Korie lets out a soft, disbelieving laugh. “God, Holden. You’ve put way too much thought into this.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I! This is stupid. You don’t need ‘practice.’ You’re not a project.”
I shrug. “Maybe I am. I have a long list of people who think I wasn’t worth seeing again.”
“That’s on them.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do know that.”
“You called me out about my shirt and letting Gage choose the restaurant,” I say firmly. I lean forward, elbows braced on my knees. “So help me see it.”
They stare at me for a beat, then shake their head. “No. I am not fake dating you so you can… what, take notes?”
“I wouldn’t take notes.”
“Then what’s the goddamn point? Why do you want to date me so bad just so you can run off and find someone else?”
I catch something in their voice—pain maybe?—but I don’t understand it.
“Besides, it’s… weird. It wouldn’t even work anyway.” They gesture vaguely between us. “We’re us. This is us. Why do you want to change that?”
The question lands harder than I expect it to, and I look away. I mean, they’re right—why would we change that? I even thought that too.
“It could be fun,” I say, lifting my shoulders.
Korie gives me a look that says I’m borderline insane. “Dating isnotfun, even when it’s fake.”
I give them a cheesy grin. “It could be. It would be low stakes. No pressure.Andyou get to tell me everything I’m doing wrong—no holding back. When else are you going to get that opportunity?”
They snort despite themselves. “I can already tell you everything you’re doing wrong. It’s not a long list.”
“Not like this, you can’t.”
“Yes, I can.”
“It’s not the same,” I argue. “You’re not physically on the dates with me. So you’re missing context or timing or delivery. Whatever. All the stuff that actually matters.”
Korie hesitates, like they hadn’t thought about it that way.
“Come on,” I say, softer now. “There’s no pressure because it’s not real. It’s just me trying things out. Seeing what works.”
They pick at the sleeve of their hoodie, gaze flicking over my face. They suck in their red lower lip before saying in a very quiet voice, “I don’t date, Holden.”
I nod. “I know.”
“I haven’t wanted to in a long time.”
“You mentioned it,” I say softly. I don’t understand it, but Korie must have their reasons to avoid the dating scene entirely. I know it’s a big ask to drag them into it, even to pretend. “This isn’t really dating, though. Not really. It’s just a slightly modified version of how we already hang out.”
They stare at me, then laugh. “That’syour pitch?”
“It’s a great pitch. I already know you love hanging out with me.”
“It’s a terrible pitch.”
