Chapter 11
Rue
With my phone much too close to my face, I read my Saturday morning Little Birdie post for the third time before posting it.
Dearest Fledglings,
Who would have thought Ezra Davis would be Rue Sullivan’s type?
Certainly not I. But then again, perhaps her feelings for the strong, handsome point guard were on the down-low for a reason.
Is there a secret simmering behind the scenes of this new drama for our beloved shy girl?
If you can count on one fearless flapper to discover this juicy worm of info, it’s me.
Yours truly,
Little Birdie
I almost left out the part about Ezra being handsome, but I couldn’t bear to add any more lies to my day.
He’s handsome. Annoyingly so, and there’s no denying it.
As if he knows I’m thinking about him, his name lights up my phone screen.
Ezra
you better not leave me hanging at Sip of Joy
Me
yeah, yeah. I’m coming.
As I get ready, I try not to think about how I felt when he asked me to meet him there an hour ago to talk about more nitty-gritty details of our arrangement.
“Where are you going?” Mom asks when I’m almost out the door.
“Uh, just Sip of Joy.”
She crosses her arms. Arches an eyebrow. “Don’t make me ask a second question.”
“With Ezra. Ezra Davis,” I say. Admitting the truth is much easier than evading anything when it comes to her. She’ll always find out, and then things will be so much more difficult.
Her mouth falls open. “Ezra Davis? Again?”
“Yeah. He and I are kinda dating now.” I blush.
She regards me like I’m a sad little kitten who just got kicked. “You’re dating the boy who humiliated you?”
I groan. “Mom…it was his friend, not him. That’s so dramatic.”
“Oh, I’ll show you dramatic.”
“Please. I’m supposed to meet him right now.”
She sighs. “Fine. But let me know if I need to make an appearance and teach that boy some common courtesy. I have a meeting here soon but I’ll end it early if you need me.”
I resist the urge to laugh out loud. “Is the meeting for a new business?”
She narrows her eyes. “Don’t you take that tone. This one is different, and I’ll have you know, I may be starting a new line of work soon.”
“Well, with the way you already sell insurance for a living, I believe you can sell anything.” I kiss her cheek before leaving. I’m pretty sure starting new businesses is my mother’s version of a hobby. Getting in the car, I try to clear my head before meeting Ezra.
I get to Sip of Joy before he does, even though he lives closer than I do.
My drive from Cambridge isn’t too bad, but I still prefer to walk when I can because I despise New England traffic.
And walking usually gives me time to think.
The air is crisp enough to nip at my nose when I step outside, and it carries the scent of roasted coffee beans, the slight tang of car exhaust, and the mouthwatering aroma of food from nearby restaurants.
When I enter the cafe, I order an iced cherry latte from the barista and find a table to wait at.
Sip of Joy always smells like caramelized sugar and espresso.
Like a hug in beverage form. Fairy lights are strung across the ceiling beams, and the soft hum of an indie acoustic playlist makes the place feel extra cozy.
It’s not too crowded here today, with plenty of open tables, so I take a booth seat by the window.
Staring out at the street, I spend a few minutes people-watching.
It’s one of my favorite activities because I like to assign made-up dialogue and personalities to everyone I observe.
I’ve been doing it since I was a kid, and I think part of the reason I enjoy acting so much has a lot to do with this.
For me, it’s all about the story and the potential for what could happen.
Outside, sunlight filters through the tree branches, projecting slices of warmth onto the cobblestones.
The glass is cool beneath my fingertips when I rest my hand against it.
Ezra’s booming voice interrupts my thoughts when he comes in.
I glance up and see him ordering a drink before his gaze finds me. A grin breaks out across his face.
As he saunters over, I try to remember why I agreed to this meeting in the first place.
With each step he takes in my direction, my dread increases, but when he plops down across from me, Meredith texts me.
It’s been so long since I’ve gotten a message from her, at first I don’t believe it.
Maybe Mabel’s phone died, and she’s using her sister’s or something. But then I read the message.
Meredith
hey. Want to hang out?
Me
yes! want to meet at that new boutique in an hour?
Meredith
yes. can’t wait to see you <3
Emotion clogs in my throat. I’ve missed her so much.
As Ezra sits in the booth seat across from me, my resolve strengthens. We have to keep this going at all costs. “Let’s do this,” I say by way of greeting.
Ezra arches a thick eyebrow. “Hello to you, too.”
“Sorry. Hi.”
