Chapter Text
“You’re playing with fire there, Poppins. You know that, right?”
Dani thought she should be a little bit embarrassed that Jamie caught her trying to execute her mad scheme, but she wasn’t. Jamie’s never made Dani feel embarrassed or ashamed or anything of the sort in the nearly two years they’ve known each other. She had made Dani feel other things, sure. But never anything negative.
“I don’t have any choice,” Dani sighed. “My mom is insisting that I come home this Christmas, and I really have no excuse and she’s going to shove my high school boyfriend in my face and insist that I get married to him and…”
“Hey, Poppins. You can breathe, yeah?” Jamie looked exhausted- it was two in the morning and Jamie worked three jobs as well as taking some online courses- but she still pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and sat with Dani. “You wanna talk about it? Explain everything to me?”
“It’s hard to explain,” Dani replied.
Except that it’s not hard to explain. It’s not hard to explain because Jamie knows her. She knows Dani better than Dani knows herself, Dani thinks most of the time. Jamie was aware that Dani’s mom had always had high expectations and that the relationship with her high school boyfriend hadn’t ended well. Jamie knew that Dani practically ran away from home, switching majors and schools and moving to the other side of the country to finish off her senior year of college. She knew how to calm Dani down, and how to make Dani smile. She knew that dropping off a tea and a muffin for Dani at the school she was teaching at would put Dani in a good mood for the rest of the day.
So really it wasn’t hard to explain to Jamie how trapped she felt. Karen Clayton was making sure that Dani came home for the holidays that year, and it should have been ridiculous that even at almost twenty-five Dani felt controlled by her mother. Edmund would surely be there- the Clayton’s and O’Mara’s had celebrated Christmas together since Dani was eight. Edmund would be there, and Judy would be there, and her older sister would be there, and the disappointment in Dani’s single, apparently unsuccessful life would be the only topic of conversation. Karen would try to push her into Edmund’s embrace. She’d try to goad Dani about choosing to become a teacher when her older sister went to law school. She’d make Dani’s life truly miserable.
“I get all that,” Jamie said with a yawn. “But I still think that posting online for a fake date to your family’s Christmas is a little risky.”
“I need someone there to take the pressure off,” Dani rambled. “They need to see that I’m happy, that I’m confidently anchored in my life here. Otherwise they’ll try to slip their claws into me again. They’ll try to get me to move home. Mom will try to twist me into the image she wants to see- a happy housewife who provides her with two to four grandchildren.”
“Yikes Poppins. I don’t envy you. But for real…men are scary. Putting this out there online just doesn’t seem like a super great idea. Wouldn’t want you to get a stalker, ya know? Men can be weird like that.”
Dani squirmed in her seat. They’d known each other for almost two years, they’d been roommates for the last sixteen months, but still Dani had never told Jamie one particular bit of information about herself. Which was absolutely ridiculous now she thought about it. Jamie was nothing less than absolutely open about her own sexuality. But Dani had never been brave enough to tell Jamie. She had never been brave enough to tell anyone except for that one time, on that disastrous night when she ran away from Edmund as he proposed at a family dinner and the words popped out and then Dani ran as fast as she could.
“It’s not…I’m not posting looking for males,” Dani mumbled. She didn’t look at Jamie, instead keeping her eyes resolutely on the screen of her laptop. “I’m gay. That’s why I had to leave. That’s why I couldn’t marry Eddie.”
Jamie was silent beside her for a moment. “Well then,” she said finally, “that should clear up the stalker bit.” Her tone was light, almost teasing, and Dani looked up at her with wide eyes. “What?” Jamie chuckled. “You thought I’d care? Be a bit hypocritical of me, wouldn’t it?”
“No it’s not, that I just…” Dani shrugged. “I thought you’d be mad that it took me so long to tell you.”
Jamie shifted in her chair, leaning a bit closer to Dani. “Dani, it’s up to you who you tell and when you tell them. I’d never get upset with you for that. It’s your thing, yeah? But for real…thanks for trusting me enough to tell me now.”
Jamie flashed a grin Dani’s direction and Dani felt her heart do its thing. The fluttery, stuttering thing it always did when the crush Dani’s had on her roommate rears its head.
