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

Chapter Fourteen

Callie

Mom and Dad watch me as I pace before them in my parents’ kitchen. I don’t understand why I’m so nervous. Because my fake boyfriend is coming over for dinner?

Is it because Lincoln told me he’s anxious to meet my parents? I want tonight to go perfectly. I want him to be as comfortable as possible because even if we’re not really dating, I don’t want him to be offended or turned off by us.

“Honey, you’ll tear a hole through the floor,” Dad says, his tone light.

More like I’ll tear all my hair out.

“Callie, breathe,” Mom tells me. “What are you so worried about? That we won’t like him? If you like him, of course we will. And if you’re worried he won’t like us, I’ve made lots of food, which will surely sway him to like us.”

I came over a few hours ago and helped Mom with dinner. She went all out, making enough food to feed an army. I understand that this is important to her. It’s not like I bring home guys every day. Heck, Lincoln is only my “second” boyfriend. I can’t blame my parents for being curious about him. But ugh. We’re falling too deep into this lie and I wonder if we’ll be able to get out. What if the fans are so disappointed or upset when we break up? Are we supposed to fake date forever?

Puffing out my cheeks, I plop down between Mom and Dad at the table. “I just want everything to go well,” I tell them.

Dad rubs my arm. “You don’t have to worry. Your mom and I are cool parents.”

I bury my face in my hands. “Please don’t embarrass me.”

Dad picks up his phone. “Embarrass you? I would never. Actually, I think I have some baby pictures of you in here.”

“Mom,” I groan.

She laughs as she shakes her head at Dad. “We promise not to embarrass you. Right, Nathan?”

Dad tucks his phone away, then bends to press a light kiss on my forehead. “Of course I won’t embarrass you. At least not on purpose.”

That’s not very comforting.

The doorbell rings, causing my heart to nearly catapult out of my chest. “He’s here?”

He’s at least twenty minutes early.

“A guy who’s punctual is always a plus,” Dad says as he and Mom head for the door. I race to catch up to them, my heart pounding even more.

Mom swings the door open and my jaw nearly touches the floor as I take him in. Lincoln is dressed in a navy suit and a neatly pressed white shirt. His hair is styled in a way that makes him look even more beautiful than I could ever imagine. He’s more than just a sexy football player or the hottest guy of the year. He’s a god.

Mom also stares at him like she’s never seen a specimen of man like him in her life. Even my dad seems at a loss for words.

Lincoln smiles widely. “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Richards.” He hands a bouquet of flowers to my mom, a bottle of wine to my dad, and another bouquet to me.

“Hello, Lincoln. My, these are beautiful. Thank you,” Mom says, her tone in awe. I’m not sure if it’s because of his looks or his kindness. Maybe both.

Lincoln holds out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you both. I’m honored to be in the presence of the people who raised the wonderful and beautiful Callie.”

My cheeks heat up as I press my face into the flowers. Did he just call me beautiful?

Mom throws her arms around him. “It’s great to meet our Callie’s special guy. What a sweet young man you are.” As she hugs him, she gives me two thumbs up. Good thing my fake boyfriend can’t see her. Sheesh. He’s only been here for five minutes and they’ve already embarrassed me.

Once Mom releases Lincoln, Dad says, “You’re the quarterback for the Atlanta Armadillos, right? I’ve watched several games. You’re quite talented.”

Lincoln bows his head. “Thank you.

Mom gestures to the flowers. “I’ll find a vase for these.” After taking both of our bouquets, she walks off.

Dad heads into the kitchen to open the wine bottle, leaving me and Lincoln alone. He smiles at me. “Hey.”

“Hey. Are you still nervous?”

“A little,” he admits. “But your parents are very kind and your home feels like it’s full of love. It reminds me of my home and how much I miss my parents.”

“When are they returning from their cruise?”

“In a couple of weeks. We video chat all the time, though.”

“That’s great.”

He bends forward to kiss my cheek. “You look beautiful.”

I’m trying very hard to not focus on the fact that he kissed my cheek when my parents aren’t even here, and that he called me beautiful twice . “Thanks. You clean up nicely yourself.”

He chuckles. “Thanks. It was between this suit and a different one. Figured I can’t go wrong with blue.”

“Well, you have good taste.”

Dad enters the room with the opened bottle, Mom following him with wine glasses. We settle down on the couch, where Dad pours us each a drink.

“So, tell us about yourself, Lincoln,” Mom says after she takes a sip. “My, this is good wine.”

His smile is wide as he says, “Only the best for my girl’s parents.” He wraps an arm around me, tugging me close to his chest. His suit is very soft, which is a big contrast to his hard, muscular chest. But I feel so safe in his arms, just like I did all the other times he held me.

“As you know, I’m the quarterback for the Atlanta Armadillos. We hope to make it to the Super Bowl this season. I’ve played football all my life and hope to play as long as I can. After that, I want to work with kids. Maybe as a teacher or tutor.”

“That’s very admirable of you,” Mom says. “Kids are the future and they need good role models in their lives. I heard you organized an event for children a short while ago and it was quite successful.”

Has Mom been doing research on him? I know I’m their only child and they tend to be overprotective of me. But I’m an adult now, and as much as I appreciate them watching over me, it’s not necessary. There’s no point in telling this to my mother because she does what she wants anyway.

“Football players make a nice salary, don’t they?” Dad asks.

“Dad…”

“I’m satisfied with my salary, yes,” Lincoln says. “And don’t worry, I’ll take care of your daughter with every fiber of my being. You have my word.”

Why do I get the feeling he means every word even though this is fake? Whoever he ends up with will be a very lucky woman.

With Dad’s worries eased, the conversation moves on to football and other popular topics going on in the world.

As we talk, Lincoln slides his hand in mine, locking our fingers together. I rest my head on his shoulder. A short while later, it’s time to eat. My stomach is growling because I haven’t been able to eat all day. I can’t wait to feed it and I certainly can’t wait for Lincoln to try the food. Especially because he told me it’s been a while since he had a home-cooked meal.