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“Nobody,” I say because nobody should guess. It’s not real; it’s just a front, a game of pretending I somehow got roped into playing.
“Damn straight, nobody.” Maddy grins, teeth bright against her lip gloss. “But this is huge! I’ve never seen Blake take anyone out. Even in high school. His focus has been and will always be on hockey. Are you sure you want to do this?”
Frick! I can’t lie to my best friend. She’s been everything to me. The day they assigned my roommate in my first year was when I won the dorm room lottery. Madison Grimes is every bit as attentive as I am regarding studies.
We’re similar in that way. The only difference is that Maddy comes from money, whereas I don’t. That’s how I came about living off-campus in an apartment I pay little for. When the mandatory year for staying in the dorms ended, Maddy moved into her own apartment. She begged me to live with her. I refused at first. There was no way I could afford half the rent payment. She didn’t want to charge me anything, playing it off like I was doing her a favor. She fed me some nonsense about being afraid of living alone, but I never believed her. I pay her a minimal fraction of the cost, but it makes me feel better. I make up the difference by offering to cook. That is when I have grocery money.
“It’s not an actual date-date.”
She looks confused. “What do you mean?”
“Apparently, his mother keeps setting him up, so I’m going to dinner as his girlfriend.”
“Wait, hold up. You’re having dinner at his parent’s house?” Her voice squeaked at the end.
“Yeah,” I say, my tone cautious. “But why do you look like that? It’s just dinner.”
“There’s a lot to unpack here, but first of all, what does Ryan say about this?”
“Ryan? Why would he care?”
She studies me for a beat, but I’m confused. Her words hold caution as she speaks. “They’re teammates, and you two are close.”
“Oh, my God. You’re not insinuating Ryan would be jealous, are you?” When she shrugs and remains tightlipped, I huff. “I’ve told you there is nothing between Ryan and me other than friendship.”
“Okay, okay. I was just checking.” She tries to play it off but looks more relieved than anything, which is strange, considering they’re mortal enemies for some reason. She tilts her head and smirks. “You know nothing about Blake, do you?”
“Just that he’s a good hockey player with a reputation to match.”
“How are we friends?” She looks toward the heavens. “Okay, let me get this straight. You’re having dinner at his parent’s house under the ruse of his girlfriend?”
“Yeah.”
“How did you get roped into that?”
I hesitate. I won’t tell her about the payment. She would insist on helping, and I’m already in debt to her enough. “He seemed desperate.” I go into the entire Juliette spiel and end with his mother’s attempt to set him up.
“Oh my God, that’s priceless. I totally forgot about Tarantula Girl. But hey, you snagged the hottest guy on campus. That’s worth celebrating, fake or not.”
“Right,” I say, the word hollow. Fake or not. But why does it feel like I’m the one getting played?
Maddy’s eyebrows arch as she leans in closer. “You know Blake’s parents are loaded, right?”
“I knew he went to the same school as you, so I assumed.”
“No, they are like, country club and black-tie Gala, kind of wealthy. Royalty. They make my family look mediocre.”
My heart hammers against my ribcage, a traitor to the calm I’m trying to project. I nod, the action slow, as if wading through molasses. I knew he came from money, that was obvious, but I had no clue how much. The thought makes me ill.
“Which means,” she continues, twirling a strand of her fiery hair around her index finger, “you can’t show up to dinner in jeans and a tee. You’ll need to go full glam, Amanda.”
Full glam. The words swirl around me like a cyclone, picking at the seams of my composure. I glance down at my worn-in sweatshirt. The fabric is soft from countless washes and feels suddenly foreign against my skin.
“Can’t I just be myself?” My voice is a whisper, betraying the uncertainty gnawing at my insides.
“Being yourself doesn’t mean you can’t dress up.” Maddy’s hand finds my shoulder, squeezing gently. “I have some killer outfits dying to see the light of day.”
The incredulous look I toss her way has her tossing up her arms. “What? You know you could borrow anything I own.”
