Page 39 of Fake it With Me

I’d spent the last few hours trying not to think about what had almost happened in the boathouse. I had been milliseconds from kissing her. Something told me once my lips met hers, there would be no stopping. It would be a snowball rolling downhill. I would have fucked her right there on the floor of my boathouse.

Not exactly classy. Or mature.

Liza had been right. We needed to keep things professional and maintain the boundaries we had established. Getting physically involved would only complicate an already complicated situation.

So I was being professional. Polite. Keeping my distance while putting on a show.

Everything was fine.

“Can I get the mac and cheese?” Daisie asked, not even looking at the menu. She always got the mac and cheese.

“You can get whatever you want,” I said.

“Then I want mac and cheese!”

Liza smiled at her. “Is it really good here?”

“It’s the best mac and cheese in the whole world,” Daisie declared with absolute certainty. “They put breadcrumbs on top and it gets all crispy. And bacon.”

“That does sound amazing.”

We ordered mac and cheese for Daisie, fish for Liza and me. Then we settled in to wait for our food. That was when Daisie launched into her interrogation.

“Liza, do crabs know they’re walking sideways?”

Liza blinked, then grinned. “That’s an excellent question. I think they probably don’t think about it the same way we do. For them, that’s just how they walk. It’s normal.”

“But what if a crab wanted to walk forward? Could it?”

“Crabs can actually walk in any direction, including forward. But sideways is more efficient for them because of how their legs are built. It’s like…” She thought for a moment. “It’s like how you’re better at running forward than running backward, even though you can do both.”

“Ohhh.” Daisie processed this. “Do sharks have friends?”

I almost choked on my water. “Some scientists think they do! Sharks have been observed swimming in groups, and some species seem to prefer certain companions. Though we’re not totally sure if they experience friendship the way humans do. They probably don’t have a bestie.”

“What about whales? Do they have friends?”

“Absolutely. Whales form really strong social bonds.”

Liza’s face lit up when she talked. I was going to tell Daisie to back off the litany of questions, but I could see Liza loved talking about this stuff. So, I sat back, shut up, and let myself get educated.

“Some whales have friends they keep for their whole lives,” Liza continued. “They travel together, hunt together, even protect each other from predators.”

Liza wasn’t just humoring Daisie. She was genuinely engaging with her questions, treating them like they mattered. And Daisie was soaking it up, her face bright with curiosity and delight.

“When is your birthday, Daisie?” Liza asked suddenly.

“February twenty-fourth,” Daisie said. “I’ll be eight.”

“February twenty-fourth. I’ll have to remember that.” Liza glanced at me.

“Are you going to get me a present?” Daisie asked.

“Daisie,” I said in a warning tone.

“I think I will,” Liza answered with a bright smile. “When the time gets closer, I’ll ask you what you want.”

I stared at her. What the hell? Did that mean she wanted to keep in touch with Daisie after she left? Was that an option? That might be the best outcome for Daisie. I made a mental note to talk to her about it later.