“Unconvincing,” said Phoenix.
Raya stuck out her tongue at him and dropped the hanger onto the rack with a clang.
Andy kept holding Erin’s hand and turned to face her. Was she blushing? He couldn’t tell. “Erin, what do you like to wear? What’s your favorite color?”
“I like pink,” she said.
“Pink it is, then,” said Andy. He turned to Phoenix and Raya. “Stop messing around, and find the lady something pink.”
“Yes, oh Great Earl,” said Phoenix. He bowed to Andy, then threw his arm around Raya and said, “Let’s go.”
She immediately punched him in the gut.
Phoenix doubled over. “Ow!”
“Something wrong, Phoenix?” Raya said as she sauntered away.
Phoenix went after her, calling “I was just trying to be friendly!”
Erin looked at Andy. “They’re quite a pair.” She smiled.
“A very weird pair,” said Andy. He reveled in the gentle pressure from her hand and had to stop himself from giving it an affectionate squeeze.
He couldn’t forget that all of this boyfriend and girlfriend play-acting was only a charade. Andy fled from that line of thought and focused on the present. Here and now, he held Erin’s hand. She had smiled at him.
It would have to be enough.
“How about this one?” said Andy. He used his free hand to pick up a pink dress with a full skirt.
“Too floofy.”
He set it down. “This one?” He picked up a sleeker style with cutouts on the sides.
“Too revealing.”
Andy put it back.
“Is that noise coming from Raya and Phoenix?” said Erin.
Andy followed her gaze across the store to see them standing toe to toe, having a shouting match that was unintelligible at that distance. “We’d better get them.” He let go of Erin’s hand as they speed-walked to the arguing pair.
“You look more like a couple than we do,” said Erin.
That stopped Raya and Phoenix in mid-argument.
“We had to stop practicing holding hands just to run over here and interrupt your lovers’ quarrel,” added Andy, giving Phoenix a particularly hard look.
“Did you just call this a lovers’ quarrel?” said Raya. “I’ll have you know this idiot told me I didn’t know a thing about clothes.”
“Well, you don’t—” Phoenix began, then stopped when he caught the look on Andy’s face. “I mean, you’re too busy with all the really important things you do to worry about something as superficial as fashion.”
Raya stared at him suspiciously. “Like what important things?”
“Like … library things. And”—here he lowered his voice—“really powerful magic.”
“You think so?” She looked ever so slightly mollified.
“I know so,” said Phoenix, for once pouring his charm in Raya’s direction.
