We’re also going to have to have a little chat about our real boundaries within this fake relationship sometime soon, I decide.
“So what’s going on at the fraternity house?” Luke asks. “Anything good?”
Ryan shrugs. “The pledges are just planning the Delta Rose formal for February. Building some of the decorations and stuff like that.” Ryan takes a swig of his beer and looks at the two of us. “Have you decided yet who you’re going to bring?”
“I’ve got a good idea who,” Luke says, squeezing my hip a little as he does.
I look over at Ryan’s examining eyes.
I’m not sure how much we’ve incepted with this first scene. But we’ve definitely piqued his interest, if nothing else.
8
Skylar
Aside from spending my Saturday nights over at Luke and Ryan’s apartment, and a few odd ‘pop-ins’ during the week when Ryan is there to illustrate the fact that we’re ‘dating,’ Operation Romper proves to take less time than I envisioned away from my schedule, which amazes me. Though it remains to be seen if we’re really ‘incepting’ the idea that we’re starting off a relationship just like he and Jennifer did. I guess we won’t know if the whole idea is officially working until when and if the two of them break up.
Although it’s just a piece of performance art, it makes me think about how much time I poured into my past relationships. During the time I was together with Federico, for example, I felt like my entire life needed to revolve around our relationship. I had to be available to text him at any hour of the day, so I felt bad even if my phone was in the other room, or if I put the ringer on silent to watch a movie. And we would Skype every single night for one to two hours.
Now that we’re broken up, I feel like a giant section of my brain capacity—which had previously been tied up in a long distance relationship going nowhere—has been newly liberated.
The old cliché is ‘you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone.’
Well, what about the fact that you don’t know how crappy you had it until you finally grow the nerve to break up with a boy who’s sucking the life force out of you without giving anything back?
Where’s that cliché? Because good break ups are definitely a thing, too. And sometimes, as painful as it is, you have to be the one to break them off. With every day that I leave Federico behind, I feel better about my decision, which is a good thing.
I suppose the ‘courtship phase’ is the easy part of me and Luke’s “relationship,” though. Once we get to the fake engagement, fake marriage, and fake divorce, I imagine things will get a little more intense, theatrically speaking.
But at the moment, it’s like I have a low-maintenance, well over six feet tall cuddle buddy. And—aside from the slight pokes in my backside I have to endure—the way Luke wraps me up in his arms feels like we were made to cuddle with one another.
Somehow, even feeling him poke me like he did…he did it in such a way that was oddly respectful. Twenty-two year old men can’t control what turns them on.
It’s just more visible for him than it is for me. Which brings me 360 degrees in my thoughts that Luke finds me attractive. So not only do we have a great friendship but we do have an attraction between us — how to measure that I don’t know, don’t know that we will or need to but it is there. Maybe that’s something he and I need to talk about at some point. We’ll see.
Regardless, Operation Romper soars along quite smoothly in fact, until one ill-fated night at the end of January.
This particular night starts out innocently enough.
I’m chilling with Roger on the couch downstairs in the common room of my house, watching Rick and Morty when I get a text from Luke.
Luke: A few of the senior baseball players want to take their girlfriends out to a “nice dinner” and get a little tipsy before indoor practices start next week. Ryan and Jennifer will be there. I think it would be a good spot to start transitioning from ‘courtship’ to ‘boyfriend/girlfriend.’ Can you make it tonight?
“Who’s that? Luke again?” Roger cranes his neck to peer over my shoulder, and I turn my phone away.
“None of your business, that’s who.”
“Oh please. It is so my business if you’re dating someone from the fraternity my boyfriend is president of. Did he send you a sexy selfie yet?”
“No sexy selfie, but he did send an anonymous dick pic.”
Roger’s eyes light up. “Let me see!”
“Just kidding. I don’t think he’s the dick pic sending type. However, I have felt the thing pressed up against me.”
Roger scoops another handful of popcorn and continues eating. “You have my full attention.”
I fill him in on how I’ve spent the past few Saturdays over at his place, of course leaving out the part where we sit on different sides of the couch as soon as Ryan leaves the room and we don’t have to be ‘in character.’
Roger squints. “So make out sessions—and heavy cuddling—on the couch are as far as you’ve gotten?”
I gulp. I haven’t had to lie outright about our relationship yet.
And lying doesn’t come as naturally to me as it does to someone like, say, Federico.
“Yeah.” I shrug, turning my eyes back to the TV. Even though I know it’s for a good cause, I don’t like lying to my friend’s face. “We’ve made out some.”
Roger raises an eyebrow. “You have?”
I nod. “A little.”
Roger rolls with his whole body. He’s expressive like that. “Honey, don’t bullshit a bullshitter! You’re not telling me the whole story. I can read it on your face.”
My stomach churns with anxiety and I run through worst case scenarios in my mind. Is Luke’s and my plan already out of the bag through some coincidence? Did Roger somehow read the text I just got?
No. Not possible.
Despite my sweaty palms, I bite the inside of my cheek and do my best to play it cool.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I say, doubling down. I was critiquing Luke’s acting skills, but I wonder how he’d be in this situation. Since Roger is a real friend, I feel nervous lying to him.
He chuckles. “I’ve been dating Ian since sophomore year. And as such, I have quite a feel for the gossip of the Alpha Z’s. I’ve been observing those boys’ dating habits going on three years.”
“And?”
Roger rolls his eyes. “Do I have to spell it out for you?”
My heart beats like crazy, but I keep my poker face. “Please do.”
He lowers his voice slightly even though no one’s around, like he’s telling a secret. “Luke doesn’t keep them around longer than a week or so unless they’re at least putting out to third base, minimum. So you can just cut out this”—he uses his best girl voice—“‘Luke and I are cuddling and making out’ bullshit. What is this, eighth grade? You’re making out and cuddling on the couch? Tell me…” He licks some salt from the popcorn off of his lips. “The dirty details.”