“I may have called him repulsive this morning.”
Fawn swings her legs off the couch and drops her phone onto the cushion beside her. “Are you a total moron?”
I cross my arms. “He wanted me tolie.”
“When a billionaire needs you to lie…” She stops. “No, wait. That doesn’t sound like good life advice at all actually. What did he want you to lie about?”
“Being in a relationship with him.” My stomach twists, and I slump. “Oh, it’s horrible, Fawn. There’s a picture of us online, and the internet says we’redating. But wearen’t. And then instead of agreeing to tell people that we aren’t, he suggested that instead we pretend to for a little while.”
Fawn’s mouth drops open. “The billionaire asked you to fake date? And you saidno?”
“Of course I said no! I don’t like him, and that’s dishonest.”
“Couldn’t you have said you’ddate-date him for a bit? It’d have had the same result! Without dishonesty!”
“But I don’t like him!”
Fawn slides to the floor, meets me in the center of the rug, takes my shoulders, and shakes me. “What’s not to like about him! He’s handsome! He’s rich! He can probably bench press a freight train!He might be Batman!”
“He’s like nine years older than me and doesn’t smile. I have no idea how to read him, and when I stop policing myselfin front of him, my first inclination is to confirm that I find him repulsive. So that’s not really the greatest place for a real relationship to start. Also, muscles are creepy, and bulgy, and I bet he’s all veiny because of them.”
She shakes me more violently, practically crying, “How can you tell beneath all the hot tattoos, Miraaa?”
That is an excellent question, and the answer is: I don’t know. In other news, I’m starting to get dizzy. “Please stop shaking me.”
“I’m attempting to shake some brain cells to life. Once it works, I will stop.”
“Please stop shaking me before I throw up on you.”
That gets through to her, so she releases me to pout.
I roll my eyes. “I don’t see why it matters so much to you.”
“Well, for starters, if you’ve gotten yourself fired, we have to move again.”
“Oh.” I blink. “Right.”
“Youforgotthat part?”
I forgot that part. I cut my eyes off my dear friend and attempt to squash the anxiety now building in my gut. I really don’t want to move again. It was so much work in such a short amount of time, and if we’re getting kicked out, I’m sure the timeframe will be evenshorter. Not to mention that we haven’t even been here long enough for me to feel settled. There are still boxes to unpack in my closet.
Fawn releases a long-suffering sigh. “What am I going to do with you?”
My shoulders sag. “Do you…think I should go talk to him? It’s not too late, is it?” I turn my attention toward the window and find that there’s still a little brightness to the sky, making it sunset and navy.
“Do you think you can talk to him without making it worse?”
I have no idea. But trying is probably the decent thing to do. And trying before it’s completely dark out is probably not the worst idea either.
Despondent, I drag myself to my feet.
“Oh boy,” Fawn murmurs, looking up at my hung head. “It’ll be okay. Probably. You just…apologize and better communicate why you’re unwilling to date a billionaire, because surely you hate things like money and perks, not your very nice boss.”
“He’s not nice. He’s a grump.”
“And you’re a sunshine—so really it was all doomed from the start, becausethatkind of opposites attract?Neverhappens.”
I find myself rolling my eyes again before fortifying myself and heading toward the door.
