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Was it wise to ask a stranger to be my fake date? And what if Macie finds out I’ve been lying? I’ll never hear the end of it. The last thing I want is to be forced to go home after they embarrass me in front of my old classmates.
Nope. I won’t let that happen. Nate and I will have to do our absolute best to act as a convincing couple.
This past week has felt like a dream despite running into Macie on Monday. First, I met Nate after running into his shop. We immediately hit it off, which has never happened to me before. I felt like I could talk to him about anything. And that afternoon, I went for a job interview and got offered the position a few days later. I bet the reunion will be a success too. Don’t good things always come in groups of three?
“What do you think of this dress?” I ask my roommate, Willow.
She leans against a counter, eating a bowl of cereal while reading a book. Willow always has a book or an e-reader attached to her hand.
Her eyebrows fly up as she lets her gaze travel over me. “Wow, girl, you look stunning. That dress makes me want to date you, and I’m usually into guys.”
I chuckle. “That’s good to know. So it’s okay? Not too slutty?”
I’m wearing an ankle-length dress with a flowy skirt and an open back. The front has quite a deep cut, revealing the side of my breasts, but not in a tacky way. At least, that’s what I hope.
She shakes her head. “Not at all. It’s got class, but it’s also extremely sexy. I bet you won’t be a virgin after tonight.”
“What are you talking about? Nate and I are only fake dating. I’m not jumping into bed with the guy.”
“Sure, keep telling yourself that.” She grins. “But if you don’t come home tonight, I’ll know I was right all along. You do have condoms, right?”
My cheeks heat. Ugh. Why am I one of those girls prone to blushing? It gives too much away. I could just as easily have one of those cartoon speech bubbles above my head.
Willow puts her bowl in the sink and disappears into her bedroom. When she’s back, she hands me a small box of condoms. “There should be about three left in there. You can use them all.”
I shove the box into my purse. “Are you sure you don’t need them?”
“Girl, do you see a guy around here? I only got these from a colleague who thought I might hit it off with someone at the annual Christmas party, but as you and I both know, I’m still a virgin. Don’t worry, though, they’re perfectly good to use.”
My hands feel shaky. All I can think about now is Nate’s naked body and him rolling one of those condoms over his hard dick.
The buzzer to our apartment sounds, and I give myself one last look in the mirror.
“You’re looking great, Roxy. Have fun with that gorgeous, tattooed guy.”
“Thanks, Willow.”
I put my shoes on and head down the stairs, careful not to trip over my dress. I’m not used to walking in heels, especially not on a flight of stairs as narrow as ours.
When I catch a glimpse of Nate, my heart skips a beat. He’s waiting for me by the door, holding a red rose.
I open the door, and he turns to look at me. I swear I hear his breath catching in his throat. “Whoa, Roxy.”
“You like it?” I ask, feeling bold while giving my skirt a spin.
“Like I told you before, people should call you Ravishing Roxy. Here, this is for you,” he says, handing me the rose.
I put my nose to the petals and inhale. Hmm, what a sweet scent.
“Thank you, Nate. You’re such a sweetheart.”
“I try. For you.”
He leads me to his car, and I can’t get over how awesome he looks. When we met, he was dressed in casual clothes, but tonight, he’s wearing a suit. Dark navy pants paired with a navy jacket and white shirt. He’s not wearing a tie, and the top buttons of his shirt are open, so I catch a glimpse of his tattooed chest.
I get into the passenger seat of Nate’s car, and he navigates us to the school. The reunion is being held at the gym, just like prom was. Not that I attended. I had no one to go with, so I didn’t see the appeal. But tonight, things are different than five years ago. I have a hot date with me. I have a good job. I’ve got nothing to fear.
Gosh, I hope I’m right about that. Nerves run through me when the school grounds come into view. I squirm in my seat. Nate puts a hand on my leg, and for a second, I think he’s about to burn his hand through my skirt. That’s how good it feels.
“Are you okay? You look a bit pale.”
I nod and give him a thumbs-up. “I’m great. I’m just nervous about the whole fake dating thing,” I lie. “What if we’re not convincing enough?”
He smiles at me with eyes full of warmth. “Trust me, people will believe we’re into each other.”
I put the rose on the dashboard and reach for the door handle, but Nate is quicker than I am. He opens the door for me like a gentleman.
“Thank you.”
He offers me his arm, and I link mine through it. My hand rests on his strong forearm. I could get used to this. This whole thing makes me feel like Cinderella, and he’s Prince Charming.
Right by the entrance is a photographer snapping pics of all the couples who go inside, so we wait in line for our turn.
“Do we need pet names for each other? You know, to make it even more convincing,” Nate says.
“Sure, but which ones would we choose?”
“Babe? Honey? Or something funny like Snugglebug?”
I laugh. “Snugglebug? Seriously?”
“Why not? It’s so out there that it’s convincing.”
“Okay, let’s do it. But if I’m Snugglebug, then you’re Hot Lips,” I tell him with a chuckle.
He grins. “That’s perfect, Snugglebug.”
We’ve been joking around so much that I didn’t even notice we were at the front of the line. Nate and I position ourselves in front of the photographer. He puts his arm around my waist and pulls me closer to him.
“How about a kiss?” the photographer asks after snapping a picture of us.
I shake my head no, but then I see Macie and Bruce approaching from the corner of my eye. Nate gives me a questioning look, and I nod. “Sure, let’s kiss.”
Nate’s head dips to my lips. He’s got one hand on my back and the other cups my cheek. His lips gently graze mine, teasing me. Then goes in for a full kiss. He sucks my bottom lip before slowly pushing his warm tongue inside. My mouth fits his as if we’re made for each other. When his passionate kiss comes to an end, I pull him back to me for one last taste. No one has ever made me feel this wanted. This good. I can’t get enough.
“Did you like that, Snugglebug?” he asks hoarsely.
All I can do is nod. I’m still delirious from that amazing kiss.
I blink a few times to return to reality and swallow when I see everyone looking at us. I’m only wearing a flimsy pair of panties and a dress. Nate better not kiss me like that again in public because he’ll make me too wet, and I don’t think that’s appropriate for a high school reunion.