Noticing my reaction, he stumbles over his own words to try to fill the gaps. “Uh, it’s just that I’m not really seeing anyone anyways, so I doubt I’m going to. But it’s okay if you want tosee other people if that’s why you brought it up. I was the one who asked you to do this, so you should be able to do what you want.”
“Oh, yeah, I wasn’t planning on it. Seeing other people I mean. I don’t really date. Well, I haven’t dated anyone in a long time.” Fuck, I need to figure out how to stop rambling in front of Patrick.
“Okay, cool.” When I look up, his shoulders relax. I didn’t even realize that he was tense before, but his body languages changes dramatically now that we’re done discussing our relationship status.
Tucking a fallen strand of hair behind my ear, I watch as Patrick write notes in the margins of his notebook. His pen rests on the next item, and he seems to hesitate slightly before speaking.
“Uh, what do you think about PDA? I’m perfectly fine if you aren’t okay with it, but I want to make sure we’reon the same page.” His voice is soft when he brings up the subject like he is worried that I’m going to feel embarrassed talking about holding hands.
“Well, we are going to be dating, so I think it’s okay. We don’t want people to think we don’t like each other, right?” I say a bit jokingly, but when I realize that he is completely serious about the topic, I switch gears. “A little PDA should be fine.”
“Are you sure you’re comfortable with that?” He lowers his voice reassuringly, and I can’t suppress a tiny grin from appearing on my face.
It’s his softness that continues to impress me, and the fact that he cares more about my comfort than what people think makes me feel warm inside. “Um, I think so.”
“Hmmm.” When I look up at him, he is staring at me like he’s not completely satisfied with my response. Normally, I hate when people look directly at me, but there is something different about this. “How about I ask you first? So, that way it is not a surprise. If you don’t feel comfortable, say no, and I’ll drop it. No questions asked.”
“Okay. That sounds reasonable. Should I ask you first too?”
He’s still staring at me, but this time with an added smirk that I haven’t seen in two days. “Ellie, you should just do what comes naturally, and I’ll follow your lead. But if you’re concerned about it, you can always ask.”
His comment fills my stomach with butterflies, and I can’t tell if he is being flirtatious or just being nice. “Okay, I can do that.”
Trying to avoid more silence, I move onto the next point on my phone. “I think that if either of us feels like this fake-dating is too much, we can give a notice and break things off. Does that sound fair?”
“That sounds more than fair, Ellie.”
“Okay, good. How about a week? If one of us decides to stop, we have one week to wrap up loose ends and then have an amicable fake breakup?”
“Sure. I like that. It goes both ways. No one gets upset. No hard feelings.” His words are calculated, harshly reminding me that this is a contract to our fake dating.
“Okay. I have one more thing, but it's a bit silly.”
“Go on.” He waits patiently while I find the courage to say it out loud.
“This might sound stupid, but I’ve read enough romance novels to feel like it should be said. You’re not allowed to fall in love with me.”
His expression is unreadable until a deep laugh escapes from him. My cheeks are burning, slightly embarrassed, but he recovers quickly and gives me a sweet smile that takes the shame away.
“I’m sorry for laughing, Ellie. I just—I wasn’t expecting you to say that, but now that you did, that goes for you too. You’ll have to not get caught up in my boyish charms.” He uses a playful tone like the one from the other day, and I can’t help but be fascinated by him.
Fighting the attraction, I roll my eyes. “I will find a way to manage.”
Chapter 7
Patrick
Whenthedooropenedto reveal Ellie standing there, my mouth couldn’t formulate words.
While I was already a tad bit nervous thinking she might back out, I was mostly interested to see what types of terms she would come up with. From what I can tell, Ellie has a good head on her shoulders, and she can think for herself. Although when I saw her tonight, it was a struggle to not to let my jaw drop to the floor.
I’ve always thought that Ellie was cute. There’s an effortlessness that has always drawn me to her. Like how she always keeps her style casual and laid back at work. Her outfits are comfortable and practical, and her hair is always tied up in a bun or ponytail. I can tell that she takes care of herself, but she doesn’t try too hard to impress anyone.
But, this was the first time I saw her outside of her work, and she looked hot. Like, I had to stop in my tracks, gorgeous. When we made eye contact, her eyes seemed to sparkle like I’ve never seen them do before.
After I noticed that, it was game over; I was completely captivated.
She looked beautiful with her hair down. Seeing it lush and messy made me want to run my fingers through it and grab a handful. I was trying so hard to suppress my improper thoughts, but the more I looked at her, the more there was to work with.
