Page 88 of Is This for Real?
“Okay, I’ll think of some other logistics for us to practice tonight while I’m writing.”
He raises an eyebrow. “I’ll look forward to it.”
And then he is off.
I want to shout it from the rooftops thatwe are dating, but everyone already thinks that. But this is nothing like fake dating. I can’t wait to tell Zelda and my sister. But it’s still the middle of the night in New York, and Zelda does not like having her sleep interrupted.
My reward is to visit the Kristin Baybars Dollhouse Store in London. It’s like attending a dollhouse show: drawers and drawers of miniatures to ooh and aah over. I could spend hours there—and hundreds of dollars. So, my time limit is two hours. I’ll do an Instagram and blog post of my purchases when I get back to the hotel room.
But first, I find a café for lunch. It’s perfect, tucked down a side street. It sells tea, mugs, and teapots in the back and has lots of tables. Another woman is typing away on her laptop in the corner.
Last night was amazing. I’ve never felt that close to anyone before or so cared for. Just thinking about it, I can’t wait for tonight.
At 1 p.m., 8 a.m. Zelda’s time, I walk over to St. James Park to find a bench and text Zelda.
Me:The walls of Jericho came down.
Zelda calls me. “Yes! Did Rory make the first move?”
“Mutual,” I say.
“That’s even better,” Zelda says. “How did it happen?”
I tell her about our first kiss under the table and leave the rest to her imagination.
“We didn’t talk much, though,” I say.
“Hell, no. That would’ve killed the mood,” she says wryly. “Just enjoy it. You’re in safe hands with Rory. Let the relationship take its course. You don’t need to do a full-court press on what this means. You guys are best friends, so it already means more than if you were just casual acquaintances hooking up. He’s not going to risk your friendship for a fling.”
I nod. Last night didn’t feel like a one-night fling, although it did have the electricity and energy of a “I need you naked in bed now” romance. I was wrong about Rory not feeling the ripping-off-clothes attraction. He does, just with consent.
“Yes, I know.” I am going to try to give my all to this relationship—not to the extent of saying “I love you” immediately, of course, but communicating that in other ways? Yes.
Chapter thirty-two
“Youneedtoorderyour own fries,” I say to Rory. “I’m going to want to eat all of mine.” We're eating dinner at a small restaurant off of Piccadilly.
“I only want a few.”
“Once you have one, you’re going to want more.” I raise my glass of wine. “Here’s to a successful ad.”
“Here’s toFake Dating Folly.” Rory clinks glasses with me and then studies me with those big, blue eyes of his that never fail to pull me in like the ocean. He reaches across the table to hold my hand.
“So, I’m really happy about last night,” he says.
“Me, too.”
“I hoped you’d feel that way,” he says. “I should have acted earlier on my feelings. Or not backed off quite so much after talking to Callie. But I wanted to be sure.”
“Same,” I say. “And I need to give more credit to the magical than I have.”
“Ah, that’s quite a concession, coming from you.”
I nod. The waitress sets down our food. We share bites of each other’s dishes, although I only give Rory a few fries because he should’ve ordered his own.
“So, were you planning to seduce me?” I ask.
“I hoped that sharing a room might lead to more. It succeeded in one of the books you gave me.”
