Page 11 of Once Upon a Fake Date

Do you have plans tonight?

Audrey

We’re supposed to have some sort of bonding event at the sorority house. Probably just watching a movie. Why?

Just wanted to see if you wanted to be my dinner buddy.

I hated eating dinner alone, and though I probably could have asked one of my teammates, I much preferred her company.

Audrey

Yeah. Wanna meet at the Commons?

Hell yeah. I whooped, pumping my fist in the air, forgetting where I was.

Sam gave me a strange look, and Derek Stephens, our team captain, rolled his eyes. We were all working out in the gym facilities reserved for student athletes. We might not have games until the spring season, but we still had to keep up with our training and stay in shape.

“You texting your girl, Maxwell?”

I shook my head. “She’s not my girl. Just my friend.”

“Sure.” Stephens shook his head. “That’s what they all say.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. It was true. She was just my friend. Audrey didn’t think of me like that. She’d made that clear, pushing me into the friend zone. It was fine. Stopping to take a long drink from my water bottle, I wiped the sweat off my forehead. “Whatever. I’m gonna head to the showers.” I had finished my workout, anyway.

“Bye, Lover Boy.”

Rolling my eyes, I ignored them making kissy sounds. They were wrong. I didn’t have time for a girlfriend. But I did have time for a friend.

One whose every word I hung on.

Her smilingface greeted me as she waited by the door, wrapped in a white peacoat with a light pink scarf around her throat.

“Hi.”

“Hey.” I wrapped an arm around her shoulder, tugging her close to me in a side hug. She smelled like strawberries and roses, something I was trying hard not to notice. “You hungry?”

“Starving,” she admitted. “I’ve been so busy today that I didn’t even have time for lunch.”

I frowned. “Rosie, you gotta eat.”

She gnawed on her lower lip. “I know, I know. I’ll be better, I promise.”

Chuckling, I guided her inside, the smell of food immediately hitting my senses.

Audrey shrugged out of my grasp, and we both headed to grab food before meeting back up at the register.

“You can put them both on my plan,” I said, handing the cashier my card.

“Parker,” her eyes narrowed. “You don’t have to pay for my food. It’s fine.”

I shrugged. “Do you know how big my meal plan is?”

“Still…” She had that cute little pink blush again.

“Rosie Girl,” I sighed. “Let me. It’s the least I can do for my friend.”

“Fine.” She rolled her eyes, picking her tray up as the cashier swiped my ID before handing it back to me. “Thanks, man.”

---