Fake Date Number Three [Short Story]

Date Number Three

The guy Frances had "ghosted" was brother of the bride Allan, and they met him at dinner that night.

Sebastian's mood was already decidedly gloomy so maybe it was a tougher blow that Allan seemed like a decent guy. The way
Frances reacted to him, with that smile of hers, and how things between them were clearly not hostile.

She would probably date this dude. And even if she didn't, he didn't seem angry at her, she didn't seem put off by him, and there might have been no awkwardness after all.

He didn't need to be here.

Still, he had a role to play and he wasn't going to be caught faking it. He did all the things he was meant to do. He held her hand, sat beside her at the assigned dinner table. He might have excused himself to get her a new drink from the bar himself, more times than usual, because the candles and lights hanging from the trees and the breeze against her hair were all conspiring to make her look lovelier than she had ever been, and also infinitely more inaccessible.

The mango-watermelon cooler order was taking a long time, so he asked for two of those at the bar, and waited.

"Oh God, the way you look at her." It was Frances's friend Rachel, the bride. They'd met earlier that day. She was looking at him now, sort of amused and curious, and Sebastian figured he'd need to keep this short so he didn't screw anything up.

"She's beautiful," he said. Truth.

"I know you've been friends for a long time," she said. "It's wonderful that you're together now. What happened, Sebastian?"

"She didn't tell you?"

"No, she didn't. I wasn't sure who she'd be bringing to this wedding. When she RSVP'd your name, I jumped a little."

"So what did she say about me then? If my being here surprised you."

Rachel laughed. "That you're the hottest guy she knows. It's probably true. But also that it was 'Never Gonna Happen' between the two of you."

"Why...why would she say that?"

"Girl knows what she's doing. If she said you were a mess when you first met, and a mess when you started working together, I believe her. If she kept her distance there was a good reason."

"We're together all the time," he heard himself saying. "Every day at work. At lunch. She was never distant."

"Hmm. There's thirst, and she lets herself take little sips. Lets herself like you a little while still protecting herself. You get it? Because too much is too much."

Because he was a mess.

What he was hearing was stinging him, but also it was true. Fran had every right to describe him as that, based on how he was. He was not very good in those relationships. He was not the best at adapting to being single, either. That conversation about staying single, that stuck with him. It made it very clear that she was not just waiting for him to break up with anyone to hook up. She really meant to keep him this close and no closer. For a long time.

So when she agreed to date, that was all that it was? Sips?

"So what did you do, Sebastian? How'd you finally get her?"

Well damn if that hadn't been exactly the thing he was asking himself. Since Christmas. Since kissing her. Since telling her he loved her and watching her process it and dismiss it as part of the act. What else did he have to do?

Maybe there was nothing else because this was the end of the line.

Sebastian forced his smile. "I just asked her. And she said yes."