CHAPTER 10
KATIE
Seven hours later, I’m still asking myself this same question. Doubts and recriminations swirled around me with alarming frequency as I spent the day attempting to finish my grant application and absolutely not think about what I’d just agreed to.
Fake dating the Nathan Jackson? Come on, who do I think I am? Kate Hudson?
I step outside my building and promptly turn back around. Annoyed, I jog up the one flight of stairs and am breathless as I change out of my stylish winter coat and back into my ugly one. It’s too cold and too almost snowy to pick style over comfort.
Warmer now, I dash to the tube station. Nathan had texted me the address of where we’re meeting Nicky and Cherry tonight, and once again, it’s on the Northern train line. It’s like he only knows of places that are convenient for me to get to. Or perhaps it’s also convenient for him.
As I sit on the train heading north, I try to squash my concerns about my chosen outfit.
Not wanting to involve Jade in the lunacy of my fake date tonight, I’d picked my clothes and done my own hair.
Nathan hadn’t specified how fancy this restaurant was, and a google search hadn’t helped much either, so I was on my own.
Deciding it’s better to be overdressed than under, I’d put on my nicest wrap dress in a deep shade of red, black tights and thigh-high boots.
Without the help of another set of hands, I’d settled on leaving my hair au naturel, slightly wild and hanging down my back.
From what I’ve seen of Cherry on her socials and in magazines, she always looks immaculate, so I’m fighting a sense of inadequacy before the night has even begun.
“Here goes nothing,” I mutter under my breath.
I’ve been standing in front of our meeting place, which looks more like a pub than fine dining, willing myself to just go in already.
But my feet have remained planted to the ground.
It’s not every day you spend an evening with not one, but two Formula 1 World Champion drivers.
How is this my life?
“Kitty Kat? Are you coming in?”
Nathan’s deep voice startles me from my inner panic, and I glance up at him.
Tonight, he’s left behind the peacoat (shame) and is wearing dark jeans and a blue jumper.
It’s giving a casually hot vibe, and when combined with his 5 o’clock golden stubble and his wind-swept hair, he looks good enough to eat.
Or perhaps I’m just hungry?
“Yes,” I nod, gingerly placing my hand on his outstretched one, butterflies fluttering in my belly at the contact. If we’re going to do this whole fake dating thing, I guess I’m going to have to get used to it. To all the lovely touching.
Because this is what couples do, right? They touch. They hold hands. They kiss—
“Are you doing okay?” he asks, looking back at me, his brows furrowed.
I swallow down my panic and nod.
“Not really.”
He stops walking, and I bump into his back. “Hey, remember, we don’t have to do any of this. If you want out, we can turn back around and leave.”
His words settle me. I smile up at him, glimpsing red in the distance. I know that colour. Cherry is here.
“No, no. Let’s go meet Cherry.”
His grin tells me what he’s thinking about this reaction. How much he loves me fan-girling over her and not him. Or Nicky, for that matter, as gorgeous as he is in real life.
Which, upon close inspection, is an unfair amount of gorgeous. All that gorgeous dark hair. And those dark chocolate eyes. Yummo.
“Nicky. Cherry. Meet Katie.”
The couple glance up with smiles on their faces. Nicky’s is slight, but genuine, while Cherry’s is wide and inviting. She looks thrilled to meet me, and I love her already.
“Katie! We’ve heard so much about you.”
I throw Nathan a questioning look. He shrugs.
“Um, hi. It’s so nice to meet you. Big fan,” I say, pointing to my chest.
Cherry giggles while Nathan pulls the chair out for me, leaving me to sit across from my new best friend.
“I just have to say,” I lean over and whisper loudly, “I love your Insta page and Cherry’s Corner. Your photos are incredible; you are so talented.”
Her cheeks glow bright, and she ducks her head. It’s the same thing I do whenever I’m on the receiving end of a compliment.
“Wow, thanks. I love hearing that. And I hear you’re a brilliant scientist who’s going to cure cancer. That sounds very impressive.”
I again throw Nathan a look, a darker one this time. Way to talk me up, buddy.
“I am a research scientist but I’m not curing cancer. As I told Nathan, I’m a minor cog in a very big cancer research wheel.”
Nicky and Cherry lean closer, like they want to hear more, and I find myself talking about my work, and the focus of my research project, and my most recent publications. Without even realising it, I’m the centre of attention.
In this group of people. It’s mind-boggling.