The crush started on the night they met, when Dani and the first friend she made in Pennsylvania had been out clubbing. Dani and Becca had struck up a conversation with the pretty bartender with an English accent and the crush had been born. And it had grown only stronger since. Dani’s crush grew every time Jamie called her Poppins or shot her the trademark crooked smile. Her crush got stronger when Jamie pretended to like the terrible coffee Dani would make or when Jamie would try hard to not fall asleep on the couch while watching terrible rom-coms with Dani. Almost every little thing Jamie did caused Dani to grow more attracted to her, and it was a problem.
Even just ten minutes beforehand, Jamie had leaned down to read the laptop screen over Dani’s shoulder, and the close proximity had almost sent Dani into a tailspin. She was prone to lose her train of thought around the other girl. She would forget why she had come into a room. She had lost arguments just because Jamie would smile at her and Dani would completely forget her words. It was a problem, but Dani found she really didn’t mind it all that much.
“Ya know Poppins…I could always do it for you.”
“Do what for me?”
“Be your fake girlfriend slash date for Christmas.” Jamie looked earnest, and Dani’s heart began pounding wildly in her chest. “I mean, it beats having some stranger right? At least you can be sure I won’t murder you in your sleep.”
“That would be…it isn’t…I couldn’t…” Dani was sputtering. “Jamie, I can’t ask you to do that.”
“It’s just a friend helping out a friend, Poppins.”
“But…don’t you want to go visit back home for Christmas?”
Jamie snorted. “Yeah that would be a barrel of laughs, wouldn’t it? Which foster home should I visit…number three or four? Actually, home number seven might be a good one…they actually almost remembered my name!”
Dani always got sad when Jamie mentioned her past, even though the other woman usually tried to joke about it. It broke Dani’s heart to think of Jamie having such a difficult time.
“Dani, seriously. My plans are to stay here and work. Probably crack open a cold one on Christmas Eve and cheers my plants. Take advantage of the empty apartment and wear the same clothes for a week straight. So helping you out wouldn’t be a bother. I can fight off your mom easy.”
Dani smiled softly. “Jamie that just seems so much to ask of you. My family is…crazy.”
“Who’s isn’t?” Jamie winked. Then she stood, stretching and yawning. Dani heard a pop from Jamie’s back. She always thought Jamie worked too hard. “Well, I better catch some shut eye. Have an early mornin’. Think about it. For real Dani. Think about it.”
And with that Jamie left the kitchen and wandered into her own room, closing the door behind her. Dani watched her go and stayed looking at the closed door for several minutes. She chewed at her bottom lip. Having Jamie pretend to be her girlfriend really shouldn’t have been such an appealing thought. She shouldn’t be entertaining it really. It would be akin to throwing Jamie into the lion’s den. Karen Clayton would eat her alive. But at the same time…
Dani really shouldn’t consider it. But it was awfully tempting.
***
Dani didn’t consider Jamie’s offer in the days following. She didn’t spend every waking moment fretting and preoccupied with the thought of Jamie coming home with her for Christmas. She really didn’t go to sleep dreaming of all that could possibly happen with them fake dating. Dani absolutely didn’t spend any time dwelling over the thought of Jamie holding her hand or kissing her on the cheek or sleeping side by side in the same bed…
Nope. Dani hadn’t even really given it a second thought.
Dani was so much so not considering it that she deleted the post she had almost put online and had her thumb hovering over the call button on her phone to inform Karen of her plus one before she realized what she was doing. Dani couldn’t ask her best friend and roommate to be her fake girlfriend for two weeks of Christmas vacation.
Could she?
Dani tried telling herself that the entire idea was stupid in the first place. She had read plenty of fanfiction…pretending to have a girlfriend would only end badly (Dani was under no illusions that Jamie might return the crush). They were bound to get caught in a lie, or hurt each other’s feelings, or blur the lines between friendship and something different. So altogether, Dani figured she should just abandon the whole idea.
Except the idea of abandoning the idea caused Dani’s stomach to clench with dread. Her mom had never accepted her reasons for breaking up with Eddie or moving across the country. She had never understood why Dani switched majors or wanted to pursue teaching. Eddie had never accepted their breakup even all this time after. And more than anything Dani wanted to prove to them that she wasn’t a failure. Dani wanted to show them that she was confident and independent and happy with her choices, and no thank you very much Eddie they would never be getting back together. Even more than any of that, however, the idea of having Jamie by her side for the holidays- even if it were just as a friend- was way too tempting a thought.
