Page 6 of On the Line

“You live in Charlotte,” he says, checking.

“Yes.”

He makes a face.

“What’s wrong with Charlotte?”

“Nothing, if you’re a fan of traffic.” He pauses, thinking of his next question. “And you’re in marketing?”

“Graphic design.”

“Graphic design. Right.”

“Mostly freelance.”

“Family?”

“One older sister. My parents are still married and live outside Greensboro.”

“Pets?”

“No.”

He shakes his head.

“What?”

“Red flag.”

“I travel a lot for work!”

“Still.”

“Do you have pets?”

“No.”

“Red flag,” I tell him.

“That’s different,” he says. “I want a dog.”

“So do I.”

“Okay. Green flag.”

I’m still laughing when the house comes into view at the end of a gravel road lined with pines.

Nora found it online back in March. It has a huge back deck, a private dock, a firepit, and enough bedrooms that nobody has to sleep on a couch. When we booked it, it was going to be the five of us and a lot of wine. Then Kelsey started dating Mark, and Nora decided Aaron should come, and Priya invited her girlfriend, and sometime in the last month Savannah got back together with her ex. Which left me, apparently throwing off the whole balance of the universe by showing up alone.

“So what are the rules?” Liam asks.

“Rules?”

“Seems like fake dating should have rules. No falling in love, for starters?”

I glance over. He’s looking out the windshield, but his mouth is fighting a smile.

“Definitely no falling in love.”