He lets out an amused breath and nods. “That’s true. And then where would I be?”
My lips quirk. “Still waiting for someone to answer your ad, I imagine.”
“And you?” he says, cocking an eyebrow. “In another reality, where we didn’t agree to this arrangement and you weren’t here on thisamazingfirst date, what would you be doing instead?”
“Sleeping in Winslow hotels, obviously,” I deadpan. “In this alternate reality, I’m filthy rich.”
He laughs again, more heartily this time, and I’m taken aback by the sincerity of his smile, which, if I didn’t know him better, I would almost think is real. I have to remind myself this is all fake. That Damian isacting. And that, if I’m going to survive this ordeal unscathed, I have to start acting, too.
“Are you ever going to tell me?” he asks out of the blue.
Confusion furrows my brow. “Tell you what?”
That smile vanishes as he takes another sip of his coffee, and it’s only when he sets the cup back down on the table that he answers, “Why you need the money.”
My entire body goes icy cold. I’ve been hoping we’d avoid this subject, and I ignorantly assumed that because he hasn’t asked maybe he never would.
I sidestep the question. “Don’t worry, it isn’t for drugs or anything illegal that could be traced back to you.”
He narrows his eyes. “Wow, that wasn’t a totally sketchy response. Now, Idefinitelythink you’re up to something weird.”
“I’m not—” I begin to protest, but he cuts me off.
“It’s porn, isn’t it?” He nods to himself, and before I’ve had a chance to process the stupidity of his words, he adds, “You have a porn addiction in need of funding. I had a feeling you were kinky, Dornan, but this?—”
“It isn’t porn!” I shriek, earning a few bewildered glances and giggles from the other customers sitting nearby.
Damian stifles a laugh with his fist. “Rare Pokémon card collector?” he guesses.
Christ, he’s not going to drop this, and I think I’m literally getting dumber every time he opens his mouth. I could just tellhim the truth, I suppose, but then that means exposing a part of my life to him that I don’t want him to know about. He’s already caught on that I’m desperate, but the why is just too personal, and I need to do everything in my power to keep some boundaries between us since my traitorous body is clearly not on the same page as my brain or my heart.
“Oh,Iknow,” Damian muses, rubbing a hand along his jawline, “it’s totally for?—”
“Cosplay,” I blurt out without thinking.
I stiffen, silently cursing myself. Why thehelldid I say cosplay? I’ve never cosplayed a day in my life! Or played video games aside fromMariowhen I was a kid, and the only anime I’ve ever seen was a Studio Ghibli film Andie once made me watch—which, admittedly, I did greatly enjoy. And don’t even get me started on comics, orStar Wars, or Marvel, or any of the major fandoms. I like some of it well enough, but that stuff is Andie’s bag, not mine. I’m all about true crime, psychological thrillers, and numbers. Give me a murder mystery or a quirky genius story any day.
“Cosplay,” Damian echoes, and I can tell from the look on his face that he doesn’t believe me.
“Uh…yup.” I swallow a sigh. No going back now. “It’s a…new hobby, and I lack the skills to make the costumes myself, and um…” Crap, where does Andie get her costume accessories from when she doesn’t have time to make them herself?Take a wild guess, idiot! Just say something!“Etsy is expensive?” I finish, trying not to wince at the obvious question in my voice.
Damian holds my gaze for a moment, and I can’t help feeling like a suspect sitting opposite a detective in one of those dimly lit interrogation rooms in a crime drama. I’ve seen this scene play out hundreds of times on TV, and it is already a well-known fact what a terrible liar I am, so this can only go one way. Oh, my god, what if he starts asking me questions about cosplay? I knowabsolutely nothing about it other than the general notion of what it is.
Shit. I’m so busted.
But the cross-examination I expect doesn’t come. Instead, Damian just looks me up and down, his lips stretching into a lecherous grin. “Please tell me you’re doing the Princess Leia gold bikini sometime because that would benoice.”
I snort, trying to ignore the itch in my hand that wants to slap that ogling smile right off his face. “You’re such a perv. And also kind of a nerd,” I note with a touch of surprise.
He points a scolding finger at me. “There isnothingnerdy about appreciating a fine woman in swimwear. That scene blew twelve-year-old Damian’s mind…and his load.”
“Gross!” I admonish, though I laugh despite myself.
Damian’s attention shifts ever so slightly, and I follow his gaze to a table at the other end of Izzy’s outdoor seating area, where two girls are watching us. I’m not sure if they’re trying to be subtle, but if they are, they’re doing a terrible job of it. One of them is even holding up her phone—probably to film us. The other girl shoves her arm down when she realizes we’ve noticed them.
A flutter of anxiety fills my chest as I anticipate the shitstorm that will hail down from Ronnie when she eventually sees whatever picture or video that girl just took. Hopefully, by the time she comes across the unavoidable social media post, it will have gone viral enough (at least within the bounds of Conwick) that she’ll forget all about being mad at me for lying, and instead kick straight into defensive mode, making it her new life’s mission to protect me from ridicule. And with news of Damian and me out in the world, she’ll have to finally accept that she and Andie won’t talk me out of this agreement. I amallin—nothing will change my mind—so she’ll have to support me or risk losing me, and I know she would never choose the latter.
Our friendship might seem unexpected or strange to some people given how little we have in common, but Ronnie is my ride or die. The moment we met at my freshman orientation, she imprinted on me like a newborn bird—or like that werewolf kid in theTwilightmovies, who imprinted on Bella’s vampire baby. We had barely even introduced ourselves, and yet, we both knew without saying a word that this connection between us would be for life. It was the closest thing to love at first sight I’ve experienced or ever seen for myself, and I was just lucky enough to get Andie as a bonus. Two for the price of one.
