Page 72 of Is This for Real?
“Probably. But I’m not going to turn down a trip to London with Rory.” I stretch on the floor next to her. I’m tight from sitting in my chair.
“Even when this is your chance to publish your book?” she asks.
“This isn’t going to interfere with my chance to publish my book.”
“But you’re losing two travel days.”
“Not really. I’m sending the whole manuscript to Esther on Friday, so I’ll be waiting for her comments anyway, and it’s good to take a break from it. And then I’ll travel back after I submit it.”
Zelda shakes her head. “It seems like really bad timing. You need to give up on Rory—and certainly not sacrifice your writing career for him. I’m disappointed in him that he even asked you to consider it.”
“That’s a bit harsh. I’m my own person, and he trusts me to be able to make my own decisions. If I really thought this would interfere with my writing, I would have said no.”
She snorts. “Aren’t you still holding out hope that you and Rory will date for real?”
“This is my chance. It’s like the fake dating trope setup where they go away together for a week.”
“You tried that already, and it didn’t work.”
“I didn’t try it for real. This time, I’m going to go all in.”
“Then you should tell him you like him. Because you’re stuck there together. That would be going ‘all in.’” She gives me a “don’t kid yourself” look and curves her arm over her head. “My neck is so tight. But not until your book is finished.”
“The only problem will be if he doesn’t like me, and we have to travel back together in excruciatingly awkward silence.”
“But if he does, you will have a really romantic time in London.”
“So, the reward is worth the risk, but . . . imagine if Jamie and I had been stuck together after I told him I loved him and he said he didn’t love me. That would have been brutal.” I shudder. “And I agree. I need to focus on my writing. That will be my final week to incorporate Esther’s suggestions.”
“Is it really worth going?”
That was a good question. I wasn’t willing to say no to a trip to London with Rory. A different environment might be the key to making this a real relationship. We’ve never taken a week vacation together, and traveling together can be revealing. It’s like a relationship on steroids. A shiver runs through me. My parents vacationed to get back the magic. I shake my head. That was different. That was a small plane, a fluke. We will be flying in a big, commercial plane.
Zelda shakes her head. “I don’t think you should go. You need to finish your book before you tell him you like him—just in case he doesn’t like you back. That would throw you off your game emotionally. But if you’re not going to tell him before London, and you’re going to be sharing a room, then you’re constrained to cementing this narrative of being friends and fake lovers in a really intimate setting. You’ll be afraid to push it further when you should be pushing it to becoming real lovers. It’s a mistake.”
I thought Zelda would think it was a great idea.
“When we’re together, does it seem like he likes me?” I ask.
“He definitely likes you. As more than a friend? I can’t tell,” she says. “But you have moved to the Saturday night date slot.”
“That’s because he’s not dating anyone else.”
“And why is that?” She crosses her arms. “Frankly, I’m surprised he hasn’t made a move.”
“He did,” I whisper.
“What?”
I wince. “It seemed like he was going to kiss me when we were dancing, but I moved my head . . . I was scared.”
Zelda leans over and hugs me. “Oh, honey, you should give Rory a chance. You take so much rejection in your writing. You are stronger than you think.”
I hug Zelda back. “I was about to tell him I liked him, but then he said I had been right to keep it to just friends. But I should try again, shouldn’t I?”
“If you rejected him, yes.”
“Okay, Operation Seduce Rory in London is on. After I’m sure my book is in good shape.”
