Page 33 of The Plus One
Delivered with as much shock value as Indira could muster because she refused to miss an opportunity to mess with her brother.
“Jude and I are madly in love,” she announced, waltzing into the kitchen as Collin, Jeremy, and Jude sat around the table, eating their breakfast in peaceful silence. All three men broke out into choking sounds.
“As such,” she continued, perching dramatically on the arm of Jude’s chair, her hip leaning against his biceps, “we’re each other’s dates to the wedding.”
She was caught off-guard by the sudden swoop of her stomach. The ache in her chest that didn’t make sense.
“Excuse me?”Collin said between hacking coughs.
With an inflated smile, she (awkwardly) rested her hand on the top of Jude’s head. He swiveled to look up at her with confusion and horror. Collin’s eyes bulged as they bounced between Indira and Jude.
“Isn’t that right,darling?” Indira purred, punctuating the ruse with a lascivious wink. She placed two fingers under his chin, closing his gaping mouth.
“What is happening?” Jeremy whispered.
Jude made an odd gargling noise.
“But you’re… He’s… This literally would never happen. You two? No. I—” Collin started choking again on air or spit or confusion, and Jeremy thumped him on the back.
Indira laughed, hoping if she did it loudly enough, the soft pokes of misplaced sadness wouldn’t flood her.
“Calm down. I’m kidding,” she said, sliding away from Jude to take her own seat while they blinked at her. “It’s fake,” she explained, flourishing her hand like that should be obvious. “He’s my fake date for the wedding. And the lead-up to it, I guess.”
“I’m sorry,what?” Jeremy asked, now rubbing circles on Collin’s back, who was turning an alarming shade of red. “Are you telling me you’re cosplaying some sort of direct-to-Netflix rom-com?”
Indira rolled her eyes. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’d like to attend your wedding with a shred of dignity while Chris eye-fucks his new girlfriend the entire night. Jude’s gonna help me do that. By being myfakeboyfriend.”
She poured herself a steaming cup of coffee from the carafe in the center of the table, taking a sip then smiling serenely at everyone.
“This is weird,” Collin finally said.
“I’m not going to put much stock in the opinion of a man who still wearsGrey’s Anatomymerch from 2008.” Indira nodded at the old and stained T-shirt Collin was wearing, the picture of the show’s cast members worn and crumbly.
“This is a rare, vintage item,” Collin said, gripping the fabric. “Guarantee you it will be worth a small fortune someday.”
“It has holes in the armpits.”
Jude let out a noise that Indira could have sworn was a laugh, but he disguised it as a cough. Collin shot a look at Jeremy for backup, but he just stared up at the ceiling, lips tucked into his mouth while the corners kicked up at the side.
“Let’s refocus,” Jeremy eventually said, massaging Collin’s curled shoulders. “What exactly does this little stunt entail?”
Indira shrugged. “It’s really not a big deal. We pretend to be a couple so I have a good excuse to stand with Jude in corners while we trash-talk everyone around us or disappear for a bit. And it’ll make me feel like less of a loser with Chris parading Lauren around.”
“I’m sorry about that,” Jeremy said gently. “We don’t have to talk about it, but I get the feeling Lauren might have played a role in your ‘mutual’ breakup?”
“I mean, I’m definitely not about to start a Lauren fan club, and it’s objectively shitty to sleep with someone’s partner, but Chris was the one in the relationship. I prefer to focus my anger on that flesh-bag of disappointment.”
“Do you want me to talk to Chris?” Jeremy asked. “Seriously. If this is too much, or you need me to ask him to sit out of the wedding—”
“No,” Indira said quickly. She wasn’t going to let her failed relationship force Collin and Jeremy to warp their special day to fit her. “I shall survive. Even if it means saddling myself to this one for the next few weeks.” She jerked her thumb toward Jude.
He gave her a bland look. “Yes, please continue your relentless roasting. Makes me so thrilled to help you.”
Indira giggled.
“And what’s in this for you? Why would you agree to it?” Collin asked Jude, looking at his friend as though he’d admitted to voluntarily French-kissing a possum.
Jude swallowed thickly. “You know me, always looking to serve those in need.”
