Chapter Text
“I need your help.”
Thea begrudgingly spoke. She had found Nate in the common area of the dorm hanging out with Keisha and Simone. It was mid-day and most classes were done for the day, so there were several students lounging around and unwinding. Nate looked up at her and smiled.
“Step into my office.” She gestured for her to sit at the adjacent couch.
Thea leaned against the arm of the couch and sighed, “I need a fake date.”
Keisha and Simone looked at each other with curiosity in their expressions and mirth on their lips while Nate simply just raised her eyebrows and silently prompted for more details.
Thea sighed again and crossed her arms against her chest, “My mom and aunt are coming into town for a little while. The last thing I want is for them to try and set me up with someone, which is pretty much all they’re gonna try and do while they’re here.”
It was annoying. Her parents expected so much out of her: perfect grades, pristine tennis record, flawless reputation. Of course, they also wanted her to have a nice guy on her arm, too. And it wasn’t that Thea didn’t want that for herself, either. But after the Kevin incident, she wasn’t in the space to dip her toes back into the dating scene. And it wasn’t like she could explain exactly why to her family because she made a silent vow to herself that they would not find out about it. The last thing she wanted was for her granny to feel guilty about setting her up with Kevin in the first place.
“Well, is that really such a bad thing, Thea? You can’t let Kevin ruin all guys for you,” Simone expressed.
Thea rolled her eyes, “I’m not, I’m just not ready to date yet.” She’d never let the words, “I’m scared” come out of her mouth in front of other people, but that was exactly what she felt at the prospect of falling into another situation where she felt vulnerable and unsafe.
She didn’t have to say the actual words aloud for Nate to understand the timidness in her current stance on relationships. She smiled at her with kindness and sympathy in her eyes, “And that’s perfectly fine. I know plenty of gentlemen who may be potential fake suitors for you. Any specifics on what you’re looking for?”
Thea shrugged, “I mean, he’s gotta have thick skin. My mom and aunt don’t mince words, so if they see something they don’t like, they’re gonna say it. Which speaking of, he’s gotta own clothes other than hoodies and sweats, because that’s a sure way to get them automatically turned off from the idea of him.”
Keisha snickered, “That narrows down like half of the Bringston male population.”
“And I mean I guess he’s gotta be at least semi-handsome, it’s gotta be believable after all.”
“Okay..” Nate gestured for her to continue giving specifics that would help her mentally filter and pinpoint who could be potential candidates for the role.
Thea flailed her arms a bit, unsure of where else to navigate, “I don’t know. I mean, I guess I would have to get to know the guy, at least somewhat. Otherwise, it won't be believable that we’re an actual couple.”
“Hmm, this is true,” Nate agreed. She began to silently sift through all of the guys at Bringston and narrow down the ones who could fit within the parameters Thea had laid out. There was an abundance of them, but Nate wanted to carefully select someone who would genuinely vibe with Thea. She even contemplated whether she might hold interviews for a few contenders to get a better feel.
Meanwhile, Simone was inquiring more into Thea’s family life, “So how long are your mom and aunt gonna be in town?”
“Probably a couple of weeks. They usually have to jet set out of the country for business meetings so they never stay in one place for too long.”
“Are they going to be able to come to your game next week?”
“Yeah, hopefully. They try to come to one whenever they’re in town.”
Keisha smiled, more to herself, and remarked, “That’s good. Always nice to spend time with your mom when you get the chance.”
Simone smiled at Keisha and squeezed her hand, knowing how difficult the topic of moms could be for her. Instead of allowing a somber weight to fill the room, she changed the subject by tossing the conversation back to Nate, “You’re silent over there, Nate. You’re telling me there’s no one at Bringston who would be a suitable fake boyfriend for Thea?”
“What about me?”
Thea looked up at the familiar voice and was met with the sight of JR walking towards them, a bright smile on his face with his hands out. He’d been playing foosball with Damon nearby and was going in and out of eavesdropping. For a while, he tussled with the idea of walking over and offering himself. It wasn’t like there were any particular benefits to be reaped from the proposition. In fact, from the sounds of it, it’d be quite the ordeal meeting Thea’s family and interacting with them. At the first thought of him offering to be her stand-in boo, he thought why? But then a few minutes later, he thought, why not? She was pretty, drama-free, and understatedly intelligent.
They shared a class together, a discussion-based class in which she almost never participated unless prompted by the professor. But every time she spoke, there was wisdom and introspection in her words. And even during the occasional family dinner at Dr. Patterson’s house, she was mostly reserved, but there was a charm to her words that drew JR in and instantly evoked intrigue.
