“Okay, we now have a party of five. Or six, I guess. This should be interesting,” I say when I tell Jett about who all is going.
“Your friends are my friends. If you’re good with them, I’m good with them.” Yeah, we’ll see about that.
“You haven’t really met my friends, so you’ll probably change your mind after tomorrow night.”
We both walk out to our cars and I’m not sure how we’re going to say goodbye. Do we kiss again? We are in public. Can I take another kiss standing up? I’d been sitting and that had been bad enough. My knees aren’t strong enough for Jett’s kind of kisses.
“Call you tonight?” he says as I lean against my car.
“Yeah, sure.” He leans forward.
“We’re in public,” he says as I sort of pull back. “There’s a guy, right over there.” He points and I see a guy with dreadlocks smoking right outside the library. He’s also on his phone so I’m pretty sure he’s taken no notice of us. But still. You never know who’s gonna walk by.
“Yes, we are.” This time I put my hand on his shoulder and lean in. Maybe this way I can control the kiss. I give him the quickest of quick pecks and pull back as fast as I can before he can turn it into something more.
“See you tomorrow,” I say, turning away and opening my door before he can do anything to stop me. I hear him sigh behind me, and his fingers brush my spine before I get in the car. I look back at him once and he gives me a little wave.
Bye, Fake Boyfriend.
Chapter 7
“So Jett and I are officially together,” I announce when I get home from the library. Hazel’s at the dining table, reading one of her gigantic textbooks and taking notes. It takes a minute for her eyes to focus and for her to drag herself out of the thrilling world of case law.
“You have a boyfriend? My Shannon has a boyfriend?! Are you serious?” She squeals and jumps on me as if I’ve just announced I’d won Miss America.
“Jesus, let me go,” I wheeze. I get a flaily hug, and I pat her on the back and try to get her to stop before she chokes the life out of me. She finally lets go and smacks me on the ass.
“God, I’m so glad I don’t have to worry about you becoming a weird old lady with a houseful of cats,” she says.
“Well, I’m still young. I’ve got plenty of time for cats.” She grabs my face and squishes it between her hands. I nearly swallow my tongue.
“Don’t even think that thought. I will not let it happen. Plus, now that you’ve had sex, I don’t see you going back anytime soon. My first time definitely was NOT that good.” I know about all my friends’ first times and they range from terrible to not-so-terrible. I’d probably gone a little too far with my story, but I blame that on the fact that I read too many sexy books.
“Um, so I might have told the rest of the girls about you and Jett,” Hazels says, bracing for me to yell at her. I’ve known her long enough to know that she would share this kind of juicy information.
“It’s fine. I pretty much told them that I was with him when I asked them about the Kappa Sig party.” She sighs in relief.
“Oh, good. I didn’t want you to be mad at me. Again. So, did you get a lot of work done?”
I don’t elaborate on my non-studying or that I’d met Jett at the library, because that would lead to the Fake Dating conversation and I’ve only been Fake Dating him for a few hours. I have to get through at least a week. Then a few more.
One month. What was I thinking? How can I lie and pull this off for a month? I’m not a good actress. I grab my tea and dash to my room to call Jett.
“Hey. I can’t do this. Why did we decide to do this? This is Shannon, by the way. In case you didn’t figure that out.” I hadn’t even given him a chance to say anything before I’d launched into my ramble.
“Yeah, I know. You’re having second thoughts already?” I hear him close a door and then sit down, probably on his bed. “Shit, we’ve only been Fake Dating for like, a few hours.”
“I know. I’m bailing.”
“Why? Talk to me.”
“Because I’m a terrible liar. And I just don’t think I can handle it. Four nights together? What if you get sick of me? What if you think I’m crazy? Or gross?” He cuts me off there.
“Whoa. Slow your roll, Shannon. We can talk about the Rules. We can adjust them if need be. And if you keep making me laugh and being adorable, I’m never going to get sick of you, I promise you that. And I like crazy. Good crazy. And you’re not gross, I promise.” I can hear him stifling laughter. This is not funny.
“Do not make fun of me. I’m in a delicate condition.”
“I’m not making fun of you, princess.”
“Hey, you’re breaking Rule Six.”
“Sorry.” He doesn’t sound sorry at all. Not even a little bit.
“What point are Rules if you don’t follow them? See what I mean? This is hopeless and pointless.” I lay back on my bed, my head bouncing on my pillows.
“I don’t think it’s either of those things. You’re just a pessimist. But fortunately for you, your Fake Boyfriend is an optimist. So, I don’t accept your reasoning. Also, you didn’t use the safe word, so who’s not following rules now?”
Crap, I’d forgotten about the stupid safe word. I’m about to utter it, but then I pause. Jett waits.
