“It’s a long story.”
“We have plenty of time.” Griffin rests his arm on the back of the booth, looking at him.
Ollie picks at his beer bottle. “I kind of told my coworkers I was dating someone.”
“You kind of told them or youdidtell them?” Brooks asks. “Just for clarification here.”
“I told them I was dating someone.” Ollie sighs, then gulps down a large swig of beer and nearly chokes on it.
“You need a boyfriend,” Charlie reiterates. “What for?”
“The company Christmas party is this Friday and significant others are invited.”
“I thought they were banned?” I question. “Didn’t someone get drunk and start a fire?”
“Someone started a fire?” Theo asks. “I don’t know if I’ve heard that story.”
“No, there was no fire,” Ollie interjects. “Someone got drunk and thought it would be a good idea to rip a paper towel dispenser off the wall.”
“Why’d you tell them you were dating someone if you’re not? I mean, it seems pretty easy to just say you’re single,” Griffin adds.
“They wouldn’t stop pestering me about dating someone, so one day I snapped and told them I was seeing someone so they’d drop it.”
“Ahh.” I nod my head. That sounds about right. “With the party coming up, you need to take someone so it doesn’t look like you were lying.”
“Correct.”
“Could you try a dating app?” Theo asks. “I mean, Trey and I met that way.”
Griffin snorts. “I still can’t believe you’re dating someone named Trey.”
“At least I’m dating someone.” Theo throws a knowing look toward his best friend.
“Ouch. Tell me how you really feel.”
“I’m only saying you could meet someone if you wanted to.”
Griffin shakes his head. “I’m fine playing the field.”
“I don’t think that’s what Ollie wants to do, right?” Iask, interrupting the two of them before they really get going.
“N-no,” he mutters. “I don’t think that would give us enough time to get to know one another to make it believable that we’re in a relationship together. Besides, what would I say? ‘Wanted—one fake boyfriend for the holiday to fake out his coworkers’?”
“You need someone who knows you,” Charlie says, tapping his chin. “Why don’t you take one of those guys?”
He points to the three of us sitting next to him.
“Don’t look at me,” Theo says. “I am happy in my relationship and don’t want to explain to Trey why I’m going on a date with someone else.”
“Fakedate,” Ollie corrects. “It would only be one night.”
“Which leaves one of you two,” Brooks says, looking between Griffin and me.
“I think I’m free Friday,” Griffin states.
“You are?” Ollie swings his gaze to him, studying him. Like he’s seriously considering taking this man to his holiday party.
Which leads me to what I say next.
