Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
QUINN
Turns out fake dating is easy when you don’t go out in public.
Miles and I made a plan, but since that plan wasn’t set to start until the weekend, we basically kept a low profile around town. This might turn out to be a lot easier than I thought. We just work and go home. Separately. All of it separately, unless you count the couple of encounters when I’m sitting on the porch and he’s going home much later than the average person should be working.
There have been a few applicants for the shop position, but I haven’t interviewed them yet. I want Miles to be there, so I’m still working on a time when I can do them all in an hour of his day and be done with it.
He’s busy, and I’m here to make his life easier.
However, tonight is the summer kickoff festival, and it’s a big night for us.
I run my fingers through my hair and fluff it a little for volume. I curled it, which isn’t something I do often, because I have so much hair that it takes me at least a half hour. Which almost defeats the fluffing purpose, but I’ll take what I can get. Some girls would kill for hair like mine, but it’s so heavy that it’ll be flat in twenty minutes, and don’t even get me started on pulling it back. I have no doubt that girls with thick hair are stocked up on painkillers.
I grab my dark pink lip gloss and glide it on just as there is a knock at the back door.
I step out of the bathroom and wave Miles in.
“I just need another minute,” I tell him.
He nods, walking into the living room.
I finish my lips, spray myself with perfume, then slip on some strappy wedges.
“What the hell is that?” Miles points at me.
I glance down at my shirt and then at my jeans and shoes.
What?”
“Your shirt.”
I smile. “You don’t like it?”
“I think it’s overkill.”
"No, it’s not, ” I say and hold my hands out so he can read the entire thing. “We’re going for a vibe that says we fell hard and we fell fast,” I say. “It’s perfect.”
“No. Can you change?”
"I cannot.” I laugh. “It’s fine.”
He groans, running a hand through his hair. “I cannot go to this event with you wearing a shirt that says Dibs on the Mechanic in bold letters.”
“You can and you will. Who cares what people think anyway? This isn’t real. We are just playing a part to avoid breaking hearts. Let’s go.”
“You know,” he says as he follows me out the door, “I’m not really looking forward to this.”
“Yes, I can sense that.”
“The part where we will be the focus of attention, I mean. I’m not used to it. Plus, I think I should tell Luca. It feels weird that Hudson knows and not him.”
I pause.
When I first started posting online, not many people liked, commented, or even followed me. As all of that increased, I was uneasy at first, but then it got easier because I wasn’t doing anything but being myself. As long as I stayed true to that, it didn’t matter to me who was paying attention and who wasn’t.
“First off, if you want to tell Luca, I trust your judgment. Second, outside of the fact that we are going together, nothing has to change. You can still sit with your family like you always do, you can drink beers if that’s what you want. Snack on some appetizers. You can sit in the same spot the entire time and let people come to you. Nothing has to be different other than your company.”
He nods.
“But you do need to act like you like me. That might help.”
I turn to walk away, and he’s hot on my heels.
“I know that,” he scolds as we head toward Main Street and the festival. “That part isn’t a problem.”
“Good, now take a breath. You plan to work all summer, and I plan to do whatever I want. We don’t have to make a ton of appearances if we don’t want to. I mean, we could play this off as we are goal-driven people who like to stay in. Easy.”
“It doesn’t feel like it’s going to be easy.”
“That’s because you’re still obsessing over how it won’t work.”
“It might not, and we?—”
“Quinn!” Brooke shouts and waves me over to where she, Sadie, Hudson, Luca, and Sadie’s brother are sitting under a tent right between Hudson’s bar and B’s Bakery.
“We saved you both a spot,” Sadie says as we sit down.
“Yeah, both of you,” Luca says with a smile .
“Thank you,” I say honestly and face Miles's twin. They’re fraternal, so it’s not like I’m looking at Miles’s duplicate, but Luca also has sharp features, and they both have the same bright blue eyes and dark scuff.
When Miles sits, he leaves enough room between us for another full-grown adult to take, so I casually scoot next to him. “Do you want to go get us something to drink?”
“Yeah,” he says quickly.
Luca, Linc, and Hudson stand, too.
“We all need refills,” Hudson says.
Miles glances over his right shoulder to look at me as they all walk toward the bar. He glances at Luca quickly, and I take that as he’s going to tell him.
I nod to reassure him that’s fine.
“Oh god, look at him. He’s smitten.”
Smitten? More like he’s a wreck.
