Even four days removed from kissing Stella on the couch, Olive couldn’t look at the teal-green velvet without thinking about the easy way their bodies had twined together there. It had smelled like Stella for two days. Now, Derek leaned back on her couch with the oversized dog in between them. They’d had a horrible shift and were each on their second glass of wine. Derek topped off his glass and grabbed a piece of pizza. His eyes widened for a second as he did a slight head nod toward a cream-colored sweater on a hook at the door.
“That’s not yours.”
Instead of responding, Olive followed his example, pouring until she killed the bottle.
“Is she coming here a lot?”
“We’re friends, Derek. Stella came over for lunch a couple times. She ended up canceling a few flying lessons because of the weather. We hung out.” They hadn’t had any more kissing. Olive liked having her around. “She likes Gus. Friends.”
“That’s it. Friends. Nothing more?” He lifted his hand and then a black tie dangled down as if he were a magician doing a scarf trick.
“Oops. Where was that?”
“Suspiciously deep in the couch cushions.” The tie swayed from his hand, and his lips quirked to the side.
“We might have made out. Nothing else. Clothes on.” Olive hoped she didn’t sound too sullen as she said it. “Except the tie.”
He sucked in more wine, grimacing. “Jesus, Olive. Why are you doing this to yourself?”
“That was on me. There was this moment, I was still amped up from the award thing, and she was hot, and we had a great time. I’m an adult. It’s my choice.”
“So, she said she can’t be a girlfriend because she’d be a bad one, and she doesn’t have time for one … But she keeps canceling stuff to hang out with you, her fake girlfriend? Who she makes out with. Are we in high school again?”
“She’s not canceling stuff for me.”
“Sure. So are you going to invite her out with us tomorrow for the unit happy hour? Joni chose the bar this time since she’s actually going to come and might bring her twin sister.”
“Can’t. I’m—”
“Hanging out with Stella.”
“Staaaahhhp. We aren’t just hanging out. We’re going shopping for a dress. I need another one to go to the next event, and with all your whining about our last mall excursion, I decided to ask Stella. This perfect dress is in a store in Ashburn.”
“Are you getting dinner before?” He swirled his wine with one hand and petted Gus with the other.
“People have to eat.”
“And are you going home after?”
“She was going to come over so we could watch that new show on Netflix.”
He put the tie down on the coffee table as if it were Exhibit A in evidence. “You guys are in a real relationship.”
“We’re friends.”
“You’re dating.” He threw his hands into the air.
“We’re fake dating. It’s supposed to look real. That’s the point.” The weird thing was, Stella hadn’t posted any of the photos they’d taken together to Instagram. Olive couldn’t shake a nagging worry over that.
Derek let out a sound of feral exasperation. “This is the most ridiculous existential debate I’ve ever had. What’s the difference?”
“We’re not having sex.”
YOU ARE READING
Fly with Me: a novel by Andie Burke
Romance(Books you want to read but don't want to buy) A sparkling and steamy Sapphic romance, Fly with Me by Andie Burke is filled with sharp banter and that sweet, swooping feeling of finding "the one" when and where you least expect it. A one-way ticket...
