Page 18 of The Boyfriend Swap

“Please don’t be mad. The expression on your face was so…earnest. You were so afraid to mock my singing voice as if you’d singlehandedly shattered my dream of going on the road with my one-man band.” He eyes moved up and down my face and he smiled gently. “It was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.” With his lower lip pushed out, he asked, “Do you forgive me?”

I choked out, “I forgive you,” fighting the squidgy feeling in my belly from him calling me cute. We locked eyes for a beat until I felt myself flush under his gaze. To drown out the awkward silence, I turned the volume back up.

“So what is it you see in Perry? Besides the obvious?”

I returned the volume to its earlier level. “What’s the obvious?”

“Sid described him as a ‘blond god,’ which I assume means he’s of above average appearance.” He frowned.

It dawned on me that Will might be concerned with Perry being in such intimate quarters with his girlfriend. “Don’t worry about Perry. Sidney will be safe with him. I promise.” Perry was aware of the effect he had on women, but generally only took advantage when it meant getting immediate attention from female bartenders and waitresses. He barely even looked at other girls when we were together, despite them ogling him constantly.

“I trust Sid, but thanks for the reassurance.”

“Then why all the questions about Perry?” I asked, before wincing at how defensive I sounded.

Will whipped his head back. “Just making conversation. If I’m going to pretend to be your boyfriend, I might as well know what attracts you to your real one.”

I relaxed my shoulders and pulled up an image of Perry. “He’s ambitious and really passionate about show business, but otherwise doesn’t let things get to him. He’s like a shield to negativity. It’s refreshing to be around him.” I smiled at the memory of him embracing me fiercely that morning before heading to his own apartment to finish packing. He warned me he might not call too often so he could stay in character as much as possible.

Will clucked his tongue. “You love the guy because he doesn’t get stressed. Interesting perspective. This is probably none of my business, but I would imagine his nonchalance wouldn’t be so refreshing in hard times when you need him to have your back.”

Even though Will was right, it wasn’t his concern, I pressed my lips together as I recalled the ease with which Perry shrugged off the rumors at school. “I never said I loved him.”

Will squinted at me. “You’ve been together almost a year and you don’t love him? How does he feel about you?”

Lost for a response, I cleared my throat to break the silence. I had no clue where Perry’s head was long-term, and I was fine with it because I wasn’t sure what I wanted either. I didn’t need to know right this moment. I also didn’t need to have this conversation with Will, of all people. “Sidney’s something else. How did you two meet?”

“Our law firms co-chaired a moot court competition for law students.” His eyes danced as he spoke of her.

Returning my attention to the road, I asked, “You guys serious?” It was obvious from the way Sidney spoke at the wine party that she dug Will, but she hadn’t even introduced him to her parents yet, and most of her comments had been about their sex life.

“I have no idea.”

I whipped my head in his direction. “Aha. You have no right to pick on me and Perry when you’re in the same exact place with Sidney.”

He chuckled. “I’m not picking on you at all. I was merely asking questions. But you can take back your ‘aha’ because it’s not the same thing. I’m happy with Sid, but we’ve been dating less than half as long as you and Perry. If we’re together in a year and you ask me if I love her, I hope I’ll have an answer for you.”

When he said “if we’re together,” I initially thought he meant the two of us and my heart raced, but then I realized he was talking about Sidney. I let out the breath I was holding. “Do you have an answer to everything?” I asked in mock annoyance.

“I’m a lawyer so…yes.” He smiled dangerously.

Wanting out of the conversation, I raised the volume once again on the radio and sang “Free Fallin’” at the top of my lungs. Will watched me with an open mouth, seemingly stunned to silence, but I refused to stop. Noticing his mouth moving, I reluctantly lowered the radio. “What did you say?”

“If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” Will said before turning the volume back up. Shouting over Tom Petty’s voice, he added, “And in my case, drive them to insert heavy duty ear plugs.”

Still regretting my unsolicited feedback, I grimaced until Will’s infectious laughter got the better of me and I joined in.

“And by the way, the answer to your question is no. I don’t think I have a good voice. Hopefully your parents won’t make me eat my dinner in the garage. I promise what I lack in singing skills, I more than make up for in showmanship.”

I smiled to myself. My parents were in for a show, all right.

Sidney

“Does this car have satellite radio?” Perry asked.

“This vehicle haseverything,” I said, stroking the leather seat of my Glacier-white metallic Audi S7. Hard earned and well-deserved, the souped-up sedan was my twenty-eighth birthday present to myself. It didn’t get much action in the city since I relied so much on public transportation or car services to get around locally, but the anniversary of my birth was the perfect excuse to replace the reliable but less luxurious Toyota Prius I purchased during law school.

“Can we listen to it? Or I have some seriously good road trip tunes on my iPod.” Perry reached his muscled arms into the backseat and pulled his black duffle bag over to the front.

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