Page 10 of My Fake Neighbor's Valentine

The first few minutes were a little awkward. Mom didn’t stop looking at me weirdly when I sit beside Seth. I realize what I did after she tries to hide her smile with the menu. I’m used to sit beside Seth every time we go out to eat with our mutual friends.This has always been our seating arrangement, way before I started falling for him and way before we started having sex.

“So Seth, right?” My mom starts and continues after Seth nods. “How long you’ve been dating my daughter?”

I know he can feel my stare, but he doesn’t turn to look at me. He smiles and leans forward. “It’ll be a year and one-month next week.”

“So you are the one who remembers dates better than Gracie here.”

He smiles and I have to stop myself from swooning. Over time, I’ve labeled all of his smiles, or at least all the smiles I’ve been witnessing. This smile is one of my favorites. It’s a soft smile, as if he is secretly proud of knowing exactly when our anniversary is. Even though the dates we are talking about are our friends with benefits status and nothing to do with this so call romantic relationship.

My heart and brain wish it is really our anniversary, and I can stop from feeling a little fearful of it. When I combine the time we spend with my sister and now with mom; it has not been a full week of pretending. I fear I’m already hooked on the idea of this being real.

I couldn’t stop Mom from asking a million and one questions. She ask things like when he realized for the first time that he was in love with me and if he has thought about our future. I want to disappear, but I’m also trying to stop my heart from jumping out of my chest at his answers.

“I think it was halfway through her second year living in the same building. I really value her friendship. We agree on a lot of things, but she is one of the few friends I feel expands my world view with every conversation. The day I feel myself expecting to see her on the elevator or the coffee shop at the courtyard in between my office and hers is when I knew my heart moved from seeing her just as a friend into I wanna be her boyfriend.”

He left his answer about our future vague. “I could tell you all sorts of things, but at the end of the day is what Grace and I agree. I prefer to talk and consult with her instead of letting my mind run crazy with scenarios that are not decided only by me.” I grab his hand and squeeze it.

I don’t care if that is a satisfactory answer to my mom. I love it.

After a few more questions about what his company does and if he has savings, the conversation switch to enjoyable and light topics like movies and music. My mom is surprised at all the songs Seth likes that she also enjoys. After we are done, he paid for the dinner, walks us to my car and follow behind us until we reached our apartment complex.

“You guys are not gonna kiss each other good night?” Mom asks as we wait for the elevator.

“Mom, can you stop?”

“Seeing you this shy makes me want to keep going.”

“Mom,” I whine.

Seth leans in and kisses my temple and then the back of the hand he is holding. The elevator door opens and we walk in, hitting the buttons on our floor. When we reach my floor, he pulls me back into him, cradling my face with his hand and wrapping his lips with mine. The kiss is soft, sweet, and it makes me feel lightheaded as my heart sings.

“Goodnight. See you in my dreams,” he whispers, letting me go before the door of the elevator beeps at how long it has been held open.

I open my apartment door with a goody smile as my mom chuckles.

“You are leaving already?” I see my mom packing her overnight bag as soon as I wake up.

“You know I can’t leave the business or your dad alone for too long. Besides, I think I can leave in peace.”

I sit up. “What do you mean?”

“I never had a problem with you living in another town or city. I was worried you were lonely, and you weren’t telling us. I’m happy that you have Seth. That man is head over heels for you. Watching him watching you makes me understand what the Internet says about heart eyes. I can go back home in peace knowing my daughter is being loved.”

I tilt my head and think about what my mom says. Introducing Seth as my boyfriend is a rushed decision. A lie to hide the real reason he has a key to my apartment. While my family never frowns upon sexual relationships before marriage, my parents are really prude and will prefer to think we all reach marriage as virgins even when deep down they know is not true.

There was no chance for us to get our story straight and how to convince my mom he was my boyfriend. Which means Seth is a fabulous actor and Hollywood is missing out or what Soraya said is true. Maybe I’m too afraid to see it.

Six

Seth

Iknock on her door and wait until she opens it. My jaw drops when I see her.

Grace’s dress is in a dark red fitted velvet dress. The long sleeves bring more attention to her legs as the length of the dress stops at her knees. The black lace around her cleavage makes it hard to control the urge to push her back inside the apartment and take her dress off.

I gulp the lust down and smile. “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks.” She holds onto my arm and we make our way to my car.

---