Page 96 of A Flighty Fake Boyfriend
“Tell us,” said Cam.
“Epic is a very smart, very confident guy. He’s funny and silly—” The waiter set the nachos in the middle of the table and gave us each a small plate and napkins. “Thanks.”
“So you got to know him well while you were gone?”
“You know how road trips are. Forced proximity adds intimacy. Laurie upgraded us to a really high-end suite. The whole trip from beginning to end was like a fairy tale.”
“I can’t imagine you playing mini-golf.”
“Yeah, well, there’s no evidence that I know of, although…” I took out my phone. “Epic’s mother alluded to pictures.”
A little searching turned up Epic’s Instagram, and yes…there we were. I scrolled back through the last few days.
“I stand corrected.” I showed them the picture of me trying to putt into the revolving drawbridges. My expression showed frustration but also a kind of indulgent humor.
“Oh my god,” Cam said. “Look at you doing an outdoor activity.”
“Why are you shiny?” asked Dan.
“Sunscreen.” I scooped a mound of cheesy, beefy chips onto my plate. “Epic is a huge fan of sunscreen.”
“Oh, you got a hat.” Dan looked at each picture carefully. “Looks good.”
“You did not ride a tandem bicycle.” Cam did something to my phone that made his chime. “That’s ridiculously romantic.”
“Like I said…things just…sort of…”
“Clicked,” Dan held up a picture of me and Epic in black tie. “Seriously. You guys look like you’ve been together forever here.”
“No wonder his parents reacted the way they did,” I said. “I am adefilerof innocent young men.”
“You’re not.” Cam handed my phone back. “You’re in love. Anyone can see it.”
“I—”I couldn’t argue the point.
“So what’s going to happen now? Are you going to try to make it work? Long-distance relationships are tough, but—”
“Nothing’s going to happen. Fairy tales aren’t real.”
Cam’s face fell. “Oh, Ryan.”
“Anyway, Epic moved back in with his family. He has to get a real job and start his life.”
“I’m so sorry,” Cam said gently.
“It’s not as if it has anything to do with me. Moving back with his parents was the plan all along. I guess our trip was a last hurrah before he had to get serious.”
“That doesn’t sound like Epic.” Cam sipped his beer. “I’ve gotten to know him since he started at Bistro, and I didn’t think he’d ever leave Santo Ignacio. He really seemed to want to be part of the community.”
I’d had just enough alcohol to loosen my tongue. “Yesterday, when his parents came, he started talking about my job and how he thought he could find ways to streamline my process through the use of mathematical modeling.”
“What does that have to do with him leaving St. Nacho’s?” asked Cam.
I picked at my food. “He made certain assumptions about me and my work that—”
“He thought you’d continue your relationship?” asked Dan.
“Apparently.”
