Butterfly

The words made her freeze dead in her tracks. It was the very first time she had ever heard him speak from so close by.

She turned around slowly.

"*That* is your girlfriend?" Nova pointed an accusing, manicured finger straight at her.

Sarah could see the overwhelming disgust written all over Nova's face.

But her own face? Hers was pure, unadulterated confusion. Who was whose girlfriend? Definitely not her.

Blake stood up gracefully, stepping out from behind the heavy timber table and walking straight over to Sarah. Before she could take a single step back, he slid his hand casually onto her waist, pulling her close against his side. A hundred and one frantic thoughts raced through Sarah's mind all at once.

She tried putting some distance between them, twisting slightly to break away, but his grip was strong and unyielding.

Her hands trembled as she gripped the fabric of her skirt, her eyelids blinking rapidly in sheer shock.

"So why are you only saying it now? That this thing... this......"

Nova's harsh words were cut short as her pupils widened in absolute horror.

Blake bent forward, lifting Sarah up by her waist so that her face was just inches from his.

“Please forgive me in advance, but I'm going to kiss you.”

Sarah stiffened instantly, a gasp dying in her throat as her hands slammed flat against his hard chest to shove him back.

His lips met hers at a swift, commanding pace, catching her entirely off guard. He placed his lips directly on hers, holding the connection firm without another movement.

“What the hell is this?.... Blake!” Nova yelled, her voice echoing off the tall bookshelves.

He didn't move, and neither did Sarah. She stood completely still in his hold, her brain struggling to process what was actually happening.

Nova bolted out of the library, her heavy footsteps sounding like they could tear the entire building down.

Blake finally moved his face away from a visibly flushed Sarah, stepping back somewhat awkwardly.

“Um… I'm sorry,” he said, finding his voice first.

She took a subtle step backward, smoothing down her wrinkled skirt.

He ran a casual hand through his messy hair.

"I'm sorry about that.... I really needed a quick way out."

Sarah's heart kept beating ridiculously fast, she finally found her voice after seconds of silence.

“By kissing me?” Her voice came out rushed and tiny

“It wasn't really a kiss… but I'm sorry.”

“You don't get to do that without my permission.”

He offered a quick, solemn nod.

She glared at him while offering a small, stiff nod of her own, turning around to leave.

"Wait."

His deep voice stopped her cold.

"Come, let's talk.”

Those words. She had imagined him saying those exact words to her a hundred times in that deep, gorgeous voice of his.

Yet standing here now, she felt far less thrilled than she had in her fantasies. Regardless, her feet moved on their own as she turned and walked back over.

She stopped just a few feet away from him.

"Let's date."

Sarah stood completely still. A scream rose to the tip of her throat, but she held it in, desperately forcing down the smile that threatened to break out across her face.

*Play hard, Sarah. Play hard,* she screamed at herself internally. She maintained a calculating, composed expression.

"Do you offer that to every girl you meet?.... Or just those you kiss without their consent?"

“Can we not talk about the kiss?.. Please?”

“Answer me.”

"Only the ones who stay for every...... No."

"So why me?"

"She just saw me with you. I don't particularly want to be labeled a liar."

“And what exactly do I get?”

Blake shrugged carelessly.

“Money. Whatever price you name.”

Sarah almost laughed out loud.

Money wasn't the problem.

If anything, Blake had just offered her something far more dangerous than money: a chance to be beside him.

For three years she had watched him from a distance, nursing a hopeless crush. Now he was standing right in front of her, asking her to pretend to be his girlfriend.

She was probably going to regret this terribly.

“Fine.” A slight smirk curved her lips. "I'll do it. I'm a good person, a very good person, right? So I'll do it."

A low, husky laugh escaped Blake's throat as he nodded slowly.

"Yes. You sure are a good person."

“Strictly fake, Blake….. right?” she asked, trying to gauge if he might change his mind or slide in hidden expectations.

He nodded slowly. "Strictly fake."

Sarah let a small smile touch her lips as she extended her phone toward him. At least she could be with him for a period of time, even if it was all just a show.

He took it, typed his number into the keypad, and dialed his own line so it rang once before hanging up. He handed the phone back into her waiting grip.

"So, I do respect your boundaries and as such, I would love to know them.”

Sarah looked at him with a different light in her eyes for a moment.

“Then we need rules.”

“Why do we need rules?”

“I've seen them do that in movies, so yes, I think we need them to properly establish my boundaries.”

A faint smile touched his face. “Okay.”

"First: no actual feelings…….. But… If…. No… Yes, no feelings."

The corner of his mouth twitched upward in amusement.

"Second: no physical intimacy unless absolutely required in public. Thirdly: no invading my personal life. Do you agree?"

He nodded smoothly. "Yeah."

"We should probably put it in writing."

He stepped closer to her, raising his hand to rest his palm gently against her warm, flushed cheek.

“Have you ever kissed anyone… Girlfriend?”

Sarah blushed instantly. She looked down at her feet, trying desperately to hide her burning face.

“You are invading my privacy right now.”

He smiled, leaning in just a fraction closer. “That's a ‘No’ then.”

"I think you should write this down too.... Because I want to break one of them before you even put it on paper."

Sarah looked up, her index finger pressing directly against his forehead, pushing him back slowly. Yet, somehow, her face drew inches closer to his, her lips parting just a little.

“No physical intimacy unless necessary, Butterfly…. But how do we do it publicly when you have no clue?”

The strength behind Sarah's finger on his forehead gradually weakened.

“Tell me to stop,” he mumbled against her lips.

He waited. She didn't.

“Let me teach you then, Butterfly.”