“How was it? The dinner date,” Joey asked. “I saw the photos and it looked like you didn’t fall or knock over any of the waitstaff, so that’s good.”
“It was nice,” I said. “He’s really cool.”
Ty narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means he didn’t ask her out again,” Matty said.
“Yes, he did,” I snapped defensively. “But I turned him down.”
“Sure you did,” Ty said.
“I actually did, jackass,” I said. “And we went to the Wild game last night, if you must know.”
“You just said you turned him down,” Ty said.
“Ididturn him down for the date,” I said, unsure why I was unwilling to share with them the extended version, where he asked me out again after a perfect night. It just felt too…magicalto open up for their consumption. I wanted to hold it close for a bit longer. “The game was as friends.”
“Okay, now this part makes sense,” Matty said with a nod. “Add him to the club.”
“Screw you,” I said with a hand gesture, because my brothers thought it was hilarious to refer to everyone I’d ever dated as “members of the book club” after learning I actuallywasin a book club with two of them.
Those words—and my middle finger—were still hanging in the air when the nurse came out and explained there was an issue with the CT machines so it was taking a little longer than usual.
“But Tony is entertaining the team with stories,” she said with a smile. “So everyone’s happy.”
“Nothing he says is true,” Joey said.
“Unless it’s good—and about me,” Matty added.
“Right now it’s all about Duffy’s football boyfriend,” she said.
“What?” I said, gasping.
All eyes were suddenly on me.
“He says you’re keeping it a secret from him but you’re unofficially a thing,” she clarified.
“No, we’re not,” I said, unable to believe my bigmouthed father.
“He said you’d say that,” she said with a laugh.
“It’s not true, though,” I reiterated, but she was still giving me aSure it isn’tsmile as she went back to the CT area.
“You should chill the fuck out,” Joey said, “and let Dad think he’s right.”
“I should lie that a famous athlete is my boyfriend? I can’t do that,” I said.
“Why not?” Ty asked. “You can’t make a tiny sacrifice for our father’s happiness?”
“I’m living in my childhood bedroom while you guys live on your own—spare me the judgment,” I said. Letting people see us together and make their own assumptions was one thing, but lying and saying Connor Cunningham was myboyfriendwas another thing entirely.
Even with the promise of our next date, he definitely wasn’t anywhere close to “significant other” status. I’d be beyond mortified if he found out I was lying about being his girlfriend. I mean, theaudacity!
“I just think if you tell Dad it’s not public—like Cunningham wants it to be on the DL—he’ll be happy and no one gets hurt.”
“You’re delusional,” I said in disbelief. “And what—I just lie that he’s my boo until when…like, forever? Do I pretend to be engaged, too?”
“Okay, thisisa little unhinged,” Ty said.