Plus One Fake Boyfriends AU - Chapter 2

[deedee_sims]

Annnd here's the second chapter! Now they're actually getting to the faking part 😂

Have fun! 😊

Warnings: Questionable musical jokes, dangerous driving, consensual handholding, Rhett's dad

I pick up Oliver at nine on Saturday. He's wearing a black suit, and even has a little bowtie, which looks extremely cute on him. His hair is fully up in a man bun today, and I want to tell him to let it down again, but of course, I don't.

"You look great, babe!" I tell him when he climbs into the passenger seat of my car.

He freezes for a moment, an adorable blush spreading on his cheeks.

"Sorry, too much?"

He clears his throat. "No, I should get used to it."

I grin at him and start the engine. "We'll be driving for about an hour, so get comfortable!"

I pull up on the road, and we're silent for a few minutes.

"Thank you again," I start. "You're really saving my ass here."

"It's okay."

"I was thinking that... I don't know how to pay you back for this favor."

"You don't have to." He shrugs.

"But I want to," I insist. "Dunno, if you would want some money, or-"

"I'm not doing this for money," he scoffs, looking positively affronted.

"But I would like to repay you somehow!"

"Will there be food?"

I blink two times. "Yeah?"

"Then it's enough for me."

I glance at him, a little confused, because from where did this angel of a man drop into my passenger seat?

"Do you mind if I put on some music?" he asks because apparently, he rendered me speechless.

"Suit yourself!"

He turns on the car radio but leaves it on that general music station I usually listen to when I have to drive for more than a couple of minutes.

Adele is enthusiastically singing someone goodbye when I realize, I should get to know Oliver a little better if we're about to pretend we've been dating for a while. Even if this while is a 'relatively short' while.

"You like pop music too?"

"Too?"

"You obviously like metal," I deadpan. "You were wearing band merch when we met."

"Oh." He pauses for a breath. "I mean, some songs are good, I guess?"

I let out a chuckle. "You could say that. What kind of metal?"

"You like metal?"

I spare a glance at his confused face. "I don't actively listen to it, but I can appreciate the musicality."

"Huh."

"I'm a musician," I tell him, staying with the socially acceptable version of my profession. "If you want someone to play Moonlight Sonata at your grandfather's eightieth birthday, I'm the man for the job."

It's kind of a half-truth because I do gigs sometimes, and they pay better than my demonetized videos, which is something. I have to buy bread and butter from something, after all.

Oliver hums in response, which somehow feels weird, but I don't press it. "Core, mostly."

It takes me a moment to remember, I asked a question. "Solid choice." I pull on the highway and speed up the car. "What are you studying?"

"Software engineering."

"Ah, now I know why you get along with Max! Nerds."

"Busted." He sighs, rolling his eyes, and I can't stop myself from laughing.

We listen to Ed Sheeran confessing his bad behavior for a couple of minutes.

"So," he starts quietly. "Is your brother really that bad?"

"Why?"

"You said that he's going to try to make me break up with you?"

"Ah." I really don't know how to explain this. "He's just like that? We've always been like that. It's a sibling thing. I guess you're an only child?"

"Yeah."

"He's just trying to get on my nerves. And he's pretty good at it." I shrug, nonchalantly.

When I look at him, I see that cute frown on his face again, but he doesn't push it, which I'm grateful for. The last thing I need right now is a deep psychological session with my fake boyfriend.

"And what about your dad?"

"He's strict, but he's okay."

"What does he do?"

"Have you ever heard of Teleline?"

"Yeah. I get bills from them every month."

"Well... that." I sigh. "He invested in telecommunications at a young age, which was just the right choice. Just look at the world right now. Teleline is now the biggest telecom company in the country. But I bet you don't want to hear the marketing bullshit I was supposed to be involved in until I jumped the ship."

He hums again, and I feel it in the air that he wants to ask why, but he doesn't. Thankfully.

"My mother is a teacher," he says instead.

"Cleverness runs in the family, then!"

Sia then starts singing about wanting to hang herself. What the fuck is wrong with all these people on the radio today?

We keep the light conversation going for the remainder of the drive. I learn that he has a goddaughter!! Who's just a little baby!! And she's extremely adorable!! I almost manage to steer the car off of the highway, because I'm busy gushing over her pictures. She's such a sweet angel!

About a few more minutes and two Dua Lipa songs later, we arrive at the place. It already looks kinda fancy from the outside, a pretty garden with a glasshouse. Nothing unexpected.

I stop the engine, then take a deep breath. "Okay, here we go!"

***

We get through the woman who checks our names on the guest list, I mean, my name and my plus one. I grab Oliver's hand for theatrics, and because he said he's okay with hand-holding, but mostly because I just want to hold his hand.

"Rhett, darling!" I hear my mother's voice calling for me, and it doesn't take me long to spot her, hurrying towards us in her impossibly high heels.

"Hi, Mom," I greet her, accepting a kiss on my cheek.

"I'm so glad you could make it!"

Like I had any chance to avoid this whole ordeal. But I hold my tongue and smile at her.

"Mom, this is my boyfriend, Oliver." I tug him closer to me, and he makes his pleasant introductions.

"You didn't even tell us about him!" she chides me.

"It's still a new thing. We've just been together for a few weeks. I thought this would be a good opportunity for you to meet." I dutifully recite the story Oliver made up for us.

"Well, I'm glad to meet you, Oliver!" She smiles. "But I have to go now, there are some guests that need greeting!"

She leaves on this note.

I sigh out a little relief.

"She didn't seem that bad," Oliver notes.

"Mom is the best of them, I promise." I tug on his hand a little. "Wanna go for a walk?"

I have to begrudgingly admit that the place is beautiful. It's September, but the flowers are still blooming, decorating the garden in hundreds of colors. I have to greet some family friends, but fortunately, we manage to avoid most of the guests.

Until my father spots us. His new glasses are really helping his eyesight.

"Rhett! I'm glad you're here. It's been a while."

I force a smile and introduce Oliver to Dad as well. Dad seems pleased when he learns that Oliver is studying 'something useful'. Great.

"I've been trying to get Rhett to go for a masters degree, but he's too stubborn." Dad shoots me a look that simultaneously makes me want to sink into the ground and argue with him. "Maybe you'll have a good influence on him!"

I look at Oliver, but to my surprise? Relief? He's not smiling anymore.

He's squeezing my hand instead.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with doing something you like, instead of following the social norms and studying something you're not interested in."

I think my jaw just dropped.

"That's not what I said," Dad lies, and for some reason, I feel giddy all of a sudden.

Oliver purses his lips, and I'm pretty sure he has more things to say, and only politeness holds him back. "I think Rhett is great at what he does, and I'm proud of him."

Awesome, now I want to cry. Just what I needed today.

Dad excuses himself with some lame reason after that. I clear my throat because I still kinda feel like crying.

"Thank you. You didn't have to defend me."

Watcher bless him, he blushes a little at this. "It's o-okay. Your father has a weird idea about how the world works, it seems."

"Also, you don't even know if I'm good at playing the piano, or not. What if I'm trash?"

Well, his blush deepens at that, spreading down to his neck. I want to follow it with my- ugh.

"I'm your boyfriend, Rhett. I would be proud of you, even if you're not perfect. But I'm pretty sure you're not trash."

I smile at him, and although I know this is an act, I find myself wanting him to tell this to me for real.

Well, I'm royally fucked.

---

Now we're getting to the interesting part 😝
As I mentioned earlier, this story has some spoilers about events that will happen in the main story (yes, Ollie will be the godfather of Lainey's daughter 😇, although I probably won't get to the point of actually writing that part 😂)

Thank you for reading! ❤