Chapter 6 Leo
Chapter six
Leo
NOW
Imeant what I’d said to Miranda earlier. I didn’t know how to date someone. All my attempts were in the distant past, and all had been varying degrees of terrible.
My first thought was to just act the way we always had. Then I realized it wasn’t possible. Because everything had changed. What we’d said on Halloween—we couldn’t unsay it. What I knew about Miranda and myself—I couldn’t unknow it.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t shove it down into a corner of my brain and forget about it. For now.
The twitchy awareness of her I felt under my skin would have been there with or without this latest disaster with Stone, but I appreciated being able to blame any strange behavior I might exhibit on nerves caused by our fake relationship.
As we drove up I-5 from Tacoma, I tried not to think about all the things I hadn’t told her.
About how, after our fight, I’d called, planning to lay myself bare and make amends.
But when Stone picked up her phone, I’d swallowed my confession.
I shook off the bitter memory. For now, I focused on our date. Letting myself have a taste of what it might be like to be with someone.
To be with her.
“Are we going into the city?” she asked, fidgeting with the zipper on her North Face jacket.
Her date-night outfit consisted of a casual coat, jeans, a flannel, and boots.
She’d put on more makeup than usual, and her hair was down instead of in a bun or ponytail.
When she’d come out of the second bedroom, she’d sheepishly explained that Shoshanna advised her to look as much like her Instagram persona as possible when we went out together, to further our chances of being recognized.
The makeup and hair were her attempts to show that she cared enough to get a little fussy for her “boyfriend.” I’d rolled my eyes at the calculation involved in what clothes to wear, but she looked fantastic. She always did.
“Not quite that far.”
I pulled into the parking lot of a mall south of Seattle city limits. At first, Miranda looked confused. Then I circled the main building, and she saw our destination.
“Here?” she asked, staring up at the massive arcade and bowling alley.
“Why not? I’m guessing you’re in the mood to hit something, and they’ve got Whac-A-Mole and Skee Ball and air hockey to choose from, not to mention a ton of shooter games.
We can also bowl if you want.” At her continued silence, I wondered if I’d miscalculated.
“We can leave if it’s not okay. I figured you could use the noise and the distraction.
But if you’d rather do something else, I’m totally down for a change of plans. ”
“It’s perfect, Leo.” She looked around as we strode in, almost losing her balance when a group of rowdy preteens raced by, shoving each other and laughing. “A birthday fit for a ten-year-old…and also this twenty-seven-year-old.”
I breathed a sigh of relief as I bought cards to use for the games.
No matter what weirdness existed between us at the moment, I knew my friend.
She needed a break from being the Instagram version of herself.
@theadventurousmiranda would probably spend her birthday taking long walks on the beach or having a candlelit dinner in an exotic locale.
And there was a world where the Miranda I knew wanted that too.
But right now, she needed to be reminded that I saw the other side of her—the part that loved the colorful lights and loud noises.
She didn’t need a beautiful sunset. She needed buzzing neon, plastic cheese nachos, and the discordant ding ding ding of someone winning a prize at the claw machine.
Miranda cackled as I embarrassed myself on the ancient Dance Dance Revolution platform and clapped maniacally whenever one of my Skee balls landed in the ten-point circle.
I got my revenge by demolishing her in a dinosaur-themed shooting game.
As we played and got sweaty, she ditched her fleece, revealing a T-shirt underneath that read I’ll Wait While You Overthink This.
The hair she’d styled before we left my apartment got twisted into a knot on top of her head.
After two hours of games, we moved to the bowling alley. I’d just picked up a spare when I noticed a group of teenagers attempting to take covert pictures of us on their phones. Both Miranda’s and Stone’s statements had been in the world for a few hours, and it was obvious we’d been recognized.
My back stiffened as I sat down in the hard plastic chair across from the ball return.
Miranda took the seat next to me, resting her head on my shoulder. “Don’t mind them,” she said. “I know it’s weird. But hopefully, it means the plan is working.” She patted my thigh. “Besides, you have more important things to worry about right now.”
“Such as?”
“I know you just got a spare, but you rolled gutter balls in the fourth and fifth frames. I’m kicking your butt right now.”
“Consider those gutter balls a birthday gift.”
At her answering grin, the teenagers snapped more pics. I ignored them.