It was just before dark when Dani finally resolved to talk to her roommate once again about the crazy scheme. Jamie was out on the balcony of their apartment, having a smoke. When Dani opened the sliding glass door to go join her, Jamie looked up with a bright smile that toyed with Dani’s heart.
“Hey Poppins,” she grinned. “Wanna share?”
Dani had on more than one occasion bummed a smoke or two of her friend. But that evening she shook her head. Jamie shrugged as Dani took a seat beside her on the rocking loveseat they had bought for the balcony.
“What’s on your mind?” Jamie asked after a few minutes of silence.
“What makes you think I’ve got something on my mind?”
Jamie smirked. “I can practically feel your panic. And also you’ve got that cute little crinkle right there.” Jamie gently tapped her finger to Dani’s forehead. Instantly Dani felt her face relax.
“I do not have a crinkle.”
“You do. It’s adorable.” If Jamie kept using words like that to describe her, Dani knew her crush would never go away. “So c’mon, spill the beans. What’s got you fretting?”
“Do you remember,” Dani started slowly, “my plan about bringing a fake date home for the holidays?” Jamie nodded. “And did you mean what you said about, you know, helping me out with that?”
Jamie regarded her for a moment with a slightly furrowed brow. Dani didn’t know if she was studying her or looking for something, but finally her expression softened into a smile. “I do remember. And let me guess…you want to know if I was serious.”
“Were you?” Dani asked quietly.
“Of course I was Poppins,” Jamie said. “Still am serious. The offer stands. If you need help, just say the word.”
“It’s not too much to ask? Because if it is I don’t want you to have to worry about it. I know it’s a lot to expect from you, and I know we’re only friends so if it’s going to be too weird…” a calloused yet not rough hand gently covered Dani’s mouth.
“Dani I’m serious.” As Jamie removed her hand, Dani let a smile start playing at her lips. “It’s not too much to ask. The way I look at it you’re doing me a favour…I’ll get an actual Christmas dinner for once! And I promise things won’t get weird. Unless you want them to…never pegged you as having any kinks, but one never really knows.”
Dani felt her face flush, and based on the way Jamie laughed she knew it must have gone beet red.
“Sorry Poppins. It’s just too easy sometimes.”
“Jamie.” Dani spoke softly but seriously, trying to get the conversation back on track. “If you did this for me…you realize how much it would mean, right? You’d be giving me something so amazing and I would appreciate it so much. I don’t know that I could ever repay that.”
Jamie stubbed out her cigarette. Then she reached out and squeezed Dani’s knee reassuringly. Dani shivered, which had only a little bit to do with the cold of the night.
“Dani you wouldn’t owe me anything. Like I said, I’m happy to help. You and Becs…you guys are my best friends. I’d do anything for you.”
At Jamie’s words, Dani felt another little shiver go through her. Jamie put her arm across Dani’s shoulders and pulled her in close to her side. Dani couldn’t resist snuggling in a touch. Jamie’s coat smelled a mixture of smoke, earth, and a touch of beer, and it shouldn’t have been as appealing to Dani as it was. She happily stayed pressed against Jamie’s side, watching as the dark really fell and the stars started to appear over the city.
“I guess we should figure out the details,” Dani mumbled eventually.
“What d’ya mean? What details?”
“You know…like our backstory. How long we’ve been dating, our first date.” Dani blushed. “Whether or not we’re comfortable with PDA,” she said timidly.
“Well you know me Poppins, I’m a regular flirt.” Dani grinned when she felt Jamie give her a little squeeze. “We’ve got time Poppins, we’ll figure all that out tomorrow.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
***
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Jamie frowned as she compared two different flannels, wondering which she’d be more likely to wear over the holidays. She wasn’t fully paying attention to her second roommate. Eventually she settled on the slightly thinner one, figuring California was bound to be at least slightly warm. Jamie shoved it into her suitcase before focusing her attention on Rebecca.
“Is what a good idea?”
Rebecca raised her eyebrows. She was lounging on Jamie’s bed, scrolling through her social media accounts. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to pretend to be dating the woman you’ve been in love with since the moment you met her?”
Jamie scoffed. “Love? What the hell you talking ‘bout Becs?”
“Jamie.” She cast her phone aside and sat up slightly. “Don’t play ignorant on me. I’ve known you for two years now.”
