Page 12 of Ardently Yours

“Will?” she asks, voice low and questioning.

Hearing her call my name pulls me out of the trance I’m in. But I can’t pull away. I want to mess with her and make her laugh. I want to make her feel better. I also want to lean in and see what happens.

I look into her eyes, then at her lips, pretending I might kiss her. I hold that position for a moment, watching the terror flood her eyes. And then I laugh to play it cool, knowing that this stupid, impulsive moment is messing with her, but it is also confusing me.

I decide to keep it light, to make a joke…though, on the inside, I’m not laughing. “Like I asked before, do you think we can’t pull off a fake relationship? With this chemistry? I had you for a moment, didn’t I?”

Her mouth falls open, and something between a gasp and a laugh comes out. This time, she doesn’t swat me away and keeps her hand on my chest. “You really are something, Darcy. Way to kick a girl when she’s already down.”

“I’m just proving my point that you can do better than Billie or Wickham.” And, proving my point that I keep finding reasons to be close to her, but I can’t say that. I don’t even know when that became something I wanted.

“You’re probably right,” she says, shrugging. She drops her hand and moves to sit at the kitchen counter.

“I’m right? You never tell me that I’m right.”

“Because you usually aren’t. But this time… you could be on to something. You should be my fake boyfriend.” She quickly adds, “Don’t make me regret this; hear me out.” Then she rushes over to me and pulls me toward her office. Once inside, she closes the door before I can respond.

“Darcy, I need you to come to dinner with me tonight.”

“You… what?” I asked, confused. I didn’t actually think she’d want me to be her date.

“You’re the decoy I need to make my plan work. We’ll show up at family dinner tonight and surprise my family and make it through the wedding together. Then, we break up and pretend it never happened because it really never really did… it’s perfect.”

“What about me?” I ask her.

“What about you? I’ll be the best fake girlfriend ever.”

“I can’t fake date you for real. You’re my boss. I was just trying to help. I didn’t mean to start something.”

Plus, I’m scared to fake date her for real. I might catch real feelings. I can’t risk my new life here if it gets messy. Not with how mixed up I feel already.

A moment passes. Lizzie puts her head in her hands and kicks her desk.

“You’re right,” she says, sighing. “I can’t believe I’m doing the very thing I said I wouldn’t do. I was just talking to the girls this morning, and they were all like, ‘You two are perfect for each other.’ And I was all like, ‘We are not, and I’m his boss, so… no.’”

“Wait, what?” I ask. I can’t help it because everything she’s saying makes me want to ask way too many things at once. “You were talking to Nic and Jane about me?”

“Duh, who else?”

She paces in front of her desk in her small office. She almost bumps into me but stops herself.

Sighing again, Lizzie says, “Forget it. That’s a dumb idea. You and I can’t fake date each other because once we fake break up, we still would have to work together. I don’t wanna make it awkward for you in this town, especially since you’re new. I probably should just take my chances with Wickham.”

“So, you asked me to be your fake boyfriend and then you dumped me for a police officer just like that?”

“Oh, don’t pretend to be heartbroken. You didn’t even want to do the plan with me.”

“For the record, I would’ve been a great fake boyfriend. I just care about our friendship and working relationship too much to risk it.”

“For the record, I am sorry I ever asked you to be my fake boyfriend. Now, that is the first and last apology you’ll ever get from me. Get out of my office, Darcy.”

“I’m already gone, Boss Lady.”

I hope she can’t see the look on my face as I close the door. It’s mixed with relief, confusion, and regret. Why did I back out? I know why, but still.

What if part of me wants to be the fake boyfriend? What if I don’t know why I feel that way? What if I don’t want to feel that way? And what if I am worried about her too?

Fake dating can be messy. I should have thought about that before I pretended to be her boyfriend earlier. That’s why Wickham may be the safer choice for her.