“Didn’t seem crazy to me. Seemed like she knew exactly what she was talking about.”
“Are you trying to embarrass me?” Charlotte stiffens, pushing her long blonde hair to one shoulder as the sun shines into her eyes.
I step to the side to block it. “No, I’m trying to figure out what the hell is going on.”
“What’s going on is that I need to get back to the office.”
If she weren’t so damn cute squirming, I’d consider letting her off the hook. “I think the office can wait. Your mom thought we were dating, didn’t she?”
Charlotte bites her lip and rolls her eyes to the side, the tip of her finger tangling in her hair. She’s processing through something. I can see her brain working behind her eyes. “You have to understand my family. They’re awful.” Her gaze meets mine again for a second, though it keeps shifting away. “My mom is constantly annoying me about having a boyfriend and how my sister is perfect. I got sick of all the questioning, so I made you up.”
Charlotte stares down at the sidewalk, then up again. “Well, I didn’t makeyouup. Obviously, you’re right there, but I told everyone you were my boyfriend. I mean, it wasn’tyou… you. It was you in theory, like a version of you with your head and your body. I mean, you still do a lot of the things you do, but you do them withme.” She shrugs, and her cheeks turn pink. “I used your name ‘cause I’m lazy, I guess.” She shakes her head. “Satisfied? I’m sure I sound like a complete loser.”
I tilt my head to the side playfully. “I wouldn’t date a loser.” I pause, waiting for the joke to land, but it doesn’t, so I keep talking. “I don’t get it, though. You’re smart, fun, and attractive, so why make someone up? I’m sure there are plenty of men willing to take the job.”
The words come out easily, but the way her eyes widen, I regret them immediately. Sure, they’re true, but she’s my employee. My much younger employee. I need to watch myself.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“Umm,” she sighs and shakes her head, though I can tell she’s feeling awkward, “that’s a nice thing for you to say, but it’s not the truth. I mean, even if someone did think those kind things about me, I just… I don’t know. I’m not sure I’d even want a real relationship again.”
We’re walking now, back down the sidewalk toward the office. She’s cold. I can tell by the way she’s wrapped her arms around herself. It’s also close to freezing, and I’m not sure who wouldn’t be cold in a thin pink dress with barely any sleeves.
I take off my coat and set it on her shoulders.
“Oh, that’s okay.” She glances toward me, hesitating slightly, but ultimately wrapping herself tighter, letting the warmth of my jacket swallow her up.
“You were saying?”
She clears her throat and glances at me before looking ahead. “That’s it, really. A fake relationship just sounded better than real life.”
“What makes you say that?”
For a moment, she hesitates as though she’s searching for the right words, then she glances back up at me, her gaze meeting mine with a certainty that I haven’t seen since we started talking. “My friend keeps calling me delusional for making you up,” she smiles, “but I think the real delusion istearing off your skin to let someone else in and believing they want to be there.”
“Damn. Sounds like you got your heart broken.”
“A few times, yeah,” she laughs sarcastically under her breath. “You?”
“It’s been a while. Mostly because I refuse to do the whole dating thing anymore. It was fun when I was young, but the older I get, the more I realize I’m the love of my life.”
“Wow.” She grins wider. “Maybe that’s how I should look at things. No fake boyfriend needed. I’m all I need.”
“I mean… truthfully, you are.Youknow you best.”
“I guess.” She nods. “I just… I wish I could let go of the fantasy, ya know? The one all the fairytales sell little girls from the time they’re born.”
“Life is definitely not a fairytale.”
“Nope!” she says, popping the ‘p’ before cuddling further into the jacket. “Unfortunately, the mentally ill part of me still wants to believe there’s a magical, fantastical story out there calling my name. One with a pretty little cabin in the woods, a couple of kids, a big strong man.” She grins as she says, “That’s where fake Jake comes into play. He’s perfect.”
“I mean,” I smirk as we pass by the diner, “I believe it.”
She shakes her head and glances toward me. “I’m sorry to have pulled you into all this. Thank you for being cool.”
I nod once. “When’s the wedding? I put on a pretty good show.”
“Oh no,” she laughs, leaning up against the wall outside of the office space where we have our meetings with clients and draw up plans. “I couldn’t let you do that. Trust me, my mom is insane, and my sister isn’t much better. I’m going to tell them Jake had a business trip. My mom will be talking about how hot you are for at least a month or two.” She squeezes her eyes closed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that I thought you were hot.I meant my mom thinks you’re hot. Not that you’re not… ya know… good looking. I just,” she holds her breath, “need to stop talking.”
