Page 36 of Good Girl's Guide to Love
I don’t get to say anything else as Katie brings her phone to her ear and promptly exits my apartment.
I keep thinking about it as I head back down the hall to Ainsley, who is probably having a small stroke over all this drama. A public relations relationship? That sounds like shit out of the movies, not something in my real life. Fake dating was one thing when we were making Dr. Dipshit jealous. But to do this on a long-term basis? Asking her to give up part of her life to help me? That’s something I can’t ask her to do.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” I say as I take my seat back next to her. “What Katie suggested, it was un?—”
“I’ll do it.”
I don’t know if I’m more surprised that Ainsley cut me off or what she said. “Ainsley, I’m going to tell her no.”
“Or you can tell her yes.”
Where’s the shy woman I met last night? Or the one I bumped into at the hospital who said three words? “It’s not that simple.”
“It actually is,” she says. “See, there’s this thing called a cell phone. And when you call her, you say ‘yes, we’re in.’”
Now I’m laughing. “Sarcasm? Not what I expected from you.”
She shrugs. “It’s the caffeine. Makes me sassy.”
God, she needs to quit being adorable or I’m going to say yes to this crazy idea.
“I appreciate you wanting to do this. But really, you don’t have to.”
“I know. I want to. For both of us.”
Damn, I didn’t expect this kind of stubborn from her. “Ainsley, I say this with all of the love a fake boyfriend can, but are you still drunk?”
She laughs and stands up from the island, making her way to my living room like she already lives here. I follow as if I’m under a spell. And you know what? Maybe I am. That has to be it. She’s drunk, and I’m hexed.
“Katie’s right, this will help you,” she says as she sits on my couch. “I was scrolling some social media while you two were talking. I can’t believe just from a few photos how…everywhere….we are.”
“It’s nuts. And it won’t get better if we do this. But are you ready to have cameras following you around?”
“My building has great security. And as long as they stay off of hospital property, I think I can survive.”
I appreciate her courage, but I can tell in her voice that she’s trying to talk herself up to this more than anything.
“And then there’s the whole Jonathan situation.”
Oh. Yeah. Dipshit. “He’s the reason we’re here in the first place. I guess it would help you to have a reason at work to tell him to go fuck himself.”
She laughs. “The day I tell someone to go eff themselves is…well…who knows, now? I got drunk last night and sang karaoke. And I thought those things would never happen.”
Her lightness relaxes me a bit, letting me truly look at this woman. She’s willing to give up so much for me. I’m a virtual stranger. Sure, having a fake boyfriend to fend off an ex isconvenient, but the long and short of it is that she’s giving up a lot for me than I am for her.
“Ainsley, are you sure about this? You’d be giving up your life, for however long this would go on. I’m sure you have dates to go on. Actual ones with guys who can give you futures. I’m not that guy, and I don’t want to be the one to hold you back. Especially when I know that I can never be anything more than fake to you.”
There. I said it. Cards on the table.
Part of me expected her to nod her head, agree with me, and gather her things and go. A shake of the hand maybe for an interesting night.
Then I remembered I’ve learned this woman is stubborn. So not only does she not waiver, she moves in closer and takes my hand.
Seriously, who is this enigma of a woman?
“First of all, there are no dates. Which should probably be more embarrassing to admit, but it’s the truth.”
She has to be just saying that. Men should be pounding down doors and starting wars for a chance with her. Hell, I almost did.
