Page 2 of Pretend to be Mine
“Work was…work.” I shrug as I start inspecting the menu. A waitress makes her way over and she asks for my drink order. I order a glass of pinot gris and she rushes off to retrieve it.
“So, what’s new with you?” I ask, looking up at Lauren.
She shrugs, causing her blonde hair to bounce off her shoulder. “Same old. Hey, I saw that you were getting a new neighbor.”
I nod. “Yes, I saw that too. I haven’t met him yet.”
“Him?” Her eyebrow lifts as a smirk pulls at her lips.
I laugh and roll my eyes. “Yes, it is a man. But I haven’t met him, so he could be married for all I know.”
“You need to make him a welcome basket and take it over to him! Then you can ask all your questions.” Still grinning, now she’s nodding while wagging her brows.
I scoff. “The neighborhood will make him a welcome basket. Not to mention, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he’s gay. I am not going to get into another relationship with anyone, let alone my new neighbor. How awkward would that be if things didn’t work out? Ugh, bumping into him every time I tried coming in or out of my house? No thanks.”
She shakes her head but lets the idea go.
When the waitress makes her way back, we all place our order and get refills on wine. The place is loud, and our table is no exception. Buzzed women often get loud, and a table of five of them—there’s no chance of calm.
We all eat our dinners, talk, and catch up. After the food is gone, we all decide on one more glass of wine before calling it a night. Jami, Casey, and Lynn all leave the table to use the restroom and to find our missing waitress for another round of drinks, leaving Lauren and me alone. She must pick up on the worry that’s been pulsing through my veins since speaking to my mother because she asks, “What’s going on with you? You’ve been unusually quiet through dinner.” She tilts her head to the side as her eyes narrow in on me, and I know she’s studying me for an answer to her question.
I let out a long breath. “My mom called. She’s inviting me and James to Dad’s birthday party.”
She gasps. “You still haven’t told them?”
I shake my head, feeling guilty. It’s not like me to lie or to omit the truth. I just haven’t been able to bring myself to tell them yet.
“What are you going to do?” she finally asks.
I shrug. “I don’t know. I’ve been trying to find a way out of telling them, but the best I can come up with is showing up with a different man. I mean, it would be rude to ask about my ex in front of my new boyfriend, right?”
Lauren’s brows skyrocket. “I mean, I guess. But there’s one little problem. You don’t have a man!” Her eyes widen like she can’t believe she has to point this out.
I laugh and nod as I pick up my glass and finish it off. “I know.”
“I guess you could always just ask one of your guy friends to be your pretend boyfriend. Oh, call an escort service! Get a sexy guy!”
“This whole conversation is pointless. I don’t know what I’ll do. I’ll figure it out.”
The girls are back and they’re all holding fresh glasses of wine. I stand so they can slide back into the booth, and the next hour is spent laughing, talking, and drinking.
I end up leaving the restaurant around nine, pulling into my driveway ten minutes later. As I park, my eyes go back to my new neighbor’s house. I can’t stop myself from wondering what he’s doing in there. Is he just hanging out and watching TV? Or maybe he’s having dinner…alone?
I shake my head to clear my thoughts of him, reminding myself that it doesn’t matter what he’s doing or who he’s with. I have bigger problems at hand, which I need to figure out, and daydreaming of meeting my cute neighbor is not one of them.
