"Yes," Veronica said, nodding her head. "It is the best shop if you are looking to buy vintage clothes. Also, as an added bonus, they have excellent coffee."
The guest, Maria, smiled as she said goodbye and left the inn. Veronica grabbed her coffee mug and took a sip, only to find it empty. Sighing, she made her way to the kitchen.
"Is there coffee?" She asked.
Minho's voice came from somewhere in the kitchen. "Yeah, I made a fresh batch ten minutes ago."
Veronica refilled her mug and took a sip. "So, how did the date go?" She scanned the cooking station, looking for Minho's face, and found him bent over the counter, kneeding the dough for bread.
"Actually, really great," he grunted, adding more flour. "We are going out again tonight."
Veronica grinned. "Tell me more!"
She watched as he rounded the dough, placed it inside a loaf pan, and covered it with a cloth. "Well, the restaurant he took me to was really good. We talked and found out we both grew up in the same city before moving to South Molton."
He walked away from the counter, making his way to the fridge. Veronica followed him. "What does he do?"
Minho started picking out meats and vegetables to start prepping for dinner. "His family has a ceramic business. So he helps with that, but he's studying to be a veterinarian."
Veronica was about to ask where they were going tonight when Martin walked in, a scowl on his face. "Your boyfriend is here with your future mother-in-law, and I have been asked to fetch you."
Veronica's mug shook in her hand. Minho noticed the movement, his eyes on her curious. She hadn't seen Chan in a couple of days and naturally had not decided to dive further into the hypothesis that she might like him as more than a friend. Every time he appeared in her thoughts, she distracted herself. She even went as far as to go on a run to escape thinking about him. It had worked splendidly because she was too busy not dying to think about anything else.
But now, there was no avoiding him. He was waiting for her outside the kitchen gates. She didn't know what she could do to brace herself. To ground her feet.
She walked out of the kitchen door, grabbing onto her coffee mug for comfort and strength. She could see him standing near her desk, hands in his pocket, and looking around. His mothet stood a couple of steps back chatting with Selena.
Veronica took a deep breath, knowing that she had to carry on the pretense of being his girlfriend before his mom and Selena.
Walking up to them, she greeted, "Hi."
Chan turned to look at her, his lips spreading into a smile. She reached him and planted a small kiss on his cheek. Veronica didn't think her heart could survive anything more than a cheek kiss.
Chan froze next to her, his eyes widening a little at the contact. He really needed to learn how to act better. She turned towards his mom, who was smiling at the two of them. "Hi! I didn't know you were coming. Chan didn't say anything."
Luckily, Chan had managed to regain his composure and wiped the astonished look from his face. "I messaged you, but you didn't see."
Veronica winced. "My phone died, and I forgot to bring a charger. Is everything okay?"
"Everything is perfect," Selena said, a twinkle in her eyes. "Actually, more than perfect."
Veronica shared a look with Chan. Her stomach flipped as soon as she met his eyes. She looked away quickly before she gave herself away.
"I was talking with Selena," Chan's mom, Jessica, said, adjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder. "And I told her how I wanted to do something special for my 27th wedding anniversary next month. And she gave me the idea that we could have a small party here at the inn."
"Isn't that great?" Selena grinned, gripping Jessica's hand enthusiastically.
"Oh," Veronica started. "I think that's amazing. Do you have anything specific in mind? Any themes?"
Jessica shrugged. "We literally just hatched the idea thirty minutes ago and then asked Channie to drive us here so I could look at the place."
"Veronica is very talented," Selena said, looking in her direction. "Whatever you want to do, I know she'll help you plan it perfectly."
Veronica couldn't help but smile at the compliment. Chan reached out and grabbed her hand. She jumped at the touch.
"It's okay if you don't know what theme you want," Veronica said, trying to ignore the heat traveling from Chan's palm into hers. "How about I show you some ideas, and maybe you'll find some inspiration?'
Jessica clapped her hands, elated. "That sounds perfect. You can just come around whenever you have the time."
"Yeah," Chan said, looking down at her. "I can pick you up."
Oh, hell no.
