Page 26 of Fake Dating the Silver Fox

Lark swipes at her eyes. “Just ignore the haters.”

My stomach clenches. “The haters?”

She rolls her eyes. “Forget about them. They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

The permanent smile on my face drops. “Whatarethey saying?”

Lark arches a brow. “You sure you want to know?”

“Of course I want to know. Wouldn’t you?”

Lark pulls her phone from her pocket and swipes until she finds the post of me and Graham kissing in the park. “It’s the general troll comments.She should lay off the burgers. She dresses weird.Geez, there are over one hundred comments and a thousand likes.”

My stomach relaxes. “That’s not that bad. So, they think I’m fat and have no style? I couldn’t care less.”

“Because you know you’re hot and you’re a fashion queen!” Lark gives me a high five.

“Maybe not right now.” My jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers aren’t the height of style, but they serve their purpose for grooming dogs. “But wait until tonight. Graham said to wear my favorite outfit tonight.”

“The mermaid set?”

“You know me too well.”

I have an outfit made from a shimmery greenish-blue material that reminds me of a mermaid tail. The color makes my eyes look stunning, and every time I wear it, I get no less than a dozen compliments. It’s a little on the sexy side, with its low-cut bodice and high slit up the skirt, but I don’t think Graham will mind.

He’s seen it all and appreciated it already.

“Where’s he taking you?” Lark continues to swipe through the comments, wincing every once in a while, as she reads.

“He didn’t say.” I reach out and grab the phone from her. “Stop reading those comments. There’s nothing that can hurt me in there.”

And then I do the unthinkable. I read one.

My throat tightens, constricting my airway. “They think I’m a gold digger?”

“What does it matter? You know it’s not true.”

Graham warned me about women who were only after him for money. It’s happened to him before.

There’s more than one comment about me being after Graham’s money and fame. Every other comment is another accusation.

I hand Lark her phone with a defeated sigh. “That sucks.”

“People suck,” Lark says brightly, as if she’s talking about the weather, not society’s flaws. “But you can’t let it get to you. You really like this guy, right?”

My head bobs. “I really do.”

“Good.” Lark slings her arm around my shoulder. “I’m covering the rest of your shift, you can pay me back when I need you to fill in for me.” She steers me toward the store’s entrance. “Go home and get fabulous.”

I check the clock. “There’s only fifteen minutes left.”

She winks. “I know.”

“I expect you’ll want me to cover an entire shift?”

She hands me my purse from under the counter and points me toward the door. “That’s what friends are for.”

Two hours later,I open my front door and see Graham decked out in a navy suit.

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