Page 32 of A Perfect Fit

Aaron faces me, clapping his hands and combusting into another outbreak of laughter. “Damn! You’re really getting rejected left, right, and center today.”

My jaw clenches. A voice in my head tells me that I should leave before I lose the last piece of my dignity and that I should stay far away from Isabelle’s chaos, not walk straight into it. But another part of me is still tempted to prove her wrong. To prove to her I’m not the jackass she thinks I am.

“You have any other candidates, Isabella?” I ask.

She falters. “Yes.”

My eyes narrow. I don’t believe her.

New customers arrive, the bell above the coffee shop door jingling.

“Good morning, and welcome to The Daily Brew!” Isabelle calls out, like she couldn’t be happier about the distraction.

Reluctantly, I step to the side with Aaron and wait for our orders to be made, scrolling through my work emails as a distraction.

“Jackass and Aaron!” Isabelle shouts minutes later, placing two coffee to-go cups on the counter.

Others inside the coffee shop turn to me with a funny look on their faces, like they’re questioning whether my real name is actually Jackass. Great.

“Oh my God, you’re the best,” Aaron says to Isabelle with a laugh as he picks up his coffee.

“Very funny, Isabella.” I don’t give her an opportunity to respond, turning around and heading straight for the exit with my coffee.

Aaron follows, and we say goodbye to Jen on our way out.

“I can’t believe you just threw me under the bus like that,” I say to Aaron as soon as we’re outside.

“You’ll thank me for it later,” Aaron says. “Also, if I’m not mistaken, you seemed like you were into the idea yourself.”

I gulp down my coffee as we walk ahead, letting the hot liquid run down my throat. “If I recall correctly, I was peer pressured into it.”

“Aw, you don’t have to be disappointed, man. I’m sure she’ll come around soon.”

“I’m not disappointed,” I say through gritted teeth. “I don’t know why she needs a fake boyfriend, and I’m not interested in being involved in her drama.”

It’s probably for the best. Who knows what kind of crazy or twisted scheme Isabelle Curtis-Wong has up her sleeve?

Aaron lifts a hand in defeat. “All right, Grandpa. Whatever you say.”

Chapter Ten

ISABELLE

The Summerhurst High reunion is in three days, and I still haven’t found a plus-one. In other words, Operation Find a Fake Boyfriend has officially flopped.

As part of my search, I caved in and downloaded dating apps for the first time. I went on three dates, and each turned out to be a disaster—guy number one looked nothing like his photos, guy number two gave a TED Talk about how “crazy” his ex was the whole time, and guy number three ordered a series of expensive dishes, only to tell me he “forgot” his wallet when the bill came.

“Which is why I’ve given up and decided to show up to the reunion solo,” I conclude to Jen.

We’re at the dining table at home, eating baklava from our go-to bodega as a late-night snack.

Jen stops chewing and pauses. “That makes Jackson even more of a strong candidate.”

“Jackson?” I ask with a mouthful. “He was definitely joking last time.”

Jen shakes her head. “I don’t think so.”

“If he had been serious, he’d have at least asked me why I was looking for a fake boyfriend. He didn’t even ask for context and just said, ‘Challenge accepted.’ That’s like the equivalent of jumping off a cliff.”