Page 62 of Fake Dating Adrian Hunter
“Yeah, wellIneed an escape fromyou.” Penny grabs a towel and heads for the front door.
Zac follows after her. “Where are you going?”
“Don’t follow me.” The door slams shut behind her, and Zac curses.
I join Darius, sitting on the armrest of his couch. “Please tell me I didn’t start that fight.”
“Are you kidding?” Darius whispers. “Of course you did, but don’t feel bad. During the flight here, Penny was picking fights with Zac over everything. At one point, she blamed him because my nose whistled when I breathed. I was wearing noise canceling headphones and could still hear her nagging him.”
Zac paces back and forth by the front door, raking both hands through his hair. “I should go after her.”
“Give her a chance to calm down,” Darius tells him.
“That’s an abusive relationship if I’ve ever seen one,” I say. “I don’t know how much longer I can be supportive—”
“Verena, please,” Zac grumbles, returning to us on the deck. “Not now. I messed up and need to go after her.”
“You didnotmess up.” I have never seen anyone more committed to fixing something that should remain broken. Zac is, like, the perfect husband. “She’s gaslighting you.”
“She’s not. She’s just… upset about that gossip article.”
“Shehad an affair, and yet you’re the one in trouble?”
Darius stands from the chair and pats a firm hand on Zac’s shoulder. “I hate to say it, but Verena is right.”
Zac pinches between his eyes like he has a headache. “I can’t lose her.”
“Give her some time to cool down. Come with me and Verena to the dress fittings. It will help clear your mind.”
* * *
Darius and Zac’s arrival at the resort has everyone running around in excited flutters. During our walk to Tory’s bungalow for the dress fittings, the three of us have to stop several times for them to sign autographs. All throughout Tory’s fitting, the only thing I hear are the bridesmaids, Stacy and Nia, asking Darius to take selfies with them and for Zac to perform a serenade from his latest Broadway show. The girls get a rude shock when Zac turns them down, realizing what a grump he is when out of the spotlight.
If I had any concerns about Adrian falling for this fake romance with Darius—because to me, Darius is so totally gay—those doubts are all eliminated by the way Nia hasn’t stopped licking her lips at the sight of Darius. And that Stacy, a married woman, flushes when questioning him if he’s single. Those who aren’t close with Darius never suspect he is gay. He doesn’t fit the flamboyant stereotypes that many people associate with gays. His voice is deep. He dresses well and has a passion for style, but it’s in a rugged male model way. There’s a masculinity about him and his mannerisms.
“You want to know if I’m single?” Darius peers up at Stacy, kneeling at her feet as he pins the hem of her dress. “Why?”
“I thought maybe you and Verena were… you know…”
Darius peeks over his shoulder at me, winking. I laugh and look away.
“That!” Stacy pounces, pointing between Darius and me. “I see it on camera too. You have this chemistry. You’re even wearing matching outfits. What do you guys call that again—DICKotomyor something? That dictionary you have is so bizarre.”
DICKotomy:Any instance where Verena and Darius unintentionally dress in similar outfits, flaunting their telepathic bond. The phrase “DICKotomy” was coined in season one, episode three, ofValentine’s Day, when Darius tried to teach Verena the meaning of dichotomy by using an example of their matching outfits, and how they are not dichotomous. Verena repeated the word out loud but mispronounced it asdickotomy. The two friends (lovers) thought her mistake was hilarious and decided “dickotomy” needed to become an official word between them with its own meaning.
It’s true, Darius and I are wearing matching outfits today, which wasn’t planned, but makes us look like a cute couple. We’re both dressed from head to toe in white. I’m in a summery playsuit that has slits from ankle to thigh, allowing the fabric to ripple in the wind when I walk. Darius is in full-length trousers and a button-down shirt rolled to his biceps—that also ripples in the wind when he walks. Together, we’re like Beyoncé with a constant fan on us. #BestFriendGoals.
Stacy continues with her questioning of Darius and me. “Verena flew you all the way to Australia. What does Adrian have to say about this?”
Beside her, Nia’s face falls flat at Stacy’s implications. She tries to disguise her disappointment by helping Tory choose earrings for the big day.
Zac pours himself a glass of wine, making a mockery of my situation with sarcasm. “I don’t appreciate being left out of the drama. Verena flew me and my wife out too. Maybe she’s romantic with us as well. We’re all in one big polyamorous relationship.”
“Really?” Stacy latches on to the suggestion, taking him seriously.
I whip Zac with a tape measure, warning him to shut up. “He’s joking.”
Stacy gives me a sharp smile. “Say what you want, but I think I’ve caught onto something between you and Darius. You better be careful, Verena.” Of course she pronounces my name correctly in front of other people so they can’t call her out.
