:This is Aaron, he works with Dylan. He’s single, likes movies, and blonds. Can I set you up?

A photo followed of a bland-looking brunette in a bland suit with a forgettable haircut and dull brown eyes.

This is why I didn’t want to be the last single cousin. If Kyle got married, Hannah and the rest of our relatives would stop at nothing to make sure I wasn’t alone.

Kyle caught my scowl. “What’s up?”

I held up my phone.

He made a face. “Does she even know you? That guy takes boring to a whole new level.”

“He might be nice,” I said, “but I think I’d frighten him away within the first hour of a date.”

“Because you’re awesome.” Kyle nudged me.

“Exactly.”

A silver sedan pulled over next to the gate of the restaurant, and Kyle jogged to it.

I shouldn’t have felt left behind, but I did.

Kyle opened the back door and helped a woman out.

She was a little taller than me and slender. Long brown curls cascaded well past her shoulders. She wore an asymmetrical orange dress with ankle boots, a denim jacket, and huge, red-rimmed sunglasses. I had to give her kudos for style.

“Hey,” Kyle said as he gathered her in his arms and kissed her.

Whoa. I’d suspected that Kyle was serious about her, but their longer-than-necessary lip-lock told me that his feelings were deeper than I’d thought.

It went on for so long that I had my phone halfway out of my purse so I could scroll through social media until they finished.

When they parted, Kyle’s dopey smile glowed. Then he wrapped his arm around the woman and turned to me. “Natalie, this is Victoria. Victoria, Natalie.”

Natalie pulled her sunglasses off to reveal bright blue eyes. She disentangled herself from Kyle and came at me with open arms. “It’s so nice to meet you, Victoria.”

A hug? I guess that was some people’s default greeting. I accepted the little squeeze she gave me, while at the same time making sure I didn’t squish the poor thing to death. She smelled like a million dollars, and I made a mental note to ask her about her perfume later.

“It’s nice to meet you too.” My eyes darted to her ring finger, just to make sure this wasn’t an engagement announcement, and I sighed in relief when I didn’t spot a band.

Kyle came to Natalie’s side, took her hand, and jerked his head toward the restaurant. “Shall we go in?”

“Sure.” I decided to lead the way. Once inside the fence, the restaurant transformed from a fortress to a quaint, charming oasis with covered outdoor dining, a fashionable bar, and bright colors all around.

Martina, the hostess, waved when she spotted us. Her husband owned the place, and she was almost always there. “How are the Coopers today?”

“Good.” Kyle grinned. “Martina, this is my…girlfriend, Natalie.”

Had that been a hesitation?

Martina beamed. “So nice to meet you. Kyle is a good one.”

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