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My disappointment at not getting to practice some real acting morphed into a deeper fear. What if this is the end of our arrangement? Would Braden let me stay at their place if I wasn’t pretending to be his girlfriend? I didn’t want all of this to end before it ever started!
“Well, that’s why I did the test run,” Braden said. “Thanks for the help, Candy.”
But Candy was resting her chin on her fist while studying me. It felt like an x-ray, having my insides revealed. “I think you could make it work.”
I blinked. “Really?”
She spoke like she was a judge issuing a ruling. “You were more natural than the last girl. I think I might’ve been convinced if I wasn’t already suspicious of my baby brother. It’s worth trying.”
I glanced at Braden. He was nodding along like he agreed. Maybe this wasn’t over just yet.
“You seem like you really want this scheme to work,” I said.
Candy craned her head and groaned. “I do want it to work! Our parents are driving me nuts. The more they think Brady’s gay, the more pressure they put on me and Elizabeth to settle down and pop out grandkids. Which is not happening any time soon. So I would love for them to put some of their hopes on my brother.”
She drank the rest of her mimosa in three long gulps.
“We’ll give it a try,” Braden told me. “If it works, then it works. And if not…” He shrugged. “We gave it our best try.”
“And we’ll practice more, too,” I said with a pointed stare. “Going into a situation somewhat blind isn’t ideal.”
“Alright, alright. We’ll practice. We can rehearse before our show’s rehearsal.”
“Enough about our parents and my brother’s sexual preferences,” Candy declared. “Tell me, Nadia. Is The Proposition as much of a shitshow as my brother claims?”
“It’s worse!” I said. “It’s a shitpocalypse!”
She giggled and accepted another mimosa from the waitress. She looked at Braden and said, “I like her. It’s too bad she isn’t your girlfriend.”
I blushed as the waitress took our orders.
The rest of brunch was pleasant, and a lot more lighthearted. I was able to relax and enjoy the meal—and the company—since I wasn’t focused on trying to deceive someone.
Candy insisted on paying for brunch. “We inherited a lot of money from our grandmother,” she explained. “Not trying to flex. Just saying I insist. I’m the one who chose the restaurant, and I had three mimosas.”
I held up my hands. “Next time I’ll pick the restaurant and pay.”
Right after saying it, I realized there wouldn’t be a next time. Unless it involved their parents. But Candy only smiled and hugged me, and told me it was a pleasure to meet me.
While Braden went outside, I visited the ladies room. When I came out of the stall after, Candy was washing her hands in the sink.
“I still can’t believe we didn’t fool you,” I said as I stepped up to the sink next to her. “I thought I was crushing it.”
She smiled politely. “You were convincing.”
“Not convincing enough.”
She dried her hands and turned to me. Her face was serious. “Want to know the real reason I knew? You sat down, and my brother kiss you on the cheek. Then he put his arm around you while we talked. Two totally normal gestures for a couple.” She pointed at my chest. “But you blushed seven shades of red. Like your crush had finally held your hand at recess.”
I paused with my hands on the paper towel dispenser. “Shit.”
“Yeah,” Candy nodded. “It was a little obvious.”
“Not sure how I’m supposed to fake that,” I said. “Can’t control an involuntary response like that.”
“Sure you can. Just takes practice.” She pursed her lips. “My brother has that effect on women. I’ve seen it all his life.”
She surprised me by hugging me. I squeezed her back, and it lasted a little longer than a polite hug. Like she genuinely cared about me.
