by Rion, Paige
She shakes her head. It’s moments like these that she’s able to see how screwed up she is. Where she’s suddenly able to see how stupid her shopping habit is and how ridiculous a person is for blowing all your money—money you don’t really even have—on such materialistic things. But in the moment… That’s another story. It’s as if all these thoughts and feelings, these insights, float away until they’re nothing more than a wasted thought hinging on the edge of a breeze.
“What is wrong with me?” she says, and glances at their intertwined hands.
“Hey,” Dean reaches out and lifts her chin. His touch is soft and gentle. “I don’t think anything bad about you. The only reason I was angry over the escort thing is because it was dangerous and you deserve a real life, a real boyfriend, love, and everything else you want. There were a ton of reasons. But I never thought anything negative. And, yeah, you screwed up. You have a ton of debt and your job is in jeopardy. But half of America has the same debt you do. Maybe it’s not okay, but you’ll fix it.” His voice is firm. He’s so sure of himself, and it boosts Callie’s confidence a little.
“I hope so. Thanks to you, maybe I will still have a job at the end of the year. I guess we’ll see. What matters is what I do from now till then.” There’s no need for Dean to know she hasn’t actually used the money yet.
Dean nods. “I was glad to help.”
“Where did you get that kind of money?”
Dean shrugs, avoiding her gaze. “I was just saving…”
“Well, you’ll get it back after graduation. And in the meantime…” Her smiles spreads slowly. “Operation Get the Girl is on.”
CHAPTER THREE
DEAN
The warmth of Callie’s hand, the feel of her fingers curling around his own, lingers on Dean’s skin the entire way across campus to his dorm room. Even the cool February air isn’t enough to wipe it away.
Operation Get the Girl. If she only knew…
Sighing, Dean tests the knob to his room to see if it’s unlocked. It turns and he pushes it open, throwing his messenger bag next to his desk by the door. Making a mental checklist of the things he needs to do this morning, he squeezes his eyes shut. 1) Call Greg at the paper and convince him to run an article on them. 2) Bribe the photographer to be unavailable to take photos of them. 3) Somehow get ahold of Maya’s schedule.
Dean opens his eyes and shrieks. “Shit!” He stumbles back into the door.
Jinny’s standing nose-to-nose with him. She’s squinting, her mouth pressed into a thin line, her stance rigid, muscles wound tight like a rubber band ready to snap.
He draws in a sharp breath and brings a hand to his chest. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Emmett climbs down from his bunk and grins. “Sorry, I just can’t seem to keep her away, man. I keep telling her, No, Jinny, I won’t take my clothes off for you.” Emmett widens his eyes in mock horror as he continues. “You want me to do what? And I say, Jinny, I’m a gentleman. We don’t participate in activities that—”
Jinny smacks him. “Can it.”
Dean rolls his eyes, then moves around Jinny and plops down in the chair at his desk. He moves the mouse to his computer. He needs to look up Greg’s number at the paper, but out of the corner of his eye, he can still see her. She crosses her arms over her chest and glares at him. “Well?” she asks.
“Well, what?” Dean turns to her.
“Are you gonna tell me what you and Callie were doing at your little clandestine meeting at Buzz?”
“How do you know about that?”
“I was working. Callie and I were hanging out like usual—”
“While you were working?”
“Don’t get your manager tone with me. Yes, while I was working… And when it was time for me to leave she got all funny, and said she was going to hang out there for a while. Since when does she hang out there by herself? And since Callie’s the worst liar on the face of the planet, I questioned her about it and could totally tell she was hiding something. So, I did what any naturally curious friend would do.”
“Which is?” Dean prompted.
“I spied on her, of course,” she says, as if Dean’s an idiot for asking. “I hung around outside and watched her for a few minutes. I saw that she ordered a second coffee—an iced coffee, to be exact, which she never drinks—and sat back down. Then, you walk in and go straight to her. You guys were in there for almost an hour. And I’m pretty sure I saw her grab your hand and hold it.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest again and stares straight through him, her gaze shooting through him like laser beams.
