“No, I haven’t,” I protest. “I’ve been working in it for years.”
“Working in it and living it are two different things.” Chloe gives me a knowing look.
“I—”
“You need to make him want you.”
I stand up from the bed, heading to my rack of clothes to find something suitable for tonight. “This isn’t a real relationship. It’s not even a relationship. Plus, I haven’t agreed to his proposal yet. I’m not sure I want to. Using someone to make Trevor jealous? It’s definitely a bit juvenile, if you ask me.”
“Fuck Trevor,” Chloe interjects harshly. “Don’t do this for Trevor. Do this for you. Have some fun this summer instead of moping around with a broken heart. And maybe this Julian is just the person to help you do that and get over Trevor.”
“I doubt that.” I stare ahead, avoiding her eyes. “We have absolutely no interest in each other.”
Nora stands, walking toward me. “I find that hard to believe. For both of you. You blushed the entire time you spoke to him. And Julian? He digs you. Mentioning sexting? He’s flirting with you. I told you not to respond to his text because he wants you to. By leaving him hanging, you’ll have him thinking about you all afternoon until he sees you tonight. He’ll be so on edge, he won’t be able to contain himself.”
I pull a yellow polka-dot dress from the rack, holding it up to my body. It’s a fun, flirty, summer dress, reminiscent of a pinup girl style. Both my friends simultaneously shake their heads, grimacing. I groan. I want to go for something that screams just friends. I have a feeling they want me to wear something that makes me look like a temptress.
“Like I told you…,” I begin with a sigh.
“Yeah, yeah. It isn’t real.” Nora does her best imitation of my voice.
“It’s not.
“Trust me.” She narrows her gaze on me. “He’s into you. If he weren’t, he would never have proposed this arrangement. I have a knack for picking up on these things. It’s, like, my superpower or something.”
I scoff, averting my gaze so my friends can’t see the twinge of hope building over the idea of someone like Julian Gage being interested in me. He’s so mature, so mysterious, so…sophisticated.
“In fact, I can prove it to you.” She jumps up, shifting through my dresses.
“How?” I place a hand on my hip, arching my brows.
“I guarantee, before we’ve all agreed on a dress for you to wear tonight, he’ll text again. He’s probably staring at his phone, waiting for you to respond. Eventually, it’ll be too much, so he’ll message you something he hopes you won’t be able to ignore. But you’ll do just that. When you see him tonight, you’ll have the upper hand. You’ll be the one in control.”
She returns her attention to my clothes, stopping to look at a few dresses before moving on. I’m about to argue, yet again, that her experience on Tinder doesn’t make her a dating expert when a loud chiming rips through the quiet space.
We stop moving, all eyes zeroing in on the phone on the bed. Nora faces me, wearing a self-satisfied smirk. She crosses her arms over her chest.
“Did someone text you, Guinevere?”
My mouth growing dry, I slowly walk toward the bed and grab the phone. “Sorcery,” I murmur as I unlock the screen.
“Who’s it from?” she asks in faux curiosity.
“Julian.”
“And what does it say?”
I’ll never hear the end of it after I read this to her. “‘And as far as your earlier comment that I’d be itching to see you if you were sexting… I already am.’”
Her expression is smug as she turns from me, looking through my dresses once more. “Dating is one strategic game. Even fake dating.”
On a hard swallow, I remain silent, her words mirroring what Julian said. How all of life is simply a game.
“Play your cards right, you might just end up with a royal flush.”
Chapter Twelve
“Holy crap, Evie!” Nora squeals when I walk out of Chloe’s bedroom and into the open living area.
The two girls took it upon themselves to give me a makeover as we opened a bottle of chardonnay. It was reminiscent of adolescent slumber parties, apart from the wine. We gushed over the prospect of a date with a ridiculously attractive man while they perfected my hair and makeup. And, of course, being the list-maker I am, I jotted down a list of pros and cons for Julian and Trevor, hoping it would help sway my decision. It didn’t.
“You’re smoking hot. I barely recognize you.” She gets up from the couch, bringing her half-filled wine glass with her.
“Thanks… I think.”
“It reminds me of my first date with Jeremy,” she gushes as she leads me over to the full-length mirror hanging on the far wall, checking her handiwork.
“How?” I turn to her. “You met him on Tinder. Your first ‘date’ was a no-strings hookup. This is nothing like that.”
“Whatever you say, Evie.” She squares my shoulders, forcing me to face the mirror once more as she smooths a few of my flyaways. “Unlike what you think, you can’t plan for everything. I wasn’t looking for anything serious. Neither was Jeremy. You can’t deny chemistry. Now look at us.” With bright eyes and a brilliant smile, she holds out her left hand where a stunning diamond sits on her ring finger. “I’d say that’s a pretty damn big string. All because I stepped out of my comfort zone, veered away from my plan, and allowed life to take the wheel.”
“I’m happy for you, Nora.” Despite their unconventional beginning, they are perfect for each other, not to mention Jeremy treats her like a queen. That’s all any woman wants. Too bad there appears to be a lack of kings around these days.
I return my eyes to the mirror to do one last check. Nora was right. I don’t look like myself. I wear makeup on a regular basis, but don’t spend this amount of time on all the shading and contouring. The pallet Nora used makes the green of my eyes pop even more. Couple that with my red hair, the pouty, red lips, and the slim-fit black dress that hugs all my curves in the right places, which Chloe insisted I wear, and I’ve never felt so glamorous, so...beautiful.
“You don’t think it looks like I’m trying too hard?” I spin around to face my friends. “I mean, this isn’t a date.”
“We know,” Chloe groans. “You’ve only reminded us every minute since you hung up with this guy. And it’s not about trying too hard. It’s about using your natural…assets to come out on top in your negotiation. With a dress like that and your fantastic curves…” She gestures down my frame, “this guy will be eating out of the palm of your hand. Trust me.”
“I don’t—”
The buzzer rips through the apartment, interrupting me, and we all jump. My pulse skyrockets as I fling my wide eyes to the door, my breath quickening. I’ve never wanted to run away and hide as much as I do right now. I don’t remember being this on edge when Trevor picked me up for our first date. Then again, we were friends first. Not to mention, all he had to do was take the elevator down a few floors in our dorm.
“Evie…” Nora places her hands on my arms, soothing me. “Relax. You remember all the conditions we discussed earlier?”
I nod quickly. “I made a list in my phone.”
“Good. Remain firm. Keep the ball in your court.”
“How do I even do that? I haven’t been on a date, real or fake, in over a decade. Not like you guys.”
“Well, then…” Chloe approaches and slings an arm along my shoulders. “If you ever find yourself in an uncomfortable situation and aren’t sure what to do, ask yourself, ‘What would Chloe do?’”
My two best friends burst out laughing. It’s no secret what Chloe would do. It’s what she always does.
With a groan, I push away from them. “That would end with me beneath him. And we are not going there. It’s on my list.” I hold up my phone before dropping it into my clutch. “No sex.”