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“My preference is women, thank you very much, and I’m well aware how this works. Our fake relationship is very much exclusive. No sex for a year.”
She laughs under her breath. “Can you handle it?”
“Not a problem. Can you?” I retort. I don’t tell Juniper that it’s already been over a year since the last time I slept with a girl. Thankfully, I still despise Juniper. No romantic feelings toward her from me.
Sex isn’t a problem.
It’s off the table.
“How about we both take down our dating profiles?” she suggests, and I hate that she’s right, we should remove them.
I grab my phone and she does the same. We log into our accounts.
“Hiatus?” she asks, putting her dating profile on a temporary hiatus without deleting her account.
It’s a year until this fake relationship will be over. I’d be fine with deleting my account. There are other ways to meet women, but since she put hers on hiatus, I do the same.
“Done,” I say, showing her my profile. She shows me her phone, as if we’re doing a trust exercise and reassuring each other that we’re both in this relationship together.
And maybe we are.
A year is a long time together. Even for a fake relationship. I never had plants last that long in my home, let alone a girl. Not that she’s moving in with me. We’re going to take this fake relationship nice and slow.
“Also, you don’t get to see me naked,” Juniper says, “and no nude photos.”
“What?” I pretend to be shocked by her request. “But all my teammates show their girlfriend’s nude photos while we’re in the locker room together. What am I supposed to show them?”
“A picture of your own personal treasure?” She gestures at my family jewels with a smirk.
“Real funny. Okay, my rules we haven’t touched on. No one can know this relationship between us is fake. You can’t tell anyone, including your family.”
“I can handle that, what about you and your brother?”
“Archer? I’m definitely not telling him. None of my teammates know. Can you keep this secret from your best friend?”
Her eyes narrow and I can’t quite tell what she’s thinking. “Rowan? Sure. She might ask how I can afford to open the bookstore. I suppose I can mention your brother and the kiss—”
That’s the last thing I need, people thinking she’s using me to get with Archer. “Don’t tell anyone about that.”
“And if someone asks? I mean, I did kiss him in a very public place.”
“No one will ask, but if they do, say it was a mistake. He was charming, and you got swept away before you met me.”
I’ll have to be careful to make sure the media doesn’t hound her with questions. Photos, yes, that’s acceptable when the two of us are together, but her job isn’t to speak with the press.
“As for the bookstore, just tell Rowan I’m a silent investor.”
“When are you ever silent?” She glares at me playfully.
I merely shrug; she’s probably right.
“So, when is our first official fake date?” Juniper asks, chewing on her bottom lip. She looks incredibly nervous. If we’re going to pull this off, we’re going to have to make it believable.
Sixteen
Juniper
“You’re coming to my game tonight, right?” Myles asks. He’s standing outside my door, leaning on the doorframe, looking smug.
