fake (b.t.c.)

eighteen

"i guess you're still pining."
"i am not pining."
•••
a knock came at my door just as i finished my makeup. i took a look at my red crop top and black jeans, then smiled at myself in the mirror.
"hey!" i opened the door to see ben.
"woah." he looked at my outfit.
i frowned. "should i change?"
ben shook his head vigorously. "no, please, don't." he grinned. "it looks great. you look great."
"thanks." i blushed. ben checked his watched, and grimaced. "we gotta go."
•••
"julia, right?" dan, ben's roommate that i met the day of the wedding, smiled at me.
"yeah." i nodded.
"so, ben's bringing you to everything now?"
the blond was across the room from me, sipping something he wasn't quite legal to drink yet. he caught my eye and gave a little wink.
dan's laugh brought me back to the conversation. "i guess you're still pining."
my mouth dropped open. "i am not pining."
"please." dan rolled his eyes. "staring longingly across the crowd?" he swooned dramatically, and i raised my eyebrows. "that wasn't staring longingly."
"what would you call it?"
"looking at a person i think is attractive." i said. "i will admit, ben is really cute."
dan grinned. "at least we got you to admit something. that's step one."
"oh, is there a master plan?" i giggled.
"julia, darling, there is always a master plan, whether you realize it or not."
"and what's the goal?"
he grimaced and took a sip of his drink. "afraid i can't say."
i rolled my eyes. "boys are so annoying."
"it's our specialty." he laughed.
•••
it got later, and ben was still talking with his group of boys. i tapped him on the shoulder. "hey, we have that put-in tomorrow. i think i'm gonna head home."
he set his glass down on the table, and nodded. "yeah, we should get going."
"oh, no, you don't-"
"jules." he stopped me. "i brought you, if you're leaving, i'm leaving."
we said our goodbyes, and dan wiggled his eyebrows at me from the bar. i waved to him, and ben and i left.
•••
i kicked at the small stones on the sidewalk as we walked back to my apartment.
"so?" ben broke the silence.
"they're nice. i really like dan."
ben laughed. "everyone likes dan. he's just a great guy, if i'm being honest."
"yeah. he's got some interesting opinions about us."
"how so?" he raised an eyebrow.
"he seems to think there's some master plan to get us together." i giggled, and ben let out a halfhearted chuckle. "he does have a flair for the dramatics."
"yeah."
i was grateful that we were at my apartment.
"thanks for coming."
"thanks for bringing me." i smiled, and reached up to give him a hug.
"good night."