“Hi,reservationinthename of Jones,” I say to the hostess. It feels weird to go on a date where the other person has booked. It’s like he is taking me out. Maybe I am homophobic after all. It certainly makes me feel a little uneasy.
The hostess leads me to a window table in the far corner of the swanky restaurant. Mackenzie is sitting there, idly twirling a glass of white wine around. I’m shocked to see him, I had assumed he would be late as usual, so I have shipped up ten minutes late. I feel terrible.
He is wearing a beautiful pale blue shirt and his hair is tied back into a neat ponytail. He looks stunning. He always looks stunning. I just know he wakes up looking that way and it’s deeply unfair. Nobody should be that blessed.
I slip off my suit jacket and hand it to the hostess. The optics will look better if we are both in shirts. Mine is a deep blood red, it looks great with my coloring, but next time we need to coordinate our outfits. Red and blue are too opposing, too conflicting. It makes us look like we don’t fit together.
“Good evening,” I say, as I slide into my seat.
He looks up and glares at me. I see something else flash in his sapphire eyes and I hope it is appreciation for how good I look. Even if he is not gay, he has eyes. I’m not in his league looks wise as well as in every other way, but I’m still a solid ten. Maybe a nine.
The hostess takes my drink order of white wine, drinking the same thing as Mackenzie will help us look more like a pair, and then she leaves us in privacy. It’s an expensive establishment so the tables are spaced far apart. No one can eavesdrop on us.
“How did Liliah take getting dumped?” he asks as soon as we are alone.
I grin at him. “She was ecstatic! Straight on the phone to her publicist.”
He rolls his eyes but says nothing, opting to take a sip of his wine instead.
Watching Liliah pack her things and move out earlier today was strangely disconcerting because I didn’t feel much of anything. It’s probably because I know it’s all fake and temporary. I shake off my lingering unease and concentrate on the here and now. My date with Mackenzie Jones.
“So, why do you hate me?” I ask.
Surprise flashes across his perfect features. “I hate everyone.”
I raise an eyebrow in disbelief. “You are hating this.”
“I’d hate it with anyone.”
“You’re homophobic?”
He scowls at me, and I feel a sense of victory in getting that reaction out of him. He downs the rest of his wine. Agitation is clear in every line of his body.
“I’m not homophobic!” he snaps.
“Stop glaring at me, it will look terrible for the cameras,” I smile sweetly.
His eyes look positively murderous, but a soft, strained smile spreads across his face. It makes me chuckle in delight.
“Next time, we need to coordinate outfits,” I tell him.
His gaze flicks down to my shirt, and he nods, before seeming to have trouble pulling his attention back up to my face. I hope it’s the open two top buttons, exposing the top of my chest that are distracting him.
I pretend not to notice and shift my attention to the menu. It all looks delicious, but it’s impossible to work out the calories when eating out, so as usual I’m going to have to stick to a salad with no dressing. I knew this, so I ate earlier, and my calories have all been balanced out for the day. I’m not exactly hungry but it’s still disappointing.
The server comes over and I reluctantly order my salad. Mackenzie orders a steak with fries and all the trimmings. I stare at him in horror.
As the server leaves, Mackenzie shrugs. “I’ve always been able to eat whatever I want.”
I’m so insanely jealous I can’t speak. As if being blessed with perfect cheekbones is not enough, he gets a perfect metabolism as well? There really is no justice in the world.
He smirks evilly at me. “I guess since you’re eating the salad, that makes you the girl.”
“No way!” I exclaim in outrage. “I’d totally be the top if we were dating for real!”
“Fuck off!” he snarls at me. “It’s obvious I’d be the top.”
I stare at him, wondering how far his delusion goes. He has to have seen himself in mirrors, right? He would make a perfect twink. Even though he is the same height as me.
