Misstaken ✓ | #Wattys2019

10. r e g u l a r e m m a

"Sandwich King?" Nick looked around the shop that I brought him to, just a five minute walk from my lab.

I grabbed a tray and started picking out a beef and cheese sub. I did the same for him, pushing the tray to his hands.

"I know you're rich and all, but you can't possibly be eating good food all day and night, right? Sometimes you need to enjoy the simple pleasures in life." I said, tossing another chicken salad one into my tray. I shamelessly ate twice the portions when it came to quality food like that.

He took a bucket of criss-cut fries himself. Good choice. "I wasn't judging. I agree with you, I don't eat good food all day and night too. If I did, I would never have discovered the wonders of Shake Shack and In-and-Out."

I laughed. "Now we're talking."

At the cashier, I instinctively pulled out my wallet and proceeded to pay for the both of us. Nick watched me, confused.

"What are you doing?"

"Come on, you're my guest here. This is the least I can do." I thought of that fancy dinner we went to previously, when he thought I was Zara. "What? Just because you're rich and you're the "guy in the relationship" you have to pay?"

"What did you just say?"

I skimmed over my words. Shit. I just said, "guy in the relationship" as if we were a thing.

"No, I didn't mean that literally. Obviously we're not actually in —"

"Well, this could be a date." Nick grabbed both our trays as we sat at a table.

A date. With someone other than Zara. I thought he would only hang around with heiresses and the upper class — unless, he was just fooling around with me.

That made a lot more sense.

However, I was curious. He couldn't even recognize my face, so why would he be interested in talking that much to me?

"I don't recall agreeing to that." I mumbled as I devoured my sandwiches. "But if we are, I'm sure you'd find me even more attractive once you see me devour three of these."

He laughed, and it made me remember how good-looking he was when his eyes were cutely crinkled like that. There were even slight dimples that emerged. Did I ever mention I had a thing for those?

Stop it. I immediately coughed the thought away.

A buzz came from under the table. Nick glanced at it furtively. "Right."

My phone buzzed too, and I opened Cleo's message. It made me realize that both of us must have gotten the same message. I had to go back to acting as Zara tonight, because there was a dinner.

"Not again." He muttered.

What? Was he tired of seeing Zara? I felt kind of affected — that probably meant he was tired of me, since I was acting as her.

I asked curiously, "What is it?"

"My secretary arranged another dinner for me and my ex."

I thought he liked hanging out with Zara. Why else would I be hired to pretend to be her?

"Wow. That's awkward, isn't it?"

"Truthfully? Way better than it used to be." He replied honestly. "I just wish I could grab sandwiches with her for dinner, instead of having to treat her to some refined cuisine all the time. I don't hate her, it's just that — she broke my heart. She wasn't a very nice person, though she's becoming a lot better recently. We're starting to have genuine conversations, and at least she isn't demanding all over again."