The thought of spending any alone time with him, especially in a space as tiny as a car, made Veronica want to throw up. What she needed to do was to stay away from him. And maybe then what she was starting to feel for him would go away before it festered into something she couldn't control. Of course, she couldn't say that in front of his mother and Selena, so she just replied, "Yeah, sure!"
"Now that this is settled," Selena said, a satisfied expression on her face. "Let's go have some lunch. Veronica, will you join us?"
She shook her head, already stepping away from the conversation. "I have some work to do but bon appétit."
The two of them started walking towards the dining room, chatting animatedly. Veronica wanted to start working on the options for the anniversary party. They usually kept a presentation with different theme designs on it, but she had some new ideas she wanted to put on it.
She turned around to get the pendrive from her bag and collided with Chan. He put his hands on her shoulders to steady her.
"Are you okay?"
"Sorry." She laughed nervously before stepping away. "Yeah, I didn't see. I just wanted to get the pendrive from my bag."
"Do you want to go grab some lunch?" Chan asked, leaning against her desk and blocking her path.
"I really can't," she replied, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear nervously. "I need to start working on the pitches for your mom's party."
Chan stared at her, skeptical. "But you have to eat lunch. Have you already eaten?"
Veronica tried not to let her frustration show on her face. She couldn't very well tell Chan the truth. That every second stood before him made making it harder for her to breathe.
"No, I haven't," she replied, trying not to trip over her words. "But I-"
But Chan was already grabbing her hand. "Okay, then let's go eat."
All her protests died on her lips as soon as he gently dragged her out of the inn, not even giving her the chance to grab her purse. When she pointed it out, he simply said, "Well, then it's my treat."
He took them to an Italian place close to the inn. They grabbed a seat close to the window. The restaurant was half-full and smelled of baked bread. Veronica's stomach grumbled in response.
"How are you?" He asked. She could feel his eyes scanning her face.
Veronica grabbed the menu, not wanting to meet his stare. "I am good. Busy, we are hosting a wedding reception at the inn next week, so I have loads of work to do."
"Do you need a bartender?" Chan joked.
Veronica laughed and almost hit the salt and pepper shakers on the table. She knew she needed to calm down. She wasn't even sure if her theory was correct. Whether she had romantic feelings for him or it was just Cassie's voice messing with her head. She needed more proof. More reliable data for her to analyze.
The waiter came and took their orders. Once he was gone, Veronica said, "So, I think we need to up our game plan?"
Chan angled his head. "What do you mean?"
She leaned in, ignoring the way her heart sped up at their closeness. "To make Diana jealous."
When Chan didn't say anything, she continued. "We need a deadline."
His eyebrows shot up. "A deadline?"
Veronica nodded. Now that she was thinking about it, it made perfect sense. When they both started this, they just thought of an end result. Something they both wanted to achieve. But what they didn't take into account was that they needed a propeller. A deadline would make them work harder and faster. In the end, all Chan wanted was to be back with Diana. And for that, Diana needed to be desperate enough.
"We need to make Diana jealous enough that she makes a move on you," Veronica explained. The waiter came back with their food. He placed the spaghetti before her and the pizza in front of Chan. "And then, we can break up, and she'll know that you are available."
She watched Chan's reaction. He hadn't spoken in a while. He wasn't even touching his food. Veronica grabbed a fork and twirled the spaghetti around it.
"How do we make her more jealous?" He finally said, the expression on his face closed-off.
"Hmm." Veronica ate her food and thought about his question. "How frequent do you guys talk?"
Chan took a second to think. "I wouldn't say it is regular, but we do text a bit."
"Do you text her, or does she text you?"
"Does it make a difference?" Chan raised a curious eyebrow, taking a bite from his pizza.
Veronica smiled. "Oh, Honey, it makes all the difference."
He took out a pizza slice, put it on a clean plate, and slid it towards her. "If I have to point it out, she initiates most of the texts."
Veronica was too busy staring at the slice of pizza he had offered her without her asking for it to point out that a guy who wanted to get back with his ex should be texting her way more frequently.
Shaking her head a little, she said, "Okay, so, you need to start texting her more. Ask her about her day, maybe even complain about me. And then -"
"No," Chan cut her off, his voice firm. "I am not going to complain to her about you. I know we are fake dating, and we both have our own agendas, but this is not the way I want to do this."
