“I think so.” But the truth is, I don’t really know. My performance would have been really impressive if I’d only ever played casual tennis, but for a former pro, I’m not sure.
And I have a feeling Drew would have acted impressed regardless.
“Ally, where are you?” Sarah asks curiously. I glance at my phone and realize I haven’t been paying attention to where I’m pointing the camera. There’s enough light coming through the windows to show the room, and Sarah’s currently getting an image of the arm of the pull-out couch.
“I’m . . . I’m at Drew’s place, actually. He’s letting me stay in his spare bedroom.”
Sarah’s eyes widen. “And Drew is . . .”
“My former boss.”
“Alexandra Parker!” she exclaims. “You’re living with your boss?”
I tap my phone to turn down the volume on the speaker. The door to the room’s closed, so I’m pretty sure Drew can’t hear this, but I lower my voice anyway. “My former boss,” I repeat. “And I’m not really living with him . . .”
I pause, because I am quite definitely living with Drew. Just not in the way Sarah thinks.
I have a decision to make here; I could tell Sarah the same lie we’re telling everyone else, that Drew and I are in a relationship. But I’ve known Sarah a long time, and lying to her doesn’t sit right. And she doesn’t know anyone in Somerset, so it’s not like she could accidentally spill our secret.
“It’s a long story, Sarah,” I begin. “But basically, we’re pretending we’re in a relationship.” I explain about Peter and Nina Tate, and how Drew lied and said he was dating me.
“I don’t understand,” Sarah says. “I mean, why did he have to involve you at all? He could have said he was seeing someone long-distance, or just told this girl he didn’t want a relationship right now?—”
“Oh, I asked him that,” I interject. “He said when he tells his sister he doesn’t want a relationship, she takes it to mean he just hasn’t met the right woman. And Nina would probably take it the same way. Or something like that.”
Sarah blinks at me for a second. “Seriously?”
I nod. “Yep. He said she’d see it as a challenge.”
Sarah giggles. “Ally, he sounds like an ass.”
“He’s not,” I say defensively, although I can see why that comment might make her think so. “He’s been really nice to me,actually. After what he said to the Tates, I was worried people would think I was sleeping with him, so he suggested we pretend to be in a relationship.”
Sarah looks confused. “How is that better?”
“This way, people can’t say we’ve got anything to hide,” I explain. “We disclosed the relationship to Human Resources and everything, so it’s all aboveboard. We’ll keep it up for three months, so it doesn’t seem like it’s just a fling.”
“And you decided you should move in together, to make sure everyone was convinced?” she asks slyly.
“There was a small flood in my apartment,” I explain. “So Drew suggested I move in here.”
“Ah,” Sarah says, and her expression changes. “You know, Ally, if you need money, I could?—”
“No, I’m good,” I interrupt, before Sarah can offer me a loan, or an outright gift. “The apartment wasn’t really that bad, it’s just—since we’re pretending, it made sense to move in with Drew.”
“Hmm,” she says. “Whose idea was it? For you to move in, I mean?”
“His idea,” I tell her. “I could hardly invite myself to live with him.”
“Right,” she says. “And you’re sure this is pretend?”
“Of course.”
“Keep telling yourself that, then,” Sarah says with a grin.
After I say goodbye to Sarah, I jump in the shower. The Spring Fling Gala is tonight, and I want to blow dry my hair this morning so I won’t have to rush after work.
But as I stand in the shower, enjoying the feel of the hot water on my shoulders, I can’t get Sarah’s question out of my head.