“Nosy—not curious—you’re just damn nosy. And what, did you run here the second you saw us get up to leave so you could beat me here?”
Jinny doesn’t even blink.
Dean exhales and runs a hand down his face. “Okay, I was hoping Callie would be the one to fill you in, but even if she did, you would come running here as soon as she finished. I hired Callie,” he says, trying to find a palatable way to tell Jinny about their deal, but finding none, “to be my girlfriend.”
Jinny drops her arms and leaps toward him. “You what?”
“She thinks it’s because I want Maya back and need to make her jealous, and that I want to help her clear her reputation from that article, which isn’t entirely untrue. But, the real reason—”
“Is because you’re hoping to get her to fall for you.”
Dean nods. “Yes.”
“Holy mother of…” Jinny trails off as she turns around and paces in their tiny cube of a room. “You do realize this plan will likely backfire, don’t you?”
Dean runs a hand over the back of his neck, feeling the start of a headache pulsing in his temples. “How?”
“Um. Because Callie’s going to eat this up, and you’ll be the one to suffer for it since she has no clue how you feel about her. She’s going to torture you with her mock affection. Holding your hand, hugging you, cuddling up next to you, when she won’t ever see you as more than my brother, a friend. Trust me. In the end, you’ll just wind up getting hurt.”
Dean growls and runs a hand through his hair, then jumps out of his seat. “So what? It’s the best shot I have.”
“So what? Um, you’ll be a mess after.”
Dean shakes his head, not wanting to believe it. “You’re wrong. And even if that is the case…even if all I ever get from her are these few months where she pretends to like me, where I can touch her, hold her in my arms, and act like she’s mine, then I’ll take them. Even if this time is all I’ll ever have of her, it’s worth it. Just to feel what it would be like.”
Emmett’s usually joking demeanor evaporates. He moves forward and pats Dean on the back, his eyes warm, then climbs back up to his bunk. His silence speaks volumes. Dean knows he’s an idiot and that he probably sounds ridiculously pathetic, but he can’t help it.
Jinny stands motionless for a moment, emotion flickering in her brown eyes, before she slowly walks up to him and wraps her arms around him in a giant bear hug. “Oh, Dean…”
Sighing, Dean gives her a light squeeze. Why is it she’s the one that needs consoling?
“God, that’s just…” She sniffs and her body shakes. “That’s just the saddest and sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Dean groans and holds her away from him, peering down at her. “Are you crying?”
She waves him away. “No. I’m fine. It’s just… Well, as weird as it would be, you know…for you and Callie to get together…you’re my brother and she’s my best friend. I want you both to be happy. And I had no idea… I mean, there were times over the years, in high school and stuff, where I thought you might kinda like her, but I never thought…I never realized it was like this.”
Dean shoves his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “The truth is, I have no idea how this will turn out. But for the first time I’m doing something about it, and it feels good. And who knows, maybe after being with her like this, I’ll realize she’s
not the one for me.” Although, I highly doubt that.
Jinny dabs at the tears in the corners of her eyes. “Aren’t you worried that when she finds out the truth, that you lied to her about why you wanted to do this, she’ll be angry? She might feel duped or betrayed. That kind of crap always happens in the movies.”
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.” He pulls a hand from his pocket, moving it around as he speaks. “Look, I knew it would take something drastic to get her to see me as a regular guy. Right now she sees me as some kind of brother stand-in. That role is a tough egg to crack. This is the only thing I could think of. I can show her what kind of guy I am. ME,” he says, pointing at himself. “Not your brother or her friend. But the real me. Who I am as a person, as a boyfriend, as a man.”
