Page 32 of Fake Dating Adrian Hunter
Nothing is clear between Adrian and me, so I settle for saying, “I bet you’re enjoying torturing me.”
“Loving it.” He drapes an arm over my shoulder.
I scoot away, whispering, “Jake and Isabelle aren’t around.”
“This charade has gone far beyond fooling our exes. Our moms can’t stop radiating with joy at the sight of us.”
Our whispering comes to an end as Phoebe pipes up with a question for the group. “Who’s looking forward to our day out at sea tomorrow?”
George nods. “Diving in the Great Barrier Reef has been on my bucket list for years.”
“Day out at sea?” I repeat.
“It’s in the schedule,” Adrian tells me. “You up for some snorkeling?”
“Sure. What’s the day’s plan?”
“We’ve hired a luxury yacht for all of our guests,” Tory explains, bouncing with excitement. “We leave first thing in the morning and sail out to the reef. After lunch on the yacht, we head to Whitehaven Beach. I’m sure you’ve seen photos of it. It’s that magnificent beach with the pristine sand marbled through the water. They feature it in all the tourism promotions.”
“Sounds amazing.”
“Can’t wait,” Dad says, shuffling cards. “All right, everyone, listen up for the rules of this game. When it’s your team’s turn, one of you will pick a card from the box and describe the word on it to your partner. If your partner guesses correctly, you move onto the next card. The aim is to get as many right answers as possible before the sand timer runs out. Everyone understand?”
We all nod.
“I’ll be terrible at this game, just warning you all,” I say.
“I’m sure you’ll do great, kid. How about we go first?” Dad says to Mom. “Tory, flip the sand timer.” She does, and Dad rushes for his first card. “Hmm… It’s an action. Babies do this when they’re hungry.”
“Eat?” Mom answers.
“No. What sound do they make?”
“Screaming?”
“No! Vanessa, it’s so obvious.”
“Clearly it’s not!”
“Crying!” He clicks his tongue and moves to the next card. “Oh, okay, this one will be easier. Think of Shakespeare’s play.The Taming of the…?”
“I don’t know Shakespeare.”
“How can you not know this title? The answer isShrew!”
The rest of their turn continues in the same fashion. It’s a complete disaster as everyone watches them bicker over words, until Tory announces, “Time!”
I’m dreading my turn. Mom and Dad are usually so calm and articulate. This game is a nightmare waiting to unwind, and I’m not sure if Adrian’s and my fragile relationship can survive it.
“How many words did your team guess?” George asks Dad.
“One.”
“Ouch. Better luck next time.”
“We’ll do much better,” Mom says, pointedly, “becauseI’llbe the caller.”
Tory and Phoebe aren’t much of an improvement when their turn arrives, and I’m learning a whole new side to Dad that I never knew existed. A competitive and annoying side.
