“How old are you?” My eyes go wide. “Wait…shit…you’re not supposed to ask a woman that. Dammit. I’m sorry.”
She leans forward, propping her elbow on the table, resting her chin in her palm.
“It’s fine. We need to know these details if this is going to work. I’m thirty-four. You?”
Fuck.I don’t even want to tell her. I don’t want her to think I’m as immature as my image and my age make me seem. But I have to…
“I just turned twenty-three earlier this month—March 1st. When’s your birthday?”
“September 5th,” she says with a defeated sigh. She’s trying to keep it together, but I know she’s freaking out. Growing up with sisters, I learned that composed on the outside usually means turmoil inside. I catch the subtle way she bites down on her nail. The slight waiver flips my nerves on their head. My muscles go tight, barely stopping me from reaching across the table to pull her into my arms until she feels safe. But…we aren’t even past holding hands.I can do this.I’ll just do what I always do and break the tension with my wit and personality.
“I was thinking, since you don’t want any sort of contract, we could shake on it. If you want, we can even have our ownsecrethandshake that only we know what it means,” I say with a wink as she lets out a laugh and rolls her eyes. My lips curl up at the sound, my chest filling with pride.Even with the eyeroll, I still made her laugh.
“I think a normal one is fine. So…we have a deal?” she says, extending her hand.
I delicately grab her hand in mine, giving it a firm shake, my eyes never leaving hers. “Fake dating it is.”
For now.
17
kennedy
Waking up to the sound of my phone buzzing incessantly like it’s personally offended I’m still asleep is not the way I wanted to start my morning. I flop my arm over my eyes with a groan. I had aspirations to do so much today. I was going to sleep in, lie in bed for a good hour doom-scrolling social media, order an almond milk vanilla latte to my room, then doom scroll until I passed out. I have no obligations to be anywhere until nine tonight.
“Is it too much to ask that my phone not pop off like a popcorn maker at seven in the goddamn morning?” I gripe to myself. Apparently so because as I lay here trying to ignore the rattling on the nightstand next to me, I realize it’s not going away.
I roll over, squinting at the blinding light on my phone. My eyes widen as much as they can this early in the morning, my body fumbling out of the nest of pillows as I jolt straight up in bed. My entire screen is filled with notifications. Every social media app. News alerts. Missed calls. Unopened texts.
“What in the actual fuck?”
Maggie
Girl…call me ASAP.
Olivia
Kennedy…Oh my God…Bougie?!
Kara
Kenni, we JUST had brunch and you didn’t tell me about you and Jordan? What the hell?! What is going on??
Shelly
Dammnnnn girl! A hot younger guy? Yaaasss!
Maggie
911! Did you do what I think you did?! Holy tits this is amazing. I need details!! Call me ASAP.
Jordan
. Hi. Me again. Jordan.
From last night and next door.
Your new boyfriend.