“But enough about me,” I insist twenty minutes later, my mouth dry and my mind empty. “Tell me more about this move you’re making to Monaco.”
Nicky’s arm, which has been pressed around Cherry’s shoulder since we arrived, tightens, and she leans into him. “I’m so excited,” she gushes.
“And it’s about time,” Nicky growls.
I watch their interaction with hearts in my eyes. It’s like seeing the characters of your favourite rom-com come to life and be even more delightful than in the movie.
“You doing alright?” Nathan whispers into my ear when there’s a lull in the conversation. Surprisingly, there hasn’t been one in the hour we’ve been here. And sitting at this table with these people has felt as comfortable as an evening at home with Jade. Just time spent with friends.
Amazing.
“I’m good.” I turn to smile at him and find his face close to mine.
As is fitting of his role as my fake boyfriend, his arm has mimicked Nicky’s, lying behind my back and across the top of my chair for most of the evening.
Right now, his thumb is stroking small circles across the nape of my neck, from where he’d gently moved my hair to the side.
The exposed skin back there is singing with happiness at the attention he’s giving it, and I’m holding myself still to stop from sinking back into it. Into him.
“That’s good. I’m glad,” he answers, his breath tickling my lips.
Pulling myself together, I shift away and take a gulp from my glass of water. Is it getting hot in here? I turn back to the table and find Cherry smiling a strange smile across from me.
“What is it?” I ask, running a hand over my face to check for crumbs.
She shakes her head, her ruby red hair floating around her shoulders. “Nothing. It’s just that he was right about you.”
My heart picks up, racing. He’s been talking about me?
“About what?”
Her eyes bounce between me and the man next to me, who’s now locked in conversation with Nicky. “He just said you’re special.”
“Like eat the glue special?”
Her laughter is light, like little bells ringing. “No, just that you’re different. I can tell he’s enamoured with you.”
My gaze wanders back to Nathan, and my breath hitches as I find him staring back at me with a soft, almost wondrous expression on his face. It’s no wonder Cherry thinks he’s besotted with me; the man is acting the part of a fake boyfriend just a little too well.
“We’ve just starting seeing each other,” I lie, tearing my eyes away and fanning my heated cheeks.
Her blue eyes sparkle back at me. “Whatever you say.”
I shake my head with a rueful smile and change the subject. Clearly, Nathan hasn’t told his friends that this relationship is fake, and the lovely Cherry is commenting on what she thinks is real. It makes me think that perhaps this pretend relationship idea could work after all.
“It was so nice to meet you,” Cherry says a short while later when we’ve finished dessert and the servers are looking ready to kick us out. “Let’s exchange numbers so we can catch up on race weekends.”
My eyes fly to Nathan’s, who’s watching on, looking unperturbed.
It feels wrong to deceive these lovely people like this, but what can I do?
We can’t tell them it’s all fake and draw them into the web of lies we’ve already started weaving, so I guess I’ll have to play along.
Not the worst thing, if it means I get to keep Cherry as a friend.
“Sounds good,” I tell her as she links her arm through mine. Together we walk behind the F1 drivers, chatting like we’ve all been doing this for years.
“You may have got it right this time,” I hear Nicky say in a low tone as we leave the restaurant. The two men have stopped just outside, their heads close together.
Nathan looks over at me, the side of his mouth curling up before he nods, murmuring something back that I’m too far away to catch.
“I’ll message you so you have my number,” Cherry says, squeezing my hand to get my attention. “I’m so happy you two are together.”
My gaze bounces between the three of them, and I force out a smile. “It’s been great meeting both of you.”
She envelops me in a tight hug before waving goodbye, with promises to catch up again soon. I nod helplessly, watching them walk away before turning back to the man who got us in this mess in the first place.
“That went well,” he says, his hand now on my lower back, walking us down the street in the opposite direction of his friends. He seems to enjoy having his hands on me, and I’m too befuddled to complain about it.
We stop in front of his car, and I slip in through the passenger side door he’s holding open. There’s no point arguing about it this time; if we’re keeping up this facade, of course Nathan has to drive me home.
“I feel bad,” I blurt out the minute he joins me in the car. “About lying to them. They think we’re a proper couple. It’s wrong.”
His gaze sharpens on me, and he nods slowly. “Yeah, I get that. Do you want me to tell them the truth? About what we’re doing? I’m sure they’ll understand once I explain it all to them.”