Page 53 of Fake it With Me

“Right. And we decided you would move up here to be closer and since the location is perfect for whale research.”

“Which is all technically true. Just missing the part about the contract and the payment.”

“Minor details.”

She smiled at that. We could do this. We could sell this story and make it believable because most of it was true. The connection between us was real even if the circumstances were fabricated.

“What else should we establish?” Liza asked. “Any relationship milestones people might ask about? First date, first kiss, any of that?”

“First date was dinner in New York. Italian place, nothing fancy. We talked for hours, closed down the restaurant.”

“Romantic.”

“I’m a romantic guy.” I turned to face her fully. “First kiss was later that night. I walked you home, and we stood outside your building talking, and I couldn’t help myself.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

Once again I felt the electricity in the air. We weren’t talking about our fake story anymore. We were talking about us and this thing building between us that was getting harder and harder to ignore.

“And the kiss?” Liza asked, her voice softer now. “How was it?”

“I don’t know. We haven’t had it yet.”

“The fake one. In our story.”

“Right. The fake one.” I stepped closer, my hand coming up to cup her cheek the way I’d done in the boathouse before thunder interrupted us. “It was perfect. The kind of kiss you remember for the rest of your life.”

“That’s a lot of pressure for a fictional kiss.”

“Maybe we should make it real. For authenticity. So we can describe it better if anyone asks.”

“That’s a terrible justification.”

“I know.”

“We agreed no physical contact.”

“I know that too.”

“This is a really bad idea, Darek.”

“Probably the worst.”

But neither of us moved away. We stood there with a glittering sky overhead and ocean all around. I couldn’t have created a more perfect backdrop for a first kiss.

I was done fighting the connection.

“Tell me to stop,” I said.

“I should.”

“But are you going to?”

She looked up at me and slowly shook her head. “No.”

That was all the permission I needed.