“That seems a little slimy, don’t you think?” Poppy asks. “To act or behave a certain way just to trick someone into liking you.”
I take a sip of my wine and swallow before answering.
“Mirroring can be conscious or subconscious. Most of the time you won’t even realize that you’re doing it.”
“Okay, dating expert, what are they talking about?” Poppy looks at me, her eyes aglow with a hint of mischief. I dart my gaze over to the couple to assess them.
“I think he just finished telling her about how economical it is to keep living in his parents’ basement. He would move out, but he’s savingsomuch money.”
“Ah, yes. Rent prices are insane these days. It’s the smart thing to do,” Poppy chimes in. “What does he do with all this money he has, I wonder?”
“Oh, he invests it in crypto, obviously.”
I look back at Poppy, and her eyes are still on me. I let my own eyes linger on her a little longer than comfortable. There’s just something about her I enjoy looking at.
“Obviously,” she says, a playful eye roll makes her long dark lashes brush the ends of her bangs.
A waiter catches our attention as he approaches our table and sets down our plates. The game was a nice distraction from the true purpose of the evening, but dinner arriving puts us one step closer to what we’re here to do.
Get engaged and make it look believable.
My knee bounces under the table, and I rub my hands on my thighs to try and still them.
Poppy dives into her meal, so I do the same. I try to focus on the flavour of the chicken parmesan in front of me, and not the fact that Poppy is swallowing her food as if it’s threatening to come back up again.
I assumed that out of this whole charade, the getting engaged portion of it would be the easiest. All she has to do isnod, and smile. But try as she might, Poppy isn’t an actress. She’s shown me time and again that with her, what you see is what you get. It’s one of my favourite qualities in her.
Though just for one night, I need her to put on the face of a lovestruck fiancée. Maybe get a little misty-eyed. Act like this is the happiest day of her life.
We eat in relative silence, only commenting on how good the food is here and there, occasionally glancing up at each other and meeting each other’s stare.
Eventually Poppy places her napkin on her plate. I do the same, and the waiter comes to collect our dishes. It’s go time.
Ready?I mouth at her, and Poppy gives me a tight nod.
I stand up, and when I do, I notice that every table in the restaurant is full. We have an audience. More than one of these tables should also have reporters, undercover media who’ve been conveniently tipped off by an “anonymous” source that I’m planning to propose.
Let’s give them one hell of a show.
Being in front of a crowd, in front of the media, is where I thrive now. Not because I like it, but because I know how they want me to act, and I do that well. I’ve had practice.
Although playing the role of a doting fiancé is new to me.
I come around to Poppy’s side of the table and make a show of grabbing the back of her chair and turning her so she’s facing me. The low screech of the chair feet sliding across the parquet floor garners a few looks.
Once I’m down on one knee, whispers ripple through the crowd, and a hush follows.
I clear my throat.
What was it that Brooke wanted me to say? She sent me a document with a script I was supposed to stick to, and Ibarely skimmed it. At first glance, I could tell that the words felt fake, superficial.You’ve been a wonderful girlfriend,and bullshit like that. They were cheesy as hell, and not what I would use to describe my relationship with Poppy.
Sure, this whole thing is fake. It’s supposed to be a bit of a charade. But the fact is, Poppy and I have known each other a long time. And she may be singlehandedly saving my career.
Poppy is giving up a lot of firsts for this whole scheme. It may not be a selfless act, but I can’t have Poppy’s first relationship mean nothing. Not even a fake one. If there’s one thing this scandal has taught me, it’s that my integrity matters to some degree. So, this is me changing my ways.
I want the words to mean something.
“Poppy, we’ve known each other a long time. It’s always been an absolute privilege to know you, but it’s a god damned honour to also get to love you. You are the most incredible, beautiful, unique, and interesting person I’ve ever met. You live your live so authentically… ” I pause for a moment, and release a breath through my nose.
