by Amy Sparling
Bella throws a couch pillow at me. “You like her!”
I shake my head, and even throw in an annoyed sigh like I’m just too casual to be bothered with her teasing. I hope she buys it. “It’s just for fun,” I say. “We’re making people think we’re dating.”
“Well, no better place than to take her to the fall festival,” Bella says.
“I’ll ask her,” I say, leaning forward to get my phone off the coffee table. With my sister watching, it’s a little easier to be brave and send the damn text I’ve been wanting to send for days.
Me: How’s it going?
She replies just a couple quick minutes later, much to my delight. I am not all about waiting anxiously.
Jenn: I’m good. School sucks. How are you?
Me: My arm hurts
Jenn: lol, sorry! Just a few weeks left and you’ll be good as new.
Me: You busy tonight? My sister was just telling me about the fall festival
Jenn: I haven’t been to that in forever! I kind of forgot about it.
Me: Want to go? :)
Jenn: That would be fun
Another throw pillow smacks me in the face. I look up to see Bella grinning at me. “You don’t look like it’s just fake,” she says in her annoying teasing little sister voice.
I realize I’ve been smiling this whole time, like a total loser. Ugh.
I throw the pillow back at her. Another text from Jenn comes in.
Jenn: I don’t think anyone noticed our first fake date. No one has said anything to me, so maybe this one will work.
It’s hard not to be disappointed. I was hoping she’d say she was looking forward to seeing me again, but instead she’s all business. I suck it up and reply in the same way.
Me: There will probably be a lot more people at the festival. I’m sure word will get out about your awesome new “boyfriend.” :)
Jenn: I hope so! Want to meet there around 7?
Me: I could pick you up?
Jenn: Nah, that’s okay. I live pretty close to the festival grounds. I’ll just see you there
I guess that’s for the best, because I don’t exactly have a car here. At best, I’d have to pick her up in my sister’s car with my sister in the backseat. That would be a dick move. Bella is so excited about her new car and she should be the one to drive it. The fact that I don’t even have a car here is evidence enough that this fake relationship will only ever be fake.
I realize Bella’s watching me expectantly.
I shrug. “She said she’ll meet me at the festival.”
“Cool,” Bella says. “The whole town will be there, so be prepared to have a lot of eyes on you.”
“I’m used to that,” I say. And it’s true in a way. I’m used to motocross fame. Not exactly used to being stared at because I’m dating a local. This should be fun.
When six-thirty rolls around, I shower and get dressed and attempt to do something with my hair. I’m a little nervous, which is completely stupid. There’s no reason to be nervous about a fake girlfriend. I don’t have to worry about impressing her because she’s not here to be impressed, she’s here to make her ex mad.
Still, I try to look as good as I can in dark jeans and a black button-up shirt, my sleeves rolled a few times to my mid forearm.
Bella seems to approve. “You look hot,” she says, curling her lip as she walks past me in the living room. “All my friends will be swooning over you all night. Ugh.”
I chuckle and Grandma comes up and puts an arm around my shoulders. She’s ridiculously shorter than I am.
“I think you look real handsome,” she says, leaning up on her toes to give me a kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks, Grandma.”
I don’t think Bella has told her anything about my fake relationship, and I certainly haven’t, but she winks at me as she walks back to the couch and I wonder if she somehow knows.
I let Bella drive us to the festival, both because she knows the way and it’s her car. It’s weird, this new dynamic where my baby sister is all grown up. But it’s cool. She’s becoming an awesome person.
We park in a huge field that’s become a makeshift parking lot, and I buy both of us wristbands that let us have unlimited rides all night.
The place is packed. The smell of fair food fills the air and makes my mouth water. There’s a BBQ cookoff going on tonight, so the smells are even better than usual. There’s no trace of funnel cake in the air. It’s dusk, and the bright lights of the carnival rides sparkle against the dark blue sky.
