Page 15 of Is This for Real?
Perfect segue for my plan: lots of research for my book.
“Hello?” he asks.
“That’s a good point. We need to practice, especially before your work parties. At least we’re close friends, but I don’t think we give off the ‘passionately in love’ vibe.”
“Is that the vibe we’re going for?”
“If I’m going to be some possessive girlfriend at your work party, we’re not going for the ‘we’ve been dating for a million years’ vibe. And Olivia wants us to come for brunch this weekend so she can see this in person. We need to up our game.” I let the dogs off their leashes as we enter my brownstone building. They precede me up the stairs to the third floor and into our apartment.
Benson immediately runs to his food bowl. He has to check that it’s still there. Benson was a stray from the pound, and he had a few owners before Dave. That’s one of the reasons Dave pays for me to take care of him when he travels for work. He doesn’t want Benson to think he’s going back to the pound or anything near it. Just Aunty Penelope.
“All right, how about dinner tomorrow night?” he asks. “I can cook and then we can go out to dessert at this little French bakery around the corner.”
“Is that your usual approach?” I hang up my coat on the hook near the door.
He laughs. “It’s the opposite of my usual approach.”
That’s not good.“Really? Why?”
“If it’s a first date and we’re already at my house eating dinner, I’m not going to suggest leaving to go outside to eat dessert.”
I laugh. That makes sense. Then another thought occurs to me. “Your girlfriends don’t eat dessert, do they?”
“Not many, so I’m glad you do.”
“Smooth talking, pretty boy,” I say.
He laughs. I love making him laugh. “So, it’s a date?”
“Yes,” I say. A fake date.
Chapter five
Icrossoutthelast item on my to-do list for today:
Sunday
Create mini hot chocolates
Package up Etsy orders
Write 1000 words
Submit writing class homework describing character's inner conflict
Sign up for class on First Five Pages
Create dollhouse blog post
Take Benson and Gilda to the dog run twice
Gilda is sprawled out on my floor right now, recovering from a frolic in the dog run. A happy golden-border collie mix. Who needs more? I take a picture of Gilda for her mom, who’s shooting a commercial in LA, and send it to her.
I check to see if anyone has commented on my blog post. I created a scene where Piper was at an art museum with a dark-haired guy. The doll, which just arrived in the mail yesterday, has dark, tousled hair like Rory. Several followers want to know if Piper has a new love interest. Posting at least once a week maintains my blog rankings and my Etsy store business, which then pays for my writing classes.
Olivia smiles at me from the photos on the wall behind my writing desk, moments captured with us and our parents. I shouldn’t have lied to her.
In the center of the wall above my bulletin board is my first rejection letter, from when I was ten. I mailed in a short story about Calico the Caterpillar. I glued my rejection onto construction paper and taped it to my wall for motivation. My dad framed it to encourage me to keep going. My bulletin board is filled with ideas scribbled on Post-its, writing advice, and my typed-up to-do list for this year:
