The Fake Girlfriend

Chapter 20

My smile was too wide on my way back from my interview with Cosmo. They had been super impressed that I had never been hired on anywhere before. The whole office was completely professional. Women strutting around in red soled shoes and the season's hottest coats. I practically tripped myself over the clerk's scarf.

Rachelle, the striking woman who interviewed me, gave me the assignment of returning in a week and a half with a story on this winter's strangest trends and I was practically jumping out of my seat with excitement.

This day started out just right.

I drove by a small breakfast shop that Nick had mentioned he liked and picked us up a few baked croissants and coffee- black just like he likes it.

I hoped he hadn't woken up yet- it was only ten thirty. He probably thought I had ditched him already and was thinking of all the things to confront me with when he saw me next.

I silently opened the door to his apartment, closing it softly behind me while trying to balance out bagged breakfast.

I was actually kind of startled by what I saw next.

Nick had his hands gripping the edge of the kitchen counter, arms straight and knuckles white, his head down and eyes hard and focused. When my heels made clacks on the tiled floor, his head snapped up, a crease coming of his brow.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

With a coffee carier in one hand and croissants in the other, I walked to the counter, setting them down gently.

"I brought breakfeast," I told him, seeing the hardened edges of his eyes soften around the iris. "I picked up some croissants and coffee from that coffee shop on the corner of 23rd."

For a full three seconds he just stared at me, not moving a muscle. It finally occured to me that things were supposed to be awkward between us, the ghost of last nights kisses and ambiant secrets from the dark tickling my lips. Did I not realize that I was getting paid to be his girlfriend and now things were ten times more complicated?

He pressed his lips together and nodded. "Thank you," he said, pure sincerity knitted into his words. Nick turned and grabbed plates from a dark brown cabinet, shimmying the croissants out of the bag onto the white glass.

He grabbed the plates and brought them to wooden dining table in the corner by the windows, an antler chandelier hanging high above it. Setting the coffee cups down, I sat on his left, Nick sitting at the head of the table.

"I got you coffee too," I said, sliding it in front of him. "Black- like your heart."

He cracked a smile at my lame pun. "You are so cheesy sometimes."

I spread my fingers and did a fake flip of the hair. "I know."

Before I knew it, he was chuckling to himself.

"So, there was actually another reason I was out this morning," I said, trying to mask the excitement on my face.

Nick took a long sip of his coffee, peeking at me over the rim. "And what was that?" I tried not to look at the nice way his morning hair was slightly disheveled.

I clasped my hands in front of me, elbows on the table. "I got a call from Cosmo for a job interview and they had an unexpected opening at nine this morning so I went to take it!" I squealed, clapping my hands excitedly.

Nick's face lit up and his smile stretched from ear to ear. "Rayne, that's so amazing. I'm really happy for you," he said, reaching over to rest a hand on my arm.

"Thanks," I told him in between bites of crumbling bread. "I really am too."

"And since this is honest hour..." Nick sighed as he set down his coffee to look me in the eye. "Whenever I saw that you weren't here this morning, I was pretty mad at you. I thought that you just used me and all of these thoughts were going through my head. And I want to apologize. Because when you came in with breakfeast, I felt completely jerk-ish."

I gingerly touched the hand that was still on my arm. "It's okay, I really should have texted you or something but I had to hurry up and get there and I didn't want to wake you up-"

"No stop," Nick cut me off. "You did nothing wrong."

A silence passed between us, our hands still touching. I didn't know what to make of the events of last night, were we going to move forward with it, or are we going to be faking for the cameras and ignore each other the rest of the time?

His hand turned over under mine, intertwining our fingers. My heart still fluttering inside my chest.

Then he let go, giving me a small smile and grabbing his food to eat it.

"What are you doing today?" I asked around a crunchy piece of the bread,

Covering his mouth with his hand he mumbled, "I'm not sure. I think I have a meeting with my dad later today. Do you want to come?"

I shrugged. "I really should get started on my story for Cosmo... And also Ruby's working tonight and I promised I would clean the aparment. And if you can't tell, so far I haven't done a thing." I gave him a small smile.

"It's not a big deal, just thought I'd ask..." he looked back to his food. The silence giving me an eery chill on the back of my neck.

Whenever we had finished our food, I grabbed our plates and headed to the sink.

"Rayne! Put the plates down, I've got it," he said. walking up behind me an attempt to slip the plates from me.

I held the plates out of his reach. "No, I've got it. Go away now." I flashed him a bright smile and walked the rest of the length to the kitchen sink.

"Rayne..." Nick groaned. "you bought the food, at least let me do the dishes."

I dropped the plates in the sink and held up my hands while stepping away. "There, there. I just put them in the sink you can wash them if you must."

He ran water over them before pushing them into the dishwasher. Brushing his hands off he placed them on his hips. "Now that wasn't so hard was it?"

I rolled my eyes walking around the counter. "You are a control freak, Nick Jonas."

"No I am not-"

"Symptom One, denial," I stated giving him a knowing look.

He leaned over the counter in front of me. "You think you're so funny."

I shrugged.

Just then, Nick's phone rang on the kitchen table. Picking it up, he answered, "Hello?"

I jumped off the stool that I had been sitting on and grabbed my coat from the dining chair.

"Yeah, I'll be there soon," Nick said. "Bye."

"I should go," I told him, sliding my arms into the sleeves. "I've got a lot to do."

He nodded. "I need to head out anyways."

Suddenly, there was this awkward silence that floated between us, thick like smoke. What to say next, should I hug him?

I grabbed my purse. "Alright, I guess I'll see you later."

He nodded, turning to walk to his room. "Bye. Thanks again for the breakfast." A small smile and then he disappeared into the hallway.