“And don’t you think—even if his presence does nothing to forward the Scott agenda—that Charlie would be fun to vacation with? I mean, this is the guy who created Garbage Tether, a game that makes us fight for trash duty because it’s so fun. He makes you enjoy taking out the trash, Bay! He’d be a riot on a mountain retreat.”
“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice rising an octave at the situation’s absurdity. “Why does it feel like you’re trying to set something up with me and Charlie?” My Spidey senses were tingling.
“That’s not it, Bay—trust me,” she said, and I could hear her little brother in the background. “I’m just trying to think of a way for the mountain weekend to still be good for you.”
“Hmm,” I mumbled, not sure I was buying it.
“And he really would be a blast on the road trip.”
She wasn’t wrong. As Charlie as he could be with his cynicism, he really was hilarious.
Hell, an entire house party had essentially broken out into applause at the sight of him.
I could hear Nekesa’s impatience growing. “Sooooo…？”
I took a big breath, the weight in my stomach getting heavier at the thought of this, at the realization that I was seriously considering this. Traveling with Charlie felt wildly intimate—regardless of what Nekesa said—and I wasn’t sure how to be casual about it.
“Soooo… for starters, I’m not sure I know how to ask him. I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.”
Honestly, if he said, Do you want to go to Colorado for the weekend with me and my family? I’d definitely be concerned that he was into me. And—God—I would hate it if he thought that.
I would die if he thought that.
Charlie wasn’t even comfortable calling me his friend. We were coworkers only in his mind, even though we both knew it was more than that, because that was the only way he could cope with the reality that his hypothesis was wrong.
“I’ve got you,” she said, sniffling again.
“And what does that mean?”
“Theo and I have… uh… actually been texting him in a group chat since we came up with the idea a half hour ago, so I think I can safely say he’ll respond well.”
“What? A half hour ago?” I sputtered. “How come you went to them with all of this before coming to me?”
“Because I know you, Miss Overreaction,” she said, and I could hear a smile in her voice. “I wanted to come up with a plan before I told you so you didn’t freak out about having to go with just Scott and your mom.”
“Nekesa!” My heart was hammering in my chest, panic rising. “Not cool!”
“It’s all done from love, my wonderful, sweet, oh-so-irresistible Bay.”
“Don’t try to compliment your way out of this,” I quickly snapped, but somewhere in the pit of my stomach I was thankful Nekesa broke the ice for me. Okay, so maybe she did know me. Too well.
“I have to get off the phone, but I’m adding you to the chat.”
“But do you—”
She had already hung up as my phone pinged from her text.
I looked down at the display as she sent me screenshots of their conversation.
The chain started with Nekesa texting—I can’t go to Breck—Bay is going to kill me.
After she explained what happened, and Theo tried making her feel better （catch up on your reading, troublemaker）， Charlie texted—Bay’s gonna be devastated. You sure your parents won’t reconsider?
Something about his concern made me feel warm inside.
Nekesa: Positive
Charlie: So she’ll have to spend the trip with just her mom and Sock Boy. Fucking nightmare.
Nekesa: You should go in my place.
It felt surreal, reading their conversation; I felt like I was eavesdropping, even though I had permission.
Charlie: Dude hates me—try again.
I don’t know why, but it felt good that his initial response wasn’t something like No way.
Theo: Wait—that would totally amp the mom/boyfriend tension, tho, right?
Nekesa: YESSSSS OMG GO, AND FAKE DATE
Charlie: FAKE DATE. Are we in a fucking Hallmark movie?? How would that help?
Thank you, Charlie! At least it wasn’t just me who thought the idea was totally bonkers.
Theo: If the bf hates you, he’ll hate you more if you’re holding her hand bc it means you’re not going away anytime soon. VERY threatening to his territory.
I rolled my eyes, feeling that claustrophobia again at the thought of me and/or my mom being Scott’s “territory.”
Charlie: Okay—that would definitely make the guy lose his shit. BUT. Odds are good he’ll just say no to me going.
Scott would say that.
Nekesa: Bailey and I were going to drive out after work tomorrow and meet them. So basically he won’t know you’re coming until you get there, and he can’t say no if you’re already in Colorado.
Was I—Bailey, who doesn’t let others cut in line—ballsy enough to just show up with him? Could I be? Did I want to be?
Charlie: That will definitely add to the tension, holy shit.
And that’s when I chimed in with: DEFINITELY. HOLY SHIT.
Theo: Bailey’s here!
Charlie: Even though it’s HOLY SHIT, I’ll do it if you want me to, Bay.
I squeaked in disbelief—or anxiousness or nervousness—because this idea felt like something that might actually happen.
And I wasn’t sure if I wanted it to or not.
Nekesa: DO ITTTTT I’m dying to hear what happens.
I texted: You’d seriously give up a few days of break? And pretend to be my boyfriend???
Seemed like a really big ask.
Theo: He’d pretend to loooooove you.
“Shut up, Theo,” I muttered to no one in the darkness.
Nekesa: You’re such an idiot. ;）
Charlie: I’d be in Colorado—that’s a big old HELL YES from me.
My phone started ringing—Charlie—and I answered with, “But he’ll probably be a dick to you the whole time.”
“I can handle it,” Charlie said, his voice gravelly like he’d been sleeping before the call.
“Hmmm.” I seriously didn’t know what to do. On paper, what Nekesa/Charlie/Theo were proposing could potentially help my Scott dilemma and make the weekend fun（ish）。 But there were so many other things to worry about.
My mom’s and Scott’s reaction when Charlie got there—that was an explosion of unhappiness guaranteed to happen. Traveling with Charlie for eight hours; been there, done that, and it wasn’t remotely enjoyable.
And—the biggie—pretending to date Charlie.
Our friendship was safe because it was labeled as only that. Friends. Hell, he labeled it not even that; he labeled us as just coworkers.
So what would happen when we played relationship for a weekend? It might be fine and just return to normal when we got home, but what if it didn’t? What if we crossed a line that we couldn’t come back from?
“Bay, if you don’t want me to, that’s totally fine.”
I didn’t know what I wanted. Taking Charlie sounded like fun and I didn’t want to go alone, but the thought of it set off screechingly loud alarm bells.