Chapter 4
Eric's POV
The night was cold, and as I pulled up in front of the bar, the rain poured down relentlessly, soaking my clothes and jacket. "What a bad start to a very awkward meeting," I thought to myself as I stepped out of the car, the chill biting at my skin. I walked inside, shaking off the water and hanging my jacket on the rack by the door.
As I scanned the room, I spotted Anna at the counter. She noticed me and immediately tried to look "appropriate," but I could see the remnants of her earlier drunkenness in her eyes. I walked over, my soggy shoes squelching with each step, and I could tell she was already tipsy again. 'Yet again,' I thought, shaking my head internally.
I approached her table and ordered a drink, deliberately ignoring her for the moment. After taking a sip of my cocktail, I turned to her. "I don't understand the smile on your face, and frankly, I don't want to. It irritates me, considering my current situation."
"Well, if I frown, you wouldn't like that either," she shot back, her tone surprisingly light. "Besides, this might just be a justification for how you saw me yesterday, so deal with it." She settled into her chair, looking oddly comfortable.
It was almost midnight, and I was already feeling the effects of the three cocktails I'd had. We hadn't even touched on the main reason we were here. "Okay, I know this sounds weird, but at the end of the day, it might actually be good for both our mental healths and might not be crazy at all," Anna finally said, her awkwardness palpable as she broached the topic.
"Well, you're suggesting we form a fake relationship between you and me—a very uncomfortable person still learning how to look at women without seeing some disastrous images of my mother. That sounds like a great match," I retorted sarcastically, still feeling wet and irritated.
"Eric, come on! It would be an unexpected match that no one would ever think would happen," she insisted, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "What was that you said about your mum?"
"You're drunk," I said, placing two fingers on her forehead. "Yup, you're definitely drunk. Forget what I said." She clutched her bag to her chest, disappointment flickering across her face.
"So, we're supposed to focus on this relationship plan. What are the scripts to be written for this play?" I asked, starting to feel restless.
"Script? Really? You're that bad an actor?" Anna laughed, her laughter infectious. I just sat there, watching her. She caught my gaze and continued.
"Well, my parents know I was supposed to marry Jeremy, my ex, but since he's more in love with my best friend Bianca, you would be my fiancé, and I will be your fiancée." A smirk crept onto her face as she said it.
"Let me get this straight," I said, taking a shot of the drink that was already on her table. "This isn't a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship; it's an 'almost married' relationship? And you really think we can pull this off?"
"You have nothing to worry about. I'll pay you off; it doesn't have to be a big deal, and you don't have to actually marry me."
Trying to lighten the mood, Anna suggested we dance. I hesitated; I wasn't a good dancer, and the thought of watching her fall and having to pick her up didn't sit well with me. But somehow, I found myself on the dance floor, caught up in the moment.
"Eric, I think I'm drunk, but I'm still going to dance. So get on your feet and dance with me; it'll be the first stage of our fake relationship," she said, her voice playful.
"We haven't even agreed on your idea yet, but you're already concluding we have?" I replied, trying to maintain some semblance of control.
"Now aren't you pathetic?" she teased. "Besides, I'm a terrible dancer."
Before I knew it, I was moving to the music, and it was ironic how the song matched the bizarre situation I found myself in. But as I watched her jump around in her red dress, smiling and carefree, I found myself retreating to a corner, lost in my thoughts.
Suddenly, the music stopped, and I turned around to find Anna on the floor, blood trickling from her nose. Panic surged through me as I rushed to her side, scooping her up and grabbing her bag and my jacket before heading to my car outside the bar. nnI noticed her heels were broken, and I quickly stuffed tissues in her nose, waiting for her to regain consciousness before starting the car. As I looked at her, a smile crept onto my face despite the chaos. I couldn't help but wonder if we were now on some sort of list of people banned from the bar forever.
When she finally woke up, confusion washed over her face as she took in her surroundings. "Well, looks like Cupid is up. How was the journey to the lost kingdom?" I quipped. nn"Haha," she replied sarcastically. "I don't recall you being on the dance floor with me when it happened, and my nose is covered in blood. What if I had broken my nose? Why would you abandon me there?"
"Sorry, I wasn't able to help a girl I barely knew. I mean, your parents didn't know your fiancé, and for all I care, you trust people way too much, making you look very easy to manipulate," I said gently, placing my hand on her head. "You need aspirin." I reached into the back seat for a bottle of water.
"Well, should I get out of this car and maybe trust a man with a tattoo of a scorpion on his neck to give me a ride home? Since I trust people too much and I'm easily manipulated, my heart hurts in different areas and I—" She paused to take the medication and sip the water.
"You're not the only one hurting. So if we can just try to cooperate here, it would be appreciated," I said, trying to keep the mood light.
"You know, that's too much for you to know about me in just one night. I think it's not fair that you get that much info about me when I've barely heard any of yours," she said, sounding a bit nagging.
"Don't beat yourself up; it'll come naturally," I reassured her.
"So, looks like you're driving me home. Good way to start our situationship," she said, a sudden burst of happiness lighting up her face. Then it hit her. "Last night, you said you didn't have a car." She sat up and stared at me.
"This car is rented. I couldn't take the insult last night, so here we are, in a rented car."
"How romantic," she blurted out, clearly teasing me.
"Well, today was fun, and please stop being so excited; it really gives me the shivers," I said, taking the water from her.
"Have you heard Ed's song?" I shook my head. "It's called 'Shivers.'" She played the music and insisted I vibe to it. As the rain finally stopped, I couldn't deny that I was happy at that moment, eagerly anticipating the adventures and outcomes of our so-called "relationship."
We drove off, both of us thinking about how we would shock everyone at the event tomorrow night.