4. Nate
Chapter four
Nate
T he bitter coffee scalded my tongue, but I welcomed the pain. It distracted me from replaying the date with Susan in my head for the hundredth time. I stared into the dark liquid, grasping the warmth of the mug, and tried to lose myself in the rising wisps of steam.
It was almost comical how that one encounter could monopolize my mind. I was in my senior year when Susan and Emily became freshmen. Then I went off to college and then med school. I had seen her around town a few times, but it never really hit me before how much she had grown up and how attractive she had become. I never would have thought that we would match up on a dating app.
Her quiet grace and witty sense of humor had caught me off guard. She seemed so awkward as a teenager when she stayed over with Emily. It was as if a door had opened, revealing a side of Susan I'd never known - a side that had always been hidden behind the quiet, bookish exterior she presented to the world. And now that I'd glimpsed it, I found myself wanting more.
The click of heels on tile pulled me from my thoughts. I glanced up to see Tiffany marching across the cafeteria, spine rigid and lips pursed. Her piercing gaze targeted me. I suppressed a grimace.
She halted at my table, manicured nails tapping out a staccato rhythm. "Nate, we need to talk." Though her tone was light, an undercurrent of tension hummed beneath the surface.
"Hey, Tiffany," Her proximity set my teeth on edge, but I tried to sound casual. "What can I do for you?"
"Don't 'hey Tiffany' me," she snapped. "You brushed me off at the café the other day when I saw you with Susan. You know, Emily's little friend? I want to know what was going on."
Of course, she did. Tiffany had been hounding me to go out with her nonstop ever since she moved back to Rivermint Cove almost a year ago. We had a short fling in high school, and no matter what I said, she was convinced that we were meant to be. I racked my brain for a plausible explanation, knowing full well that mentioning the blind dating app would only fuel Tiffany's relentless pursuit.
I feigned nonchalance. "Susan and I just happened to run into each other. We started talking about books and coffee, and time just flew by. No big deal."
Tiffany narrowed her eyes, clearly not buying my casual explanation. "You expect me to believe that? You two seemed pretty cozy for people who just 'ran into each other.'"
"Would you prefer I say we were discussing the merits of maple versus oak trees?" I tried to steer the conversation in a less confrontational direction. "Honestly, Tiffany, there's nothing to report. "
"Come on, Nate." Tiffany insisted, her voice laced with hostility. "You can't seriously expect me to believe that you and Susan were just talking about books and coffee."
I looked into her eyes, searching for a way to defuse the situation without causing more problems. I knew she wouldn't let this go easily, but I needed a way out of this conversation.
"Okay, fine," I sighed dramatically. "You caught us. We're actually members of an underground book club that meets in secret to discuss literature over lattes."
Tiffany's expression remained unamused, her arms tightening across her chest. "Nate, I'm not in the mood for jokes. You told me you were too busy to date when I asked you out. I want to know if you were on a date with Susan?"
At that moment, my mind raced, grasping for an answer that would satisfy her curiosity and get her off my back. Desperate and cornered, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"Alright, Tiffany, you want the truth? Susan and I are engaged."
The words hung in the air like a thick fog, and I immediately regretted my impulsive decision. Tiffany's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Engaged?" she repeated, and I cringed inwardly at the absurdity of my own lie. I didn't even know how Susan felt about maple trees, let alone marriage.
"Yep," I confirmed, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "There you have it. Susan and I were... planning our future together."
Tiffany sputtered, trying to process the news. She looked at me like I'd suddenly sprouted a second head. "But how long have you two even been together?"
My hands wrapped tightly around the now lukewarm cup of coffee as Tiffany's gaze bore into me. Her perfectly arched eyebrows lifted in expectation of an answer: "For a few months now. We were keeping it quiet at first, you know, not wanting to make a big fuss over it."
Tiffany narrowed her eyes, looking suspicious. "A few months? How have I not heard about this until now?"
I forced out a laugh. "Well, you know Susan and me. We're kind of the ninjas of love." I made a joking ninja pose in my seat. "Stealthily building our relationship without anyone noticing."
"Really, Nate? Ninjas? That's the best you can come up with?" Her tone was laced with skepticism. "Well, congratulations, I guess. But I'll be keeping an eye on you two. Something about this doesn't add up."
"Thanks, Tiffany. We appreciate your support." My voice dripped with sarcasm, but it seemed to go over her head as she turned and stalked away, her heels hitting the tile like tiny ice picks.