Bella and I walk toward the Ferris wheel where she’s supposed to meet up with her friends. I’m looking for Jenn but haven’t seen her yet. Unlike Bella and her friends, Jenn and I didn’t set up a meeting place beforehand. I want to text her, but I also want to play it cool.
“Oh my God!” The girly shriek comes from the teenager who just hugged my sister. “You’re Aiden Strauss!” she says, her piercing blue eyes boring into me. She puts a hand to her chest. “I’m a huge fan.”
“Cool, nice to meet you,” I say.
The girl looks at Bella and then back to me. “Can we, like, get a picture together?”
I grin. “Sure.”
More of Bella’s friends show up at their designated meeting spot, and I take a few photos and listen to them gush about how much they love watching me ride. I know they would say that to any professional motocross racer they met, but it’s still cool to hear. Bella and her friends get in line for the Ferris wheel, and I stay behind, keeping my eye out for the girl I’m pretend dating.
I check my phone, and there’s nothing there.
When Bella jostles off the Ferris wheel several minutes later, she’s all smiles with her friends. She grabs my arm. “You don’t have to hang out with us,” she says. “Go find Jenn.”
Now that she’s cut me loose, I feel remarkably lonely. But I also can’t tag along with my teenage sister and her merry band of fangirls because that’s just lame.
So I start walking around, keeping my eyes open for the girl that’s been on my mind all week.
I stroll around to the livestock area, which has a petting zoo and beautifully groomed animals on display, some of them sporting blue ribbons. I guess it’s some kind of livestock judging contest.
I lean over a fence and pet a black and white cow. Then, in the distance, I see her.
At least, I’m pretty sure it’s her. Her brown hair is tied in that high bun hairstyle she does, and she’s got her back to me, but I think I’d recognize her ass anywhere. I mean, it’s perfect, after all.
I pat the cow one last time and then make my way across the hay-covered ground to where she’s standing in line at a beer truck.
As I get closer, I can tell she’s not alone. I don’t even think she’s standing in line to get a beer, she’s just standing near the line.
She shakes her head and puts a hand on her hip. That’s when I notice the guy standing in front of her. He’s got blond hair cropped short and shaved high on the sides, a stocky build, and the face of a douchebag if I’ve ever seen one. He’s wearing jeans and flip-flops and I mentally roll my eyes at that fashion choice. Jenn shakes her head again and turns to walk away.
The guy grabs her arm, making her stay put.
Oh hell no. I walk faster, weaving through people as I make my way up to her. The guy notices me first. His eyes go wide, and that pissed off expression he’d had a moment before disappears. “Dude, are you Aiden Strauss?” he says.
I slide my arm around Jenn’s shoulders, choosing not to answer his question. “Is there a problem here?”
Chapter 12
The whole world seems to stop for just a second. All the festival sounds of livestock and obnoxious carnies and rowdy, drunk people just go away—if only in my own mind. It is dead silent. For just a moment.
Jay’s excited expression slides off his face, and he looks from Aiden’s arm that’s now firmly around my shoulder, to me, and back.
“You two know each other?
” he says. His knuckles go white as they grip his beer bottle.
Aiden looks down at me, a cute and smug grin appearing on his lips. “Yeah, we’ve met,” he says. The soft tone of his voice sends a shiver down my spine. Damn, he’s good at faking this whole boyfriend thing.
“Ah, cool,” Jay says. “Dude, it’s so cool to meet you! I’m a huge fan.”
Aiden quirks an eyebrow, and I probably look exactly the same way. It dawns on me that Jay is too damn dense to realize Aiden was just totally flirting with me. His sexy smile and protective arm around me was his way of saying she’s with me, so back off.
But Jay didn’t even pick up on it.
Oh my God, how did I date someone this stupid for so long?
“Uh, thanks,” Aiden says. He’s clearly as taken aback by Jay’s fanboy-ing as I am.
Jay shifts his beer to the other hand and holds it out to shake Aiden’s hand. “It’s good to meet you, man. I heard you were in town.”
