A Symptom of Love (GERI Labs #1)

23. Double Date

23

Double Date

O nce the lectures and scientific sessions end for the day, Eleanor goes up to her and Alannah’s room to shower and get ready. What does one wear for a date that includes a trip to a toy store (her favorite activity outside of science) and a double date with her ex and his girlfriend (least favorite would be an understatement)?

“You guys are like an entire Netflix series,” Alannah chortles after hearing the story of Eleanor’s day.

“Sounds like a compliment,” Eleanor laughs as she walks out of the shower, wrapped in one of the hotel’s giant towels.

“I can see why you’d think that.” Her roommate grins. “Are you going to a fancy restaurant?”

“I think so, it’s an Italian place. Google has three-dollar signs next to it.”

“Then you need a dress.”

“Need?”

“Yes,” Alannah determines with certainty.

“Black jeans and a blouse are fine and are most suitable for a fake date at Toys “R” Us, don’t you think? I’m not really looking to make an impression.”

“Suit yourself.” Alannah gives her a disappointed look and turns on the TV. “You might want to get dressed, your date should be here any—“

A knock on the door. “Gosh, this guy runs like a Swiss watch,” Eleanor says. “Stall him,” she orders and goes back into the bathroom for a few more minutes.

“I thought you’d be on time for our first official date,” Aiden teases when she finally emerges from her hotel room. He’s leaning on the wall in the long hallway, just outside the door, taking her in. He looks handsome as always, wearing a black button-down that accentuates his chest muscles and suit pants that hang from his waist in the sexiest way.

Fake boyfriend or not, she better stop checking him out.

“You know me better than that,” she chuckles.

“Yes, I do, you’re right. Five minutes late is on time.” He makes use of her famous quote.

“Exactly.” She grins.

“You look good,” he says, holding out his hand to her.

“Thanks,” she says, taking his hand. “Not too bad yourself.” Pretty hot actually… “I think I should go change to something a bit more fancy.” She turns around.

Should have listened to Alannah.

“No, you don’t.” He pulls her hand, spinning her back into him. “I like what you’re wearing. Reminds me of the night you came to watch me play at SigmaV.” His face is gleaming.

“You’re right,” she realizes. “I wore the exact same thing. You remembered.” This brings a big smile to her face.

“Of course,” he says, leading her into the elevator. “How could I ever forget?” His blue eyes are so bright.

This is just purely adorable and very hug-worthy. And since he’s now her fake boyfriend, a hug feels like an appropriate thing to do. So she wraps her hands around his neck, climbs to her tippy toes and rests her head under his chin for a bit. She’s blown away by the harsh mutual thumping going on between their chest walls, but as the elevator doors open into the lobby, Eleanor breaks the hug.

“This is so much fun!” is Eleanor’s gleeful remark as they walk hand in hand—even though no one’s watching—down the long aisles of her favorite toy store chain. A celebration of games, and shapes, and colors, it gets her every time, as if she’s still a kid looking for that perfect toy that will spark her imagination and carry her into a world of fantasy.

“What’s your favorite?” Aiden asks, looking around, his hand warmly wrapping around hers, a sensation she hadn’t realized she was craving. Until now.

“Used to be action figures,” she says, “as a kid, I mean.”

“Not barbies?” he teases.

“Nah, that’s for girly-girls. I wasn’t that.”

“Because you like to be different.” His look is almost … admiring.

“Exactly,” she says proudly. “You’re probably the first guy I’ve gone on a date with who appreciates it.”

She forgot to say fake. Fake-date.

“I do,” he says, battling a smile, completely ignoring that missing word. “How many guys have you dated?” That little jealous streak crosses his face for a short moment, making her smile.

“What a smooth transition. Not too many,” she says. And when he insists on holding her gaze, she clarifies, “Like on a date-date? Only two-ish.”

Including this one fake date.

There have been men, but none serious. Not to the point of calling it a date. Summing things up like this, makes her realize that her no-relationship rule may have gone on for slightly too long.

“How about you?” Deflection is her best strategy for avoiding self-reflection.

“I’ve dated,” he says and she feels like there may have been too many to count.

“Anyone serious?” Her curiosity takes the lead, despite the sense that her heart might take a blow in the process.