I watched her go, my heart sinking. This little white lie was about to spiral out of control—I just knew it. What in the world was I going to do now? As the reality of my situation began to sink in, a mix of panic and humor bubbled up inside me. The thought of Susan's reaction to our supposed engagement was both terrifying and hilarious. Would she laugh it off? Or would she be angry that I'd dragged her into this mess without warning?
Lost in thought, I didn't notice Ethan until he stepped up beside me and gave me a friendly elbow nudge.
"So, did Tiffany finally make you snap?" he asked, one eyebrow raised in amusement. "Had to invent a fake fiancée just to get her off your back?"
I rubbed the back of my neck, knowing I had to stick to my story now and trying to figure out a way to convince Ethan. "About that...it's not entirely fictional. Susan and I are actually engaged."
Ethan's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're kidding! And you didn't even tell your best friend? You just said you were going on a blind date."
"Well, we reconnected a few months back and hit it off. We wanted to make sure our feelings were real and enjoy some privacy before the rumor mill started churning. The longer we went without telling anyone, the harder it got to figure out a way to break the news." I rambled on, digging myself even deeper into the lie. "The dating app thing was just a cover-up, a way to ease into sharing the news of our engagement with everyone."
"Nate, you sly dog! I can’t believe you made up all that stuff about the app. Man, I thought it was kind of weird that you were being so open about your dating life. I don’t know whether I should punch you or hug you."
He laughed and pulled me into a bear hug. “Congrats on your big secret. I’m a little shocked that you were able to hide it, but I'm happy for you."
"Thanks," I said, trying to hide the guilt boiling up inside me. "Well, I'd better get back to work. I can't keep the patients waiting."
I walked out of the cafeteria and found an empty room. I dropped my head into my hands. What a mess. I had to come clean to Susan before Tiffany spread the word all over town. I couldn't let Susan be blindsided like that. She'd be humiliated.
My phone suddenly felt heavy in my pocket. Hopefully, she'd forgive my temporary lapse in judgment. With a deep breath, I pulled out my phone. It was time to face the music. I scrolled to Susan's name in my contacts with a swipe of my thumb. My finger hovered over the call button as nerves twisted my stomach.
Just do it. Rip off the band-aid.
I tapped the button and brought the phone to my ear. It rang once, twice, three times as I held my breath.
"Hello?" Susan's soft voice greeted me.
"Hey Susan, it's Nate," I started, cringing at the awkwardness already seeping into my tone.
“Nate, what's up?" She sounded surprised to hear from me.
Come on, man. Just explain.
"So funny story..." I attempted to say lightly.
Okay, not a great start.
I cleared my throat. "Remember how Tiffany saw us meeting for coffee the other evening? Well, she just cornered me at the hospital, demanding to know why we were together. I might have panicked and told her that we are engaged."
Silence. My palms started to sweat. Come on, Susan, say something.
“You did what?” She finally gasped. Shock colored her voice. "Why would you say that?"
I sighed, the weight of my rash decision hitting me. "I don't know. She caught me off guard, and I just blurted it out. I'm sorry to drag you into this mess. I'll tell her the truth if you want me to."
Susan paused, and I could almost hear the gears turning in her brilliant mind.
"No, it's okay," she said slowly. "We can pretend for a little while, can't we? I would have loved to have seen the look on Tiffany’s face. Plus, it might be fun to have people think I could actually have a love life for once and be part of such a secretive, scandalous scheme." She chuckled softly.
Relief washed over me. “Well, it is definitely pretty scandalous. And I am sure the whole town will be watching us."
“Yeah. I’m not making any promises on how this is going to play out. I am awkward on a real date, much less a pretend relationship that has been going on for how long?” She let out a nervous breath.
“Three months,” I drug out the words, unsure what had caused me to say it had been that long, even though any less would have been more ridiculous than the whole thing already was. “You're sure you're okay with this?"
"I suppose so. I mean, how hard can it be to make the entire town believe that we have been secretly dating for three months, fell in love, and got engaged." I could feel her voice shaking through the phone.
“Thanks, Susan. I need to get back to work, but I’ll text you tomorrow.” We said our goodbyes and hung up.
As I put my phone back in my pocket and headed to my next appointment, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe something real could emerge from beneath the tangled web of lies.
"Who would've thought?" I mused to myself, shaking my head at this unexpected turn of events. "Susan Phillips, my fake fiancée.”