Page 28 of Olivia's Only Pretending
He took a deep breath, dark eyes locking on mine. “We kissed. It was a good kiss. The kind of kiss that made me think:hey, maybe I’m not the only one that feels that there’s something here. Now … here we are.”
Someone whooped. There was a ripple of “oohs” and “ahhs” around the table. My heart skipped like a record, stuck on the fact that this story didn’t sound fake at all. Every part was real, except maybe how he felt after our kiss.
I wasn’t sure if he was enhancing the story for our ridiculous charade, or if our kiss had messed with his mind like it had messed with mine.
If our kiss left him with aftershocks. If he relived it in the space between dream and sleep. Because I did. Eyes closed, blankets over my head, Victor’s lips stained on mine.
Ten
Dinner was over before I was ready. I’d happily take Victor by my side at every future work dinner, even if we were only pretending. We walked out the door together, with my arm hooked in his, after saying goodbye to people, when I noticed him glance down at his watch.
“Hey, can I show you something funny on campus?” I felt a desperate urge to keep the night going just a little longer. Similarly to how I tried to keep him working at my house a little longer. As Lucy called it, my Victor habit.
“Of course, anything for my baby girl.” He winked.
I shoved him playfully, then grabbed his hand and led him a little ways down the sidewalk.
We stopped in front of a tall, worn bulletin board.
“Am I looking at this for any specific reason? A specific ad? Some other ridiculously hot redhead desperately in need of renovation help?”
“Victor!” I chastised him. It was as if a filter had broken loose. I almost told him to stop calling me hot, but I didn’t. I hated how much I liked his filter being off. “Look closer.” I pointed toward the bulletin board where people were supposed to post announcements and ads, but instead, there were tons ofhandwritten notes. “About a year ago, students started using this board to post anonymous love notes.”
He squinted and stepped closer, reading them aloud.
Anna, you always apologize for rambling during Lit 101, but I hang on your every word.
Guy With the Dreads and Converse, I get to class late just so I can see where you’re sitting and sit beside you.
Leeanne, I used to hate my student work job until you started working with me. Now I’m taking extra hours cause it’s become the best part of my week.
Victor smiled warmly, hand on his chest over his heart. “These aren’t mere love notes. These are loveconfessions.”
“I like to read them. Sometimes, people will post responses right beside the originals. It’s quite sweet,” I said. “I come out here almost every day. It’s like a little pick-me-up.”
“Romance book clubs and anonymous love confessions. What’s going on at your school?”
“We’re straight out of a Hallmark, huh?” The dark blue sky glimmered with stars overhead. A breeze bustled through the trees.
“Should we post our own?” He patted his pockets. “Man, I don’t have any paper.”
“I don’t even know what I’d write,” I lied. I could see my confession in my mind already:I want to kiss you again.
“I’d write: I lied about the oat milk to get you talking to me.” He leaned a shoulder against the board, thinking. “Or I offeredto help you build a back deck …” His voice trailed off for a beat. “’Cause I get shamefully greedy for time with you.”
I walked over to him, placing a hand on his chest. His suit jacket was rough under my palm. “You had a crush when we first met?”
His breath caught at my touch. He placed his hands tentatively on my waist, rubbing the material of my silk dress between his fingers. “Something like that,” he said, his voice rough.
This closeness felt new and breathtaking, like standing in the first beams of light at sunrise.
My voice, my breath, my feelings knotted together in my chest.
My hands spread wide against his chest. I stole a glance up at him. He looked down at me with serious eyes. I swallowed. Memories of our kiss flashed through my mind, making my mouth nearly water.
Squeals erupted down the sidewalk. A group of students stole our attention. We looked around, trying to find where their voices were coming from.
“CHRISTOPHER! DO NOT LEAVE ME UP HERE!” someone screamed.
