Page 102 of The Fake
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Chloe
“There he is!”Gabby screams and jumps up and down as Zeke takes the court.
He’s easy to spot since Gabby has shown me about a million pictures of them together, but even if she hadn’t, the way he’s looking at her would have clued me in.
Nathan hands me my loaded fries and rings and takes the seat next to me with his hot dog.
Our group is taking up most of an entire row. Zeke got us floor seats behind the team and it’s exciting. I don’t know a lot about the players or teams, but the energy at sporting events feeds my soul.
Nathan and I switch seats two minutes into the game because Gabby is killing my eardrums. The girl can yell, and she’s making sure the entire place knows how proud she is of her man. It’s adorable… from a distance.
At the half, Nathan’s boss Lincoln comes over to say hello. I gotta admit, I’m not exactly sure what it is Nathan’s doing for him, but he loves doing whatever it is.
Lincoln extends a hand when Nathan introduces me. Tan skin and dark hair, tall and athletic build. He’s a little older, but he’s a good-looking guy. He doesn’t hold a candle to my man, but I’m not blind.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Same.”
Nathan makes introductions all the way around, and my boyfriend looks so proud and happy amongst his friends.Ourfriends. They’ve become so much more than people I know because of him. I’d love them regardless because of how good they’ve been to Nathan, but I love them even more for how good they’ve been to me.
We told them all the truth about our fake relationship, and they took it in stride. Gabby was a little hurt, I think, that Nathan didn’t trust her with it sooner, but when he told her that it was because he didn’t want to admit how much he really wanted the girl—me—she forgave him and we both swooned a bit.
Lincoln shakes Nathan’s hand as the buzzer sounds, signaling the start of the second half. “I’ll call you this week. Enjoy the game.”
“Boss seems nice,” I say after he’s gone.
“Yeah, I think so too.”
“I thought his specialty was golf. Why is he at an NBA game?”
Nathan shakes his head. “He’s everywhere. Last weekend, he was at a Brewers game in the executive suite.”
“Fancy.”
He pulls me to him and wraps his arms around me, resting his hands on my lower back. “You wanna hang in the executive suites, princess?”
“I want to hang wherever you are.”
* * *
Nathan
I watch Chloe make her way out to the aisle with Blair to hit the ladies’ room.
Gabby leans over, following my line of vision. “So, when are you going to ask her to marry you?”
“What?” My head snaps around to meet her grinning face. “I’m not… We’re not…”
Gabby bites back a smile while I spiral. It’s not that I don’t see a future with her but it’s so soon.
“You’re blushing, Nathan Payne.”
My cheeks do feel warm, so I take a sip of my Coke and try to focus on the game. Of course, Gabby is having none of that. She nudges me with her elbow. “What? I see the way you look at her. She’s it for you. Your whole damn world. It’s the same way Zeke looks at me.”
Her eyes flit to the court and if that look she’s talking about is anything like the one she has on her face right now, I can see how my feelings are so transparent to her.
