you’re faking it. You don’t actually have a girlfriend.”
“And why would I pretend to be his girlfriend?” Allison asked.
“I don’t know. To get a good meal, maybe?”
Sidney had thought they would buy it. Really, who showed up to a family dinner accompanied by a fake girlfriend?
Well, he did.
But it wasn’t normal. Did his parents have that much trouble believing someone would date him? If he’d just told them he had a girlfriend over the phone, he wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d been suspicious. But actually bringing one to Geyser? He was disappointed they thought he was lying.
Although he probably shouldn’t be surprised.
“They might be telling the truth,” Mom said. “I admit I have my doubts, but there was no reason to bring it up, Carl.”
“I don’t know why you have doubts,” Dad said. “I’m certain this can’t be possible.”
“Faking a relationship is a ridiculous thing to do, isn’t it?”
“It makes more sense than the two of them dating.”
“Because I have a PhD, and it took him five years to get his degree?” Allison set her fork down delicately, but her left hand clutched the bottom of the tablecloth.
Dad looked momentarily surprised by her bluntness, but then he said, “I don’t understand what you could possibly see in him.”
The rare times Sidney saw his parents he put up a goddamn fortress around himself so that stuff didn’t hurt. But still, Dad always managed to say something that penetrated his defenses. It shouldn’t happen—he was used to such rejection by now. And yet he wasn’t completely immune to it.
He didn’t know how to salvage the situation, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to give his parents the satisfaction of knowing they were right. “Allison really is my girlfriend, and if you say—”
“What do I see in him?” Allison leaned forward, hands clasped on the table. “You really have to ask that? Maybe he doesn’t have the life you wanted him to have, but he has nothing to be ashamed of. Unlike you. You’re his father, and you don’t understand why I’d want to date him?” She took Sidney’s hand in hers. “I’m dating him because he’s a good person and he treats me better than anyone else I’ve ever dated. Happy?”
Mom nodded and looked longingly at the bar; Dad folded his arms and scowled.
Sidney squeezed Allison’s hand. She didn’t need to defend him like that—it wasn’t part of her job as his fake girlfriend—and yet she had. Like she hadn’t been able to keep her mouth shut because it infuriated her so much.
He probably squeezed her hand too tightly.
“He told me what you were like,” she said. “And I thought surely he had to be exaggerating, but apparently not.”
“Now look here,” Dad said. “We’re not—”
“You’re not sorry. That I’m sure of.”
Allison was right. Sidney knew his father wasn’t sorry about anything he’d said. Of course not—it was pretty much the same stuff he’d been saying for years.
Sidney stood up, knocking the table. “Let’s go. No need to endure another two hours of this.”
Allison stood up too. “I’m…glad I met you.” She nodded first at his father, then at his mother.
“You don’t need to do this,” Mom said.
“I needed to start doing this a long time ago,” Sidney said. “You can eat our food—you’ll need it to get full.”
“You have no appreciation for anything,” Dad muttered.
At least I’m not an asshole.
It was definitely time to get the hell out of here. But Sidney had one thing to do before they left: he pulled Allison close and gave her a long kiss on the lips. And unlike in the bakery, she kissed him back, her arms around his neck.
“There,” he said, slightly breathless after that kiss. “In case you still didn’t believe me.”
* * * *
They spent several minutes walking aimlessly through Yorkville. Sidney held Allison’s hand—that urge he’d had yesterday, and now he was giving in to it. He
“And why would I pretend to be his girlfriend?” Allison asked.
“I don’t know. To get a good meal, maybe?”
Sidney had thought they would buy it. Really, who showed up to a family dinner accompanied by a fake girlfriend?
Well, he did.
But it wasn’t normal. Did his parents have that much trouble believing someone would date him? If he’d just told them he had a girlfriend over the phone, he wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d been suspicious. But actually bringing one to Geyser? He was disappointed they thought he was lying.
Although he probably shouldn’t be surprised.
“They might be telling the truth,” Mom said. “I admit I have my doubts, but there was no reason to bring it up, Carl.”
“I don’t know why you have doubts,” Dad said. “I’m certain this can’t be possible.”
“Faking a relationship is a ridiculous thing to do, isn’t it?”
“It makes more sense than the two of them dating.”
“Because I have a PhD, and it took him five years to get his degree?” Allison set her fork down delicately, but her left hand clutched the bottom of the tablecloth.
Dad looked momentarily surprised by her bluntness, but then he said, “I don’t understand what you could possibly see in him.”
The rare times Sidney saw his parents he put up a goddamn fortress around himself so that stuff didn’t hurt. But still, Dad always managed to say something that penetrated his defenses. It shouldn’t happen—he was used to such rejection by now. And yet he wasn’t completely immune to it.
He didn’t know how to salvage the situation, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to give his parents the satisfaction of knowing they were right. “Allison really is my girlfriend, and if you say—”
“What do I see in him?” Allison leaned forward, hands clasped on the table. “You really have to ask that? Maybe he doesn’t have the life you wanted him to have, but he has nothing to be ashamed of. Unlike you. You’re his father, and you don’t understand why I’d want to date him?” She took Sidney’s hand in hers. “I’m dating him because he’s a good person and he treats me better than anyone else I’ve ever dated. Happy?”
Mom nodded and looked longingly at the bar; Dad folded his arms and scowled.
Sidney squeezed Allison’s hand. She didn’t need to defend him like that—it wasn’t part of her job as his fake girlfriend—and yet she had. Like she hadn’t been able to keep her mouth shut because it infuriated her so much.
He probably squeezed her hand too tightly.
“He told me what you were like,” she said. “And I thought surely he had to be exaggerating, but apparently not.”
“Now look here,” Dad said. “We’re not—”
“You’re not sorry. That I’m sure of.”
Allison was right. Sidney knew his father wasn’t sorry about anything he’d said. Of course not—it was pretty much the same stuff he’d been saying for years.
Sidney stood up, knocking the table. “Let’s go. No need to endure another two hours of this.”
Allison stood up too. “I’m…glad I met you.” She nodded first at his father, then at his mother.
“You don’t need to do this,” Mom said.
“I needed to start doing this a long time ago,” Sidney said. “You can eat our food—you’ll need it to get full.”
“You have no appreciation for anything,” Dad muttered.
At least I’m not an asshole.
It was definitely time to get the hell out of here. But Sidney had one thing to do before they left: he pulled Allison close and gave her a long kiss on the lips. And unlike in the bakery, she kissed him back, her arms around his neck.
“There,” he said, slightly breathless after that kiss. “In case you still didn’t believe me.”
* * * *
They spent several minutes walking aimlessly through Yorkville. Sidney held Allison’s hand—that urge he’d had yesterday, and now he was giving in to it. He
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