Her jeans hugged her curves perfectly. Ellie has hips that a man only dreams of, and I feel lucky to get to see her like this. The biggest turn on was that she was still dressed comfortably, and it still blew me away.
As if having a crush on the girl you’re trying to fake date wasn’t embarrassing enough, she had to clear her throat since I had been staring at her for way too long, so trying to save face, I played it off as nothing and invited her in. Luckily, I was in the middle of finishing up some food for us, so it was easy to retreat back to the kitchen and have her sit at the island while I added some final touches—and got myself together.
If she was weirded out by the interaction at the door, she wasn’t showing it, and the more we talked, the more comfortable she became.
Listening to Ellie talk might be my new favorite thing. Her voice is soft and soothing, and I don’t usually get to hear it from all of the loudness in The Brew. When I hear Ellie speak at her job, she is normally yelling out drink orders and trying to be heard over the machines. Which is not bad, but this is different.
It was important to me to be prepared tonight, so I had jotted down some notes and was happy to see that she had the same. We talked a lot about boundaries, and I’m relieved to have some rules set in place. However, we still need to come up with a backstory.
She stretches, lifting her arms over her head and extending herself upwards, and I can’t help myself but look at the sliver of creamy skin that peeks out from under her shirt.
“I’m really tired of sitting at this table. Is it okay if we move over to the living room to hash out our love story?” Her voice sounds dreamy, but it’s obvious she is actually getting tired.
When I agree, Ellie makes her way to the corner of the couch, and it is cute how she is drawn to the enormous cushions. As I follow her towards the living room, my nose fills with the delicious scent of fruit and florals. It’s unfair that she smells just as sweet as she looks. If we’re going to do this fake dating thing, it would be helpful to keep my thoughts platonic, but everything makes me like her more. She is alluring, but this needs to stop.
To keep my distance, I lean back in one of the chairs across from the couch and kick my feet up on the coffee table as Ellie continues to sink into the couch. Watching her make herself comfortable makes me feel less foolish about the months I spent looking for the perfect living room furniture. While I didn’t care that much about how it looked, it was important to me to make sure that every part of my home was comfortable.
Once she finds the perfect spot, she starts the conversation again. “We should keep it as close to the truth as possible. I heard somewhere that it is the best method to not get caught in a lie.”
“That makes a lot of sense. So, we met at The Brew?”
“Yeah, we met at The Brew, which isn’t a surprise since you’ve been a regular for years.” Her gaze meets mine, and I try not to make it obvious that I’ve had my eyes on her since she sat down. “About three months ago, you realized how beautifuland alluring I am and finally decided to ask for my number. The rest is history.”
Her joke is obvious by the way she drags out the descriptions sarcastically, but she has no idea. It amazes me how oblivious she is to the fact that she is speaking a truth about herself.
The thoughts catch in my mind because I’m an absolute idiot for not realizing how truly beautiful she was until now. But, I can’t admit that to her now or else she is going to think I’m a creep just like Greg and all of the other guys who want something more.
Her sarcasm has been a highlight of the night. Although I’ve never had any reason to think of Ellie as anything but shy and timid, she still surprised me with her quick wit and humor. One of the things that concerned me was the believability of ‘fake dating’. Now that we've spent some time together, I feel foolish for thinking that Ellie and I wouldn’t mesh.
This is going to be easier than I thought.
She stares at me with a confused expression, and I realize that I never actually responded to her previous statement. “Uhh, yeah, that sounds like a very reasonable way to start a relationship.”
My response comes out more sarcastic than I meant, and it worries me that Ellie might take it the wrong way.
“Good, good.” I can tell that she is trying hard not to become too relaxed while watching her shift deeper into the pillows. She told me that she has an opening shift at The Brew, so she can’t stay too late. And, I need to push down my excitement about seeing her tomorrow. If I already can’t getenough of her, I might actually be in trouble. “So, you already know what I do for work; what exactly do you do for your job?”
“I’m a data analyst at ERI. It’s an outdoor recreation company.” I am fully prepared for her eyes glaze over, but it never happens.
Instead, she responds with attentiveness. “That’s so interesting! I don’t know anyone who does that, and I honestly have no idea what that is...What do you do as a data analyst?”
As the words leave her mouth, something in my brain hums pleasantly. Whenever I tell people about my job, they just shrug it off or say that it sounds boring, but the way that she asks makes her seem genuinely interested. I have to remind myself that she has to talk to people for a living, so there is a good chance that she’s faking it. But, it makes me feel good anyways.
Either way, I’m not going to bore her with some long winded answer, so I keep it short. “Specifically, I review data and figure out specific trends. My job helps the company figure out what is working and what isn’t.”
“I didn’t think about how there was a specific job for that, but that’s so cool. No wonder you always look so business-y when I see you in the mornings. You’re getting ready to look at data all day.”
Her enthusiasm makes me chuckle, and there is a tugging in my chest when she mentions noticing minor details about me—because I feel the same way. It’s like we're at two ends of a string, and she is trying to pull me towards her. But, it needs to stop. As much as I’m getting comfortable with Ellie, this is still a show that we’re putting on.
We continue our conversation through a couple more vague topics just to make sure we’re on the same page before I go to work tomorrow and face Greg, but after the third time Ellie yawns, I know it’s time for this meeting to come to an end.
“I think we make a good team,” she says as she stumbles to the front door. “We’re going to—” She yawns again. “—be the best fake couple ever.”
“Geez, you need to get some sleep. Are you sure you can drive home?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I told you I have the opening shift tomorrow, and I guess my body knows that it’s past my bedtime.” She puts her hand out, and I stare at it. “To make things official, we have to shake on it.”
Her insistence is adorable, and it is impossible to refuse her.
