Page 2 of Fake Dating the Dragon
“He got a job at daddy’s firm a few months ago. I thought Mom would have told you.”
We dated when I was in high school. He was great on paper, came from a good family, had all A’s, and was respectful towards my parents. In theory, Roger was a great prospective husband, but not for me.
We wanted vastly different futures. He was going to go into finance, while I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to do. I felt so much pressure from him to choose a path, which ultimately soured the relationship. It took years for my mom to let me live down the breakup. Though she still likes to bring him up from time to time whenever she needs to prove a point.
“Why would she invitehim?”I fail to hide my scowl.
“Probably wants to rekindle something between the two of you.” Hazel teases.
It looks like we’re going to have to have ‘the talk’ where I let her know I’m not planning on having kids.Ever. A fate absolutely unheard of for a rabbit shifter.
“She’s probably trying to look out for you.” Violet says, “She’s worried you might be lonely.”
Sure, her single daughtermustbe lonely. My worth is decided based on whether I have a man in my life. The entire conversation is enough to make my blood boil.
“I was actually thinking about bringing my boyfriend,” The words spill out before I can stop them. I stare down at the menu, the aftershock of my lie making me sick.
There is no boyfriend. No one has gotten past the first date in over six months. Not for lack of trying on my part, it’s how dismal the dating pool is these days.
“Did you finally get the courage to ask him out?” Hazel asks, cutting through my anxiety to feed the flames.
“Who?” Mari chirps, looking up from her menu. She’s practically vibrating with excitement to tell our mother about my new ‘boyfriend’.
“Anakin,” Hazel teases. I nudge their sneaker with my own, and they straighten.“Maybe I’m wrong.”
Hazel means the hot guy across the street, Asher, who looks a lot like Anakin Skywalker from Attack of the Clones, earning him the affectionate codename I’ve only mentioned to Hazel and Shae in the strictest confidence. Until now.
Sure, I take a twenty-minute detour out of my morning commute to walk in front of Dragon’s Lair, the game store Asher owns, hoping to glimpse him in another of his natural habitats.
It’s an innocent crush. It’s not like I’m trying to position myself so we could strike up a conversation and fall madly in love or like I’ve had elaborate dreams of our rom-com worthy meet-cute.No, I am completely normal about Asher.
“Well, Anakin or whoever he is. We cannot wait to meet him, Penny,” Mari says, resting her hand on my shoulder.
Me too.
TWO
Penny
“Hazel invoked Anakin,right there, in front of your sisters?” Shae’s voice peaks through my earbuds, making my head feel a little funny.
“Yep.” I shield my eyes, walking out of the bookstore, grabbing my sunglasses from my purse. The glare on the way home is always torture around this time, and I’m not saved by it being a chilly day. “I don’t think they meant anything by it. They assumed I had gushed about him to the others.”
“Hopefully Marigold won’t betray girl code and let your mom know about the slip.”
I can almost guarantee our mother already knows. I don’t fault my twin for talking about Anakin, but there’s a reason we don’t tell Mari our secrets. She learned early on they were a currency, especially when we were a little too old to play dress-up with her.
I slow down, a cute gold necklace catching my eye in the shop window. The pendant looks like a tiny flower with pale pink gemstones for the petals.
“How funny would it be if I showed up to the Christmas Eve party with you on my arm?” I ask.
I’m acutely aware of Shae’s silence on the other end of the phone. Usually she would quip about being my forever plus one and how she’s going to be fending off creepers when we’re both old ladies in the retirement home.
We’ve been friends forever—well, technically Shae was Hazel’s friend first, a fact that they will never let me forget. But we got close in high school, and I eventually followed her out to Madison for college.
“Shae?” I ask.
“Actually, I’m spending Christmas in Colorado with Harry’s family. It was kind of a last-minute decision, and I know it’s a huge step. I’ve only met his parents a couple of times when they fly in to visit and on the odd video call. Penny, it really feels like he’s going to propose.”