“Just because I’m a lesbian…”
“That has nothing to do with anything, and you know it!” Rebecca sighed. “Look, ever since I got my shit together about Pete you and Dani are the most important people in my life. I just want to look out for you both. I don’t want either of you to get hurt. And this whole convoluted plan…don’t you think it has the potential to blow up in your faces?”
“Of course not,” Jamie said, blowing a lock of curly hair out of her eyes as she turned back to her packing. She sounded indifferent, but she felt anything but.
Rebecca, as astute as she was, was right, of course. Jamie had been attracted to Dani since the very second she stumbled up to the bar, slightly inebriated, and asked for the sweetest thing on the menu…aside from Jamie. If that first meeting hadn’t cemented things for Jamie, than the next several months of becoming friends and then roommates most certainly would have. Dani was the most beautiful and empathetic person Jamie had ever met. Her heart was too big, and she was prone to panic over the smallest detail, but her smile could light up any room. And her eyes…Jamie could get lost in those big blue eyes for days.
Jamie would have to be an idiot to have not fallen for Dani by that point.
But it had nothing to do with their plan, Jamie was sure. She could handle a couple of weeks pretending to be Dani’s girlfriend. Better to pretend, Jamie reckoned, and get to spend a bit of time with Dani in that capacity, than to only simply imagine forever. Aside from that, resisting was futile. Jamie would do anything for Dani. The blonde had her wrapped around her baby finger, even if she didn’t realize it. And the thought of Dani reaching out to some stranger online, and said stranger getting to touch Dani, and laugh with Dani, and pretend to be the very thing that Jamie wanted so desperately to be…it would have driven Jamie crazy anyway.
“What’s the plan anyway? Are you guys trying to shock her mom into submission with Dani bringing home a girl?”
Jamie hummed noncommittally. “Something like that,” she said. She didn’t know if Dani had told Rebecca about being gay, but if she hadn’t it certainly wasn’t Jamie’s place to tell.
“Well if her mom is as much of a horror show as Dani claims, that might just do the trick.”
Rebecca was probably right. Dani had always been a little bit tight lipped about her family, and what little more Jamie had managed to draw out of her in light of their future situation didn’t sound all that promising. Jamie didn’t much care if Karen Clayton like her, but her heart went out to Dani for not feeling like she had a supportive home life. Jamie knew what it was like to grow up without a family, and it wasn’t something she’d wish on anyone.
All that she knew about Dani’s mom was that she was always chasing a picture perfect life without ever thinking about what that would really entail. Karen wanted to be rich and get along with the Beverly Hills crowd, but she drank too much and retained too many of her small town roots. She wanted her daughters to obtain successful careers and have perfect marriages, when Karen herself had two failed marriages and lived off the alimony instead of holding down a job. And Dani hadn’t come right out and said it, but Jamie figured that one of her daughter’s being gay didn’t exactly fit into the fairytale image that Karen Clayton had concocted in her head.
Dani had warned her about all of that, and had warned her that her mom would probably use ignorant language. Jamie had been warned that Edmund- he of the failed proposal- would be present throughout the holidays. Still, Jamie yearned to know more about how Dani grew up. Surely there were some good things? Dani had grown into an amazing woman, so there must have been at least a few positive influences or memories, didn’t there?
“Sorry…what?” Jamie had been lost in her thoughts and missed what Becca had said.
“I asked if you were at least looking forward to it a bit.”
Jamie shrugged. “I mean, I reckon it’ll be a proper Christmas. Lots of family time, and big meals, and activities…haven’t ever really had one of those. So it could be fun, yeah.” Jamie zipped up her poorly packed suitcase. “How about you? Ready for the holidays?”
Rebecca grinned. “I’m actually feeling so free to be going home without Peter this year. No more listening to him brag to my cousins about his great job or fake designer watches.”
Peter Quint had been thankfully kicked to the curb by Rebecca just after the summer ended. Jamie hadn’t liked the guy since first meeting him. He was arrogant and entitled, and Jamie would have been ever surprised if he didn’t have other women on the side. Rebecca deserved better, and both Jamie and Dani had been over the moon when Rebecca finally ended things. They spent an entire weekend celebrating, and the hangover Jamie had by the time morning arrived on Monday caused her to take her first ever sick day.
“Look at you, landing on your feet.” Jamie laughed and tried to ruffle Becca’s hair, but her roommate dodged her attempts. “Seriously Becs, I’m happy for you.”
