Fakecation

Chapter Eight

Daniel

Her hand was warm in his, and instead of his heart racing in fear of what Lucinda might say, it was racing for an entirely different reason.

This was something different. Someone different. And he liked this, the feeling of her skin on his. He liked every second of it.

“So, were all those stories John told true?” he asked as they resumed their walk over the sand.

“Oh, yeah,” Amelia replied. “He’s a personal trainer, so I’m sure he sees all sorts of people.”

“He’s a good conversationalist.”

“He definitely is. He could talk forever if you’d let him.”

“My sister can be like that. Her name is Terri. She’s the extrovert of the family.”

“There always has to be one. And then there’s the weird one. That would be me.”

“And me, if we follow that rule.”

“Okay then, tell me something that makes you weird.”

“I like sleeping with socks on in the winter.”

She froze. “Wait, you sleep in socks?”

“My feet get cold.” He couldn’t sleep if his feet were cold. He hated the feeling, especially when he usually stayed warm.

“So are they like . . . fuzzy socks?”

“No, just my regular ones. I don’t like the way fuzzy ones feel in shoes.”

“Well, yes, but that’s because you don’t wear them in shoes. You wear those to sleep, if you can even tolerate the feeling of socks while being asleep.” Her free hand gestured as she spoke, and he knew that if he hadn’t been holding the other one, it would have been too.

“I thought it was normal to sleep in socks until Terri pointed out that it was a huge debate. And besides, what’s the point of having socks that you only sleep in?”

“They’re like pajamas for your feet.”

“That seems like too much to keep track of.”

Her jaw dropped. “I can’t believe this. You’re completely ignoring the beauty of fuzzy little foot pajamas in favor of everyday, probably cotton socks. You are weird.”

“I tried to warn you.”

Her lips twisted, and she shook her head. “I might still have you beat, though.”

“Are you sure? Your reaction to my sock habit was pretty intense.”

“I’m just a little dramatic,” she said. “I still think I have one that’s worse.”

“I’m more than ready to hear it.”

“I never eat sauce with my food. I just scarf it down like a snake with an egg.”

“Even chicken?”

“I eat it dry. I didn’t even have ketchup with my fries at dinner.”

“And you like that?”

“I do. If only I could unhinge my jaw too, then I’d really eat like a snake.”

Daniel laughed at the sheer absurdity of this conversation. “Okay. You have me beat.”

“I told you. And I have even more. But you have to be a level-three boyfriend to unlock those.”

“And I’m at one right now?”

“We just got to holding hands. We need to hit third base first.”

“Third base?”

“Also known as the level-three boyfriend.”

“I thought you meant . . .”

“No, not the typical third base.” She shook her head. “No boob touching.”

“That’s what you consider third base?”

She tilted her head to the side. “Isn’t that what it is?”

“I don’t think so. Isn’t it going all the way?”

“Going all the way, as in penis-in-vagina sex?”

A laugh escaped him. “Yeah, but I didn’t realize you would say it like that.”

“We’re holding hands. I think I can say penis and vagina in front of you now.”

He laughed again, realizing he’d missed out on this side of Amelia when he was just her coworker. The conversation paused, but she was looking out at the waves, seeming to consider something.

“So, does she live in Atlanta?”

“Who?”

“Your sister. Sorry, my brain jumped topics. It does that sometimes.”

“It’s fine. And no, she moved to Nashville many years ago. She loves it there.”

“I’ve been there only once. It was a . . . loud town.”

“She lives in the not-so-loud part of it, thankfully. I don’t get to visit much.”

“Because of work?”

“Yeah. I was surprised that Cheryl even let me come on this vacation, but maybe it’s her way of saying thank you for all the late nights I’ve pulled to get stuff done at work.”

“That, and the fact that she likes you, even if she rewards all of your hard work with more work in the end. At least, that’s what she does to me.” She let out a long breath, eyes back on the ocean. “It’s not fun.”

“It’s not, especially when your wife wants you to make more and more money doing it.” He wouldn’t usually say this much, but there was something about Amelia that made him trust her.

“You would think your wife would want to spend time with you,” she muttered, shaking her head.

“She did. She wanted a lot, actually. And a lot of it was impossible to achieve, even if I didn’t work sixty hours a week.”

“But in this job field, the hours are expected.”

“I’m sure I could have balanced it better, but I think at that point, I was happy not to have to.”

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “But I know how easy it is to miss the bad signs of a relationship.”

Daniel knew it had to be her ex she had mentioned, and he was a little more curious than he should be.

