“Mine, too. I get it. But neither of us benefit from this fake relationship.” I cupped my hands over my face and groaned.
“I’ll buy you a burger. And your drinks. And you absolutely do not have to do anything other than put your arm around me once in a while.”
I peered at him and dropped my hands. “I thought you didn’t want to do this.”
“I don’t. But I don’t have a choice.” He leaned forward and held out his hands. “And we both totally get something out of this. Didn’t you say once in a text that your mom and sister are on your back about dating?”
I paused. Iz was more teasing me about being single, but my mom was one phone call away from setting me up with one of her friend’s sons. “Yes,” I said slowly.
Mason raised his eyebrows. “Two weeks. We date for two weeks and amicably break up at the end of it. My mom is happy. Your mom is happy. You’re happy. I’m happy.”
I stared at him for a long moment. There would be worse things in life than actually pretending to be his girlfriend. “Fine. But there are boundaries. This is staying as platonic as possible.”
Otherwise, I’d jump his bones. One particular bone, actually…
“I completely agree.” He tilted his head to the side after looking at the door where a large group of people had just walked in. “Shall we meet tomorrow for lunch and figure it all out?”
I wrinkled my face up. “I suppose. But you’re still paying.”
Laughing, Mason stood, leaning over the bar. “I can cope with that.” Then, he kissed my cheek.
Blood rushed to my face before he’d even finished pulling away. Despite that, I glared at him and said, “That’s a boundary.”
He grinned, winked, and turned away, leaving me to burn a hole in his back until I could no longer see him.
***
“Don’t you think it’s insane?”
Iz adjusted her shirt so that her nipple was covered and looked up at me. “Yep.”
I waited for her to elaborate.
She didn’t.
“Just “yep?” Is that all you have to say?” I stopped my pacing and perched on the arm of the sofa. “Iz, this isn’t a fun date. This isn’t a one-time thing. This is potentially being his girlfriend for two weeks and meeting his family. There are lines being crossed here!”
She sighed. “Stop shouting. You’re making Cara fuss.”
I glanced at my snuffling niece. “Sorry.”
“Look, you’re seeing him soon. Just tell him no, you can’t do it. It’s not your responsibility to get his family off his back about dating.”
“It’ll get Mom off of mine if she thinks I’m dating something.”
“She’ll plan your wedding if she thinks you’re dating someone.”
“That’s not the point. She might give me a break for a while. It’s basically the only good thing I’m going to get out of this.”
“So do it.”
“I don’t know if I want to.”
“So don’t do it.”
“I don’t know that I shouldn’t.”
Iz sighed, shifting slightly and motioning for me to pass her a pillow. I passed her the kidney-bean shaped pillow she used to hold Cara when she was feeding her, and she got comfortable. “What’s the worst-case scenario here? Someone finds out? You get real feelings for the guy and decide that you want to actually date him? That you have to hang off the arm of a disgustingly hot guy for two weeks?”
I didn’t answer. I guessed it was the second one because Mason was definitely the kind of guy I could catch feelings for if I was given a chance.
The only thing I wanted to catch was a flight to Bali.
“Exactly,” Iz carried on. “None of those things are bad. Awkward, embarrassing, mildly uncomfortable? Sure, but that’s just an average first date for you.”
That was painfully true.
“Ugh. Fine. I’ll do it.”
“Of course you will. You already told him you would.”
“Why do I come here with my issues?”
“Because I’m your worldly big sister who managed to keep a guy so interested that he married me.” She grinned. “It means I’m clever and I know things.”
“If you say so.” I rolled my eyes.
“Laur, listen to me. Just do it. Just have fun. You’re single; he’s single. It’s not gonna hurt either of you to do this dumb thing for two freakin’ weeks.” She pulled Cara from her boob and, after quickly covering herself up, laid her against her shoulder to burp. “You’re going to have fun. You told me that you enjoyed that night with him, and any man who buys you a cheeseburger is a winner in my books.”
I pursed my lips. “All right. I’ll go and meet him, but there will be rules.”
“Smart girl. Set rules. Condoms must be worn before the train can enter the tunnel.”
“No.”
“Foreplay is a necessity before the bear can enter the cave.”
“Please stop.”
“Kissing before the submarine enters the sea.”