“I’m happy too.” And Rebecca did look happy, genuinely so. She had since breaking up with Peter. “It’s been nice to reset, and I’m looking forward to a quiet and peaceful trip back home. Which is why I’m expecting dozens of daily updates about the drama unfolding around Camp Clayton. You better keep me informed!”
Jamie rolled her eyes. “I highly doubt it will be drama filled enough for you. You watch the Bachelor. I mean, if that isn’t trash…”
Becca gasped and put her hands over her heart. “You slay me! Jamie Taylor, leave my favourite show alone!” They shared a laugh. Then Rebecca abruptly stood from Jamie’s bed and pulled her into a tight hug. “You better take care of yourself. And take care of Dani. I need my roommates both back in one piece.”
“Only because you can’t afford rent without us,” Jamie muttered sarcastically, but inside she was touched. The trio of girls had formed an unlikely but infallible friendship, and Jamie cherished it greatly.
“Well, I guess I better get started.” Rebecca clapped her hands and turned to the door. “I decided I’m going to cook us a big dinner tonight before we all go our separate ways for the holidays.”
Jamie’s stomach growled on cue. Of the three of them, Becca was the only one who any talent in the kitchen whatsoever, and Jamie definitely appreciated it. “Do ya want any help?” she asked as she followed her friend to the kitchen.
“Not at all dear Jamie, I actually want this meal to be edible.”
Jamie threw an oven mitt at Becca’s head, which she easily dodged, laughing. Jamie couldn’t help but laugh with her. She was definitely going to miss Rebecca over the next two weeks. But it was all going to be worth it. Everything with Dani and her family was going to one hundred percent smoothly.
Right?
***
Airports were one place Jamie generally tried to avoid. They were loud, and busy, and if Jamie were being totally honest with herself airplanes scared the crap out of her. She had only ever been on one plane ride in her entire life, and Jamie had vowed she would never get back on one, at any cost.
How ironic that she caved so easily when it came to Dani Clayton.
The pair had checked their luggage and made it through security. They still had over an hour to wait until boarding, and Dani had staked out a couple chairs facing a window. She was enjoying watching the planes taxi along the runway. Jamie was simply trying to not vomit up the piece of pizza she had bought for her lunch. She knew she should have saved the eating for after they landed.
“I love seeing them take off,” Dani said. “It’s always so thrilling, don’t you think?”
“I still think we should’ve driven,” Jamie grunted, trying her best not to look at the gigantic planes as they passed. How did things that big and heavy stay up in the air, anyway?
“Jamie, it would have taken a day and a half to drive!”
“And thirty three days to walk.” Dani looked at her with an expression of confusion and amusement. Jamie shrugged. “I might have plugged it into Google maps. I really didn’t want to have to fly.”
There was silence for a moment before Dani spoke again. “Jamie…are you scared of flying?”
“I mean, not exactly.” Jamie shrugged again, looking down at the floor.
“Oh my god, you totally are!” Dani looked crestfallen. “Jamie why didn’t you tell me? I was only trying to make sure you didn’t have to take any more time of work and flying’s so quick!”
“Dani it’s fine. Really.” Dani showed no signs of relaxing, continuing to frown. “Poppins,” Jamie said, gently squeezing her friend’s arm. “I’ll be okay. I’ve been on a plane before, coming over from England, and I survived that so…gotta count for something, right?”
“I wish you had told me,” Dani said. “I don’t want you to be nervous.”
“I ain’t nervous. Just…apprehensive. Maybe slightly nauseous. You’re just gonna have to work your magic to distract me, Poppins.”
Dani smiled, and even with just that Jamie felt marginally better. There probably wasn’t a person on earth who could remain downcast with Dani smiling at them like that. Jamie couldn’t help but smile back.
“I’ll take care of you,” Dani said softly. “Nothing bad is going to happen, I promise.”
Dani got up then, hefting both of their carryon bags, and tilted her head for Jamie to follow. She did so, and followed Dani to a different area, which had no windows in sight. They settled into new chairs which didn’t have any view of the runway, and Jamie felt herself relax in increments. Dani got them each a small drink, and that helped further. The two roommates made small talk, and every time Dani made her laugh Jamie grew calmer and calmer. Eventually they started a game of making up stories about their fellow travellers. It grew steadily more ridiculous until Jamie was practically falling over on Dani and the blonde had tears in her eyes.
“You know…we never really did work out the details of this,” Jamie pointed out.
