Page 3 of Fake Dating the Dragon
“Seriously?! Shae, that is amazing.” I smile, catching the eye of the employee in the glass, then turning away. “I’m so happy for you.” Then, taking a deep breath, I say, “You know what? I’m going to tell them I made it all up.”
“Well, hold on a minute,” Shae cuts in. “You have a little over three weeks to come up with a boyfriend. We can go through your roster later when I get home.”
She means well, but if it were true, I wouldn’t have needed to lie. It’s difficult to date as a shifter. With a secret so big, I have to vet whomever I let into my life.
Imagine meeting his parents for the first time, and I get so nervous I shift. One second I’m there, and the next there’s a little white rabbit sitting at the table in front of a plate of fettuccine Alfredo.
“What roster?” I ask, turning and walking down the street, “I haven’t been on a second date in close to a year, and my talking stages haven’t lasted more than a few hours.’
Shae is silent for a moment then asks, “What about the guy with the eyebrows?”
“Eyebrowstexted me the morning of our date and asked me if I would “be cool” with picking him up from the airport, remember?”
“That was eyebrows? I thought it was ‘fancy milk cartons as a headboard’.”
“No,hecancelled our date at the museum and asked me to come over to his apartment instead.”
She laughs, “I can’t believe they’re so trusting. You’re going to have to rob one of these dudes someday.”
The dating pool definitely has algae. I mean, I’d date another rabbit shifter, but some of them objectify bunnies real quick. They think they’re God’s gift because we ‘technically’ need them for a handful of days every few months.
Get over yourselves. Modern rabbits invest in the rechargeable kind. That and my large collection of ‘silicone sculptures’ is how I’ve avoided them this long. I feel weird jumping into bed with anyone after only a couple of days.
Shae used to say I was being picky, but then I realized attraction doesn’t work that way with me. I need to know more; I need to see someone is a good person, get a look at their soul before I feel comfortable enough to share my body.
“I’ll figure something out.” I sigh and grab my phone out of my purse, “It’s been an annoying day and I’m going to let myself walk by Dragon’s Lair as a treat.”
“Got it. Can’t be on the phone in case today is the day Asher falls madly in love with you.”
“I don’t need you to feed my delusion.”
“You know what they say about crushes, right?”
“They’re a lack of information?” I shoot back.
“Maybe you should make the first move. I bet Asher would appreciate it.”
“I’ve never heard that one.”
“It’s because I made it up. Be safe. Love you, Penny.”
“Love you, too.” I coo, then end the call and shove my earbuds into my pocket as I get closer to Asher’s job.
It’s the same route I take to work because it allows me five extra minutes of Asher in my day. He’s not the only highlight, though. The Dragon’s Lair sits directly across the street from the newly opened Moon Sugar Bakery, which makes the entire block smell like freshly baked cookies.
I heard it started in a small town a few hours from here, and they chose Madison for their first expansion. The line usually stretches out the door, so I haven’t had the time to go, but everything looks amazing. I’m actually dying to try their red velvet cupcakes.
As soon as I round the corner, Asher is there, standing in the middle of the sidewalk talking with the delivery man, looking like a god ready to be worshipped
He looks down at the clipboard, his dark blond hair falling over his brow, with a wide smile plastered across his face. I’m sure his warm and inviting energy could light an entire city block. He towers over the delivery man with his broad shoulders and soft yet muscular stomach. His dark blue long-sleeved shirt is pushed up to his elbows for maximum forearm candy, making his biceps look huge.
I slow down a little, letting myself admire him a bit more. Asher has to be at least in his mid to late 30s, a fact I gleaned from a few of our brief interactions. He resembles Attack of the Clones-era Anakin Skywalker with his piercing gray-blue almond-shaped eyes, wavy hair and his smirk, which always leans a little mischievous.
Asher brushes his hair back and pins me with his gaze, stealing my breath away. Then his expression hardens, and heglances down at the clipboard with a renewed urgency, which turns my stomach.
What was that? What did he see to cause his mood to change so quickly?
I look down at my dress, trying to find something so offensive he would react in such a way—maybe I have suddenly grown a third arm, or possibly a horn. No, I’m just me. Which makes it even worse.
