CHECKING IT TWICE
Cainin’s — Collin’s — shoulders visibly stiffened. “You want me to be your boyfriend?”
She nodded. “Just for my office holiday party.” She thought about it. “And my family get-together.” She shrugged. “And my friends’ party.” Was that too much to ask? She shook her head. “About a month of your life. I’ll pay you.”
Collin leaned back and frowned, clearly confused. “Why?” He shook his head. “Why do you want me to do this?”
She sighed. “Like I said, my life’s been a little crazy this year and I just don’t want to add everyone knowing my boyfriend left me a month before Christmas to it.”
His brow furrowed further. “So instead you want to add a new boyfriend.”
“No.” Jeez, had this guy never read or watched a romantic comedy before? “You’ll roleplay as my old boyfriend, Rick.”
He balked. “Won’t people notice that I’m not him?”
Elena felt her face flush as she shrugged awkwardly. “No one’s actually met him.” She waved her hands dismissively. “We hadn’t been dating that long before my mom had her stroke, so I hadn’t introduced him to everyone before that.” She shrugged again. “And after that... well, it just never seemed like the time.”
Collin still looked skeptical. “What about social media? You guys don’t have pictures together or are friends on there or anything?”
She shook her head. “He doesn’t do social media and I pretty much only post pictures of my food and my family.” She leaned in. “Look, I’ve thought it all through. This will work.” She needed it to. Needed him to. She just couldn’t imagine going to all those parties and explaining to people how and why Rick had left her. She didn’t want her sad love life to be the topic of the night everywhere she went. After everything else this year, she just couldn’t bear it.
Collin fiddled with his mug, still seemingly unconvinced. “Why me?” When she only blinked at him blankly, he continued, “Why not just ask Rick? You said it hadn’t ended badly. You just didn’t have time for each other. Why not just ask him to get through the holidays, then part ways?”
Elena wrinkled her nose. It was like this guy had never had a breakup. “It’s not that simple. If I reach out to him, he might take it badly. Think I’m trying to get back together with him or emotionally manipulate him or something.” Plus, it’d just be too awkward. If Rick agreed to it, would they be in a relationship still? Again? There’d be a certain expectation of cuddling intimacy in front of people — kissing, holding hands, and the like — but what about in private? No. “This arrangement is better.” Simpler. “You’ll be Rick Gaines, my psychiatrist boyfriend when we’re together, and, when we’re not, you’ll go back to being you.” Simple. Easy. Clean. “What do you say?”
Collin sipped his drink, still looking unsure.
C’mon. She really needed this. Her mind raced for an enticing argument. “Think of it as a real-life Yes And story.”
———
Well, that was intriguing.
He pursed his lips and thought about it. Would it be that bad? Elena didn’t want to be alone for the holidays. Neither did he.
Plus, this could be an interesting opportunity. He tilted his head thoughtfully. “And you said you’d pay me?”
She nodded. “Sure, of course, that’s only fair.” She shrugged. “I didn’t really have a price in mind, but we can figure that out.”
He shook his head. “Parties usually mean free food, right?” She nodded. “How about you pay for things like parking, gas, and expenses?”
Her face brightened at his tacit, practically inevitable agreement. “Of course.”
He held up his hand. “But I do have another condition.”
She paused hesitantly. “What is it?”
Collin was sure she was worried about him asking her for something salacious or sinister. He supposed he was going to ask for something selfish.
And embarrassing.
He felt his shoulders slouch in on himself and the back of his neck heat with a burning blush. “Well, you know how in Yes And we’re not allowed to critique stories. They either succeed or fail on merit. If your story’s good, people will add to it. If it’s not...”
She nodded. “It fades into obscurity.”
He smiled, glad she understood. “And you never get to know why people didn’t like it; just that they don’t. And, if you try to ask why...”
“You get shot down by the members and the mods.” Everyone knew that. “Critiques cause too much in-fighting and drama. Plus, it’s not our jobs to teach people how to write.”
Sure, sure. He understood that. But what if it was? “Well, dating’s a lot like that, right?”
“I guess.” She looked at him incredulously. “You want me to critique your dating?”
He nodded. “It’s the best way to improve, right?”
———
Which meant he wasn’t great at dating now, didn’t it? Great. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. “What kind of issues did you have with your previous girlfriends?” Was he the clingy-type or a jerk? He hadn’t seemed like one online, but it was only online, through fiction. What did she really know about him anyway?
To be fair, it was about as much as she had about any of her partners before she met them for the first time, particularly the ones she’d met online.
Collin shrugged. “I don’t know. No one’s ever told me.”
Which was the whole point.
Elena pursed her lips thoughtfully. It was just one month of her life, right? And, in terms of payment, it was a pretty good deal.
Hopefully.
“Okay.” She breathed deep and held out her hand. “The deal is struck.”
He smiled, recognizing his own story line, which again made her feel inexplicably better. “Then I suppose we should begin...”
To read the rest, check out my geeky, holiday novella Checking It Twice.
Fake dating for Christmas? What a perfect plan!
The holidays are hard enough without life throwing snowy curveballs. Freshly dumped, Elena Torres is too busy to find a new date to all her holiday events. There just isn't enough time to find someone new for her office party, her family gathering, and her friends' get-together. So she strikes a deal with her roleplaying buddy, Collin Werther, to pretend to be her ex.
What could possibly go wrong?
Spice level: slow-burn to a kiss at the end
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