Fake Love (Holidates #49)

Chapter 1

ONE

Mona

Internet dating is scary, I decide as I stare at the person across the table from me. He’s been going on and on about all the plants he grows in his mother’s basement.

”I would never keep shrubs down there,” he tells me. “They require too much upkeep, constant trimming so they don’t get out of control…”

I take a sip from my drink, completely blocking out everything he has to say. In my mind, I fantasize about me getting up from this chair, then simply walking away without saying goodbye or anything. I just want out.

”Some stay small, and I like them on the bushy side, if you know what I mean.”

He raises and lowers his eyebrows, looking all creepy and gross.

”That’s it.” I slam the glass on the table, the liquid sloshing around and spilling over. I point a finger at this guy. “You are weird, and I don’t like you.”

The look of shock on his face makes me want to laugh, but I manage to hold it in.

“What do you mean by that?”

Rolling my eyes, I finally let out a snort. “I can’t believe you even have to ask, Daryl. But I’ll tell you, hoping that I’m doing the next girl you’re going out with a favor.”

He sits up straight, like he is ready to take notes.

He is very serious about finding himself a girlfriend.

Thing is, he’s not even bad looking, which is why I even agreed to go out with him.

And he never gave out this freaky vibe in any communication we had prior to us meeting for the first time.

In person, though, what an unlikable creature.

”You do not talk about your mother’s bushy plants while on a date, Daryl,” I start.

”But…”

I put a hand up to stop him. “Never. There is no normal girl in this world who wants to hear about that.”

”But they’re not my mother’s plants.” He is offended. “They are mine. I do all the work. I water them, I make sure that the soil is…”

A long puff of air escapes my lips. I am so frustrated with him and my life as a whole. I hate that I am in this position, and I hate even more the man who put me in it.

”Why are you growing plants in your mother’s basement, Daryl?” I ask. “Does she not have a yard?”

”She does, but…”

I slash my hands through the air. “There is no but. She. Has. A. Yard. Use. The. Freakin’. Yard!”

My voice raises the more I speak, and it is safe to say that I am yelling at him by the time I end my sentence.

”It’s a small yard.” The man is still arguing with me on this. “And it gets too cold overnight. The frost…”

”I can’t take it anymore.” Grabbing the glass off the table, I down it in one go before I slam it back down. “You need to put this in your bio on the site.”

I rummage through my purse, looking for my wallet. I let out a sigh of relief when I find cash in it. I take a twenty out and drop it on the table. We didn’t get to the food, so this should be plenty for the one drink I had.

I stand up and pull my skirt down, taking the coat off the back of the chair and putting it on. Swinging the purse over my shoulder, I realize that my move is a bit too enthusiastic because I almost hit the person behind me in the head with it.

”You’re leaving?” Daryl’s eyes are round in shock when he asks that. “But we barely sat down. I made a reservation in advance…”

“I don’t want to waste your time, Daryl.”

Staring at him, I wonder how much more honest I should be with him. Then, I decide that all the way is best.

”You should go to the botanical garden and walk around every day, spot a girl who does the same. Then, ask her out. That would be your person.”

”But…”

His eyes go side to side as he thinks of a way to convince me to stay. There is no freakin’ way, so I go for the jugular.

”I hate plants, Daryl. I kill them all.”

He gasps in shock. “What? But you said you liked plants!”

”I lied because I thought you were cute. But now that I know you’re weird, I don’t care. I hate plants, and I am not attracted to you. Have a good night.”

I turn on my heels, ready to high step it out of here.

”Can I ask you one thing?”

His voice is timid, and now I feel bad for the harshness in my tone. I look over my shoulder, hoping that he won’t make me regret stopping.

”Everything seemed fine when we met outside and again when we came in. I thought there was a connection between us…”

”Zero connection, Daryl,” I tell him straight and to the point. “I wanted to make an effort, but you completely lost me at bushy shrubs.” I sigh heavily. “I want to go home, take a shower and forget this night ever happened.”

I take exactly five steps forward before guilt gnaws at me, so I turn back around and march to the table.

”Botanical garden, Daryl. Promise me you’ll at least try.”

He bobs his head up and down, eyes wide and almost fearful looking. Yeah, like I’m the lunatic here.

