Page 10 of The Boyfriend Swap

Robyn

Remember to breathe, Robyn. In through the nose, out through the mouth.If I couldn’t even share a drink with the guy without requiring medical attention, there was no way I could pull off pretending he was my boyfriend. It had never occurred to me that Sidney’s “Will” might be Will Brady—my old neighbor and the object of my high school fantasies. Considering how many times I spoke his name and wrote it in my diary during my teenage years, something should have triggered in my brain weeks ago, but it hadn’t. I’d previously doubted my ability to lie to my family, but adding Will Brady to the picture added another level of complication. There had to be a way out of this.

“Sidney mentioned you’re a lawyer now?” I immediately berated myself for posing it as a question. If Sidney told me Will was a lawyer, there was no reason for me to ask, as if he’d correct me and say he was a doctor.Moron.I took a sip of wine, my trembling hand firmly gripping the glass. If I spilled it again, I’d die. At least we’d moved on from discussing the extent of my purity in high school. My near-constant daydreams about Will back then were most unwholesome, despite being a virgin until my freshman year in college.

Will nodded. “What about you?”

“I’m a music teacher at an elementary school.” I gazed down at my drink. I needed to pace myself, but between the disturbing rumor at school, anxiety over asking Perry to pretend to be someone else’s romantic partner, and now unearthing that my temporary boyfriend—should he agree to the task—would be Will Brady, foggy inebriation was looking good. As was Will.

When Will whispered something to Sidney, I snuck a furtive glance at him. His face had filled out a bit since high school, but he basically looked the same. His dark hair was shorter now and cut close to his head, but he had the same brownish green eyes that twinkled when he laughed and a smattering of freckles around his nose. My long hair felt hot against my neck as he caught me staring at him. I slid closer to Perry.

Will raised an eyebrow. “A music teacher fits you.”

I squirmed in my seat. I bet he was remembering the plays I put on in my backyard in elementary school and junior high. I’d hold auditions for any interested kids in the neighborhood and we’d sell tickets to our parents. I always wished Will would join in, but he never did.

“You know what they say. Those who can, do. Those who can’t…” Perry said, putting an arm around me and drawing me in close.

I rolled my eyes and punched him gently in the shoulder. I knew he was teasing, unlike Sidney, who gasped, and Will, who sneered in Perry’s direction.

Perry raised his hands in the air. “Kidding.” Into my ear, he whispered, “You know I’m only playing, right?”

I pecked him on the lips. “Yes.”

Will cleared his throat. “Teaching is a great job. I’m sure the kids love you.”

I swallowed hard, not wanting to think about my students and whether they’d be fluent in French next year but sorely lacking music in their lives.

“I can’t even remember the last time I saw your family,” Will continued.

“It’s been a long time,” I agreed. I flashed back to watching through my bedroom window as Will’s parents helped pack up his navy Honda Civic before he left for his freshman year of college. The whole family moved away a few months later and I never saw him again. Until now.I wished I’d spent more time on my makeup or worn something else. I felt like a giant lemon in my bright skirt, especially next to Sidney. She was so sophisticated in her fitted black skirt and gray cashmere top. I darted a guilty glance at Perry. I shouldn’t care what Will thought. I wasn’t in high school anymore.

Will took a sip of Guinness and wiped his upper lip. “How are your folks? What’s Jordy up to these days?”

Even though my younger brother, Jordon, followed Will and his friends around like an unwanted shadow from grade school on, Will sounded genuinely interested. “They’re go—”

Sidney glanced at her watch. “Speaking of our folks, we need to talk to you guys about something.”

“Who’s we?” Will and Perry asked at the same time.

“Buy me a Coke,” Perry said, pointing at Will.

Will narrowed his eyes at Perry, saying nothing.

I chewed on my nail, torn between hoping Sidney knew what she was doing and a desire to sneak off to the bathroom, climb out the window, and make my escape from the insanity of what she was about to propose.

Once Sidney had our attention, she nodded. “Okay, here’s the deal. Christmas is around the corner, and Robyn and I need you to do us a huge favor.” She opened her green eyes wide and gave Will a pleading look while I slunk down into my seat and tried to slow the beating of my heart. I felt Perry glancing at me through my side vision but kept my head bent toward the scratched wooden table.

“What kind of favor?” Will asked.

I glanced up in time to see his brows furrowed in concern.

“Help make us not want to murder our parents,” Sidney said matter-of-factly.

Laughing, Perry said, “Robyn doesn’t even like to kill bugs. I can’t imagine her parents’ lives are in danger.”

I twiddled a strand of hair around my finger and protested, “You paint me like I’m…” I paused to come up with a good comparison. “Snow White.” I caught Will’s eye across the table and my stomach churned nervously. “I can stomp ants to their deaths like a champ, and let’s not forget the mouse in my apartment. I shed no tears over its passing. But, no, I don’t literally want my parents dead. I am, however, afraid they’ll drive me batty over Christmas and I’d prefer to avoid it.” It occurred to me bringing Will home would inspire a completely distinct yet equally substantial reaction from my parents, and I stopped speaking and turned the floor back to Sidney.

She leaned forward across the table. “Here’s the thing. Robyn’s folks are concerned she’s on the way to destitution if she continues to date artsy types like Perry.” She glanced at him. “No offense.”

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