He laughs, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms like he plans to stay a while. “You look like you’re gearing up for battle. We’re just talking. Relax.”
I frown. “I am relaxed.”
“Right.”
“Look, you and I both know I’m not happy to be here with you, so I’d prefer to make things quick. Now, and every time we interact.”
He smiles, but it doesn’t totally reach his eyes this time. “I think if we’re going to convince anyone we’re together, you’re going to have to start looking at me like you don’t want to hurl every time I speak.”
I sip my iced cherry latte. It’s sweet and tart with just the tiniest hint of almond. “Yeah, I know. It’s called acting, and I happen to be very good at it.”
He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Then why aren’t you acting like you like me right now?”
“There’s no audience, so that wouldn’t be acting. It would just be lying.”
Ezra chuckles, unfazed. “Listen, let’s start simple. There are only a few more ground rules we need to go over.”
I nod, setting my drink down with a soft clink. “Like what?”
“We’ll need to establish a real timeline. You know, for when we break up.”
I shrug. “Maybe a week or two after the show closes?”
He nods. “Sure. Whatever works for you.”
As I study him, I chew my lip. “I feel kinda bad, Ez. It seems like there’s nothing in this for you.”
“What do you mean?” The corner of his mouth lifts. “Helping you is what’s in it for me. I messed up when I didn’t hold up for you. You know, back then. So, if doing this means you’ll forgive me…” He leaves the rest of his sentence unfinished.
I lean across the table to level my gaze at him. “It does.”
We both fall quiet for a moment, the sounds of the café filling the space between us—soft indie music, milk being steamed, a barista humming as she wipes the counter.
The sun filters in through the window beside us, casting golden light across the table and making the condensation on our drinks sparkle.
“So,” Ezra says after a beat. “Should we take some photos today?”
“Photos?”
“Yeah. You know…you post one. I post one.”
I giggle. The thought of putting his face on my feed makes my stomach flip.
Since Meredith took those pictures of us on the swan boat, I’ve examined the collection of them every night.
Seeing the way mine and Ezra’s eyes were locked makes me blush every time.
But there’s no way I have the guts to post any of them because the vulnerability of that moment with him is way too visible.
“Maybe later,” I say. “I think just being seen together as much as we have is enough for now. Baby steps.”
He nods and takes another sip of his matcha and lets the silence settle again. This time, it’s not so uncomfortable.
I glance over at him. “Another thing.”
“Lay it on me.”
“We need to limit PDA as much as possible.”
He grins, his dimples deepening. “That’s gonna be tough. As you might have already noticed, I’m a very handsy boyfriend.”
“I have noticed, actually.”
He laughs. The sound mixes with the café’s background chatter, but a few people at nearby tables glance over. “We’ve already kissed, Rue.”
My cheeks burn like they just got set on fire. “Yeah, and that cannot happen again. Not ever.”
Ezra appears to be fighting a smile. “But we kissed right in front of your friend. Surely, she’ll expect us to do it again.”
“Fine.” I cover my face.
“What about holding hands?”
“Sure. I guess so, Ezra.”
He smirks. “Okay. And I vote that we don’t talk to others in a romantic way, or date anyone else. Even if we’re only pretending to date, it doesn’t seem right to me.”
“Ezra.” I hiss, glancing around to make sure no one heard. “No talking about it being pretend. To anyone.”
He chuckles and holds up his hands. “Fine. Got it. I’ve only told Olivia, but I won’t tell anyone else.”
“What? You told your sister?” I cover my face. “This is already a disaster, and we still have three more months together.”
“Nah.” He nudges his foot against mine under the table. “This is gonna be fun.”
I peek through my fingers. “You’re enjoying this too much.”
“I’ve had worse days.”
I lower my hands and sit back, taking another sip of my latte. “Let’s just get through this without straying from the plan.”
“Deal.” He lifts his drink for a toast. “To the mutually agreed upon plan.”
I clink my cup against his just as a girl from our school walks in with a horde of friends. I recognize some of them from the drama club. My eyes widen, and Ezra turns to see where I’m looking.
The entire group stares openly at us. They’re not even trying to hide it.
Ezra glances over at them, then back at me. “Audience,” he whispers. Then he gets out of his seat to slide in next to me at the booth. Right. We should be a lot more cuddly.
Ezra removes his gray hoodie. “Here, you look cold, babe,” he says. I blush furiously as he bundles me in it without waiting for an answer, then kisses the top of my head.