Fake It List

Twenty Seven

Reysha squeezed the steering wheel until her fingers touched the base of her hands around it. The Saturday-night traffic was worse than normal—maybe. She actually had no idea, because she rarely went out at night. And now she was heading from one date to another.

"So not a date." The Burger Shack was about twenty-five minutes from the station, and though Chris had suggested they drive together, Reysha had quickly made an excuse, saying she needed her car, which she now desperately wanted to turn in the direction of home. At this point, she was basically a walking nerve ending in a pretty shirt. But driving her crazy, more than the nerves, was the desire to be with Chris. To see another side of him. To watch more of the fascinating interaction between him and his brother that revealed a completely new side to him. You're going. Rule seven: Find your happy. This counts. Seeing a new side to someone you now consider a friend makes you happy. She was so good at glossing over the rest of her feelings.

"Hey, Siri," she called. The beep sounded and waited. "Text Stacey."

"What do you want to say to Stacey?"

"I'm heading to the Burger Shack with Chris and his brother Noah. I need you to meet me there. I don't know why I said yes, but whatever you're doing, come there. Please don't be on a date."

Reysha pulled into the right lane, stopping at the light.

Siri's cute male-accented voice responded, "Your message to Stacey says: I'm heading to the booby shake with Chris and his lover Noah. I need you to meet me there. I don't know why I said yes, but whatever you're doing, come there. Please, I'll be your date."

"Do you want to send?"

"Yes." The light changed. "Wait, what?"

"Message sent."

"Son of a bitch."

"I don't know how to respond to that."

Forming an o with her lips, Reysha breathed out a long breath and pressed the gas. "Me neither, Siri. Me neither."

When the phone rang, she pressed Connect on the steering wheel and braced for Stacey's response. Nothing like autocorrect to make a girl's life worse. At least it wasn't to Chris.

"Are you okay?" Stacey asked as Reysha drove. Palm trees lined the streets in between one-level, mostly concrete homes.

"What? Yes, why?"

"Multiple reasons, but the first is because you need to be told that when you do the booby shake with a boy, you shouldn't ask people to tag along. I mean, unless that's your thing, but it's not mine, so I'm going to pass on that one."

"Shut up," Reysha growled.

"Reason two is because—and I hate to break it to you—Chris is definitely not your type if his lover's name is Noah and if he is, in fact, his brother? Sweetie, turn the car around no matter what kind of heaven he promised you."

"I hate you. Tell me you're coming."

"Already in the car. I never miss out on the booby shake."

"Please stop," Reysha said, taking a right at the next light.

"Oh no. That's just not going to happen. Is the brother hot? I thought, for sure, you'd be home by now."

She gave a quick recap of her evening and then described Noah without using the word hot—though, clearly, her friend was a master decoder.

"Sexy and hot. I think I'm going to like Chris's lover."

"You have to stop." The Burger Shack parking lot was crowded, and suddenly Reysha's chest felt that way, too.