Chapter 8
THEO
I’m lying on my bed, scrolling through my phone when Sienna’s name pops up on the screen.
I’m surprised she’s calling me, given how I proposed the fake-dating scheme to her.
When I first had the idea to ask Sienna to be my fake girlfriend, I hadn’t exactly planned on drunkenly blurting out the idea to her.
Tapping the Accept button, I answer, “Hey, I was beginning to think I’d never hear from you again.”
“Alright, I’ll do it.”
“Sorry, do what?” I know I’m playing with fire here, but I can’t help but mess with her just a little.
“I’ll be your girlfriend, uh, your fake girlfriend, I mean.”
A smile slowly spreads across my face at her acceptance.
“Perfect, I think you’re really going to like the lake house. It’s—”
“Okay, look, if we are going to do this, we need some ground rules. And I have a ton of questions that need answers.” My smile grows at her businesslike tone. She’s cute when she gets serious about something.
At that revelation, I realize she’s right. We will definitely need some boundaries in place if I’m having thoughts like that.
“Rules, hmm. Okay, let’s hear them.” Sitting up on my bed, an involuntary grunt slips from my lips.
“Is this a bad time?” Sienna asks.
“Not at all, just a little sore from the gym yesterday. So let’s hear those rules.”
There’s a slight hesitation to her voice when she responds, “Okay, here’s the deal, we need to keep things professional. Treat this like a business transaction. While we might appear to be dating in public, we need to be nothing but mere acquaintances in private.”
“Sounds like a plan, boss.” I try my best to match her professional tone, but it comes across as flirtatious.
“Okay, that right there, rule number one, no flirting unless we are in front of your family. And even then, we need to keep things light.”
Unable to help myself, I try to lighten her tone a tad by responding, “Aw, but flirting with you is so fun.”
“Theo, I’m serious. Actually, you know what? Never mind. If you aren’t going to take this seriously, I don’t think I can help you. Good luck finding another woman to agree to your plan.” She responds with growing agitation in her voice, and I realize I’ve let the conversation get away from me.
“Sienna, wait, I’m just messing around. Seriously, thank you for helping me.
I assure you I will help you get a job before the end of the summer.
Besides, I think you’ll have a lot of fun with my brothers and me.
” That came out creepier than I intended.
For some reason, my usual charm keeps morphing into assholery whenever I’m around Sienna.
“Wait, exactly how many brothers do you have?” She’s silent on the other line as she waits for my response.
“I have three older brothers—Alex, Leo, and Roman. I guess I should’ve mentioned that previously, huh?”
She chuckles, and I relax at the sound of her loosening up just slightly, “Probably would’ve been a good idea. But it’s okay because rule number two is that Beth is coming with me. If she can’t come, then no deal.”
“The more, the merrier. Whatever you need.” I try not to get stuck on how serious I am when I say the last part.
Sienna continues listing her rules. Making sure to reiterate that if I have secret plans for any nefarious activities, I should remember how dangerous Beth was with a cereal box, and then envision the damage she could do with a real weapon.
The thought makes me laugh, but I’m smart enough to know she isn’t kidding.
The next rules she lists out are as follows: No sharing a bed, she will be sharing a room with Beth. Only minimal touching will be allowed, focusing on our hands and arms only. Absolutely no kissing. Her final rule is that she can add additional rules at any point during the trip.
Without hesitation, I agree to each of her rules. If she wants to treat this as a business transaction, I will consider it practice for when I finally take a position at Kane Construction.
“I’ll be sure to text you all of the details, but we’ll leave the Sunday after the Fourth of July.”
“Great. Two weeks is plenty of time for me to get packed. I’ll wait for your text.”
Before she hangs up, I stop her. “Sienna, one more thing before you go. I have another rule to add.”
“Okay, shoot,” she says.
“No falling in love with me.” It’s an obvious rule, maybe, but one I feel should be said out loud. Although maybe it’s less so for her and more for me.
“Ugh, just text me the details.” She hangs up, and my pulse instantly escalates at the thought of visiting the lake house this year.
I just hope my plan actually works. For both of us.