So maybe he was being a little selfish. A little curious when he decided to walk over and offer to be her imposter boyfriend. He wanted to get to know her a little better and see what lied beneath the stiff armor she seemed to carry.
“Hmm, can’t lie, JR, you were pretty high up on the list.” Nate supplied with a smirk.
“And you already know him so that makes things less nerve wracking,” Simone helpfully added with an encouraging smile.
Thea hadn’t said anything, a little struck when JR first walked over. It’s not that she automatically held disdain for the idea, but she simply wasn’t expecting him to just come over and offer himself like that.
“I mean, I don’t really know him. We’ve barely had a conversation,” Thea stated.
And it was true. They’d been in a space where a common conversation was taking place, whether that be class or ‘family’ dinners, but they’d never actually spoken to each other besides a casual greeting whenever they encountered one another.
Simone rolled her eyes, “I just mean that he’s not a stranger, Thea.”
“Y’all really gon’ talk about the man like he’s not standing right there?,” Keisha jumped in.
Thea blushed, recognizing her rudeness. She’d given him a quick glance before looking down at the floor. The smile on his face hadn’t moved much, he was actually entertained with their going back and forth.
“Well since you’ve apparently got ears the size of Dumbo,” Nate referenced JR’s eavesdropping, “I’m assuming you heard that you’ve gotta be on your suit and tie ish.”
Thea looked up, “Well, not necessarily suit and tie. But a nice shirt and jacket. Basically, just not something that makes you look like you just left practice.” She hoped her words weren’t as jumbled as they sounded in her head.
JR nodded, “That can be arranged.”
“And can you handle a little ribbing? Something tells me this apple is a dead ringer for the tree.” Nate inquired.
Thea didn’t have to vocalize that, yes, her sharp tongue and sometimes cold demeanor were 100% genetic.
“Between Coach and Damon, I stay getting my ass handed to me. I can handle a little criticism,” JR chuckled.
Trash talk had been ingrained in his life for as long as he played baseball. There wasn’t a lot that could be said that would greatly upset him. And if it did, he had the restraint to not let it get to him.
“Well, it seems like we didn’t have to look far for our winner.” Nate concluded. She looked at the tennis star as if she was a client she was currently negotiating for. “Thea?” she prompted.
Thea looked straight again, removing her attention from all around the room as they practically set terms on her behalf.
“I mean, if it’s not too much of a hassle.. It’s really not a big deal if you can’t-”
JR shook his head and waved her words off, “Nah, we’re good. I’m good with this if you are.”
A couple of seconds passed before she nodded her head and awkwardly stuck her hand out. “It’s a deal.”
His hand joined hers and they shook on it.
“Deal.”
*************
Thea sat down in her seat for her mid-morning “Pre-Colonial African History” course fifteen minutes before class began. There were a few other students who were also seated, but the bulk of her classmates usually trudged in only a minute or two before the session began.
Her seat was close to the door, which was how she easily spotted JR enter the room not long after she did. Instead of maneuvering towards his seat, he walked directly to her and placed one of the two to-go coffee cups he held beside her notebook. Though a little confused, she couldn’t help the smile on her face as he greeted her with a “good morning.”
“Morning. Thank you,” she said as she gestured towards the coffee cup. She picked it up and took a sip.
“I didn’t know your order, but I figured can’t go wrong with a caramel latte.”
Thea chuckled, “You’re absolutely right. It’s actually my favorite.”
“Look at me already being a model boyfriend!”
They laughed together and Thea couldn’t help but blush a little. She wasn’t sure why, a feeling that could probably be chucked up to her minimal social skills. Friendships and social interactions outside of tennis were still new to her. She felt like she finally began to fit in with her friend group and now it would take more adjustment for her to make room for this new person into her life, at least for a couple of weeks.
“So I was thinking you were right yesterday.”
Her eyebrow raised at his statement, unsure of what she was right about.
Without her needing to vocally express her confusion, he continued, “About us not really knowing each other. And I mean, we’re gonna be a couple after all. I was thinking you could swing by the Greek house tonight and we could talk. Get to know each other a little better.”
Hesitantly, she nodded her head, “That sounds… nice.”
“Or I could come over to your dorm,” JR acquiesced, “Whatever makes you comfortable.”
“No, no. It’s not like that. I guess I just wasn’t expecting you to take this so seriously.”
JR stuck his hands out as they held onto his backpack, “I aim to please.”
She smiled up at him, “Thanks.”
The professor walks in and places her things at the front desk, prompting JR to advance to his seat as class begins. The older woman’s words are blurred away, almost as if sunk in water, as Thea’s mind fixates on her impromptu date tonight.