“Not nearly as serious as your past relationship with your ex. No Greek mythology here.”

“And yet?”

Seriously, why is she doing it to herself?

The corners of her vision are starting to blur as he considers her question. The thought of him having feelings for another woman, being with another woman, are making her stomach flip.

She might be starting to understand his tattoo reaction.

“There was Riley,” Aiden says quietly. Their fingers tangle between them as they continue to stride through the toy aisles.

Her favorite-blue comes into view as his eyes look into hers. “It’s not a pretty story, though.” He scrunches his nose.

“I’m not looking for pretty.” She squeezes his hand. “Otherwise, I assume she wouldn’t be your ex.”

So she’s kind of glad it’s not pretty.

“We were together for a couple years. Even considered moving in together. Then one day she confessed she had a thing for my best friend, Elliott.” He throws the information out there, then takes a long second to shake it off and recover his composure. Their linked hands are now a lifeline. “I cut them both from my life on the same day.” His face is impassive as he says it. “They had secretly been screwing around behind my back for God knows how long. I had no idea.”

“Aiden, I’m so sorry,” she says. Her heart squeezes hard, feeling his pain. Mostly for losing his best friend. Not so much for losing the slutty girlfriend. “Did you love her?”

“I thought I did, but obviously I didn’t really know who she was, so not sure I can say I truly loved her .” His voice is soft and quiet. “Losing Elliott was harder.”

“Do you miss your best friend?”

“I can’t think of him as a best friend anymore, by definition. I was mostly mad for a long time, now it’s just a distant memory. Anyway, in case you wondered where I got my trust issues from.”

“I didn’t know you had trust issues.”

“Oh trust me,” he quips. “I do.”

“But you trust me,” Eleanor points out.

“How do you know?” He still keeps that serious outlook but his eyebrow creases in that way that goes along with his signature almost-smile.

“I just do,” she answers. It’s as simple as that. “You let me into your life. Let me meet your family, even when you barely knew me.” She sends a gentle hand to his face. “You let me in, here,” her fingers reach for his forehead. “And here,” she slides her hand to his chest, pressing against those harsh thumps, that ease and quicken all at the same time, into her touch.

“It’s because you’re honest. You’ve made that a rule. You’re always honest. Even when it doesn’t play out in your favor,” he says with conviction.

“When has that happened?” Now it’s Eleanor’s turn to trench an eyebrow.

“You’ve had your moments,“ he chuckles, letting amusement burst into the conversation.

“I like it when you smile.” She lets her fingers trace the sides of his mouth.

“You know, since we’re talking about exes, I’ve been told I was too grumpy, and that I never smiled.”

The mere mentioning of his ex again makes her stomach churn.

“Maybe she-who-shall-not-be-named didn’t give you enough reasons to?”

Aiden considers it. “Do you think I’m grumpy?”

“Do I think you’re grumpy?” she stalls, trying to decide how to break it to him gently. “You are grumpy, but I think it’s cute. And it makes your occasional smiles feel so much more special, like little victories.” His blue eyes give her a dazzling look. “And besides, there’s no such thing as too grumpy, there’s just not enough sex.”

“There’s zero sex.”

“Why is that? Not dating much?” Eleanor asks, despite already concluding that the thought of him with other women hurts so much it feels like physical pain.

“You really don’t get it, do you?”

“Don’t get what?”

“The only one I want is the one I can’t have.”

“That’s usually the case, right?” she says flippantly.

“Ellie, I wasn’t generalizing.” He sounds frustrated with her pretend inability to read between the lines.

“Oh?” Stealing professor Harrington’s highly verbal phrase is allowed in special situations, and this might just qualify as one. “Sounds like a special person,” Eleanor says. “Why can’t you?”

“Because I’m not going to let her risk her career for there to be an us.” That wistful, longing look reappears on his face before he shakes it away, slaps on a fresh expression and says, “Now let’s get you some action figures.”

“I’m not into action figures anymore.” She allows the mood switch. “It’s puzzles now.”

“Okay, then let’s get you a puzzle.” He turns to the nearest sales rep. “Where do you keep your more challenging puzzles?” he asks.

“Right here.” The guy points to an aisle to their left, and they follow the path.

“I won’t be able to fit it in my suitcase,” Eleanor protests.