“Okay, so maybe I’m a little pessimistic.”
“I think that’s a bit of an understatement, Shan.” At least he hadn’t called me princess again. “But if you seriously don’t want to do this, then all you have to do is say the word and this is done.”
“I know.”
But ending this would mean I probably wouldn’t get to see or hang out with Jett anymore. Yes, I’ve only known the guy a couple days, but I want him in my life. He’s easy to talk to and he’s fun and he’s also easy to look at. Tattoos are sexy. I never knew how sexy until I met him. Plus, he’s got really cool hair.
And I can’t go back and tell Hazel and the rest of the girls that I lied to them about this. No way. The humiliation would kill me.
No going back now.
“No. I’m okay.”
“We’re on?”
“Yeah, we’re still on.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“Okay, then. Goodnight, Shannon.”
“Goodnight, Jett.”
We hang up and I toss my phone on the bed. There’s a knock at the door.
“Yeah?” I say.
“Can I come in?” Really? Hazel is asking if she can come into my room? I’m immediately on edge.
“Sure?” It sounds like a question. She opens the door as if she’s afraid something on the other side of it is going to leap out and strangle her.
“Something wrong?” God, I hope she didn’t hear any of that phone conversation. Especially the first part.
“I just wanted to see how you are. I mean, you just had sex for the first time. I feel like we should sit down and talk or something. See if you had any questions. Be your best friend. That kind of thing.” Aw, that’s sweet. If I’d needed it.
“I’m good, I swear. We were safe and all that jazz. And now we’re dating. So it’s good. I’m good.” How many times in the past two days have I used the word “good”? I’ve probably reached my quota.
“What about the pill? Condoms aren’t 100 percent effective.” Really? She’s playing this card with me? How many times have I bugged her about having random sex with guys? Now I’m pissed.
I just give her a look and she has the decency to look embarrassed.
“I’ve got it covered,” I say.
“Good. I just want you to be safe. I know I haven’t set the best example in the past.” *cough* Understatement *cough*.
I suppose I have to give her credit for trying to make sure I’m not going to get Fake Pregnant from the Fake Sex I’m going to have.
“Thanks, Haze.” I put my arms out for a hug.
“Okay, show me what you’re wearing when we go out.” I haven’t even thought about it yet. Whatever is clean? I get up and find some jeans and a cute t-shirt that makes my boobs look okay, and covers what it needs to cover.
“Oh, hell no.” How did I know Hazel wasn’t going to approve? She tears through my drawers, going straight to the clothes that I tend to avoid. Pulling out a low-cut tank top with lace across the front and straps that will barely hold my boobs up, she grins at me. I’ll definitely be busting out all over.
I wonder if Jett is a boob or a butt man. I’ve got both.
I take the tank top from Hazel. I can always put a sweater on over it, I suppose. She approves of my jeans, but grabs some boots from her own closet. Having the same size shoe as your roommate is really the best situation to ever find yourself in. Plus, her shoes are fancier than mine.
“These will make your legs look longer,” she says, handing me a pair of her classic black BBs. I can rock those. I hope.
“So you’re happy?” she says as I put the boots on to check to see if I can walk in them.
“Yeah, I am.” I may be lying to her about the fact that I’m dating Jett, but I can’t lie about that. He does make me happy, and I love being around him.
“Good.”
I dress in the tank top, jeans and boots the next night and leave my hair down and wild. I always feel sexier with my hair down. Hazel’s already at work and the other girls will be over soon. And Jett. Jett is coming to pick me up.
I’m just fluffing my boobs to make sure they’re secure and not going to jump out of my bra, or do anything else unexpected when there’s a knock at the door. I take one last look at my boobs and go to answer it.
Jett’s standing on the other side, illuminated by the light on the porch. Damn.
His hair is sculpted up into a mohawk and he’s got a distressed shirt with a tie printed on it under a leather jacket, torn-up jeans and Chucks. It’s an effortless cool that makes me question my own outfit and lack of coolness factor. I finally look up at his eyes and see that he’s staring at me. Or, he’s staring at me, but his eyes keep skipping over my boobs. In all fairness, it’s not his fault. They’re pretty obvious and you can’t miss ‘em.
“See something you like?” I say, using his phrase.
“A few things.” His eyes go back to my face and he smiles.
“You wanna come in, Fake Boyfriend?”
“I would love to, Fake Girlfriend.” I let him in and give him the grand tour. I’d spent most of the afternoon sprucing up the place as much as it could possibly be spruced. I’d lit a few scented candles to make it kind of romantic.
“I set up the bed for you. The sheets are clean and I hope that’s enough pillows.” I may have overdone it.
“Yeah, looks great,” Jett says, picking up one of the pillows and then tossing it down again on the spare mattress.