Page 17 of Is This for Real?
Oh no. Zelda is going into full prosecution mode.
“Not anymore,” I say.
Zelda gives me her “don’t even try it” look. I once watched one of her trials and saw that look visibly reduce a grown CEO. She asks, “No?”
“Maybe a little.”
Zelda snorts. She points to our framed collage of photos from college. “Look at the way you’re looking at him in this photo.” I’m laughing in the photo and gazing at Rory with my heart in my eyes.
She continues, “You’re attracted to him, so it’s just a matter of whether he’s into you.”
“Just.”
“Go get ’em, tiger.” Zelda winks at me. “Did you ask him whether he liked the ending in those fake dating trope books?”
“I’ll add it to my research questions.”
“So, here’s the plan: dress as if it’s a date, and see if he shows any flicker of physical interest. Dressing the part is one of the easiest ways to make that change.”
Zelda should know. She’s a corporate lawyer, and she always dresses the part at work, even though she wears sweats and yoga pants around our apartment. She looks hot in either outfit.
Zelda is rifling through my closet, muttering. All my clothes look pretty similar to this outfit, so it’s a mystery what she’s hoping to find. She pushes aside a bunch of clothing and pulls out this blue-gray sheath dress I wore to one of her work functions. We found it at a vintage clothing shop in Brooklyn.
“This one. It looks great on you, but it’s still low-key enough that it doesn’t look like you’re trying too hard.”
“I hope it still fits.” Way too many cookies have been consumed lately as a reward for finishing a chapter. Occupational hazard.
Zelda nods. “And wear your blue heels.” Zelda swears by heels, whereas I am firmly in the camp that it’s better to be able to wear sneakers and run fast if need be. Then again, Zelda could outrun me in her heels.
I try the dress on and twirl. It does make me feel feminine and flirtatious. “I should’ve worn this to the brunch with Jamie.”
“Ugh. Jamie. Jamie should be dead to you. Dead. But Rory—Rory is still very much a live possibility.” She puts her hands on her hips. Zelda thinks I like Jamie because he’s safe and I won’t get hurt. Not too hurt, anyway.
“Not really. He said I can be his fake date because I won’t think it’s for real.” I fold up the clothes on my bed.
“Hmm . . . that’s not good,” she says. “But this means it’s even more important that you see if there’s that flicker of interest. So you know whether you should keep your guard up. Because I worry that you’re already in love with him and you’ll fall hard for him in a fake dating situation and be really heartbroken.”
“I’m not in love with him, and it’s not like the books.”
“You don’t think?”
“I don’t know,” I say, thinking about it. “I do think that fake dating creates an intimacy, which helps.”
“See?”
I take a deep breath. “I don’t want to get hurt.”
“I get it. I’m not out there looking for lo-o-ove. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I may be on my own.” Zelda sits back on my bed. “But there’s something there with Rory, given the fact that he keeps calling and hanging out with you.”
“Do you think it could mean he’s interested?”
Zelda shakes her head. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up. Rory seems like a big enough boy that he could just ask you out, but youareclose friends, and you’ve been obsessed with Jamie. I can see that being an obstacle to his just asking you out.”
“He said I didn’t share much.”
“A real relationship requires opening up and trusting each other with your secrets.” Zelda smiles. “Do you share secrets with him?”
“Like what secrets?” I ask, almost afraid of Zelda’s answer. “He follows my blog.”
