Single And In Love With My Fake Boyfriend (Single Girls Club #1)

Chapter Ten

Callie

When I enter the apartment after work, my friends are in the kitchen working on dinner. Well, it’s Alex who’s doing the cooking. Lizzie and Emily are keeping her company and helping out with the small things, like cleaning up and washing the dishes that can’t go into the dishwasher. And of course they’re helping with the best part—tasting the food.

After dropping my bag on one of the chairs, I announce, “Ladies, it seems I have a boyfriend.”

They all stop what they’re doing and whirl around to face me.

“What?!” Emily cries.

“Did you just say you have a boyfriend?” Lizzie, who is holding a spoonful of soup before her mouth, asks.

Alex scowls at me. “Don’t tell me the jerk came crawling back to you.”

“Spencer?” I ask, horrified and shivering in repulsion. “Gosh, no. To heck with him.”

“Then who?” Emily asks, eyes so wide with curiosity that she looks like an adorable cartoon character.

“You might have to sit down for this.”

Lizzie shoves the spoon into her mouth, gushes to Alex that it’s so freakin’ delicious, and then sits at the table next to Emily, whose eyes are even more wide with intrigue. Alex lowers the flame before joining the rest of us at the table. All three of them look at me with nothing but bursting curiosity.

“Lincoln stopped by at the office to talk to me,” I inform them. “He wanted to make sure I was okay about this whole thing. He feels guilty that my face is all over social media because of him. You know, because he’s a famous football player.”

“He really took the time to make sure you’re okay?” Emily asks with even wider eyes—if that’s even possible. “That’s so sweet.”

“I know, right?” Lizzie sighs happily. “He’s always been a good guy, even in high school.”

“I hate to break it to you guys,” Alex says, “but I doubt he’s the perfect gentleman you’re making him out to be. This could have major repercussions for his career. He’s just covering his behind.”

Lizzie and Emily scowl at her.

She holds up her hands. “What? She could sue him for harassment.”

“I would never do that!” I stress.

“Of course you wouldn’t. But another woman might. I’m sure he came all the way to your office to apologize and assure you he’ll make an announcement that it’s all a misunderstanding and you’re not together, right?”

“Well, actually…”

All of them, even Alex, lean closer to hear my next words.

“He did offer to make a public statement and set the record straight. I was relieved at first because I wanted nothing more than for this to blow over and for my name and face to fade into oblivion. But then…”

“Then what?” Emily presses.

I puff out my cheeks. “Then I kind of admitted that I told Spencer that Lincoln and I were together.”

Lizzie gasps. “You didn’t!”

“Ugh, I did! I met the jerk at the coffee shop before work. He had her in his car.” I glare at the table. “He was so smug, getting coffee for her and himself and being all ‘babe this’ and ‘babe that.’ And then he basically said it’ll be easier to climb Mount Everest than for me to find another guy.”

“What a sorry excuse for a human!” Lizzie nearly spits.

“Forget him, Callie. You’re wasting too many brain cells on him, not to mention too much of your heart,” Alex says.

“Pretend he’s the garbage bin,” Emily adds. “Just like you ignore it when you pass by it on the street, ignore the jerk when you see him in the area.”

I shake my head. “No, you guys don’t get it. After he practically said there’s no one out there who will love me, I kind of, um, told him that I was dating Lincoln.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Lizzie waves her hands before us. “You told Spencer—I mean, jerkface—that you and Lincoln are together? I thought you just told that to Lincoln.”

I shake my head. “No. The words just exploded out of my mouth. I don’t know what happened. It’s like I lost control of myself. And when I saw the shocked look on the jerk’s face, I felt so…I don’t know. Good. Vindicated. But then I wanted to bury myself in the ground when I realized what I had just done.”

“It’s okay, Callie.” Emily rubs my shoulder. “We get it. It must have sucked to see him with the woman he cheated on you with. I know anyone would have done the same thing. Well, maybe not me,” she clarifies with a laugh. “I would just hole myself in my room with my romance books and not come out for months.”

“Oh, I would have totally done it,” Lizzie says. “The best revenge is to rebound with a smokin’ hot athlete like Lincoln. It was really genius, Callie. Well, except for the lying part.”

“Well, it’s no longer a lie. I mean, it kind of is.” I scratch my head. “We’re still lying, but the rest of the world won’t know it. Other than you guys.”

“What?” they all ask, looking completely confused.

“After I told Lincoln that I told my ex he and I were together, he got an idea. You see, ever since the article naming him the most eligible bachelor of the year came out, women were literally throwing themselves at his feet. He was bombarded with them in real life and on social media. It’s been difficult for him because he likes to keep that part of his life private.”

