Page 16 of Fake Dates and Home Plates
She waves her hand casually, as if I shouldn’t worry about what the two of them might be planning. “Don’t worry about it. How are you? Where were you? Whose clothes are you wearing?”
The questions are rapid fire, no breath between them.
Damn. I realize now I left my dress and shoes in Theo’s guest bathroom last night and didn’t think to grab them this morning.Honestly, maybe leaving them behind was a mercy. After what my poor shoes have been through, I need to burn them to put them out of their misery.
“I’m fine, and it’s a long story, one that should probably be told with insane amounts of sugar and wine. Since Coach Stone is likely planning to put us through hell when training starts next week, though, I guess I’ll settle for water and some Greek yogurt.”
Last night’s French toast runs through my mind again. That was delicious, but I need something with protein to help my body refuel.
My stomach growls loud enough to startle the cat, and Lily shoots me a knowing look.
“You sit. I’ll get you a snack.”
I open my mouth to object, but it’s more out of politeness than any real protest. “I can?—”
She cuts me off with a pointed look. “Don’t even try. You look like you got hit by a train and dragged for a mile.”
I press my palms over my eyes, breathing in deep through my nose as she disappears into the kitchen.
I’m not surprised; Lily’s a natural caretaker. I’ve known it since freshman year when she’d show up to practice with containers of homemade granola bars and packets of electrolyte drink mixes for everyone. She remembered my favorite flavor and made sure to save one for me every time.
While she’s in the kitchen, I spread out on the couch. A smile takes over when I realize how ridiculously big Theo’s slides are on my feet. Opening the camera app on my phone, I take a picture.
Before I can overthink it, I post it on social media with the caption, ‘Get a man who will swap shoes with you when your feethurt instead of a boy who swaps bodily fluids with people who aren’t his girlfriend.’
While I’m at it, I log into the health services portal and request an appointment for this week. Even if we did always use condoms, who knows where else Dakota’s dick has been? I need to get tested for sure.
Lily brings me over a bottle of water and a bowl filled with yogurt, fruit, and granola. With a raised eyebrow, she’s telling me to spill.
So, I do.
Her reactions shift throughout my story—from murderous anger, her eyes filled with rage, as if she were already plotting Dakota’s demise in vivid, gruesome detail, to her jaw dropping in disbelief, shocked by the offer Theo presented.
“And Theo wants you guys to pretend to date? What does he get out of it?” she asks when she’s finally forming complete sentences.
I shrug, spooning a bit of yogurt and trying to play it cool, even though my pulse is still trying to sprint out of my skin. “The satisfaction of pissing off Dakota, I guess.”
Lily snorts. “Petty. I can respect that.”
It is petty, but honestly, I’m trying not to read too much into it. Besides, I don’t have any room to judge, considering I’m doing this out of pure spite.
We sit in silence for a while, just the sounds of my spoon scraping the bowl and Lily processing this new level of chaos. She doesn’t look at me like I’m insane, though. She looks…invested.
“This could be epic, or it could be a disaster,” she says finally, the corner of her mouth twitching. “Either way, I’ve got your back.”
There’s a lump in my throat I wasn’t expecting. I swallow it down with a swig of water and give her a grateful smile. “Thanks. I have a strong feeling it’s gonna be both.”
“If Theo’s right, and there is some sort of gross game the fraternity is playing, they are bound to fuck up. I mean, these are stupid, entitled little boys who consume entirely too much protein powder, not geniuses planning a covert mission,” Lily states with seriousness.
I nod. I thought the same the whole car ride over. There’s no way they’re really that slick.
“I don’t have a plan for that, but when I do, I’ll fill you in. Right now, I’m just disgusted at the idea of those guys using sexual encounters with women like a sport. Makes me want to scrub a layer of my own skin off.”
A shiver runs down my body when I think of how bad this could be, and the snack I just finished feels like it’s souring in my stomach.
“We just need proof,” Lily says, tapping a finger against her temple like she's already plotting. “If we can get something solid, this whole thing could blow up in their faces. The fraternity could get suspended. Hell, they could all be expelled.”
That’s the real problem. I have no doubt each of the guys involved won’t want to cover their asses. Half the baseball team’s starting players are in that fraternity. Even with proof, who is to say they’ll be in trouble at all?