“We’ll finish it before the conference is over.” Aiden slides a thousand-piece puzzle box of a colorful beach town off the shelf. “Puzzles happen to be my favorite too.”

“I see you have big plans for tonight.” Eleanor accepts the box happily.

“I do.”

“My turn to ask a question,” Aiden says as they walk out of the store, holding the Toys “R” Us bag with their brand new puzzle.

“Ask away,” Eleanor says, bringing her fingers back in between his.

“How did you and Oren meet?”

That’s what he wants to know?

“Oren is kind of a big shot in Israel. We met at a concert, his band’s concert. Gillie, my best friend, had this humongous crash on their lead guitarist and he knew someone who knew someone and managed to get a VIP pass for a meet and greet, and had to drag me with him. Oren took one look at me, and almost overnight it turned into a very public, high-profile relationship.”

“I can’t really picture you as someone who would enjoy being in the spotlight. And I mean that in a positive way.”

“You’re quite correct. Fame was never my thing, still isn’t—very much the opposite, actually. It’s something I had to reluctantly live with in order to be with Oren.” She stops by a candy store, letting her eyes absorb the colors. “Waking up to images of the two of us all over the internet, news reporters following our every move—even my very uninteresting moves. Fans crying out his name.” She scrunches her nose, pulling Aiden after her into the colorful sweets store. “And then having it all in my face, rubbing and picking at my wounds after we broke up. Bleh…” She tries to blink away the memories.

“Sounds like the perfect rock star fantasy,” Aiden says sardonically, obviously knowing enough of her by now to understand this whole situation had never been on her wishlist.

“Someone else’s fantasy for sure,” she sighs, picking up a small bag and filling it with cherry and cola gummies. “These are my favorite!”

“And what happened? Why did you break up?” He reaches out for the bag and hands it to the guy at the register, as if buying her gummies at a candy store is their usual habit. “What did Oren do to you that made you think you’re incapable of falling in love again?”

Wow, a heavy one.

Eleanor gives it a few thoughtful moments while Aiden hands the guy a few dollar bills. She’s been avoiding this kind of reflection for a few years. And now, for the first time, it seems that her insights have shifted.

“He didn’t choose me,” she says finally. “Well, he did at first, but then he stopped.”

“Stopped choosing you?” Aiden’s hand wraps around her, providing some much-needed assurance, and the bag of gummies.

“Yes, life is something dynamic, things change all the time. If you want to be with someone, you need to keep choosing them. And he chose not to choose me anymore.”

“Why?” Aiden asks, as if not choosing her is in total contradiction to all laws of nature. Every single one of them. All at once.

“He said he wanted to be free. Free to travel the world with his rock band and his celeb buddies, free to be with other women, free to not need to think about anyone but himself.”

“Sounds like an immature asshole to me,” Aiden says. And all at once, as if he waved some sort of a magic wand, it chases away the typical burn in her stomach and makes the lump in her throat go away.

“That he was.” She opens the bag of candy, pops one in her mouth and one in his. Aiden doesn’t refuse, although he doesn’t seem too crazy about candy.

He chews the little gummy before asking quietly, “What about you? Your choice?” This is an aspect she hadn’t actually considered. “Did you want to keep choosing him?”

“I… don’t know. I guess?” Had she been so busy dealing with Oren’s choices she forgot to ask herself what she wanted?

“It sounds more like a question to me.” Aiden gives her a quizzical look.

“I wish someone had asked me that question back then. Maybe things would have been different. Too late for me.”

“Oh baby, it’s never too late.” He pulls her into his chest, and she almost believes him.

“Ah, trust me, it is. These useless romantic fragments left in me are probably beyond repair,” she says dismissively. “But I like that you call me that. Baby. It’s sexy.” It’s a two in one really —attempting to lighten up the atmosphere and making sure he keeps using that new nickname. “And as you know, I’ve been trying to stay away from relationships since, because when that breakup had happened, it completely ruined my ability to focus, threw me off balance. I don’t need these kinds of distractions, it’s bad for my science.”

“But it’s part of science,” he refutes.

“I figured you’d say that.”

Although she isn’t at all sure what he means.

“Do you still believe in this dumbass’s mythological ex idea?” Aiden looks like he’s holding his breath while waiting for what comes next.