“It’s too pretty here to talk about hard stuff,” she added. “So, let’s not even think about it. Tell me about something you love. Your girlfriend should probably know about that, right?”

***

Talking about light topics made it easy for them to wander for what felt like hours. After the long day, Daniel should have been exhausted, but instead, he only wanted to talk to Amelia more.

By the time they finally made their way back to the condo, the space was dark and quiet.

“I’m going to change,” she quietly announced as they snuck in.

He gave her privacy, despite the fact that their room had its own bathroom. He wandered into the kitchen to get himself some water. When he’d finished his glass, Amelia was venturing out of their room.

Her sleep outfit was a simple tank top and shorts. It made sense, considering the condo felt warm, even at night. But he hadn’t ever seen this much of her before. Her long, tan legs made his mouth go dry, and he purposefully tried his best not to look at the way her ass peeked out of her shorts.

And he was supposed to sleep next to her? He was in trouble.

A lot of it.

“Daniel? Are you coming to bed?” Her wording did nothing for his mind. Her mind must have gone in the same direction that his had because her eyes widened. “I mean to sleep. Not anything else.”

“I-I know,” he said. “I’ll head back now.”

Avoidance was the best path in this situation. All he had to do was not think about what he’d just seen, but that proved to be harder than expected.

She followed him into the bedroom, shutting the door softly.

“Sorry if this is awkward.”

“It’s fine,” he lied. “It really is.”

“Yeah, definitely. It’s not like we’re about to share a bed or something. Oh, wait. We totally are.” Her fingers tapped on her leg nervously.

“Are youstill okay with it? I can sleep on the—”

“If you’re about to say floor, then it’s an immediate no. Who knows how old this carpet is? We’re adults. We can share a bed and have it not be weird.”

“Right. It’s like a sleepover.”

“Yes!” she said, eyes lighting up. “We could paint each other’s nails and tell stories about boys. Or girls. Or whatever.”

He laughed. “I’ll take black nail polish. It’s the only one that looks good on me.”

“You’ve tried nail polish?”

“My sister had a phase where she thought she wanted to be a nail tech, and I was the only willing participant.”

“I would pay good money to see that.”

“I’m sure my mom has a photo of it somewhere.” His dress shirt was stifling him now that she was smiling in his direction. “I . . . should get changed too. I’ll be right back.”

Daniel had a full set of pajamas, ones that Lucinda had picked out for him to be classier. He didn’t know what to expect from Amelia’s family, so he brought his nicer items in case he needed them. Now, he wondered if he had packed too formally. A T-shirt and basketball shorts would have been so much more comfortable.

Amelia was lying in bed, scrolling on her phone. She looked up at him as he crossed through the bathroom doorway. “Oh, those are nice.”

“Is it too much?”

“Whatever makes you happy. I’d wear one too, but I lose any sets I get.” She shrugged and then went back to her phone.

Nothing seemed to faze her. She didn’t look at him and want him to be any different than what he was. It was a nice change.

Daniel slowly sat on the unoccupied side of the bed. She was watching videos on her phone, using some social media app he’d never thought to touch.

“Sorry,” she said, “it’s an addiction I can’t seem to quit. But I’ve got it finally trained to show me ugly cat videos.”

“Ugly cat videos?”

“Oh yeah. I mean, look at this.” She showed him a hairless cat. “It looks like a turkey. I love it so much.”

He laughed. “Do people really have those?”

“Of course. Aren’t they cute?”

Cutewas maybe the wrong word, but he’d never tell her that. “They’re unique.”

“I want one,” she said, sighing longingly. “Oh! This one has a sweater!”

She showed him another one.

“Does the cat . . . like the sweater?”

“Of course. Wouldn’t you get cold if you were naked all the time?”

“I run hot.”

“And you wear socks to bed?”

“It’s unnerving to have my feet cold when I’m otherwise usually comfortable.”

“So, you’re warm right now? And you’re wearing that?” She eyed his formal pajamas. “I mean, you do you. They’re very stylish, but I’d hate for you not to sleep because of them.”

“I . . . might change,” he said.

“You should. Maybe I can borrow those. I always get cold wherever I go.”

“And you’re sleeping in a tank top and shorts? Not that you can’t,but—”

She smiled. “It’s fine. I used to try to sleep in more, but I would always get uncomfortable if I had too much on, regardless of whether I was cold or not. Sometimes, I would rip my pants off in the middle of the night. I figured it was for the best that I didn’t do that here.”

She wasn’t wrong, and Daniel refused to picture her sleeping with no pants on. Even if he might have liked it.

