Page 45 of Faking the Face Off

“Either way, it’s a date.” He steps away as someone calls his name from across the street. “I should go, but tomorrow night—are you free?”

“I don’t know, I am very busy,” I joke as I pull out my phone and pretend to check my calendar. “I think I can make it work.”

“Good. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

I watch as he jogs away. I lower my phone, staring at the screen without seeing it, my heart doing a ridiculous little tap dance in my chest. A date. Tomorrow night. With him.

I should feel nervous—maybe Iamnervous—but mostly, I feel…excited. It’s like something electric is buzzing under my skin, and for the first time in a long time, I’m letting myself enjoy it.

As he disappears into the crowd, I realize my face is sore. It takes me a second to figure out why.

I’m smiling.

CHAPTER 15

OLLIE

When I’m alone in the car, it has always been my prime time to do some reflection. I like listening to podcasts that motivate me, or sometimes I amp my day up with a playlist…that actually works really well during the season, too. But today I need to call my sister Mia back. She’s already left a few messages on my voicemail, so it’s time.

When she answers on the first ring, I sing hello in her ear as she grunts her disapproval.

“What?”

“You’re in an unusually good mood,” she points out.

“I am. I’m out right now and picking someone up, so we need to make it fast before she gets in the car.”

I realized what I said after the words fell from my lips.

“She?” My sister’s voice goes up an octave and she somehow manages to stretch a one-syllable word into three and sing it back to me.

“Yes.” I sigh. “She. I have what you call a date.”

“In my experience, it is or it isn’t.” She pauses, and I swear I can hear her laughter in my ears even though there is none. “So which is it?”

“It is one. At least, it’s one I want to be a real date, but it could be a fake one.” I think when I asked her out yesterday she knew I meant this to be a real one, but much like all of the other great men who have come before me, I didn’t double-check. “I’m gonna call it real until it isn’t.”

“Anna, huh?” Mia’s voice slams in my ear. Mia is my oldest sister, the one who was gone and already at college when I met Anna, so she’s one of my only family members who has never met her. But she’s heard about her over the years. “So Anna must know by now about the torch you carry for her.”

“I’m taking my time in revealing the man I am,” I joke. “Seriously, though, why are you calling?”

“I’ll be in town soon, doing Mom’s books. I told her I’d have the end of the financial year ready for her to look over when she gets back from that retreat next month.”

Mia is the accountant in our family and, lucky for my mom, she didn’t move too far away, just to the next state over, Maryland. Mia’s handled the books for the crystal shop Mom co-owns since she got her degree. In fact, I’m pretty sure the shop was her first client.

“I’m out of town next week for a few games, then back. Let me know when you’ll be here and I’ll clear my schedule.”

“You sure? I mean, if Instagram is anything to go off, you seem to be extremely busy with your very good friend.”

“Yeah, yeah, never too busy for you.” I drop the car a gear, slowing down as I pull up outside of the Denault home. “I’m here, though, and need to go.”

“Don’t want to be late,” she teases.

Once she disconnects, I leap out of the car. I’ve been ready for this moment for years, and now that it’s here I can hardly stand it. I’m finally getting my chance to take Anna Denault out on a date.

I swear I make it from the car to her front door in two bounds, much like a superhero, to press the doorbell. I only have to wait a few seconds before the door opens and Anna steps into view.

“Hi,” she whispers and I freeze in place.

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