“Not so sure anymore,” she admits, realizing it for the first time now. And loving that it makes him look relieved.

The truth is that at some point in time between her epic fall into Aiden’s lap at the airport and now, she completely stopped thinking about Oren. And seeing Oren again doesn’t hold the power to reverse this new development, not even by one bit. Every single cell of her body has Aiden etched all over it. Every trace of Oren had been wiped clean and completely replaced. Except for that hideous tattoo. So she adds, “Maybe it’s just a primitive way to put a space holder until my Mr. Right comes along.”

Or in her case, probably Professor Right….

“So how did you guys meet?” is Tiffany’s inquiry as they munch on appetizers in a private room at what Oren coined Tiffany’s favorite Italian restaurant. So far, judging by the bread, the burrata salad and the wine, Eleanor is definitely an eager supporter of this choice.

“Ellie just fell into my lap. Literally,” Aiden answers.

“Oooh, I want to hear the whole story!” Tiffany’s intrigued. Oren looks less so.

“I was on my way back from a scientific conference, sitting at the airport, reading, and this beautiful woman was running.” Aiden takes on the challenge as promised, while Eleanor lets herself indulge in chewing the delicious bread, too afraid to ruin the flow. “I believe she was trying to catch the last available charging station. She was wearing shorts and a T-shirt in the middle of winter,” he says fondly. “And as she stumbled on a bag along her trail, my world just switched to slow motion. And I caught her.” He takes Eleanor’s free hand and brings it close to his chest. “I just remember thinking how beautiful she was, and when she turned her head to look at me, sitting in my lap, I just knew.”

Knew? Knew what? What is he talking about?

“Wow!” Tiffany clutches her hands together, a dreamy look on her face. “Love at first sight!” She looks at Oren, who doesn’t seem as excited as she is, so she moves on to Eleanor. “Did you feel the same at that moment?”

Maybe…? She remembers looking into his eyes, overwhelmed by the blue. Then thinking about the fact that she hadn’t brushed her teeth since leaving home that morning.

“She was confused from the fall,” Aiden jumps in to her rescue. Again. “And her nose was bleeding.”

“Oh, no!” Tiffany looks horrified.

“I would have pushed her away at that point,” Oren jokes, trying to lighten up the intense romantic notes of the story. But he’s not lying.

“You would, wouldn’t you?” Eleanor jabs. “But not Aiden.” She picks up another piece of bread. “He kept his calm, held a tissue up my nose until the bleeding stopped.”

“This is like next-level romantic!” Tiffany squeals.

“Then we were called to board the plane, and I asked the attendant to switch our spots so we could sit together. I couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing her again.”

“ You did that?” Eleanor can’t hide her surprise. Aiden nods, a small, content smile on his face.

“So, Aiden, what do you do?” Oren asks. He’s never been a fan of romance. Especially not the one that involves his ex and another man.

“I’m a scientist,” he says, “Like Ellie.”

“Really? Ellie, you said you’d never go out with a scientist!” Oren snickers.

“I also said I’d never go out with a drummer again. And Aiden’s also a drummer.”

“For real?” Oren doubles up on the surprise. Eleanor just nods.

“Well, drummer in my spare time, it’s more of a hobby,” Aiden says.

“That’s awesome man,” Oren says.

“So you guys were…” Tiffany is starting to catch up.

“Five years ago,” Oren explains. “I’m her mythological ex,” he adds proudly, at least omitting the info about the shared tattoo.

“Was,” Eleanor corrects him, feeling Aiden’s arm wrapping around her protectively, his body tenses.

“I’ve lost my status?” Oren pouts.

And before Eleanor has a chance to consider her response, Aiden leans in and kisses her. It’s a small kiss, to show his support, or conviction. Or just to spare her from having to think about this question. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to punch him now,” he whispers into her lips.

And maybe because she thinks Aiden is adorable for getting all worked up about it, or because she wants to avoid needing to bail her fake boyfriend out of jail tonight, she pulls him by the collar for another one. A full-blown kiss this time, with bells and whistles and butterflies and fireworks, and she’s so breathless that she has to pull away.

Wow…

And from the look on her drummer ex and his girlfriend’s faces, whatever doubts they might have had about her and Aiden’s relationship have been obliterated. Completely.