“He’s a little nervous about tonight,” I admit.
“Why would he be nervous?” Sadie asks, clearly playing her part.
“Because this thing between us is so new and sudden, and he’s … I don't know. I'm nervous, too.”
“Makes sense,” Brooke says. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him date. Not in a way that he’d make such a public appearance like this one.” She nods at something behind me. That’s when I notice there are a lot more people in town looking in our direction.
Specifically, Cherry's father.
I did some social media research that first night in Miles’s apartment. It was more for Cherry, but her dad was everywhere on her account. Apparently, this guy is a big deal. Some of the things I read were pretty intimidating. He’s the kind of man who gets what he wants and could make or break someone’s career .
Truth be told, that kind of power in life sounds too stressful for me.
Our eyes meet, and he nods. Clearly, he knows who I am.
I smile and wave.
I turn to go back to the conversation with the girls, but instantly the hairs on my neck come to attention.
“Hey, Quinn,” a voice says right behind me, and I don't need to turn around to know who it is.
Danny.
I turn slowly and grin.
“Hey,” I say casually.
His hands are stuffed in his pockets. “How have you been?”
“Good. How about you?”
“Good. I was excited to hear that you were also going to be here this summer.”
“Yeah, Lovers is amazing.”
I quickly glance at the girls, who all look away as if they aren’t watching us.
“I heard that you were still seeing someone,” he says.
“I am.”
“Is he here?”
I’m opening my mouth to answer, but someone beats me to it.
“Yes, he is.”
Danny spins and steps back, revealing Miles and his brothers.
The look in Miles's eyes is dark. He sets our drinks down and sits at the table, one leg on each side of the bench, with me sitting between them.
And then he kisses my temple. It wasn’t the cheek or the forehead, but I’ll accept it.
And it seems to be the gesture that makes everyone accept our relationship as well .
“I’m Miles,” he finally says to Danny.
“Danny.”
They shake hands.
“I hope you guys enjoy Lovers over the summer. It’s the best time of the year to be here. The lake is warm, and the mountain has trails to explore for days.”
“Yeah,” Danny says hesitantly. “I’m looking forward to it. I think I might be most interested in the festivals I’ve heard you all have here. I’m a big-city guy, so this will be good for me. A refreshing break.”
“That’s what we're here for. A wonderful palate-cleansing town.”
Danny smiles, but I don’t miss the tone of Miles’s last comment.
He’s insulted.
This is his town.
His family.
His friends.
And Danny just let him know it’s only good for a break.
Something I’ve said before, too. Never out loud, though. But it makes a lot of things about Miles clearer to me.
“Well, see you around,” I say to Danny, and he nods, waving at the table as he leaves.
Everyone is quiet for a moment, eyes on me and Miles.
Miles leans in and whispers, “Did you really just tell him you’d see him around ?”
The humor is back in his voice, and I can’t help but smile wider.
I turn to him, my nose brushing his unintentionally.
“Maybe.”
His eyes lock on mine, and he shakes his head.
“Now you’re just asking for me to tease you. ”
“Okay stop, stop,” Luca says rather loudly, causing me to jump back.
I forgot they were here.
“I can’t have you two making out”—he points at Hudson and Sadie, then to me and Miles—“and have you two be all swoony over each other all summer long.”
Miles enjoys a deep belly laugh that instantly warms my heart.
“You better get used to it.” He wraps his arms around my shoulders, pulling me close.
Wow, he’s oddly good at this.
“I sure hope there’s room at this table for two more,” Grandma Betty and Mike join us. Her gaze flickers to Miles's arm, then to my eyes. She smiles, but she doesn’t say a word.
“There is always room for you, Betty,” Sadie says.
Conversation quickly falls into the summer activities. In a few weeks, there will be the July 4th Blast, followed by the Lovers 4th of July, which is something only the locals know about. Then there is the end-of-summer party the first week of August before the kids go back to school. The town has decided to make that the biggest one of the season.
“So not only will the contest take place, but the bar and bookstore will have a spot. The dance studio is right next to us, so you can dance, then grab a drink and a snack, then a book, all in one smooth move.”
“Now, we all know I love to read. It’s not a secret in our family that we love books, but I’m not sure that’ll be the first thing on my mind to do when I’m at a town party,” Grandma Betty says.
