Finding Priya

Working It Out

BRADEN

Okay, so maybe asking Priya to pretend to be my girlfriend was a bit drastic. Probably up there in the top ten most moronic things I've ever done.

But to be honest, I didn't really see another solution. If I'd made the mistake of making up an imaginary girlfriend in front of anyone else, I probably would have just ignored the situation and gone on with my life.

But my stupid traitorous mouth had blurted out that not so true fact in front of Katie. Which meant I'd had precisely an hour before the entire campus was informed of my relationship status.

It isn't that I think she's a huge gossip or anything. But evidently she knows someone who is, because despite the fact I never went out of my way to tell anyone about our brief fling last semester, the entire campus seemed to know about it. And when I asked one of my friends how they found out, they said someone had anonymously posted about it on RidgeWorld, also known as the bane of my existence.

It's essentially this campus wide gossip blog in app form. You download the app and you're sent notifications every time a new post is made. I'm not sure how it got started, but it's all the rage on campus now. Not that I've ever used it. Because honestly, I don't give a s**t.

Except now it seems like that app is attempting to ruin my life. Which is why this lunch meeting with Priya to discuss the terms of our agreement needs to seem like a date.

We picked the aptly named Grill, the school's on campus burger joint, for lunch, partly because neither of us has time to go off campus before our next classes and partly because we need to be seen.

I don't see Priya around when I arrive, so I snag a wooden booth near the back and pull out my phone to tell her I'm here. As soon as I finish sending the message, she appears, sliding into the wooden bench across from me with that radiant smile on her face.

"Hey!" she grins as she settles her purple backpack on the seat beside her, "Did you order already?"

"I was waiting for you," I reply. "Wanna hold the table and I can go order for both of us?"

Nodding, she digs around in her backpack for a moment before producing a teal colored wallet, pulling out her student ID, and holding it towards me to indicate I should use her meal plan to pay. "Burger, no pickles, fries, and Coke."

"You got it," I say, grabbing her ID and scooting out of the booth to go wait in the order line. Once I've placed our orders and retrieved our number card, I slide back into the seat across from her and smile. "So."

In theory, this entire meal should be awkward as hell. We barely know each other and the circumstances are unusual to begin with, but I don't feel uncomfortable in the slightest. She has a presence about her that makes me feel calm.

"You have a tattoo," she nods towards my shoulder, where the button down I'm wearing open over a tank top has pulled back slightly.

"Yeah, it's a constellation," I explain, readjusting my shirt and reaching for my chicken sandwich. "Perseus."

Nodding, she lifts the bun off her burger to pull off the tomatoes, setting them to the side before replacing the bun and lifting the burger to her lips. "You're a fan of astronomy?"

"My mom was," I pause. She tenses slightly, obviously noticing my use of past tense, but she doesn't ask me to elaborate. It's been a few years now, so it's not difficult to talk about anymore, but that doesn't mean I enjoy having this conversation. Still, I want to tell her. Bottling up emotions has never worked out well for me. So I clear my throat and go on. "She passed away just before I graduated high school."

Her eyes are wide as she whispers, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I assure her, not liking that what was supposed to be a casual lunch date has somehow turned into me baring my soul. "She was sick for a long time and it was hard watching her suffer. Perseus was her favorite constellation. The hero. I guess I've spent a lot of time since trying to live up it."

Wasn't that the understatement of the year. All I'd ever wanted was to make my mom proud of me. She'd raised me by herself, working two jobs so that she could afford to buy me soccer gear when I told her how much I loved the game. So I made sure she knew how much I appreciated everything she did for me. And that hasn't changed now that she's gone.

"I think you're doing a great job," she smiles softly and I feel the tension in my chest loosen. Chewing thoughtfully on one of her fries, she looks as though she wants to say something else, and after a few moments, she finds the courage to speak again. "Your dad isn't around?"

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that she noticed I didn't mention a father. Most people do, they just don't usually ask. But I don't mind responding. It's not as though that part of my life is tragic.

"Never met the guy," I shrug. She probably thinks I'm being nonchalant because I'm hiding some deeper sadness, but the truth is, I really don't give a s**t about the guy. "Or maybe I have but I don't have a clue. He took off as soon as my mom told him she was pregnant." She nods, not attempting to make feel better for something that doesn't actually bother me. I appreciate that she doesn't try to placate me. I let out a sigh. "This is kinda deep for a first date, huh?"

She snorts and its adorable. "It's good that we're getting it out of the way. Now the rest of our relationship can be light and breezy."

I'm glad that the darkness of the past few minutes seems to be disappearing, but to hear her put a time limit on our relationship makes me feel unsettled. Which is stupid. Because this was my idea. "Sounds good."

"Speaking of which," she mercifully changes the topic, "I guess we should work out the details."

"Right," I nod. That was the original purpose of this lunch. I finish off the last of my sandwich and wipe my hands on a napkin. "Well, I don't think we need a set of rules or anything. Just sort of general guidelines so we know what we're getting into."

"Okay." She doesn't say anything else and I guess she's waiting for me to set the boundaries.

"So, I guess," I start, "maybe any time both of us are free at lunch time, we can eat together."

That seems like something couples do, right? Spend time together whenever they can. The fact that it's an excuse to eat more meals with her is just a bonus.

"That works," she agrees, taking a sip of her soda. "And I mean, we already see each other at practice, but maybe we can try and interact more."

"Yeah, that makes sense. I can walk you back to your room afterwards." That also seems boyfriendy. Plus, it means I don't have to walk alone. I know that campus is relatively safe, but that doesn't mean walking back to my apartment at night doesn't freak me out just a little.

Her lips stretch into a smile and her eyes sparkle and I momentarily forget how to breathe. "How chivalrous of you."

"What can I say," I choke out, wondering why I seemed to have forgotten how to form coherent sentences, "I'm a gentleman."

She laughs. It's bright and beautiful and I decide that if I can make her laugh at least once a day for as long as we spend together, I'll have done at least one thing right in my life.

Wiping her fingers on a napkin, she leans forward in her seat. "I should probably head to class."

"Same here," I reply, for the first time, not looking forward to the history elective I have in the afternoon and a little disappointed that this hadn't last longer. Once we've thrown away our trash, we exit the grill, and I pull a packet of gum from the front pocket of my jeans as we step outside, offering it to her. "Want some?"

She shakes her head, grinning. "I'm more of an Icebreakers kinda girl. Gum is a little bit too much of a commitment for me."

I lift an eyebrow as I laugh. "I'm not sure how well it bodes for our relationship if you can't commit to a piece of gum."

Her smile widens and she takes a step backwards, turning in the direction of the business school. "I'm willing to try for you."

It's such a simple sentence and I know it's just part of the banter and she doesn't mean it to be flirtatious, but it still knocks the breath out of me.

"Good," I say softly, because there doesn't seem to be any other words. "Have a good day."

With one last brilliant smile, she lifts and hand in a wave and walks away, calling over her shoulder. "You too."

I can't stop grinning as I walk to class.