Page 35 of The Fake Script
“Not Emma. Finding a boyfriendis the last thing on her mind.”
He runs a hand over his beard. “Well, then you’ll just have to change her mind, now won’t you?”
I blow out a breath. “And how am I going to do that, exactly?”
“Use the fake dating thing to your advantage. Show her what a fun bloke you are, and she’ll never want to leave your side.”
I open my mouth to protest, then close it. He’s got a point. Even if she’s not interested in dating anyone, sheisgoing to be dating me for a while. Maybe I can turn that to my advantage, and she’ll finally remember how we hit it off back then.
Full of confidence, I return to Emma’s side.
“Hey, I’m back.” I smile, taking her hand. Sparks ricochet through my veins, and I’m momentarily transported. But when I look into Emma’s eyes, I can see she doesn't feel the same. I try not to let my disappointment show. “Should we go grab another drink? I have my eye on the Coconut Breeze—virgin, of course.”
“I think it’s called Coconut Crush,” she says, her eyes twinkling.
I can’t hold back my goofy grin. “Exactly what I’m in the mood for.”
She opens her mouth to reply, butsomeone calling her name behind us makes us both turn around.
“Mari?” Emma says, her eyes widening. We’re now face to face with a strawberry-blonde woman and a tall, muscular dude who looks familiar.
“What are you doing here?” the woman asks, glancing between Emma and me.
“I’m here with Auston. He’s a brand ambassador.”
She takes a step back. “Wait. You guys . . .”
“Yep,” Emma says enthusiastically. She grabs my hand, and it nearly bursts into flames. “We actually go way back, and we reconnected.”
The other woman beams. “Wow. That’s great.”
“What about you?”
“Aaron is a brand ambassador too.”
“Oh, I forgot,” Emma says, shaking her head. “Auston, this is Marissa. She co-owns the coffee shop on our street.”
I smile. “Ah! You need to share some of your secrets with me. This one swears by your coffee alone.”
Marissa laughs. “Nice to meet you. And this is Aaron Miles, the—”
“Hockey player,” I finish. “Defenseman for the New York Raptors. I knew you looked familiar.”
We shake hands, and he gives me a lopsided smirk. “Yeah. People say I don’t look the same without the helmet. Maybe they expect more hair?” he says, running a hand over his buzz cut.
“I’m a huge fan,” I say. “I know I should be an LA Lion fan, but Jurassic Park is one of my favorite movies, so you got me.”
Aaron’s laugh booms, echoing around us. “Why do you think I signed with the team?”
“Should we grab a drink?” Marissa asks, and we walk together to the tiki bar.
It’s a bit more crowded than earlier, so we all grab our drinks and step aside. The conversation flows naturally as we laugh and share stories.
“Sorry to interrupt,” the event photographer says, butting into our group. “Could I take a picture of the two lovely couples?”
“Oh no!” Marissa exclaims, shaking her head and her hands vehemently
Aaron scratches his temple. “We’re not—”