“Probably not, but since tourists can come and I have exclusive signed editions from some very well-known authors”—Sadie winks at my grandmother—“that will change minds pretty quickly. ”
Grandma laughs. “That reminds me. Natalie asked to place an order for some of those blueberry muffins in the morning. I need to go find Brooke.”
She begins to stand, but Mike puts his hand on her arm. “Let me go do it, dear. I’ll be right back.”
Grandma smiles at him and then sits back down.
“Speaking of Natalie, are she and Tobias going to make it tonight?” I ask.
“Not tonight. They are exhausted but finally beginning to set some kind of sleep schedule. If those babies go to sleep early tonight, Mom and Dad will be, too.”
“Makes sense,” I say.
Miles is talking with Hudson and Luca, but he soon shifts his attention to me.
He smiles, which makes me do the same.
“So, how did this happen?” Grandma Betty asks.
“Yes.” Luca rubs his hands together as he watches us.
Miles lets out a laugh as he leans around me to address Grandma Betty.
“Trust me, we are just as shocked as everyone else. But sometimes, things just … work out. Plus, she was pretty relentless when it came to my apartment. I mean, talk about being obsessed with me.”
I let out a laugh and playfully swat his thigh.
He’s not completely wrong.
“Well, I don’t care how it happened. I’m just glad it did.” Grandma pulls me in for a hug and then smacks the table. “You officially have a date for my wedding. Now, I’m going to go see what’s taking Mike so long then probably call it a night.” She kisses the top of my head. “You two come over for dinner soon, all right? Summers with Quinn are my favorite because I don’t get to see her much.”
I give her a quick hug and watch her go toward the bakery. Mike walks out, reaches for her hand, and kisses the back of it. He never lets go as they walk down the street toward their house.
When my grandpa passed away, I wasn’t sure how my grandma would get past that. How do you move on from losing the love of your life? How do you go through that kind of pain and come back from it?
Day by day, I guess. And now she’s in love again.
The guys next to me let out a loud laugh.
Yeah, Grandma’s been in love twice now, and I’m over here faking it.
“I’m going to put the two of you down as contestants for the bake-off at the Fourth of July festival,” Brooke says as she brings out a plate of treats.
She’s been sneaking different dishes out to tables all night to see what’s the most popular. She says it’s helpful when she actually has a booth set up. She’ll know what to make more of.
“I’m not sure that’s something we want to do,” I say and look at Miles to back me up. Partaking means more appearances, and we know how he feels about that.
“What? Why not?” Brooke asks as she sits down. “You bake and drink beer. It’s not a hardship.”
Miles smirks at me, but truth be told, I think he wants to get as far away from me as possible.
Why?
Oh, because I told him this would be easy about three hours ago, and by this point in the night we have been invited on a hike with his brother and Sadie, his dad texted him to say he’s sorry he missed us tonight but bring me by the house, Grandma Betty invited us over for dinner and said to bring him to her wedding as my date, Tobias messaged me that they want us over for beers, and now Brooke wants us to join the next festival for the bake-off they have every summer.
So my plan that we can lay low isn’t working out very well.
“She’s right,” Miles says and leans back. “It’s not a half bad deal.”
“Can you even bake?” I ask, looking in his direction.
His eyes widen for a split second before they relax, and he smiles.
Shit.
That came out with much more snark than your typical girlfriend should have in her voice.
“I can bake. I just don’t because B’s is the best.”
He’s not wrong. Unless I’m in France, I’ve yet to find a bakery as savory as hers.
“All right, count us in,” I say and grin.
“Perfect.”
“We should be going,” Miles says and stands abruptly.
I follow suit, agreeing that we need to get out of here before anyone else asks us to commit to something.
No isn’t really in my vocabulary.
I give Brooke a hug, and Miles does the same before we start our walk back to the shop.
“Did you tell Luca?” I ask.
“Not yet. I was going to, but I figured I needed a less public place to do it. He’s going to have a lot to say.”
“Good point.”
We make it about five steps before Andy, Sully, Ashley, and Danny spot us.
“Quinn, Miles, just the two people we were looking for,” Andy says. “Danny mentioned you said there were trails around here. Would you two be up for showing us around some this weekend?”
“Oh, we have plans,” Miles says quickly .
I nod in agreement.
“Oh, what are you doing? Is there another festival?”
I purse my lips and look up at Miles.
Say something.
Anything.
Come on, Miles.
“I’m getting a dog,” are the words that come out, and I’m not sure who is more stunned by that unexpected response, me or the group in front of us.