Jinny nods, understanding washing over her features. “You’re right. I can see that.” She moves forward and squeezes his arm. “I might still see you as my gross, idiotic little brother, but I know you’re a good guy. You deserve the best. And, despite her issues, Callie’s just that. I hope it works,” she says, taking a step back. “If you need anything at all, just let me know.”
Dean nods in answer and watches her as she leaves.
That might be the nicest she’s ever been to me. God, what did that mean? Is my situation that hopeless? Does she really think I’ll get hurt that bad? She must.
Dean plunks himself back down in his desk chair. It doesn’t matter, he reminds himself. This is his shot. And he’s going to take it.
With that in mind, he picks up his phone and dials Greg’s number.
#
In the end, Greg agrees to Dean’s idea of a story on them, coerced in part by the prostitution story they ran and legal repercussions. A few days pass and it’s time for their interview. Despite their chat at Buzz, Dean and Callie have yet to really kick off their “relationship.” But today would be the big day. Today is the day Callie becomes his. Sort of.
Dean picks Callie up at her apartment. She gets in the car, and as she does, the intoxicating scent of lavender and spice fills the air around him. He has no idea how this will go, but now that she’s here, in his car, his nerves get the best of him. He grips the steering wheel with damp palms, his mouth dry, as if he’s just run a dozen miles. This is the beginning…
But the beginning of what? An awakening? Making Callie see what’s right in front of her? What they could have together? Or would this all implode like Jinny thinks it will and simply be the beginning of his heartache?
Gazing at her now, with flowing blonde hair that falls in a wave down her back, her startling blue eyes and fair skin, those rosebud lips—neither pink nor red, but rather some nameless, yet perfect shade in-between—he realizes his heart’s been aching for the past seven years. What’s a little more risk? A little more hurt?
Because I could break entirely.
He swallows over the thought, because it doesn’t matter. This is his chance and he’s taking it. They have yet to introduce themselves as a couple, choosing to use today as the official start to their “relationship,” which means after this his plan would be set in motion and there would be no stopping it.
Dean drives to Buzz, trying to figure out what to say in the silence of the car. Why should this be awkward? He needs to snap out of it. He needs to try and forget that this is everything he’s ever wanted. He needs to push aside the fact that everything is at stake here—his chance with Callie, his love life, his happiness.
The pressure builds in his chest as he navigates the city streets, until he pulls by the curb of Buzz and draws in a deep breath. The tightness in his lungs eases just a bit. Clearing his throat, he finds his voice works. “You ready?”
Callie flashes her dazzling smile, as if it’s the easiest thing in the world. As if this is just another day, and her heart isn’t on the line—which it’s not, he reminds himself.
“Ready,” she confirms. “Dean Michaels. My boyfriend.” She laughs. “This is definitely going to take some getting used to, but we’ve known each other forever, and so we’re completely comfortable together. We can do this. Just remember. We’re in love. We need to be touchy-feely. We need to remember how we’ve been with people we’ve been crazy about in the past.”
Like that will be hard! “Touchy-feely. Got it,” Dean says, pretending his pulse isn’t jumping like a jackhammer. “We’re gonna rock this.”
“We absolutely are. Acting hat on.” She starts to open her door. “Let’s go make some girls jealous. Operation Get the Girl, take one.”
Dean takes a deep breath and follows her lead. He gets out of the car and extends his hand to her as she makes her way over to him.
Just act like you would if she were really yours. Well, maybe not entirely. If she were mine, I’d…
He grabs her hand, which curls inside his, small and warm. When he opens the door to Buzz, she glances up at him and smiles. They step inside, and the warm, bright atmosphere of Buzz greets them. The creamy walls and colorful décor—the familiarity of it all—help to lighten his mood and take the edge off his nerves. The robust scent of coffee fills the tiny shop, and it only takes him a second to spot Greg seated at the couches in the back.
Dean leads Callie toward him, comes to a stop in front of him, and extends his free hand in greeting. “Hey, man. Thanks for having us.”
