We look at each other across the quiet living room. Neither of us offers anything more, which is fine by me.
I want to ask Stone more questions about his childhood, and I feel a weird urge to comfort him, but there’s no reason I need to divulge my own depressing history, not when we’re set to part ways after three fake dates.
I lift another card, deciding to do us both a favor and change the subject. “Where did we meet?” I ask, reading the question.
Stone shrugs. “The park?”
“Ding ding!” I laugh, then flip it over to show the answer. “My friend Ayla is the only person who saw you, and she’s also the only person I’ve told about our subterfuge. But simple is easiest, right?”
“And what about our dates? Dinner and a movie?”
“You took me,” I say. “And the second date was here at the apartment.”
He turns half his mouth up in a grin. “You really do want to make this guy jealous, huh?”
“Not jealous,” I correct. “I just want him to notice me… because he’s jealous.”
Stone laughs, his deep chuckle rolling out. “Is that all? You won’t have to worry at the convention, at least. No one will talk to you except for Billie, and she knows what’s up.”
“They won’t even talk to me?” It’s not like I want them to talk to me, considering how much their group made me seethe at the park.
But still. That seems a bit rude.
“Trust me. Comfortable silence is preferred. It’s not personal. Why do you think we always have the music so loud?”
“Give me the basic plot anyway. I’m your boyfriend?”
“Sure,” he answers. “We started dating a couple months ago, I guess.”
“Have you dated a guy before?”
“In the lie or in reality?”
I tilt my head to the side. “Is there a different answer?”
Stone takes a quick swig from his beer. “No ex-boyfriends,” he answers without actually answering my question at all. “But like I said, your job is to stand around. There will be a few bands and some tattooing contests, if you like that sort of thing.”
“I have no idea if I like that sort of thing,” I answer with a laugh. “But generally speaking, I prefer to keep my mouth shut in unfamiliar places and save the bubbly charm for my friends. You won’t have any curveballs from me.”
The creases around his eyes tell me that he’s lost in his thoughts again. He looks so nice sitting in my old armchair. His bottom lashes are dark enough that it looks like he has eyeliner on, and I could lose myself in the intricate design of his tattoos all night.
Stone is definitely hot enough to catch Milo’s attention, but when he frowns at his bottle like that, all I can think about is crawling into his lap and stroking my fingers through his shaggy hair.
He’s a good guy, going through this whole thing just to put some homophobic asshole in his place. And if I weren’t so busy pining for Milo, I might actually start to crush on him myself.
“Back to work?” I ask, shuffling the index cards.
“Whatever my fake boyfriend says,” he answers.
CHAPTERSIX
STONE
My baby’sfirst fake date with his boyfriend, Billie texts.I’m so proud.
Technically, it’s our third date,I text back, and I’m standing outside it now.
It’s our third date in the story we’re spinning but kind of our actual third date, too, if you count the beer I bought Matty and the night prepping at his apartment.