Dani frowned. “What do you mean? We spent, like, eight hours coming up with our dating history and our stories and…”
“And not even a minute on the topic of PDA,” Jamie cut in. Dani fell silent, looking sheepish. “Look Poppins, we’re going to be with your family for two weeks…at some point they’ll think it’s weird if we never hold hands, right?”
“You can hold my hand!” Dani said quickly. She reached across her seat and grabbed Jamie’s hand. It was clearly impulsive, but Jamie kind of loved the feeling. She turned her hand in Dani’s grip to thread their fingers together. “See,” Dani smiled, “hand holding is totally a thing.”
Jamie grinned. “Okay. Hand holding is a check. What about hugs?”
Dani rolled her eyes. “Jamie we’re friends. We hug all the time anyway.”
“Cuddling on the couch?”
“Again, not outside of the realm of the ordinary,” Dani said, but her cheeks tinted a touch pink.
“And kissing?” Jamie watched Dani gulp. “If I were to kiss you on the cheek, would you be comfortable with that?”
“Yep,” Dani squeaked. She shook her head. “Obviously that’s okay. Couples do that.”
“And…” Jamie paused, “on the lips? Couples do that but, do friends?”
Jamie watched Dani think about it long and hard, breathing deeply. Finally she looked back up and met Jamie’s gaze. “Yeah, I think friends could. At least, you know, we can if it helps convince my mom we’re happy together. And you’re comfortable.”
Jamie regarded Dani seriously for a moment. “Dani,” she started, choosing her words carefully, “I know you told me you’re gay. And don’t take this the wrong way; it’s not a requirement of being gay, obviously. But I’m getting the sense…have you ever kissed a girl before?”
“I have!” Dani practically shouted, sounding a bit defensive. Jamie was about to apologize when Dani started speaking again. “If I actually haven’t…is that a problem?”
“Not at all,” Jamie said. “But Poppins, kissing a girl for the first time can be kinda a big deal. I don’t want you to ruin your chance on little ol’ me.”
A smile slowly spread across Dani’s face as she looked at Jamie. She squeezed Jamie’s hand. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, did you know that?” Jamie shrugged, bashfully. “Jamie if the situation calls for it…we can kiss. It’s okay. I trust you.” They sat in silence for a couple minutes. Then Dani spoke again. “Should we practice?” Her voice was pitched just a bit too high. “I mean, it would look odd if our kisses were awkward and incompatible, right?”
Jamie chuckled softly. “I think we both know what we’re doing, yeah? It’s just kissing right…how hard can it be?”
“Yeah,” Dani echoed, “how hard can it be?”
They were unconsciously leaning closer in their chairs. Dani’s gaze kept dropping to Jamie’s lips, and Jamie’s heart sped up when she noticed. She reached out, slightly cautiously, and tucked a strand of wayward hair escaped from her ponytail back behind Dani’s ear. She watched Dani’s eyes flutter at the light touch. Automatically, Jamie bit her bottom lip. Dani’s eyes latched onto the movement, and they leaned ever closer, their foreheads almost touching…
Jamie had almost forgotten about where she was and what she was about to do when the boarding call for their flight was announced. She jumped a bit and immediately tensed. Dani let out what sounded like a disappointed sigh. But then she smiled at Jamie reassuringly.
“I’ve got you,” she said. “And if you want to back out we can always walk. Thirty three days, right? Might not be a bad idea to skip Christmas entirely.”
Jamie snorted. “Thanks for the offer Poppins, but my luggage is already on that plane and I’ve packed my favourite overalls. Can’t send ‘em off to the west coast without following along.”
In the end it turned out to be both better and worse than Jamie thought it might be. She had forgotten how miserable it was to be stuck in a tin can destined for the clouds. She had forgotten how much the safety demonstration made her tense up. She had forgotten how little leg room there was. Jamie gripped the armrests so tight she figured she had probably left permanent dents in the material. It was altogether a nightmare, and Jamie suddenly recalled why hopping on a plane and flying to America had been such an effective way of outrunning her past- she was bloody unlikely to ever fly back.
But this time on a plane was also better. On her first flight Jamie hadn’t had Dani to sit in the window seat and protect her from the terrifying view. She hadn’t had Dani stroking her knee comfortingly, or whispering a steady of stream of reassurances in her ear. She hadn’t had the ability to just turn her head and have her breath taken away by Dani’s incredible smile. Part of Jamie thought that she might actually end up not minding planes if Dani was always her travel buddy.