Relieved that I did my duty, I once again turn on my heels, but this time don’t stop until I am out of the restaurant.

The cool air makes me feel better in an instant despite all the people bumping into me.

Since I’ve lived here all my life, I am used to it, and I can navigate the streets of New York City like a pro.

Checking the time, I realize that I have to walk a little faster if I want to make it to the subway on time. I refuse to stand around underground for another twenty minutes as I wait for the next train.

With hands in my pockets and purse tightly under my arm while also secured to my shoulder, I focus on the clicking of my heels on the cold pavement.

I really put a lot of thought into my outfit tonight, wanting to look hot and score a second date with Daryl.

Only after he opened his mouth and started talking did I realize that I wasted a good outfit for nothing.

I am so into my own thoughts, I don’t pay attention to where I’m going and bump into someone. They put their hands on my shoulders to stop me from toppling over.

”Hey, watch where you’re going,” I snap at the person despite it being solely my fault.

”Mona?”

A male’s voice reaches my ears just as I yank myself out of his grab. Squinting my eyes, I look up only to come face to face with someone I’d rather avoid.

“Cal.” I wince when I say it. The name tastes bitter in my mouth. This is not because he means anything to me, but he is friends with the one man who managed to destroy me, so I have to hate him by association.

“It is you!” He sounds way too excited about it. “How’ve you been?”

Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I give him a tight smile. “Good, thanks. And you?”

I shouldn’t have asked that because I don’t care about anything he might have to say, but now that I did ask, I am committed to making polite small talk.

“I’m doing great!” He grins from ear to ear. “Business is booming at the shop…”

I try to remember what kind of business he runs. It’s a tattoo shop that turned into a chain if I remember correctly.

“Me and Evie are going strong,” he continues. “Her flower shop got a new contract with one of the shops here…”

“That’s nice.” I cut him off because I don’t care about him or his girlfriend.

I pull my coat closer to my body and cross my arms over my chest, ready to walk away before he says anything that I don’t want to hear.

“It was good seeing you, Cal.” I step to the side to walk around him. “Give my regards to Evie.”

“Where are you going?” He gets into my space.

I lean back and eye him up and down. “Excuse me, what?”

Cal chuckles, obviously amused by my distress. “I was going to offer you a ride to wherever you’re going. I drove Evie’s delivery van.” He points to something out in the street, but I don’t turn my head to look.

“I don’t need a ride, Cal.” The words barely make it out because of how hard I am clenching my jaw. “It’ll be faster if I take the subway.”

“Come on.” He grabs me gently by the elbow. “Traffic is so much better since they started charging people to come into the city. And you know it’ll be a lot safer than on the subway.”

Since I can’t argue with that last part, I let him lead me to his van. It’s white and non descriptive, the kind that people get kidnapped in.

“So you’re a delivery boy now?” I half tease him.

Cal just shrugs. “The company who was supposed to do the delivery was short handed. Evie was panicking that the flowers would go bad if she waited longer, so here I am.”

“Very noble of you.”

There’s a small touch of sarcasm in there.

The reality is that Cal always seemed to be really nice.

I met his girlfriend only a couple of times in passing, and she gave the impression that she was everybody’s friend.

A little annoying if you ask me, but I’ve always been more on the pragmatic side.

I don’t trust anyone, and I like it that way.

“Where were you tonight?” Cal asks as he starts the van. Checking for cars, he pulls into the light traffic and starts driving without asking me where to go. “Hot date?”

The breath gets knocked from out of me when he says the words. For a split second, I feel guilty, and like I am cheating on his friend, which is really stupid.

“Yes.” I clear my voice a couple of times. “I was on a date.”

“Good for you,” he tells me in a cheery tone. “We were all relieved to hear you finally gave Alex the boot for good.”

“What?” I couldn’t be more shocked if I tried. They are all a tight group, so I always assumed that I’d be the villain in any story about me that went around.

“It’s true,” Cal assures me. “We never understood why you kept on going back to him knowing he’d throw you out again.”

My heart rate picks up a little, and there’s a good chance I might start hyperventilating in this damn van of his.

“Now that you don’t talk to him anymore, he walks around like a wounded bear.”

I barely make out Cal’s words through the noise in my head.

“He’s acting like you did him wrong, but we know better.”