Aiden holds up his cast as an excuse to get out of shaking hands with my ex. Jay is undeterred, and he starts talking about how he watched Aiden’s wreck that broke his wrist on TV. He’s going on and on, talking all excitedly because he’s just met one of his idols. Which is really stupid because they are the same age. Is your idol supposed to be the same age as you? I don’t think so.
I can see a muscle flex in Aiden’s jaw while he politely answers Jay’s questions. He gives me a questioning glance, and I can tell he’s wondering if this is the ex-boyfriend he’s supposed to be making jealous, because if so, it’s not working.
I give a slight nod. Jay keeps talking, trying to brag about his race times at the local track. He’s saying how he wants to go pro too and that he just needs to find a sponsor.
Okay, that’s enough of this shit.
I clear my throat, and put a hand on Aiden’s arm. I give him my flirtiest look, and I might even bat my eyelashes a little. I need this to be crystal clear for Jay’s tiny ass brain to comprehend.
“Aiden, will you buy me a drink?” I flash him a sweet smile.
“Sure thing, babe,” Aiden says, meeting my smile with one of his own. He turns to Jay. “If you’ll excuse us,” he says.
Jay’s eyes widen, his jaw gritting tight. Okay, now he gets it. Finally.
“What the fuck?” he says, taking a step back. “He motions his hand in front of us. “What the fuck is this? You trying to take my girl?”
I can feel Aiden’s bicep stiffen under my hand, which is still resting on it. “I didn’t have to try very hard,” Aiden says. “It turns out treating women with respect is a great way to get their attention.”
A vein in Jay’s forehead bulges. His fists tighten at his sides. “You wanna talk shit again?” he says, bowing up to Aiden.
This is not good. Aiden has a broken wrist and he definitely doesn’t need to get into a fight right now. Plus, there are cops everywhere and I’m sure both of them could get arrested on the spot for assault or disturbing the peace or something.
Aiden doesn’t seem concerned, though. In fact, he relaxes a little. He looks right at Jay. “Walk away.”
“Man, fuck this,” Jay says, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He’s all reared up and ready to throw punches and I can tell it’s pissing him off that Aiden isn’t doing the same thing. “You can’t come in here and take my girl and get away with it. I don’t care how famous you are.”
“You need to walk away now,” Aiden says. His voice is hard, despite his casual demeanor, and his words send a chill down my spine. Jay must feel the same way because with one last bitter glance at me, he turns and leaves.
“Holy shit,” I breathe after he’s gone.
Aiden’s cast feels scratchy and hard against my back as he wraps his arm around me again.
“You can do so much better than him,” Aiden says, softly pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “Let’s get a drink.”
I think both of us are sick of standing in front of this beer truck, so we make our way down toward the main food area of the festival. There’s a place that sells margaritas in every flavor you can think of, and I order a peach one, frozen. Aiden gets the regular lime, on the rocks.
I reach for the cash in my pocket and Aiden shakes his head. “It’s on me.”
“But you bought our food last time,” I argue.
He grins. “What a coincidence, I’m also buying it this time.”
I roll my eyes as he hands his card to the lady in the margarita food truck. She points her finger at me. “He’s a keeper, honey.”
I blush, and I think back to all the times Jay and I split our bills together. A long time ago he’d said it would be unfair for the guy to pay for everything, so we took turns paying for meals when we went out. Now that Aiden has paid twice in a row, it’s really sweet, but I feel awkward. Like I owe him now.
We find an unoccupied bench in front of the Ferris Wheel, and I hurry and claim it before someone else does. Aiden laughs. “You don’t want to walk around?” he says, sitting next to me.
I shake my head. “I feel like I need some quiet calm time to get what just happened out of my head.”
“Calm time and tequila,” Aiden says, holding out his plastic cup.
I knock mine to his in a toast. “Amen. I can’t believe he tried to fight you. You have a broken wrist. It’s not like it’d be a fair fight.”