We decided to play one more game of air hockey before leaving. After winning, she came around to my side of the table and circled her arms around my neck.
“Thank you so much for today, Bear. This is exactly what I needed.” She stood on her toes to make sure I could hear her through the din of the games. “I haven’t totally forgotten about what’s going on, but being here with you makes it feel more manageable.”
Holding her close, I anchored my hands on her hips. “I’m glad. And we’ll manage together.”
“I know we will.” She angled in, resting her cheek against my chest. Could she feel my heart beat faster? “Who would have thought that one of my best dates ever would be a pretend one?”
I tipped her chin up. “I got you. It doesn’t matter what you call it. It’s just us having fun. Nothing new there. And nothing pretend about it.”
We stared at one another. “Just us,” she whispered.
I leaned forward and kissed her forehead, feeling the now-familiar shiver travel down my spine.
Without thought, my mouth moved sideways, and I placed another soft kiss on the hollow of her cheek, inhaling the scent of her skin. Her audible sigh of contentment hit my chest like an arrow. Instinctively, my lips trailed lower, then lower, until I pressed them softly against hers.
I’d never kissed her on the mouth. Never tasted her before. And although the kiss was chaste, my fingers still squeezed at her waist, pulsing with heat.
Letting my lips linger, I closed my eyes and trembled, my mind completely blocking out the beeps and flashing lights. It was just Miranda and me, and I let myself have it.
When I finally pulled back after ten seconds, her expression clouded with the last thing I wanted to see.
Confusion.
I stumbled back a step. Shit!
I’d kissed her. Forgotten myself for a moment. Forgotten Stone, and this situation.
Not what she needed right now.
“I noticed someone taking a picture,” I lied. “Thought I’d give him a show.”
She exhaled with obvious relief, letting out a nervous giggle before gazing fondly at me. “Jeez, Leo, when you worried you wouldn’t know how to date someone and make it seem real—”
“Yeah?”
“You really shouldn’t have worried.”
We had an amazing time at the arcade. And she’d been stoked when I suggested an early birthday dinner at the kitschy Mexican place nearby. Between Miranda’s good mood and the success of being recognized and photographed on our “date,” I felt pretty encouraged.
So naturally, there had to be a bump.
After a dinner of chicken fajitas, chips and salsa, and two margaritas apiece, we were contemplating dessert when Miranda’s phone rattled. She’d looked tipsy a few minutes ago, but her face sobered when she glanced at the display.
“I need to get this,” she said, holding up a finger.
I nodded, motioning to ask if I should leave the table. She shook her head.
In deference to being in the middle of a restaurant—where at least one other couple had taken our picture—her voice remained low. Across the table, I caught most of her replies to what was a very one-sided conversation.
“Hello… Yes… Yes… No, I flew up to Seattle… Yes… No… I’m not sure because we’re still trying to figure out—…
That was never my intention… Yes… I understand…
No… It makes sense…” She pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes together as she listened to whoever was on the other end of the line speak for a minute straight.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I can… No, I’m aware.
I un—… Right. That’s a good question… I know.
We haven’t talked about it, but I can connect you…
I agree, that’s probably best for everyone at this point…
after New Year’s at the latest… Yes… Thank you.
I will on Monday.” She laughed half-heartedly.
“Twenty-seven. Definitely my strangest yet… I appreciate that… I’ll keep an eye on my inbox… Thanks.”
Punching the red button on her phone screen, she slumped back against the booth before reaching for her margarita glass, slurping the last dregs aggressively. “Pretty sure I’m gonna need flan and a tres leches cake, maybe churros too.”
At least her sense of humor remained intact. “Do you want to tell me who that was?”
“My supervisor, Walt. Technically, my boss’s boss. Head of our division. He got my email but said he already knew because one of my coworkers recognized me from the earlier pics.”
“Why didn’t he contact you then?”
“Didn’t say. I assume he was taking a wait-and-see approach.
” She straightened. “He’s old-school. Not the type of man to spend time online.
Or even go to the movies. I doubt he knows who Stone is.
But now that my statement is up and he’s clear that this might cause gossip online for a few days, he’s worried about the company. ”
“I’m not sure why he cares. I know you emailed them in the name of transparency, but it’s not like this will affect your work.”