Instead, he grabbed the old T-shirt and shorts that he threw into the suitcase at the last second, noting that he might go get more if he needed to. Once he was done changing in the bathroom, he folded up the pajama top and offered it to Amelia.

“You can have these,” he said. “Maybe not to wear now, but if you ever wanted them.”

“Really?”

“I’d rather someone have them that will use them. And we might be the same size.”

“I’ll make it work as most girlfriends do,” she said, taking them from him. “Even fancy ones. I’ll put the top on. And the bright side is, if I rip this off, I have more underneath it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied as he watched her put it on. It looked far better on her than it did him.

“These are so nice. Now I won’t be freezing at night. Until I get tired of the extra layer, that is. My brain is weird.”

“I think it’s fine. I’m glad I could help.”

“Yes, thank you.” She gave him a smile, looking up at him through her dark lashes. His heart skipped a beat, and he had to distract himself by lying down.

“Okay,” she said, putting away her phone, “time to cut myself off from cat videos to get some sleep. Hopefully, it works and I don’t go back to scrolling within five minutes.”

“Can’t stay away?”

“Sometimes, but other times, it’s just that my brain won’t shut up. A run usually helps.”

“You run?”

“Yep.” She pulled up the covers. “John trained me for a while. It really helps with keeping me focused. I try to get one in once I catch myself doomscrolling social media.”

“Sounds like a good habit. I usually read.”

“What do you like to read?”

“I love a good mystery. Sometimes I read science fiction.”

“That’s amazing. I have a few books, but I can’t always focus on reading.”

“It’s one of my favorite things to do. It really helped when Lucinda . . . you know, left.”

“I understand,” she replied. “And if you ever need some quiet time to read while we’re here, that would be fine too.”

Daniel smiled. “I might take you up on that. For now, I think I’m tired enough.”

“Same.” She turned off the light, plunging them into darkness. He felt relaxed until her leg brushed his under the covers. She jumped away from him. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

“It’s a small bed,” Daniel said. “It’s bound to happen.”

“Right. I’ll still try to keep to my own space. Good night.”

“Night,” he murmured.

He stayed awake for far longer than he wanted to in the dark, reveling in the heat of Amelia’s body and her peony scent. He stayed awake long after her breathing evened out.

Eventually, the warmth dragged him under. And as he fell asleep, he could have sworn he felt her leg touch his again.

But this time, it stayed there.

***

The next morning, he woke up with the sun streaming through their window.

His pajama top was still loosely on her, though one shoulder was exposed, and it was conveniently the one pressed against him.

Thoughts broke out against his will. What would it feel like if he moved his arm and wrapped it around her? What would it be like if she was curled into him, her head on his chest while she slept? It seemed so natural, just like the way holding her hand had felt on the beach.

But they weren’t really dating, and he had no right to touch her in a way she didn’t ask for. So he gently moved away, taking only a moment to stretch before going to the bathroom. His mind kept circling back to Amelia, and every time it did, his skin tingled from where he’d touched her.

He hopped into the shower, hoping it would take his mind off of her. It drowned out the memory of her shoulder pressing against his, and when he got out, he felt more put together. He reached for his usual hair cream but paused as she once again invaded his mind.

They’re very stylish, but I’d hate for you not to sleep because of them.

Technically, slicking his hair back wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was annoying to maintain and wash. Without it, however, his hair was messy, and his natural curls would be all over the place.

He considered going without it, but he wondered what Amelia would say. And then what her family would say.

The last thing he wanted to do was deviate from the person Amelia knew him as. After all, she’d asked the normal version of him to do this fake-dating thing.

After putting his hair in its usual style, he got dressed in a polo and khaki shorts, an outfit he considered somewhat formal, and wondered what it would be like to let go, even for just a little bit. He used to never be so worried about his appearance, but it was something Lucinda used to have a problem with.

Amelia was still asleep, so he went out into the main area, hoping to get some water.

“Don’t you look nice,” Mandy called from across the room.

He turned to face her and felt a slight pang of jealousy. She had been in a nice blouse and expensive-looking tailored jeans yesterday when they arrived, but now, her outfit was casual and ready for vacation life—making him feel overdressed.

“Thanks,” he said.

“Are you going somewhere? I’m heading out to get some coffee myself.”

“Maybe I should get Amelia something. She loves it in the morning.”

Mandy smiled. “You’re welcome to join me if you want. There is a shop only a half mile from here.”

“Of course,” he said. “Lead the way.”

Saying yes was the right thing to do, but his heart pounded at the idea of being alone with Amelia’s mother. Could he manage not to screw this up? He wasn’t so sure.

The minute they were out of the condo, Mandy said, “You know, Amelia didn’t even tell me she was dating someone. I was so surprised!”