He shrugs. “I can’t exactly fight him without a broken wrist, either. Team Loco would kill me.”
“Shit, I didn’t think of that.”
He grins and tucks a strand of hair that had fallen out of my bun behind my ear. “Well, they wouldn’t kill me. But I’d most definitely get fired. And then finding a new race team would be hard.”
“Thanks for all of that,” I say, swallowing. I sit back against the cool metal bench seat and watch the lights of the carnival rides as they flicker and swirl. “You’re doing more than enough to help me. I really appreciate it.”
“I’m happy to,” he says, his voice soft.
I glance over at him and he’s gazing off into the distance too. His jawline looks sexy under the glow of the lights. The sun has pretty much set now, and the sky is a deep blue, illuminated by moonlight. Aiden looks so gorgeous right now. I can’t help myself.
I scoot over a little, until we’re right next to each other, and then I rest my head on his shoulder. Aiden takes a long sip of his margarita, finishing it off, then he tosses the empty cup ten feet through the air. It lands perfectly in a nearby trashcan.
He puts his arm around me and we sit like this for a long moment. I can smell his cologne, all woodsy and manly, and hear the beating of his heart. All around us, people are having a good time at the festival. This is nice. This is the best time I’ve had in a while.
Of course, it’s also fake. My heart squeezes. I’m still thinking about that kiss the other day and how much it took out of me. I’d liked it so much. I needed it. I wanted it. And that’s not okay. The last thing I need to do after having my heart broken is fall for a guy I can’t have.
I sit up.
“I feel like we need to set some ground rules,” I say. “Like… iron out the details of this fake relationship.”
Aiden’s brow quirks. “Is this about the ball pit kiss?”
My cheeks go warm. I nod. “Kind of. I mean…I think we should only do PDA type stuff if it’s for an audience…like to get our point across.”
“Sure,” Aiden says with a nod. “I understand.”
“Maybe even only in front of Jay or something,” I add. “Of course, we probably reached our goal tonight but… I want to make him extra jealous. I want him to think we’re dating for a long time and that it’s not just some one night fling.”
“I totally agree,” Aiden says. “That was fun earlier, but it wasn’t enough.”
I smile. “Okay so… no private making out,” I reiterate, even though it causes me physical pain to do so. I want to kiss him so badly, but I need to protect my heart first.
> “No private making out,” Aiden agrees.
Even though it’s totally my idea, it sucks that he agrees to it so easily. I guess a tiny stupid part of me hoped he would have fought back and suggested that we make out for fun in private, too. Of course that would be a bad thing. So I tell myself to stop being such an idiot.
I finish my margarita, and either that drink is strong, or I’m a lightweight because I can already feel my body warming and loosening up. I aim my cup toward the trashcan, moving my hand back and forth. Then I sigh. “There’s no way I’ll make that throw,” I say with a laugh that sounds a lot like a giggle in my tipsy state.
“I got you,” Aiden says, holding out his left hand. I give him the cup and he makes another perfect throw right into the trashcan.
“You’re so skilled,” I say, pretending to swoon. But I don’t have to pretend very hard.
He laughs. “You’re a little drunk.”
“No!” I protest, but then he gives me the cutest look and I burst into giggles. “Okay maybe just a little.”
Aiden’s grin is the cutest thing ever. “My little lightweight girlfriend,” he says. “I better keep an eye on you.”
“Psh.” I wave his worries away with my hand. “I’m good.”
He watches me, his lips curved up in a smile, and I feel my insides turn to actual mush. I don’t know how he does that, with his charm and ridiculously good looks. It’s hard to keep my hands off him normally, and now that tequila is flowing through my veins, it’s practically a herculean task.
“Hey,” I say, reaching out and touching his chest just for a second. “I have a question.”
When I move my hand off his chest, he grabs it and folds his fingers in mine. “Go for it.”
I swallow, remembering what my ex-boyfriend had told me. The thing that’s been bugging me nonstop. “Do guys have sex because they can’t help it?”
