Page 17 of The Perils of Pretending
I open my mouth, then immediately close it. How do I tell my best friend I’m fake dating his sister? “Did you know your grandma’s here?”
“Grandma Sue!? No, I didn’t. Where did you see her?”
I understand his excitement. I met his Grandma Sue twelve years ago when she came up to the University of Utah campus and took Brody and me out to lunch because Brody was having a hard day after his dad’s funeral the week before. She greeted me with a hug and acted like I was her grandson, too. She’s amazing. His paternal grandma? Not so much. “Nope. Your other grandma.”
“Grandma Alice is here?” He groans. “I bet she flew down to make sure we all came.”
Wow. I’d say I’m shocked because that sounds insane, but from listening to the crazy controlling crank, it seems like something she would do.
I rub the back of my neck, trying to get the sudden warmth radiating within to go away. “Yeah. So. Um.” Words, man. Use your words. “Alice was laying into Sadie pretty bad about being single. I couldn’t stand there and do nothing, so I pretended to be Sadie’s boyfriend.” I grimace, waiting for his reaction.
“Did you kiss her?” he demands.
Why is that his first question and assumption? And he can bring down the protective brother role a few notches. “Come on. You know I wouldn’t do that.”
“Sorry. You’re right. What happened then?”
“Iinnocentlyput my hands on her shoulders and introduced myself as her boyfriend.”
“Go on.”
“There’s not much else to it. Your sister marched me off before your grandma and I spoke. But this way Sadie won’t be forced to meet some guy your grandma picked for her.”
Brody belts out a laugh. I pull my phone away from my head, flinching at the piercing ring reverberating in my eardrum. I’m grateful he thinks this is funny and doesn’t want to punch me.
“It’s a brilliant idea,” Brody says, still laughing.
The knot in my belly eases now that I know he thinks it’s a good idea. “Iama genius.”
“I agree. But be careful. I don’t want Sadie getting hurt,” Brody warns.
Sadie gets annoyed with me quite easily. I highly doubt she’s going to suffer any pain from our plan except having to say I’m her boyfriend. “Got it.”
“We’re next in line. Anything else?”
“I need you to switch seats with me. Sadie and I need to sit by each other to make your grandma believe we’re together.”
“Are you in the last row of the plane again?”
“Lucky for you, I’m not.”
“Fine. I’ll move.”
I sigh, relieved he’s willing to help. “Thanks, man. Oh, and promise you won’t say anything to anyone but your mom?”
“I have to tell Daphne. She’ll get a kick out of it. Besides her, I promise not to tell a soul.”
“Thank you.”
“You bet.”
I hang up, heading back toward Sadie. She’s pacing past a wall of wine. I wait until she’s done talking to her mom.
“Okay. My mom isn’t thrilled with the idea, but she’s willing to go along with it to help me have an enjoyable vacation rather than a miserable one. What did Brody say?”
“He laughed and told me not to break your heart.”
Sadie smiles, amused. “The flight is less than four hours. My heart will be fine.”
