AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It felt like I’d been kicked in the gut by a mule. Braden’s awkward smile confirmed it. He wants someone to pretend to be his girlfriend.
“That’s actually what caught our eye about your profile,” Andy said into the uncomfortable silence. “We were looking for an actress who can be convincing, and you mentioned being in theater…”
I barely heard him. I was busy studying Braden. Of course he was gay. It was stereotypical, but he was a gorgeous muscular dude in theater, and had perfect hair and skin. He’d practically televised this fact to me. Guys get hard-ons when their jeans rub, he had said.
That was probably why he was complimenting my acting. He was sizing me up to be his fake girlfriend. Not because he was actually impressed with how I’d done.
I’m such an idiot.
“And before you ask,” Andy said, “we’re fine with sharing. Ryan and I are practically brothers. It would not be weird for us.”
“What’s in it for the girl?” I asked numbly. I was still staring at Braden, who was doing everything he could to avoid looking me in the eye.
Ryan snorted. “You mean besides getting to be around four of the best looking dudes in New York?”
“That’s a stretch,” I said with a weak smile.
Next to me, Dorian pretended like his heart had been pierced with an arrow, slumping over into Andy with theatrical poise.
“As far as we’re concerned, this is a two-way street,” Andy said. “You were on Tinder, so clearly you’re interested in some sort of arrangement. Think of it this way, Nadia.” He pushed his glasses up his long nose. “In a traditional relationship, you have one partner to meet several different needs. Friendly companionship, romantic intimacy, and sex. Those are three very different things. In this arrangement, you would have an individual to focus completely on one of those. Completely devoted to you.”
“Plus,” Dorian said when he’d recovered from his arrow wound, “we have a kickass place here in the city where you can crash. It’s a few blocks from here.”
I gave a start. “You guys live on the upper east side?” I thought it was a joke since this area was ridiculously expensive, but none of them laughed.
“Braden’s grandma’s old place,” Ryan said. “Paid off already. Just got to deal with property tax.”
Braden was looking at me, I realized. He seemed hurt. I couldn’t understand why; I was the one who had been led on.
“I still think we should find someone else,” Ryan said. “Having someone from the show might make things weird…”
“Dude, it’s already weird enough,” Dorian said.
Andy nodded. “Besides, it makes logistical sense. If we’re going out on a date, we can travel together from the theater.”
“That’s what every girl wants,” Ryan muttered. “Carpooling options.”
A waitress arrived with a plate of nachos. There was an awkward moment as she placed it on the table and then handed out five individual plates and silverware.
I took the opportunity to finish my beer, slamming it down so hard it shook the table. “I’ll make the decision easy for you,” I said to Ryan. “I’m not interested.”
“Nadia…” Braden said.
Before he could stop me, I slipped away from the table and fled out into the night.
8
Nadia
I looked over my shoulder as I walked down 72nd street toward the subway station, but none of the four men exited the bar to follow me. I wasn’t sure if I was grateful or disappointed by that.
A few tears blurred the edge of my vision, which only upset me more. I couldn’t believe I’d allowed myself to like him. To think that he would be interested in me. It was such a ridiculous thing to be upset about. The entire lifespan of my crush—if you could even call it that—had begun, flourished, and then ended in the span of a few hours. There were Marvel movies which lasted longer than that.
And yet it felt like someone had stabbed a knife into my heart and was slowly twisting it.
I took the subway steps two at a time and walked down to the end of the platform. I only had to wait a few minutes before the next train came along, which I rode for one stop before transferring to the F-train. Miraculously, it wasn’t very crowded, so I grabbed a seat by myself at the end.
I glanced at my phone. It would take over an hour to get back to my tiny apartment in Queens. I considered putting my headphones in and listening to a podcast, but I was more in the mood to feel sorry for myself.
