Page 23 of Fake It For Love (Faux Love)
9
CLAIRE
He looked deep in thought. I wasn’t about to ask him what was on his mind. I didn’t want to know. I was sure we were both having some thoughts about things. I kept replaying the last time we were alone together. That night at prom was one of those moments that haunted me. I knew he had to think I was a total basket case. I had avoided him as much as I could until graduation.
“You know, I don’t think this is a good idea,” I finally said.
“This arrangement?” he asked.
“Yes. You went to Faux’s because you needed someone to pretend to be your date. No one is going to believe you and I are dating.”
“Why?”
“Because look at us!” I blurted out the words a little too loudly. I quickly calmed down and lowered my voice. “We can’t even get through a dinner. I can see how uncomfortable you are. I feel the same way. I’m so ready to get up and run out of here. You wanted a date who could fake it. I don’t think I can. I’m a teacher. I’m not an actress.”
“I don’t need someone to pretend to be in love with me,” he said.
“Good, because that isn’t going to happen,” I said.
“Look, I’m here. You’re here. We’re both going to be attending the same parties and events. Did you bring someone with you?”
“Like a date?” I asked with horror.
“Yes.”
“Did I bring a date on a trip where I’m supposed to be pretending to be someone else’s date?” I asked incredulously.
“It’s a job, it isn’t real life,” he reminded me. “It’s not like we are actually dating. I thought maybe you had a boyfriend or something.”
I rolled my eyes. “No. Now that would be weird.”
“I’m sure professional girls have actual relationships,” he said.
If I could get away with throwing my glass at him, I would have done it. “I’m not a professional girl in the way you are referencing. This is my first job of this kind. I don’t know what the professionals do or don’t do.”
He held up his hands in a show of surrender. “Okay, you don’t have a date. Are you saying you want to attend Norah’s wedding alone? Do you want to go to the class mixer and reunion alone?”
I raised my chin. “It doesn’t matter to me. I can be alone.”
“You can be, but maybe you don’t want to be,” he countered. “I mean, you knew what you were doing when you came here.”
“What does that mean?” I snapped.
“No one wants to go to these things solo,” he said.
He wasn’t wrong, but I had been prepared to do just that. If I never went anywhere alone, I’d never leave the house. I spent the bulk of my life alone. I went to dinner by myself. I went out for a drink on occasion by myself. I even went to the movies alone.
“I read through the contract,” I said. “My job is to sell the story. I don’t think I can.”
“You obviously wanted something out of this arrangement,” he said. “Why back out now?”
My anger and embarrassment bubbled up. “You don’t know why I went to Faux’s. Don’t pretend you do.”
“I’m not pretending anything,” he said. “You signed up. I signed up. We both had our reasons. My reasons haven’t gone away because it’s you Della paired me with. Are you saying you don’t still need the job?”
“Stop saying it like that,” I hissed. “You make it sound like I’m hard up for money.”
“I didn’t say anything like that.” He was keeping calm. The man never got riled. Even the night of prom when I was a hot mess, he was totally cool. “I don’t know your reasons, but I’m sure there had to be something that made you sign up. You said I was your first client. Obviously, something sent you through those doors. I have my reasons for hiring a date. It doesn’t matter why. We’re both here and we are both in need. Why let the past get in the way? It doesn’t have to be awkward. Fake it till you make it, right?”
