Page 39 of Fake Dating Adrian Hunter
I take another bite, growling at how much I’ve missed the caramelized orange juice sauce. “Adrian, you are the best!” I gasp at that statement, realizing what I’ve admitted.
“It’s okay. We can pretend you never said that.”
Before the embarrassment sinks in, a bout of panic rushes over me, because how could I have been so stupid, eating food without checking if it’s safe for me? “Please tell me this food is gluten-free. I’m celiac.”
“Of course it is. I’m not so evil that I would poison you.”
My vision narrows on him. “How did you know I’m celiac? I wasn’t diagnosed until my early twenties.”
“I saw the episode of your show where you were confined to the bathroom the entire time.”
“Adrian, that didnothappen. I’ve never spoken about the disease on camera.”
He’s laughing again. “Your mom told me during one of our many phone conversations. It’s quite interesting what will come out of that woman’s mouth when she’s talking about you.”
“Oh, yes, these monthly chats you have with her. I still can’t believe she calls you. I’m so sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for? Your mom and I arebestfriends. I look forward to her phone calls every month.”
I smile at his joke. “So, you know I’m celiac. Tell me something about you so we can level the playing field.”
“I’m not celiac.”
“Oh, that’s real smart. How do you spend your free time?”
Adrian buries his hands in his pockets. “I guess I’ve thrown myself into work since becoming single. My life is pretty boring. I stare at numbers all day as an accountant, then hit the gym in the evenings.”
“That sounds depressing. What do you do for fun?” I pop another forkful of crepes into my mouth.
“There’s a lake near my apartment I run laps around.”
“How is running fun?”
His gaze rests upon me with warmth, and I’m dying to know what he’s thinking. “To tell you the truth, Vee, I haven’t enjoyed myself in a long time. This vacation is a nice change for me.”
“Seven years. We haven’t seen each other in seven years, Adrian, and this is all the information I get? There has to be something else you can tell me.”
He runs a hand through his hair, contemplating what to say. “I… got a girl pregnant once.”
The crepe loses all taste. My gaze pins to him, and I hope the look in my eyes isn’t as vicious as I feel inside. Whoever this girl is, I officially hate her. I hate myself for even thinking that.
“Only once?” I ask.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Come on, I saw the way you acted around girls in high school. And with all of this… perfection,” I do some weird hand gesture toward his body, “I’m sure you could get a girl pregnant just by looking at her.”
He bites the corner of his lip again, grinning at me. “Guess you’re having our unborn love child.”
“Ew, gross. Stop looking at me.” I laugh, dropping my eyes back to the crepes. I’m certain my cheeks are turning red, and that I’ve never heard anything so hot.
Once my temperature is under control, I clear my throat and meet his gaze. “So… what happened with the girl?”
“She lost the baby early on. Maybe it was for the best. We were only twenty,” he says matter-of-factly, like it was no big deal. He’s hiding it well, but there’s a trace of sadness in his tone.
A strange pang of guilt hits my chest, that I wasn’t there to console Adrian through the loss. The feeling is ridiculous because we weren’t on speaking terms at the time. But I can’t deny wishing I’d been there for him as a friend.
“Do you want kids?” I ask.