Veronica stared at him. "But I am okay if you complain about me to her."
"I am not, Lovejoy." Chan's tone left no room to argue.
She exhaled, eating the pizza slice. "What do you suggest we do then?"
Chan looked away, staring at the view outside the window. It took Veronica two seconds to realize that she was staring at his face. Noticing the slope of his nose, the cut of his jawline. The small scar near his eyebrows. When he turned back in her direction, she looked away.
"What if," he said, grabbing a napkin and wiping his fingers with it. "We act more romantic before her?"
Veronica's throat dried up. She was okay if he dissed her before Diana, but being romantic with Chan made her want to bolt from her seat. The mere thought of touching him, feeling him against her, sent shivers down her spine. But how could she explain it to him? She couldn't give an excuse, not if she wanted to tell him the reason. Honestly, she didn't even know if there was a reason. Maybe this way, she could confirm. She just had to get rid of the biases Cassie had planted in her head and find out how her body reacted to its closeness with Chan.
"Okay," she agreed, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach. "And I think we should break up after your parents' anniversary party. It's more than a month away, and I think that's sufficient time to bring our plan to success."
Chan blinked. "Okay." Veronica thought his voice sounded a bit meek.
"Okay then," she said, extending her hand for him to shake. "Deal."
He clasped their hands together, his palm engulfing hers. "Deal."
â¤ï¸
Veronica rang the bell to Chan's parents' house. Chan had reiterated three times that she should call him when she was free so he could come and pick her up. Veronica, of course, hadn't done that.
The door before her opened, and Chan's mom welcomed her into the house. She took Veronica's coat and hung it on the coat rack.
"Coffee?" She asked.
"Yes, please." Veronica followed her into the kitchen. The last time she had been here was when Chan's parents had invited them over for dinner.
"You just missed Channie," Jessica said, adding coffee pads into the machine. "I thought he was going to drop you here."
Veronica fiddled with her bag. "I got stuck at the inn. We have this reception coming up, and everything is in chaos."
Jessica offered Veronica a mug, and the two of them made their way to the living room. The place looked the same. Veronica had been way too nervous that night to think straight. Chan's parents seemed like really nice people, and she had hated lying to them. She was glad that in a month, the jig would be up. And everyone would be there where they belonged.
"So," Veronica started, pulling out her laptop. "Have you given any more thoughts on the theme of the party?"
"I do have a couple of ideas," Jessica replied, crossing her legs and taking a sip of her coffee. "But I want to see yours first."
Veronica nodded and plugged in the pendrive. Pulling up the presentation, she started talking. "So, the most classic one is vow renewal. We can do something like a wedding but a bit casual. You can choose to have an orchestra or a band or whatever you are comfortable with."
The presentation showed pictures of the previous vow renewals they had held at the inn. Jessica nodded along, her eyes intent on the screen. "Will this be like a wedding?"
"It can be in any form you want," Veronica replied. "It's your party. We'll do what makes you happy."
Jessica smiled. "I know you will. Selena couldn't stop talking about how talented you are. I trust you."
Veronica blinked, a small smile pulling at her lips. "I will make sure this party is exactly how you want it to be. It is a very special day. Another idea would be," She said, making the presentation move forward. "A trip down the memory lane. We can create photobooks of the memories you shared, combine videos, and maybe even make a trivia game."
Jessica leaned forward. "How about something old?"
Veronica sipped her coffee. "What do you mean?"
Jessica's eyes were fixed at a photo on the wall, Veronica realised it was her wedding photo. Chan's parents stood there in the middle of the frame, their eyes full of happiness and love.
"Ever since I was a little girl," Jessica said. "I was obsessed with the costumes and gowns they had in those times. How about a vow renewal, but everyone's dressed according to the Regency era?"
Veronica thought about it. It was doable. And sounded really fun if she was being honest. "We can have food according to that time, too. And the waiters would be dressed in a similar manner."
"An orchestra," Jessica said, a smile appearing on her face. "Like they do in those Netflix shows. Playing modern songs as people danced."
Veronica nodded enthusiastically, finishing her coffee. "We can send out invitations like that as well. You know, how they held balls and stuff? It could be something like that."