“It’s new,” he replied.

“So she said.” Mandy pressed the button for the elevator. “I hear you two met at work.”

“We did. It was a few years ago.”

“So, you’ve known each other a long time. What made you wait so long to ask her out?”

“I didn’t ask, she did. And we were different people when we met.”

“How so?”

Normally, he wouldn’t answer, but this wasn’t a coworker, this was Amelia’s mom,who undoubtedly only wanted to know how this all happened.

And Daniel wanted to be open with her. He didn’t want to be businesslike. Not here.

Not when Amelia herself was so open.

“I was married when we met.”

“Oh, really?” Mandy’s eyebrows rose.

“T-there was no overlap,” he rushed to say. “I would never—”

“I wouldn’t dare think that.” She waved her hand. “I’m just wondering when this started and why Amelia didn’t tell me.”

“We only went on our first date a couple of weeks ago.”

“So it’s very new, then.”

“Yes. And I hope me being divorced doesn’t change how you feel about our relationship.”

Mandy frowned. “Why would that change anything? Marriages can end for all kinds of reasons.”

“She’s your daughter. You’re bound to be protective.”

“She’s also very smart,” Mandy added. “And she’s grown. She’s going to do what she wants to do, even if it’s be single for five years. Thank God that’s over with, though. I could only meddle so much before she stopped answering my calls.”

His heart refused to slow down. This was getting close to a topic he wasn’t sure he wanted to talk about. Mandy’s meddling was definitely a point of contention that he didn’t want to get in the middle of.

“So, how long have you and Randy been together?” he asked, hoping pivoting would be the best solution.

“Oh, we’re nearing thirty years,” she replied. “We married young.”

“Wow.”

“Everyone told us we wouldn’t last, even our parents, but we put in the work to make it stick, and here we are.”

Work.Had he put in enough work with Lucinda? The countless hours at the office had piled up, but he wasn’t so sure that he’d done any emotional work with her.

Not that she had either.

What would it have been like to be in Mandy’s shoes, where both parties were dedicated to making it last? His mind flashed to Amelia. Would she have been?

“I’m glad you were able to,” he said, pulling himself out of his thoughts.

“Now, if it’s a bad relationship, it’s just bad. Like Amelia’s last boyfriend. Horrible man.”

Daniel almost asked for more details, but he stopped himself. Why did he want to know?

Amelia brought out a different sort of curiosity from him. Never before did he want to know every detail of someone else’s life, but he took each one in with an unusual sense of fascination.

Their conversation died down as they walked. He was too far in his thoughts and didn’t notice until minutes of silence had passed. He tried to think of something to say to fill the void, but nothing came to mind.

Mandy beat him to it as they walked into the coffee shop.

“This place is amazing,” she said. “It always smells so heavenly.”

Daniel couldn’t help but agree, even though he wasn’t a fan of the drink itself. He scanned the menu, wondering what Amelia would even like. The shop had helpful descriptions explaining what drink was what, but it still didn’t give him an answer. He’d only seen her with office-brewed coffee.

Mandy stepped into line and ordered. Daniel followed suit, eyes landing on something random. A macchiato, where espresso was on the top and foamed cream was on the bottom.

“Huh,” Mandy said, “is that what Amelia likes these days?”

“I always like to surprise her,” he replied.

Mandy shrugged and got her finished drink. Daniel grabbed his, wondering if Amelia would even take a sip of it.

“I’m glad she’s trying new things. Sometimes, she has an idea of what’s best for her, and it’s not really what is.”

“Sometimes new things can be good.” Or he hoped.

They returned to the condo in silence, and Daniel still couldn’t think of a thing to say.

“You’re a quiet one, aren’t you?” Mandy asked.

“People say that, yes.”

“I hope it’s not us. I know our family can be a lot.”

“No, of course not. I’m honored you invited me. It just takes me some time to warm up to people. Some people say I can be a little businesslike at first.”

She nodded, and Daniel hoped it was enough.

They entered the condo as Amelia was coming out of their room with messy hair and a sleepy expression on her face.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Coffee. A macchiato, to be exact.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had one,” she said, taking it from him.

“It’s espresso at the top and cream on the bottom.”

She took a sip and her eyes popped open. “Oh, yeah. There’s the espresso.”

“I think the cream is the reward.”

“So it punches me awake and then I get a sweet treat at the end? I think I like this.” She smiled and took another sip. “Thank you for getting it for me.”

“You were right,” Mandy said. “Something new is good for her.”

His chest loosened. That had been dumb luck, but he would take any point in his favor.