Chapter 3
Chapter Three
HUNTER
FOR MY FRIEND
Ireally don’t know what came over me the other night. Saying yes to Ollie’s plan to be his fake boyfriend seemed to make the most sense.
I mean, it’s not like it’s real. I don’t have to worry about turning into a madman and taking out my relationship issues on others. It’s why I never have a boyfriend. I don’t like who I become when I’m dating someone.
See what I mean? I’m a bear.
I’m driving to his place now to work out the finer details of it, and things feel different. I can’t pinpoint why. I’m doing this to be a good friend.
Ollie isn’t the best at social situations, so being able to help him out is what any friend would do.
So again, why am I nervous?
Knocking on his door, I don’t wait for him to answer before walking in.
“Hey, Ollie.”
His head pops up from where he’s standing in the kitchen. Heat from the stove fogs his glasses as his brown hair flops over his forehead. “Hey. Sorry, I’m almost done.”
“Take your time.” I toe off my boots, caked with mud from working this morning, and pad my way toward the counter. “What are you making? Smells good.”
“Cheeseburger soup. I figured I could feed you as a thank you.”
Heading to the fridge, I grab a bottle of the beer Ollie keeps for me. “You don’t have to do that.”
Ollie reaches to the shaker-style cabinets that I helped him remodel a few years ago and pulls out two bowls. “I know, but I appreciate what you’re doing for me.”
“I’d do it for any of my friends.”
“You would?” he asks, ladling out two big spoonfuls in each bowl.
“Of course.”
“That makes me feel better,” he says, grabbing a beer and walking over to the dining room table before going back to bring out our soup bowls. “I don’t want you taking pity on me.”
It’s cozy here. After his parents moved out west, we revamped everything in his childhood home. Knocked down some walls so the first floor flowed. Ollie wanted a bigger kitchen since he loves spending so much time in there.
Always on his soups.
“Why would I do this out of pity?” It comes out as more of a growl, but I don’t like it when Ollie talks down about himself.
“Hunter, come on. We all know I’m the most awkward person in the entire world. I don’t want to be a burden to anyone, especially you. And you hate relationships.”
I shake my head, grabbing the pepper shaker from the table and adding some to my bowl. “You know you’re not a burden to me. You’re my best friend.”
“I wish we didn’t have to do this.” Ollie stirs his soup around, not looking at me. “Maybe if I let them set me up, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
A possessive feeling washes through me. Why does the thought of Ollie being set up by his coworkers make me feel like this? It’s not like we’re dating.
“You could tell them we broke up and have them set you up.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready for that.” His eyes go wide. “They’d be a bit too much about it.”
I smile at him, digging into my soup. Delicious, as always. “Then I’ll be there for you Friday, and we won’t have to worry about it going forward.”
Ollie sighs. “Okay. What’s our story going to be?”
“Our story?”
“You know, how we met?”
“Keep it simple and tell the truth.” The small chair creaks under my weight as I lean back and kick my feet out. “There’s no need to overly complicate things.”
“But how did we become more?”
I sip my beer, thinking on it before it dawns on me. “You wooed me with your soups.”
He rolls his eyes. “Be serious, Hunter.”
I laugh. “I am. What’s wrong with that? I could have been sick one day and you brought me chicken noodle soup to nurse me back to health. I’ve been a goner ever since.”
He waggles his head back and forth. “I mean, I guess that could work.”
“It will, because anyone that knows you knows how much you love soup. It’s your love language.”
Ollie blushes. “I mean, I would do it if you really were sick. Minus the falling for me part.”
“Who knows?” I shrug a shoulder. “Maybe some guy will be at the bar, see you, come over and talk to you, and the rest will be history?”
He snorts. “Okay, nice try. That won’t happen, but at least I feel better about how this whole thing started.”
“Any other questions your coworkers are liable to ask?”
“First date. How serious we are. Are we getting married?”
“Shit, really? That seems nosy to me.”
He nods, adjusting his glasses. “They like to be involved in everyone’s personal lives. Hence why they keep trying to set me up.”
“Well, in case they ask…how serious are we?”
His blush grows even darker. This is something that always happens to Ollie. Always. No matter what, any time there is a hint of digging into his personal life, this happens. He doesn’t like being the center of attention.
“Umm, how about exclusive? Is that okay?”
“Works for me. Most exclusive relationship I’ve had in a while.” I nod. “If they ask, I’ll be sure to answer.”
He blows out a breath, going back to his soup. “Thank you. You know how nervous I get.”
“I know.” I reach across the table and squeeze his forearm. A warmth spreads through me. One that is not entirely unwelcome. It’s only because I’m helping my friend. “I’ll make sure I’m likeable, but not so likeable that they want to invite us out again.”
“Seems like a fine line to walk,” he says, staring at his arm where I’ve just pulled my hand away from him.
“Trust me, I’ll make sure we get through the night in one piece.”
“I might need more drinks than normal.”
“Uh-oh.” I smile. “Is four-drink Ollie going to come out? Maybe even five?”
He covers his face with his hands. “I don’t know what will happen if I have five drinks. I can barely handle the one I have when we go out.”
“I will make sure you keep it in check.”
“Thanks, Hunter. You’re a good friend for doing this with me. I know not everyone wants to be their friend’s fake boyfriend, but it means a lot to me.”
That same warmth from earlier blooms in my chest. “You know I’m always here for you. No matter what you need.”
“Well, if I can ever return the favor, I’d be happy to.”
I snort laugh. “If I’m ever in the market for a fake boyfriend to impress Brooks, I’ll let you know.”
That earns me an easy smile. “You do have more people than just Brooks that work for you.”
“He’s the only one in the office that would say something. And he knows we don’t need to do that.”
“Favor still stands. I’ll say you brought me soup when I was sick and you won me over.”
“Good to know all it takes is soup in this relationship to win us over.”
Ollie laughs. “I’m easy.”
“Oh you are, are you?” I waggle my brows at him. “Good thing to know about my boyfriend.”
“W-what? No. I didn’t mean it like…th-th-that,” he stutters.
“Damn. I was thinking I might get lucky.”
“Hunter!” he hisses. “We cannot do…that. It won’t be—”
He cuts himself off.
“Won’t be what?” Now I’m curious as to what he was going to say.
“I don’t want to say.” He shakes his head.
“Okay.”
“That’s it? You’re not going to keep pressing?”
I drain the last of my soup. “Nope. If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to.”
“Wow. I thought you’d keep asking questions about why I’ve never had sex.”
“Wait, what?”
“Oh, no.” He buries his face in his hands. “I can’t believe I said that out loud.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. I don’t want people to think I’m weird because I haven’t had sex before.”
“No one thinks you’re weird, Ollie.” My tone is firm.
He peeks one greenish-brown eye at me through his fingers. “You don’t?”
I shake my head.
“No. You’re my best friend. I don’t think you’re weird at all.”
Honestly? I’m not surprised. Ollie has never been the most forward of people. And who cares? If he doesn’t want to date, he doesn’t need to date. He’s happy, and that’s all that matters to me.
“It’s just, all of you guys talk about dating and finding someone, and that’s never exactly been something I’m concerned with.”
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“I know.” He drops his hands and his eyes go wide. “You’re not going to tell the guys, are you?”
“Fuck, no, Ol. It’s not my news to tell. Promise.”
“Good.”
“Look”—I rest my elbows on the table and lean forward—“you and I are going to go to the party on Friday and have a great time. People will think we’re a great couple and it will be because you and I are friends.
After? I’ll drop you off at home and you won’t have to worry about it again. Sound good?”
He nods. “Okay. I can do it.”
“Good. Now, finish your soup before it gets cold.”