Page 52 of The Fake
At Golden, I had a variety of friends. Being part of a team gives you an instant set of friends—well, assuming they don’t resent everything about you and wish you had never come to their college—but it’s nice to have people outside of that world too. Sometimes a girl needs to vent and let loose.
Being on a team is a delicate balance of friendship and respect. Camila was the best of both worlds. Outside of volleyball we still have a lot in common. We were paired together right off freshman year and were inseparable on and off the sand until I left.
Gabby spots me from the table she’s sitting at. She waves and stands and starts walking to greet me. Three more heads turn to look at me from her table.
“I’m so glad you came,” she says, hugging me and pulling me toward the group. “This is Blair, Vanessa, and Katrina.” She points to each of them individually. “Guys, this is Chloe. I was just telling the girls that Nathan finally settled down.”
Smiling awkwardly, I take a seat at the fifth chair they’ve pulled up to the end of the table.
“You need a drink?” the girl to my right asks and I nod. “I was just about to get a refill. Come on.” The bartender is busy, so we take a seat on the stools to wait. “I’m Blair,” she reintroduces herself. Long brown hair falls over her shoulders and brown eyes nearly the same shade take me in with a friendly glint.
“Wes’ girlfriend, right?”
Her smile could light up the neon signs hung all around. “That’s right. How long have you been dating Nathan? I haven’t seen him much since Wes moved out.”
“Not long.” I can’t bear to tell any more lies so I decide I’m going to keep it as vague as possible tonight.
Blair fills me in on much of the same details Gabby did when I first met her about the dynamic between the group as the bartender gets our drinks. When we return to the table, Vanessa leans forward, her elbows resting on the hard wood, and her shoulder-length brown hair falling into her face. “I need some serious details on what Nathan is like as a boyfriend. I pictured him all caveman, not letting his woman out of his sight, but here you are with no obvious ball and chain.”
The other girls are nodding and grinning.
“He’s…” I search for adjectives. “Sweet.”
Vanessa purses full lips that are coated in a bold purple shade and her big eyes narrow skeptically. Her facial expression says far more than her words. Or word, in this case. “Sweet?”
Nodding, I take a sip of my drink.
Gabby saves me, her blonde hair falling forward. “You should see how he looks at her. It’s swoon city.”
“Have you guys said I love you yet?” Blair asks at the same time Gabby asks, “Does he have a cute nickname for you? I love those.”
And Vanessa. “Is he good in bed?”
Gabby covers her ears. “No, I can’t hear about Nathan’s penis.” She looks at me. “Nathan is gorgeous, and I love him, but these three have already traumatized me enough with vivid details about their boyfriends’ penises. I hope his dick is long, thick, and beautiful, but it’s hard to unlearn those sorts of details.”
We all laugh at the same time, which saves me from answering. Instead, I say, “It’s still new, but I like him a lot.”
That much at least is totally true.
18
Nathan
I’mon the couch playing video games when my phone starts blowing up with texts.
Gabs: I LOVE Chloe. Good work.
Joel: Finishing up with a late workout. Wanna crash girls’ night?
Frank: Need to talk to you. Give me a call.
Heath:
I open the meme Heath has sent and chuckle. It’s our main form of communication, sending them back and forth every day when we don’t have anything else to talk about. I respond with one of my own, and I’m getting ready to text Joel back about going out when the phone rings in my hand. Frank.
“What’s up?” I answer. “I was just about to hit you back.”
“Got something for you.”
