Page 82 of Fake Dating Adrian Hunter
“Are you going to check your phone?” Adrian asks.
“No.”
“What if it’s something important?”
“What if it’s Tory and she’s furious because she saw us leave?”
“I’ll deal with her.”
“I’m inside your jacket with you. Opportunities like this don’t come around every day.”
He laughs, squeezing me tighter. “Check your phone. The hug won’t end. And I promise, there will be plenty of opportunities like this to come.”
My heart melts at how cute his words are. I give in and pull my phone out, hearing Adrian cuss when he sees it’s a message from Darius.
“I changed my mind. Don’t check your phone,” he says.
“Did you forget the part where I mentioned Darius is gay?”
“Give me time. I’ve still got PTSD from thinking he was sleeping with you.”
Darius:Where are you and Adrian going at this hour of the night?
“He saw us leaving,” I say. “This will just take a second. I have to cover our tracks.”
Verena:We’re going to a festival on the mainland for a few hours. Don’t tell anyone.
Darius:You’re going on a date with Adrian!
I grow ten degrees warmer from Darius’ words. “Isthis a date?” I ask, raising the screen and inviting Adrian to read.
His arms wrap tighter around my waist, and I shiver when his deep voice whispers against my ear, “Yes, Vee, I’m taking you on a date.”
* * *
The speedboat slows down as we reach Airlie Beach. It’s a small town, but Adrian wasn’t kidding about this festival being crowded. We dock at a jetty and my bodyguards follow us at a distance as we walk hand in hand through the outskirts of the festival. We stay clear of people, but that doesn’t stop me from observing the nightlife. The main strip of town is like a street party. Everything is bustling with life, and it’s almost impossible to distinguish any face in the sea of people. There’s a live band on the beach with large crowds dancing in the sand. Market stalls fill the streets, and restaurants and bars line the esplanade.
Though I’m fine with staying on land, Adrian insists we do stand up paddle boarding like planned. To keep me from interacting with people, he does all the talking when we hire the paddle board.
Before we get onto the water, he pulls out a plastic bag from his pocket. “Give me your phone and anything else you don’t want getting wet.”
“Can I fit in there?”
“You’re only getting wet if I splash you. The bag is for precautions.”
“We can give our stuff to my bodyguards.” I wave them over and they’re with us in an instant. “Do you two mind holding our belongings while we head out on the water?”
They both shake their head, but only one of them says something. “Of course not, Verena. However, I must advise you to rethink this activity. If something happens while you’re on the water, we can’t protect you. You two will be alone.”
“That’s kind of the point,” Adrian says under his breath.
“We’ll be fine.” I hand our belongings over.
Adrian steadies the board in the shallow water, then bows forward, welcoming me aboard. “All right, your majesty. Take a seat.”
I do an awkward crawl to the front of the board, realizing what a mistake it was to wear this dress. The fabric is too tight for me to sit cross-legged, so I make the executive decision to curl up with my arms around my legs and pray no one takes a photo of my underwear from the front. Adrian steps onboard behind me, standing with the paddle and pushing us off the shoreline. We rock for a few seconds, and I yelp as my arms wobble on either side of me to regain balance.
“So melodramatic.” Adrian chuckles, stroking the paddle through the water.
