One Kiss Later

2

"Natalia fucking Fitzgerald!" Nia jumped on my bed. "You have to explain."

I put my phone to the side. "Explain what?"

Nia rolled her eyes. "Don't play dumb with me! You're my best friend. What's going on with you and TikTok boy?"

I sat up. "Long story short, I saw Drew, I kissed Beau, and now Beau wants to fake date. You know, so he stops being set up on blind dates and so I can make Drew jealous."

Her eyes got big. "Oh my gosh! Nat!"

I shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Did you agree to it?" Nia asked me.

"I told him that I needed to sleep on it. I gave him my number, but he hasn't said anything yet. I can't believe this is real, Ni. This almost feels like something straight out of a movie." I vented to her.

Nia nodded her head. "You should do it though. If I were Drew, and you started dating Beau fucking Aydin I would totally feel some type of way."

"Plus it could be fun. Drew is going to get so jealous, you could get TikTok famous, you never know what could happen." Nia went on.

She had a point.

It could be fun.

College was all about making stupid choices and fun memories.

"You're right." I decided as my phone buzzed.

"Is it him?" Nia's face lit up.

I grabbed my phone and flipped it over. "It is. 'It's Beau, what do you think?'"

"What should I say? I don't want to sound too happy or like a nerdy freshman." I asked Nia for advice.

"You're overthinking it." Nia took my phone. "Let's do it. That's what I just sent."

I nodded my head in approval. "Yeah, ok. That was good."

"I know." Nia handed me my phone back. "I got game girl."

Then my phone buzzed again. 

Good deal. I'd thought you'd be asleep and would respond in the morning. Can you meet for lunch or something - we gotta discuss the details.

"He wants to go get lunch tomorrow." I grinned.

"Look at you go!" Nia cheered me on. "Don't forget we have practice from 11 to 2."

Ugh.

"Damn, guess we better go to sleep." I opened up my drawer and took a Melatonin. "Just don't tell anyone about Beau."

Nia got up from my bed. "I won't. Don't forget to text him back. Night, Nat."

"Night, Ni." I said to her as she closed my bedroom door on her way out.

I sent him a text back: I'm free tomorrow after two-thirty.

And he responded in a flash: perfect. 3 at Lemonade work?

All I did was send him a thumbs up before I was knocked the hell out.

I woke up slightly hungover, got ready for practice, and constantly checked my phone for a text back from Beau.

There wasn't one, but at least I had a three-hour practice to distract me.

Dance had been my life since I was a toddler. I competed in all of my years of grade school, on the dance team in middle and high school, and to make the team at UCLA was a dream come true.

I hate the six in the morning and evening practices and the fact that we had Sunday conditioning/practice sometimes. But I loved the art of dance that it was worth it.

Collegiate dance was more than dance.

It was also about your looks and perfection.

Which sometimes took a toll on a girl.

I sat in my car and tried to freshen up.

There was no sense in going and home and showering.

I hated being late, so I'd rather be a little sweaty.

I walked into the restaurant and saw him sitting alone at a booth by a window. His eyes met mine as his head turned.

"Hey." I slid into the booth.

"UCLA Dance Team?" he read my shirt. "I guess that's something that I should know about my girlfriend."

I let out a small laugh. "Yeah, I guess so. Sorry if I stink, I just came from practice."

Beau shrugged. "I just came from strength training too."

"I'm on the baseball team, pitcher." he explained.

I nodded my head.

But I liked that he didn't just expect me to know who he was.

I debated on telling him that my Dad played baseball and so did my little brother. I held back. I didn't want him to know all of me yet.

He had to work for it.

"So fake dating." Beau began. "It's a great way to get people off my ass about finding a girlfriend and you get to make your ex jealous. How are we going to do this?"

I shrugged. "Dating, but fake. It's not like I've fake-dated someone before."

"I haven't either. I don't think that anyone should know that it's fake. Otherwise, the whole thing will come undone." Beau spoke.

Too bad I already told Nia.

She was good at keeping secrets though.

"Agreed." I nodded my head.

"Minus one super close friend but everyone else no. Not even our parents, siblings, outer circle, you name it." Beau went on.

I hated lying to my parents, but I wasn't even going to tell them that I had a 'boyfriend.' To them, Beau was just a friend.

I'm happy we agreed on the whole one super close friend.

"Sounds good to me." I gave him a reassuring smile. "How do we start this thing?"

"On Friday my fraternity is having a party and I was thinking that we could get people talking there." he suggested.

I scrunched up my face. "You're in a frat?"

"Yeah. What's that supposed to mean?" Beau shrugged.

I leaned back in the booth. "I don't know, you just don't seem like the type."

"Fair enough." he brushed off. "I was talked into it by my friend and it just stuck. I'm guessing that's not your thing?"

"Well, I like parties." I spoke defensively. "Greek life just isn't for me."

"Natalie the GDI, god damn independent." he grinned.

I rolled my eyes. "First order of business, boyfriend, my name is Natalia."

"N-a-t-a-l-i-a." I spelled out. "Not Natalie."

"I know." he winked. 

Here I was with Beau.

Just along for the ride.