The Decoy Girlfriend(12)
Would it be presumptuous to wiggle his fingers at the screen and say Hi, Kora, it’s your uncle Taft? Every time he sees her, he waits for Connor to introduce him, but maybe too much time has passed. Would it have been different if he’d been at the hospital when she was born—like their other friends—instead of filming Banshee in Dartmoor?
He doesn’t want to make it weird by trying to form a bond that hasn’t been offered, but then he can’t stop wondering why it hasn’t been. He’s known Connor for years; he and the guys rented an apartment together for the entire short-lived first season of Once Bitten, and even for a few years after that. He should be an honorary uncle, damn it.
“So when are you going to let me set you up with one of my friends?” asks Holly.
Never, mouths Connor, affecting an innocent expression when she almost catches him.
“Um, pass,” says Taft, with a short, awkward laugh. “You know I’m seeing someone.”
And honestly, after the pleasure of bantering with Freya, being set up with someone from the industry doesn’t exactly hold an appeal. It’s always more homework than fun. If his checkered dating history is any indication, he fully expects any future date with an actress to go like this: they’ll both show up having googled each other, but she’ll still feign surprise to learn he’s originally from Texas and ask him where his accent went, as if they both don’t know he wouldn’t have gotten as far as he has if he’d kept the drawl.
She’ll probably wear emerald green, which he’d once told Teen Vogue was his favorite color, in a romantic but misguided attempt to curry attraction, and he’ll hold her hand while leaving the restaurant because there’s bound to be paparazzi lurking around the corner and the last time he didn’t hold a girl’s hand, the unflattering headline read: bamber makes a break from bad date.
Mortifying. Needless to say, no one’s publicist had been happy. If there’s one good thing that’s come out of “dating” Mandi, it’s that he can give bad first dates like that a miss. He tries not to think about whether a first date with Freya—off the table for the foreseeable future—would be as divertingly delicious as he suspects it would be.
“Holls,” says Connor. “He’s with Mandi, remember?”
At least until the premiere.
But Taft withholds that part, since his contract also forbids him from disclosing any showmance specifics with friends who can’t keep a secret from their wives.
Holly tilts her head. “Oh, sure, but it’s been a couple of years and we haven’t even properly met her.”
Taft humors her. “You’ve met her. I introduced you at that rooftop party last month.”
“Yeah, for all of five seconds before that producer pulled her away,” Holly says with a pout. “That’s not even remotely the same thing.” She snaps her fingers. “I know. We should go out. Grab a meal. Maybe invite her up to Joshua Tree next time the gang all gets together?”
“Oh, man, you should have come,” says Connor. “Jakey’s new place is sick.”
Taft’s smile slips, ice water trickling over his head and into his ears. For a split second, he thinks he misheard. Steadying his voice, he asks, “Wait, did you say you were at Jake’s?”
“You know he’s vegan now? He served us shiitake steaks for lunch with no sides and no beer.” Connor makes a face like he’s not sure which is worse, putting a hand to his stomach. “Listen to the grumbles. I’m fucking ravenous.”
Taft did not know Jake was vegan or that he’d bought a house in the desert, but he keeps a look of polite interest on his face as though he had. “Oh, wow. Vegan. Hard to keep track of what everyone’s up to these days.”
Which is true. Lately he’s had to rely on social media to keep him up to date on his old castmates, and even then, it’s not always the full story. Like everything else—brand image, friendships, and even who he dates—their lives are just as curated. But he’s sure he didn’t see anything online about this.
Later, he’ll identify the blocky lump forming in his heart as the lead weight of knowing the answer before even asking the question. But now, as casually as he can, he asks, “Refresh me, when did that even happen? He told me but I completely . . .”
“Oh my god, I know, right? It’s like we’re all so fucking grown-up these days.” Connor laughs. “Shoot. I’ve got to stop cursing around the kid. Holly’s on me about that.”
“Probably a good idea. Unless you want ‘fuck’ to be Kora’s first word.”
Connor chuckles. A beat passes. Taft rides it out, raising his eyebrows.
“But yeah,” Connor says, “it was last week. At our housewarming, I think? Totally stole our thunder, by the way, but that’s Jakey. He dropped the pics in the group chat if you want to see. But listen, man. I’m sure everyone understands. You’ve had a lot on your plate. You’re so busy being Mr. Big-Shot Movie Star these days, dude.” A short laugh. “Next time, all right?”
Taft’s chest caves in as he struggles to get up to speed.
Connor had a housewarming. And he didn’t tell Taft. He feels silly now, remembering all the tabs left open on his iPad, full of overpriced housewares he thought the Kingdoms would like.