Page 28 of The Purest Fake

Oh my God. He did?

You did?

Yep. And I can’t wait to watch the next one too.

Thank you. I’ll send you the link when it’s live.

Will I see you at the game on Sunday?

That’s the plan. I’ll be sitting with Autumn.

Make sure you cheer extra loud when I score a touchdown.

Okay. I can do that, but your end zone dance needs to be better.

Isn’t scoring enough?

I snicker as I type my reply.

Nope. I’m greedy.

I’ll see what I can do.

Google is your friend. You should try utilizing it.

Ouch. You should have some faith in your boyfriend.

I think you meant to say my boytoy.

We’re doing names already? I’ll have to come up with one for you.

Smiling, I respond.

Just focus on your end zone dance for now.

I’m great at multitasking.

I don’t believe you.

Why not?

Because you’re a man, and men can’t multitask.

Guess I’ll have to prove you wrong.

I’ll see you at the game.

See ya then.

I set my phone down, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness about Sunday’s game. It will be my first time attending as Cooper’s “girlfriend,” and I’m not sure what to expect. Will people recognize me? Will I be expected to act a certain way?

I try to push those thoughts aside and focus on finishing my podcast edits. But my mind keeps drifting back to Cooper. He’s so easy to talk to, even through messages.

Part of me wonders if I’m getting in too deep with this fake relationship. The lines between pretend and reality can easily blur, especially with Cooper being such a likable guy. But I’m sure I can control my feelings for the duration of the football season.

Besides, Cooper’s on his way to being a rising star in the league. There’s no way he’ll allow himself to be distracted from his goals.

Still, I can’t deny the little flutter in my stomach when I think about seeing him on Sunday. I tell myself it’s just excitement about attending the game, not about seeing Cooper specifically. But deep down, I know that’s not entirely true.

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