Chapter 2 #2
He leans forward, giving me a half-smile that’s so sexy I almost melt into my seat.
The problem here is that I was already 90% gone on Caleb Gallagher before I even met him in person.
The easy way he settled in to talk to me, like it was just a texting conversation brought to life, is really selling me.
And the good looks? Icing on an already decadent cake.
“And then I asked you on a date and the rest is history?” he says, his smile widening.
Oh, I hope so. “Perfect.” I hope he doesn’t hear the breathlessness in my voice.
He lets out a sigh as he sits back. “My mom will probably lecture me later about dating another gamer.” He rolls his eyes. “But she won’t say anything in front of you. So no worries there about her making it awkward.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell Caleb that I’m a CEO. But what if it would bother him? I want a chance for him to see that it doesn’t matter. Once we’ve had a chance to date (even if it’s fake) in real life, he’ll see my job is just that.
“Well, even if she does say something,” I tell Caleb, “I think I can handle it.”
He chuckles. “Of course. You have plenty of experience with it too.” He looks around for a waiter. “Should we order some dessert and then get down to the rules?” he asks, catching the eye of a nearby server.
“Rules?”
“You know, so I’m not stepping over boundaries by going further with the fake relationship than you’re comfortable.”
I try not to scowl. Telling Caleb that I’m good with all the girlfriend stuff—hand holding, snuggling, close dancing … kissing—will make it obvious how I feel about him. I need to observe if he feels the same spark I do before admitting anything.
There’s the Shadow Heroes mission to think of, of course.
Also, my heart.
Also, this man with his green flags. He’s only making me love him more.
The waiter saves me from answering by stepping up next to our table to take our orders. Caleb gets a double slice of the Oreo chocolate pie, and I ask for one of the shop’s famous giant ice cream sandwiches: chocolate chip cookie with cookie dough ice cream filling.
After the waiter walks away, Caleb goes on. “Since we can get away with saying this thing is pretty new, we don’t have to get too crazy. What do you think? I don’t want you to regret this.”
I don’t want any rules, but that’s weird. “We’re friends,” I say. “I think if we only do coupley stuff when people are watching, that’s a good enough rule for me.” I shrug, like all of this is no big deal. Like I pretend to be a fake girlfriend for handsome guys all the time.
“And kissing?” he asks, tilting his head at me. He has a sort of playful expression on his face. Could he be flirting with me?
My cheeks are on fire, and I can only hope my blush isn’t too obvious in the low lighting of the restaurant.
“There probably won’t be a reason to kiss, right?
” I say, going for casual. “But let’s leave it as an option, just in case.
” Caleb’s eyes widen, and I hurry on. “I mean, we should ask permission first, of course. Right?”
“Yeah.” He lets out a breath. “And you’re probably right. Knowing my mom, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for her to insist we prove we’re dating or something.”
I force a laugh. “Exactly.”
The waiter comes with our desserts, giving me a moment to compose myself. I also take the opportunity to dig right into my ice cream sandwich, which is a good decision. The cookies are perfectly soft and taste like they came from my grandma’s kitchen. I can’t help the quiet “mmmm” that escapes.
“I know,” Caleb replies. He’s already taken a bite of his pie as well. “This place is amazing. Have you been here before?”
I cover my mouth and laugh. “Regularly. It’s a favorite.”
“I can see why.” Then he studies me with a serious look. “Are you the type to share food?” he asks.
“As long as it’s reciprocal. And I’ve ordered enough.” I smile at him.
“Good answer.” He picks up his knife and cuts a bite from his pie, setting it on my plate, so I do the same for him. We are so perfect for each other.
Again, an “mmmmm” escapes the second I take a bite of the pie.
It’s not a dessert I’ve had here before, but I will order it in the future.
I’m thinking of asking them to box up a piece for me to take home.
It’s delicious. Rich, silky chocolate and the crunch of the Oreos, all topped by divine homemade whipped cream? It’s phenomenal.
After a couple minutes of small talk about the food, Caleb puts down his fork. “Anything else we need to know for a successful mission?” he asks, his eyes twinkling.
“Just keep our cool. We’re good under pressure,” I say, my smile widening. But the warning is mostly for me.
Caleb has a mission to fool his mom and keep himself safe from her matchmaking, but I have my own quest.
Does that make me a double agent?
Law
Carlie says Caleb’s bringing his girlfriend to the wedding.
Jett
Girlfriend?
Devin
Caleb has a girlfriend?
Caleb
We haven’t exactly defined it as that yet.
Law
Because she’s not actually your girlfriend and this is some ploy to keep your mom from setting you up with one of my mom’s policy advisors?
Caleb
What? No. We are totally dating.
Devin
Since when are you dating someone?
Jett
Just checked. There are no pictures of them together online. Law might be right.
Caleb
You guys know I’m very private online. For obvious reasons.
Law
Who do we call to hack someone to find out the truth when we can’t call Caleb?
Caleb
Why is it so hard to believe that I’ve been seeing someone and I’ve kept it to myself?
Jett
Sus, bro.