“You like him.”
It wasn’t a question, but I answered anyway.
“No,”liar, “but he’s great at being a fake boyfriend.”
“You looked really nice tonight.”
Meg was a hopeless romantic and probably had visions of Matt and me falling in love and living happily ever after.
But it wouldn’t happen.
“Thanks.”
“You put a lot of effort into looking good for a fake date.”
“Meg, that’s all it was.”
“Do you want it to be more?”
I glanced down the hallway, making sure Jack wasn’t lurking.
“He’s asleep.”
“Would you believe me if I said I dressed up to annoy Jack?”
“Nope.” She popped the ‘p’. “I won’t tell Jack anything you don’t want me to. Girl code promise.”
I laughed and contemplated how much to share as she shifted Natalie to her shoulder and burped her.
“Matt’s… I’m physically attracted to him, but I’m not sure if there’s more. Not sure I want more.”
Natalie’s burp called me out on my lie.
Half lie. I just didn’t want to admit it. Not even to myself.
“It’s all so complicated.”
“Madi, I’m hearing a lot of excuses for why you don’t want to like him, but you haven’t said you don’t.”
No, I hadn’t said it because half-truths were easier to admit.
“It doesn’t matter. How can I take a guy who turns in an expense report for our dates seriously?”
“He didn’t say that?” She sounded scandalized. “What an idiot.”
“He didn’t say it, but he didn’t deny it when I brought it up.”
“Do you really think he’ll expense your date?”
“Why not? He only asked me out because Dad told him to.”
“Madi, that’s not a service we offer.”
“What?”
“Dad wouldn’t order Matt to take you on a date.”
I loved that she called him Dad, not John. When they first met, he intimidated the crap out of her, her words, but now they were best buds.
