Page 27 of Make it Real
“Dating is all about concealing who you really are, curating yourself to show only your best features in the hopes you get that next date. Can’t go too deep or too dark, or you’ll scare the person off. I’m not the best at that.Relationshipsare about going all in and sharing who you really are with someone, showing them all your best and worst bits. That’s more what I’m cut out for, but I’ve learned people don’t like it when you dive into the deeper stuff first.”
A weight pressed against my ribs, although I couldn’t say exactly why. Maybe the thought of Callie editing herself to make some guy feel more comfortable. Or maybe because the people I’d allowed to see the deeper parts of me didn’t extend beyond my immediate family. Sometimes not even then.
“What about you?” she asked.
I smiled wide. “I’m good at dating.”
She watched me a full minute, apparently waiting for me to spill my guts. Examining me. Quite possibly judging me. All of her staring made me weirdly itchy. “What?”
“I just told you my whole dating versus relationships philosophy, and you won’t tell me anything about you?”
“I don’t have a dating philosophy.”
Like her stern look, her glare proved more adorable than frightening. “Then tell me something I should know about my fake boyfriend. At least give me some pet peeves to work with.”
“You should probably ix-nay on the ake-fay if you’re trying to sell this thing.”
She looked around the pizza place, but nobody was close enough to have heard her.
“You’re right. You’re my boyfriend.”
She emphasized the word with a resolute nod paired with a sassy little wink. This woman would be the death of me, I swear.
I leaned back, trying to come up with something to give her.
“Pet peeves, okay. I can’t stand when someone says ‘Don’t take this personally’ and then says something personally offensive. I don’t like calendar apps or alarm clocks. People who say ‘It’s my way or the highway.’ Chewing sounds turn my stomach. I’d rather be with a crowd of strangers than alone in the silence any day.”
That last one…might have been more than just a pet peeve. Wasn’t quite the moment for cracking my heart open to figure out what hid inside, though.
“But didn’t you have to get up early and have people tell you to do things their way in the Army?”
“Yep. That’s why I don’t do it anymore.” Still woke up before dawn most days, but I didn’t have anyone blaring into my ear that I had to, and that made all the difference.
“Fair.”
“Your turn for pet peeves.” Now I could watch and wait whileshesquirmed under my gaze.
“I don’t have to go, I already said that other stuff.”
“But I need to know about my girlfriend.”
All this tossingboyfriendandgirlfriendaround worked a strange tingling through my chest, like a muscle overcome by pins and needles as it woke up. Wasn’t entirely sure I liked the feeling.
“Well… I don’t like when people forget plans. Or talk during movies. Or when I’m in a big store and two people stop with their carts in the middle of the aisle to have a chat. When I go to the hardware store and men ask me why my husband isn’t handling all that for me. When people act like they know what’s best for me.”
I could guess where her mind had gone there. This whole scenario had come out of her grandma thinking she knew what would be best for her. Coming from a place of love didn’t make it any easier to take. I could relate, what with Pop’s gentle nudges in whatever direction he saw fit.
“Oh, and trucks that are way too big for normal-sized humans to get into.”
“Feels oddly specific, Callie Lou.”
She grinned wide, and I had to stop for a second just to appreciate the sight. How had I never realized she had a dimple? Just the one, which seemed more remarkable than if she’d had a matching set. Surely, I’d noticed it—I’d just never thought about it before. But here it was, one perfect indentation in her full right cheek.
Kind of liked that smug smile on her.
“What sort of projects have you been doing that they’re giving you a hard time about at the hardware store?”
“I did a drip system for Gran’s flower beds this spring. They didn’t trust I was buying the right parts.” She rolled her eyes as if to sayMen. “I put up some wainscoting in the living room, and they wanted to be sure I had someone who could install it for me. Like nail guns are so hard to figure out.”