Greg, one of the first guys Dean befriended his freshman year, shakes his hand and glances to Callie. His brown eyes are sharp. The eyes of a reporter. Ambitious to the core, Greg is one of the few guys Dean knows, besides himself, that has real dreams—aspirations beyond sports or boozing at college parties—and it shows in the way he scrupulously eyes them. He wears casual attire—a Panthers sweatshirt and jeans. His wire-rimmed glasses accentuate his large eyes, but they’re kind as he turns them to Callie. “This must be the infamous girlfriend.”
The way he says it makes it clear to Dean that he’s unconvinced of the details behind their story. When Dean initially spoke with him about writing an article, he had been careful not to tell Greg too much, only explaining that he and Callie had been secretly dating for a while now, and he wanted someone to clear up the misunderstanding from Jason’s article. Dean knew Greg valued truth in reporting, but regardless of whether he bought the story or not, he would do Dean this one favor. Not only because of their friendship, but because the legal repercussions that could’ve been laid onto the paper were too great a risk. His handling of every aspect of the Pitt News only looks good after graduation if he keeps his record free of any major glitches.
“Callie,” Dean says, then glances to her. “This is Greg. He’s a buddy of mine, and obviously, the one writing up the article.”
Callie nods and says, “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Why don’t you take a seat,” Greg says, motioning to the couch behind them.
Callie and Dean move across from him to the small love seat. Dean finds himself glancing around Buzz for signs of Maya and finds none.
“Where is she?” Callie says under her breath.
“I don’t know.”
As if on cue, Greg says, “Our regular photographer couldn’t be here, so we had to find a last-minute replacement. She’s on her way now.”
Callie raises her brows at Dean, her eyes shining with their shared secret. He can sense her anticipation, the excitement of playing her part and helping him.
“Anyway, we’ll get started. As promised, we won’t discuss anything in regards to, the uh…” He clears his throat. “The recent article, other than Dean’s statement of how devastated you were when it ran, not only for yourself, but for him. So, why don’t you guys start by telling me how you met.”
Callie smiles and jumps in before Dean even has a chance to speak. They had only briefly discussed this prior to today and said they’d just build the story as they went. Now that they are sitting here in front of Greg, he isn’t sure if that was the smartest idea, but Callie seems to like the excitement of creating their fake romance. The energy v
ibrates off of her, when she starts.
“Well, he’s actually my best friend’s brother. My mother and his,” her voice hitches on the words, “were best friends their whole lives, so I’ve known him and his sister since we could crawl. His sister and I are the same age, and we grew up playing together. Dean’s always been there as well, but more in the background. I never saw him as more than a friend until he came to school here.”
The door to Buzz sounds and Dean glances behind him to see Maya. He hasn’t seen her since last semester, but she’s just as he remembers. Dressed in in a heavy wool coat and jeans, her short black hair contrasts with her milky complexion and the red lipstick she wears. Slung over her shoulder is a bag he assumes carries her camera equipment. Their eyes lock for a moment and she pauses, just stops walking and stares for a moment. She angles her head, surprise and then understanding—that he is a part of the couple she’s here to shoot—moving through her green eyes. The tiny stud in her nose glints under the light as she lightly shakes her head and then continues toward them. The set of her mouth tightens and her eyes leave his as she approaches.
“Ah. Here she is,” Greg stands up. “Our photographer.”
Beside him, Callie elbows Dean lightly in the side.
“What?” he whispers.
“It won’t look very good for our story if you keep gooning at the other woman,” she hisses.
“What? I wasn’t—”
Callie shushes him as Greg greets Maya. “If you want to get one or two candid shots while I’m talking to them, that’s great, and then you can take a couple posed shots when we’re finished. The article will be simple, so even though we just started, it’ll only take ten minutes, tops.”
“Fine,” Maya says, her tone light, but her expression is less convincing as she glances at Dean and Callie. Her eyes land on their clasped hands and dart away again.