“Oh my gosh, I know what you mean,” Lizzie says. “I was on social media the other night and nearly every video on my feed were women gushing over Lincoln. It didn’t matter anymore how good of a player he is. They were all focused on how sexy he is.”

“He admitted that ever since the photo of the two of us went viral, he’s been getting less attention from women. They think he’s taken and are backing off.”

Emily’s jaw falls open. “You’re saying they’re no longer chasing after him because they think you’re his girlfriend?”

I nod.

“Oh, wow.” Lizzie blinks.

“So what are you saying?” Alex asks. “That you and him are…?”

“Yeah. We decided to fake date. But only for a month. Enough time for the article to blow over and for that jerk’s stupid smug smile to be slapped off his face.”

“But being Lincoln’s girlfriend will put you in the constant spotlight,” Alex points out. “I thought you hate that.”

“I do. But it’s worth it. Look, people will soon learn how boring I am and will leave me alone. They’ll probably lose interest in me before Lincoln and I even break up. But not before I flaunt him in the jerk’s face.”

I could so picture how ticked off Spencer will get once he sees our social media photos. He’s never been the jealous type, but he is very competitive. There’s no way he can measure up to Lincoln, not with looks or success.

“This is a little crazy, you know that?” Emily says. “I mean, it’s good that you two have agreed to this and that you’re both gaining something from it, but aren’t you worried something might go wrong?”

I shrug. “That’s life, Em. Things always go wrong.”

“True,” Lizzie muses. “You thought you landed the perfect guy and he turned out to be a cheating jerk. There are no guarantees in life. The best you can do is try to be a good person. I’m sure everyone will love seeing you with Lincoln.”

“Doubtful. Super boring, remember?”

“Not boring,” she corrects. “You just don’t have a wild past. I’m sure some of his fans will be glad to see him with a good, stable woman.”

“So does that mean you and Lincoln will hang out a lot?” Alex asks.

“Yeah, and we already did. He asked me out to lunch. I guess it was our first date.”

“Ooh!” Lizzie almost flies out of her chair. “How was it?”

I find myself smiling as I think back to our date. “It was really nice. Well, all the other diners stared and whispered about us, and many of them snapped photos, but that was a good thing. I mean, we are trying to put on a show, right?” I lean back in my seat and smile again. “But hanging out with him was fun. Sweet. He’s sweet. And very considerate. He was always making sure I was okay. I’m sure he would have cleared out the entire diner if he saw me having a panic attack. He made me feel comfortable and safe.”

“At least you’re fake dating a sweet guy,” Alex says. “He could have been an even bigger jerk than Spencer.”

“He’s super sweet,” I say, still smiling as my heart thumps in a strange way.

“Oh my gosh, Callie. Do you still have a crush on him?” Emily asks.

I sit up sharply. “What? Of course not!”

“Are you sure?” Lizzie narrows her eyes at me. “Your cheeks are red.”

“Her whole face is red,” Alex points out.

“I-I’m not…I don’t have…” I release a breath. “Look, I might have had a massive crush on him in high school, but I’m not the same person. And neither is he. Well, I mean, he’s still super nice and considerate, but for heaven’s sake, guys. So many years have passed. We’re adults now.”

“Adults have crushes, too,” Emily reminds me.

“Hello? He’s a famous quarterback and I’m prone to accidents.”

“So?” Lizzie says. “Don’t make him out to be a snob.”

“I’m just being logical here. He’d never go for someone like me in real life. So I have nothing to worry about. My days of pining for guys who are not right for me are way over.”

My friends exchange a glance, not looking so convinced.

“Come on, guys,” I say. “I’m not going to fall for him. And anyway, I’m not looking for a real relationship now. I need a huge break after that jerk. So this is perfect for me right now. I won’t have to worry about guys for a whole month.”

Lizzie lifts her shoulders. “I guess that’s true. And if you feel like things are getting too much to bear, we’ll be here for you.”

“Always.” Emily smiles as she slides her hand into mine. “If things get too tough, we’ll have your back.”

“We won’t let anyone hurt you again,” Alex promises. “Well, we’ll try. So if your sexy fake quarterback boyfriend tries anything with you, just let us know and we’ll take care of him.”

I laugh as I shake my head. “Lincoln is a good guy. You have nothing to worry about.” I can’t forget how he kissed my cheek and called me his world and the most beautiful person in his life when we passed those women on our way out of the dinner. I know he did it mostly for show, but I have a feeling he did it for me, too.

“Let’s hope so.” Alex gets up and points to the pot cooking on the stove. “This has worked up my appetite. Are we ready to eat?”

“You don’t have to ask us twice!” Emily and I say as we leap to our feet.