Thankfully it was a quick flight, and Jamie succeeded in not throwing up during the landing. She cited it amongst her proudest accomplishments. Surprisingly, however, the nerves didn’t totally subside as she and Dani stood to extract their carry-ons from the overhead compartment. Jamie’s insides still felt rather twisted, and it took her until baggage claim to put her finger on why.
She was about to embark on a two week journey of pretending to be Dani’s girlfriend.
She was about to meet Dani’s mom for the first time. As Dani’s pretend girlfriend.
Reality was starting to sink in, and for a moment Jamie considered turning on her heel and getting back on the plane to fly east again. It suddenly seemed like the lesser of two evils. Then Dani was handing Jamie her suitcase and she gave her friend a weak smile. She only hoped she hadn’t made a grave mistake agreeing to be Dani’s fake holiday date.
***
“I can’t believe this is the car you rented for us while we’re here!”
Jamie shrugged innocently, and Dani now knew why Jamie had insisted on being the one to book their rental car. The brunette was standing beside a classic convertible looking enormously pleased with herself.
“Seemed like a fitting car for the trip,” Jamie said. “I’ve only ever seen California in movies, and everyone’s driving around in convertibles. Figured we’d try to blend in. The sunshine state and everything, right?”
Dani giggled. “Wrong side of the country. That’s Florida’s state motto.”
“Is it really? What the hell’s California then?”
“Eureka.”
Jamie made a face. “Bless you.”
“Jamie!” Dani whined at her friend’s teasing, but she couldn’t stop grinning. Something about the vaguely warm air and Jamie’s dimples made everything seem bright and cheery. “I’m still surprised you picked a convertible. You’re more of a truck or even a Jeep person. I just can’t picture you behind the wheel of this.”
“Ah, you see, there’s the brilliance of it. I bought these just for this trip.” Jamie pulled out a pair of aviator sunglasses and put them on. “What about it, Poppins? Do I look the part?”
The sight of Jamie in her old denim jacket with the collar askew and dark aviators shielding her eyes did something to Dani. Her heart did its stuttering thing and her mouth went dry. She felt like she almost needed to clench her thighs together. It shouldn’t have been as appealing to Dani as it was. Jamie was her friend. But still…
“Very fitting. You’re a regular west coast-er.”
“I knew it,” Jamie joked, popping her collar. Dani started to have the very inappropriate urge to press her friend up against the side of the car and… “Alright, come on then, let’s get our stuff in the boot. Gotta be on time to make a good first impression!”
Jamie drove confidently on the highways as Dani read her the directions. She hadn’t wanted to connect their phones and disrupt the Christmas music Dani had found on the radio. Jamie was a delightful car companion, and Dani thought maybe they should cancel their return flight and just drive back home when the time came. The thought of going on a road trip with Jamie was quite appealing. There was something about her laid back posture behind the wheel that did something to Dani.
“You guys actually string Christmas lights on the palm trees? That seems so weird.”
“What’s so weird about it?”
“I dunno it’s just…I feel like I’m used to evergreens and snow already. Seeing palm trees and a definite lack of white feels odd at this time of year.”
“Maybe we’ll get a once in a lifetime miraculous snowfall on December twenty fourth for you,” Dani teased.
“See Poppins, I know you’re just messing with me, but I actually would love that. Get on that for me, would you?”
As they entered the suburbs and the streets started to become more familiar, Dani felt her anxiety start to rise. “So are there any details we missed? Or anything you need to go over?”
Jamie took a quick glance over at Dani. “I reckon I’ve got a handle on everything.”
“Are you sure?” Dani asked quickly. “We went through everything right? We have answers for how long we’ve been together, who asked the other out, who…”
“Poppins.” Jamie took her right hand off the wheel and reached across the center console to squeeze Dani’s thigh. “We’re going to be fine. We went over the details so much even I believe that we’re dating. And remember, if anything comes up I’ll just follow your lead. They’re your family.”
Dani nodded. “Right. Yeah, that’s good.”
“It’s all sorted,” Jamie said soothingly.
“We’re not going to mess it up, right?”
Jamie shook her head. “Couldn’t mess it up if we tried, Poppins. We’ll be okay. And if something does go wrong we’ll just spend Christmas at a hotel or in Disneyland or something. No matter what, you and I are gonna have a great holiday.”