Page 11 of The Holiday Fakers
I gasp. “What?!”
“Colin. Did you send the picture to him?”
Oh.
Relief rushes out with my breath. “No. It was just for me.”
“Well, that’s a missed opportunity. You should at least post it to your art account.”
“Hmm,” I reply noncommittally. I’ve never posted any of the pictures I’ve drawn of Brody. They’re my guilty secret, and I don’t want the world to know he’s been my muse since I was a teenager.
Once, when I was fifteen, a sketch I’d done of him fell out of my bag at school and was found under a desk. Luckily, it wasn’t good enough for people to realize it was Brody, and I denied drawing it. But the crawling fear and anxiety caused by the laughter and cruel comments made me determined that no one would ever see one of my Brody drawings again, accidentally or otherwise.
At least now I know he’s turned into an asshole and I can move on from this silly crush…
“So, what are you going to do about a non-existent boyfriend?”
“Huh?”
Mia huffs. “Should I tell your mom he’s sick? His granny’s on her deathbed?”
“She’ll only want to send a care package.”
“You could just say you broke up?”
I rub my temples, feeling a headache coming on. “It doesn’t matter whether I say he dumped me or I dumped him. It’ll have the same result. She’ll fuss over me, then drag me to every Christmas party in town to set me up with any single guy under fifty.”
“She’ll probably force you to Eileen’s so she can offer her advice.”
Closing my eyes, I groan. According to her and my mom, it’s their civic duty to give love a helping hand.
“There’s no way I’m subjecting myself to that. Last year she tried to set me up with the guy who sat behind me in English class in eighth grade. He used to throw spitballs at me.”
We fall silent, but it’s a comfortable silence. Mia and I have been best friends since forever, and even though I left Hideaway Harbor and she stayed, our friendship is just as strong as it’s ever been.
She lets out a breath. “You don’t think that this might be the universe telling you to finally go freelance?”
Forgetting she can’t see me, I shake my head.
“Better money, more control, more interesting projects?”
I score my fingernails across my scalp, trying to relieve the tension.
“It’s not worth the risk in this market.” My voice sounds flat and empty. “Not when so many people in my industry are out of work and the rent on my place keeps going up.”
She doesn’t respond.
“I’ve just worked so hard to get where I am. I don’t want to throw it all away.”
“Okay!” Mia says brightly, knowing when to move on. “Let’s brainstorm. How can you make yourself indispensable?”
My heart swells with love for her.
“I honestly don’t know right now. It’s going to take something pretty spectacular for them to see me as more valuable than the boss’s kid.”
“When do you have to start working with him?”
“New Year.”
