Page 3 of My Fearless Fake Fling

Right then my phone took the opportunity to ping with a text from Deirdre, the girl I thought was my friend.

Hey, Kam. Got some news,think you need to hear.

The traitor. Why in the world would she text me? Just to get her jollies? Rub it in crazy Kami’s face and report back to New Zealand Kiki?

So much betrayal swirling around, those damn tears started falling again—and in front of that donkey’s butt to boot.

Ugh, I should’ve stayed in bed this morning.

“I can’t do this.” I admitted my feelings, slammed back the last of my drink, swiped my phone from the table, and pushed back my chair to stand.

The tears rolled harder now. A downpour.

“What the hell did that text say?” he asked.

“Nothing. Never mind. I’m a coward, a loser. We all know, the whole fricking world knows. I’m a coward and a loser. Don’t worry. You won’t see me again.”

“Hey.Stop.” He shot his hand out to catch my wrist, holding tight, despite me pulling hard at his hand to get him to release me. “Kami. Stop.”

For some reason hearing him use my name made me not only stop trying to loosen his hold, but sit back down in my seat, too. I didn’t even know he’d learned my name.

“What’d the text say?” he asked again. Too stunned to answer, I pushed my phone at him to read.

“That’s not so bad… unless… you already know what she wants to tell you, don’t you?”

I nodded.

“But it’s worse than that.” Then, to this virtual stranger, I launched into my tale of woe, from the breakup with Brian to finding Deirdre’s comment.

He looked understanding, enough that I let my guard down. Today, of all days, I should have known better than to let my guard down.

The rat grabbed my phone and texted her back.

From my phone:I already know. He’s a cheater. You’re a traitor and I couldn’t give two shites about either of you.

My first thought was he even made it sound as if I’d sent the text, avoiding the swears. I typically tried not to swear. Everyone who knew me knew I didn’t like the swears. But that only lasted a moment, because then I remembered to be mortified.

“What are you doing?” I screamed, straining to snatch my phone back. He, of course, being larger, broader of shoulder, with a wider arm span, kept me from reaching it.

To my surprise, she came back right away:Kami, I don’t know what you’re talking about.

To which he replied:Listen, my boyfriend is here. I have to go.

Too late, because it happenedafterhe hitsend, I managed to snag the phone back.

“What are you doing?” I repeated myself, hissing instead of screaming. I was livid and clearly the screaming did no good. “Idon’t havea boyfriend. We know too many of the same people. Now she’s going to see me as not just a coward loser, but a desperate, lying coward loser.” The last part wasn’t hissed because once the reality sunk in, my sadness and embarrassment replaced my anger.

He folded his hand over mine. “Listen, I have a month before I have to leave. I’ll pretend to be your boyfriend. We’ll take some pictures. You can post them.”

“It won’t work. Deirdre lives in town. She sees your face, she’ll remember it. What happens when she sees you out cavorting with other women? It would make me even more pathetic than I am now.”

“It’s only a month. I just won’t date anyone until I have to leave.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“It is simple, Kami. I got you into this mess. Let me help you out of it.”

“Why do you care?”

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