“A dog,” Sully says.
“Yep. We’re getting a puppy,” I add, as if that’s going to help.
“A dog. Together?” Danny repeats, as if we all need it to be clarified.
“Yes” is all I have to say.
“You two must be serious then.”
I nod and so does Miles, but neither of us actually say a word.
“A pet is a commitment. I think that’s really good for you, Quinn,” Danny adds.
The backhanded comment reminds me of what he said when I told him that we could only be just friends.
You won’t be happy alone forever. You’ll regret this.
Thankfully, the loud huff Miles makes next to me cuts that memory short. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Danny stands taller and steps back.
“Nothing. I just … she … I think it’s great that she’s committing to something other than her?—”
“Finish that sentence.” Miles crosses his arms and steps forward. “I dare you.”
Danny holds his hands up in surrender.
“I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m just stating a fact. ”
Miles then backs up and puts one hand at the base of my spine.
“If the fact you’re trying to make is that Quinn is a confident and independent woman who should sure as hell always chooses herself over everyone in this world, than yeah, you’re right. If you were going to say anything else, I’d choose your words carefully.”
Danny keeps his mouth shut and nods.
“Well, if you feel like taking the new pup out on an adventure, you have my number and you know where to find us,” Andy says, changing the subject quickly. “Have a good night.”
“Night,” I say, finally finding my words.
Miles doesn’t reply. Instead, the hand at my lower back nudges me to keep walking.
Since we aren’t exactly friends, I expect him to remain silent until we part ways at the shop, but he does the exact opposite.
I’m not even sure those four are out of earshot before Miles starts asking questions.
“Do they always talk to you like that?”
I shake my head.
“Really? Because you didn’t seem surprised by his comment back there, and now that I think of it, if you felt you needed to lie about your dating life for whatever reason, maybe they aren’t good friends to have.”
“No, I guess I’m not surprised. I really only travel with them. They don’t know much about me, which was why I was able to lie so easily.”
“So, they do talk to you that way.”
“Not all of them.”
“Jesus, Quinn, I might have my opinions when it comes to you, but I’d never think for one second that I know what’s better for you. What a fucking prick.”
I grin at that .
“I can’t believe you stood up for me back there.” I shove his arm. He trips off the sidewalk and then steps back on. “Thank you.”
“Well, there’s only room for one guy in this town to be a dick to you, and I call dibs.”
I roll my eyes, and that makes him laugh.
“But seriously, Quinn. Why do you hang out with people who talk to you that way?”
I hold a finger up.
“Technically, I hang out with Andy. She’s sweet. She just so happens to hang around people I don’t care for. And you’ve done your fair share of unkindness toward me.”
He nods as if he gets it.
“I can admit when I’ve been wrong, but I also think you left out a few key pieces of your split with Danny from me.”
I sigh. “It wasn’t much, and I didn’t think it mattered. He said I’d regret not taking a chance on him and I wouldn’t figure it out until I was alone on a beach somewhere and it would be too late.”
“So basically, he’s an insecure jackass who doesn’t deserve you anyway.”
“Something like that.” I don’t look up at him because I know those last three words didn’t hold as much positivity as the others.
What Danny said to me was wrong, yes, but it doesn’t mean he was completely wrong. I do pick myself over everything else. It’s how I got to where I am today. It’s how I built my career and my image.
And that doesn’t make it wrong.
I just … I don’t know.
Something feels off with me. It helps that I’m working in the office. I like being needed.
No one ever usually needs me for anything .
We reach the shop and both head in the direction of the apartment.
“Well, get some rest, Quinn. It looks like we have an eventful summer on our hands.”
I wrinkle my nose as I make a yikes smile. “Yeah, I wasn’t expecting to be invited to that many places. I truly did think people would hear we are together, and the rumor mill would do the rest so we wouldn’t have to make a show of it.”
I unlock the sliding door.
Miles is right behind me.
“Well, you see, that’s the thing about small towns. Your business is everyone's business, and lucky for you, my family is well known around here.”
“Yes, lucky for me.”
He grins and then backs up, pointing a finger at me.
“Just remember, this was all your idea.”
“I didn’t see you trying very hard to change my mind,” I call out as he heads for his house.
He lifts a hand into the air to let me know he heard me, but he doesn’t reply.
That’s okay. He doesn’t need to. Sticking up for me told me everything I needed to know.
Miles Asher is a good guy, and the two of us might actually be friends.