Chan's mom clapped her hands together. "Oh, this sounds so fun. I am really excited about it!"
"Me too!"
Once they hashed out a couple more details, Veronica got ready to leave. She stopped to admire one of the photos on the wall. It was Chan as a kid. And his mom was holding him up. The two of them looked so happy in the frame. The way his mom held him, the look in her eyes as she gazed at her son. Veronica wondered how it felt to grow up with that sort of love in your life. To have parents who wanted you. To have a family.
She wouldn't say that she was jealous of the people who had that. She used to be as a kid. But she did feel a lack. And every now and then, she would be reminded of it. She stared at the picture for a few more seconds before leaving the house.
She had to walk to a different bus stop to catch the next bus. She had missed the one from the stop that was closer to Chan's place. But Veronica didn't mind the walk. If anything, it helped clear her head.
She felt satisfied with the plan she had devised with Chan in the afternoon. They both knew that sooner or later, they had to let go of this pretense. Veronica wanted to do it before it caused any real damage.
The sooner Chan got back with Diana, the faster Veronica would be rid of this feeling. She hoped they could still remain friends after that but knew better than to believe that.
She was passing through a park, a shortcut to get to the bus stop quicker when she heard a familiar voice and stopped in her tracks. Turning sideways, she took a couple of steps further and was met by Chan teaching football to a bunch of kids in the park.
She should've turned around, but her feet took her forward. Towards where he was standing. He was wearing an oversized sweatshirt, and he had pushed the sleeve up to his elbows. A whiste hung around his neck.
He was telling one of the boys to run faster and grab the ball. When he saw her approach, she saw the surprise on his face.
"Hi," she said, a small smile on her face.
"Hi," he replied, his tone tinted with disbelief. "What are you doing here?"
Veronica pointed to the way where she had come from. "I was meeting with your mom about the party. She decided on a Regency themed vow renewal."
Chan groaned. His hair was sticking at odd angles, and Veronica had the urge to reach out and smooth it. "Why didn't you call me? I could've picked you up."
Veronica waved his words away. "I didn't know when I was going to be free. I barely even managed to get away."
One of the kids walked up to where Chan was standing. A girl. Her hair was split into two piggy tails. She yanked at his pants lightly.
"Charlie says that I can't be on his team because I am a girl, and I don't run as fast enough."
He squatted before her, a mischievous expression on his face. "Maybe you should remind Charlie that you beat him in track at the competition last week."
The girl's face lit up. She jumped before running away to the group of kids standing under a tree.
Veronica smiled, watching the kids arguing amongst themselves. The boy, she assumed was Charlie, heard the little girl's argument, made a face, but let her join his team.
"Coach Chan," she said, grinning.
He scratched his ears, looking away. "I enjoy teaching them. They are a bag of mischief, but I don't know, its weirdly relaxing."
Veronica could see it on his face that he truly enjoyed this. Spending his evening teaching a bunch of kids to play football brought him joy.
He blew the whistle hanging around his neck and clapped his hands together. "Let's gather around!"
The kids started moving to the center of the field, following his direction. They were about to start a match. Chan began explaining the rules to them and reiterating that pushing and shoving was not allowed.
"I should go now," Veronica said, moving away.
"Why? Stay for the match. I will drop you home." Chan reached out and grabbed her hand to stop her from leaving.
She couldn't. She had to stop before she got used to him. Before he became a habit. "No, I have to go back to the inn. We still have some work left."
Chan opened and closed his mouth. And then, "Diana's hosting a party at her place. She invited me to come."
Veronica felt her something hot and oily bubble in her chest. She managed a smile as she said, "You should go! This way, you can judge how much work is ahead of us."
His eyes on her were skeptical, as if he could hear the forced happiness in her voice. "Are you sure? Do you want to come?"
"Oh no," she said, shaking her head. "You should go alone. Maybe she'll try and flirt with you. Tell me how it goes!"
Chan nodded, turning away and staring at something in the distance. "Okay then," he sighed.
Veronica waved him goodbye and walked away. Her stomach felt like a hollow pit, the ground under her feet unsteady. But she managed to walk, putting one foot in front of the other. When the bus came, she sat in the back and stared outside the window, trying to ignore the nauseous feeling in her chest.