Faking It

Andy was initially ecstatic when he saw that the text from Leah was exactly what he had hoped it would be.

Hey meet me in the union bar at 7 I'll bring El then leave subtly okay?

Then his excitement turned to nerves. He was being set up with the most sought after girl at his university, and it didn't sound like she had any idea it was happening. He hadn't spent a whole lot of time with Elaine yet, and wasn't sure he had built enough affection to prevent her from politely excusing herself from his company minutes after Leah left, or being picked up by some other, hotter guy right in front of him.

He had the answers Elaine had given during the mind reading trick he'd pretended to attempt on her during an old run completely memorised. He could only hope he would get the chance to use them.

---

Andy arrived at the student bar to find Leah and Elaine huddled up next to each other, thick as thieves already and forming an almost intimidatingly hot duo.

"Hey Andy, this is my gorgeous new bestie Elaine. Elaine, this is Andy, the lovely Aquarius friend from my old school I was telling you about"

"Hey Andy!"

Elaine, her usual confident and friendly self, immediately put Andy at ease by standing up, placing her arm around him and giving him a kiss on the cheek, before inviting him to sit between her and Leah. She wasn't flirting, she was just being nice, but he appreciated it nonetheless.

"Oh shit, I feel like I have a migraine coming on" Leah announced almost immediately, not quite nailing 'subtle' "I'll be fine as long as I head up to my room and lie down with the light off before it kicks in"

"Oh, shit! Sorry Leah..."

"It's okay El! Don't let me spoil your evening though, you guys should hang out and get to know each other. You're both awesome so you're bound to get on"

"Sure, I'm cool with that if Andy is?"

That was a relief. Elaine didn't sound annoyed or disappointed, she was just taking it in her stride.

"Yeah, fine be me. I hope you feel better soon Leah"

His old classmate pranced off in a style not consistent with someone coming down with a migraine, her work for the evening done, leaving Andy on a sort of date with an Instagram model.

"Ever get the feeling you've been set up?" Elaine smirked.

"Sorry about this" Andy felt the need to apologise, all too aware she had got the rough end of the deal.

"Don't be. Just don't you go ditching me too, okay?" she held the cute cocktail she was drinking up for him to clink his beer glass against "Cheers!"

Andy felt guilty for having assumed Elaine would probably be a stuck up bitch before he first met her. She was actually kind, warm and emotionally intelligent. She had instantly diffused what could have become a very awkward situation, and soon she and Andy were hitting it off like they had before, when Leah had also abandoned him with her friend, that time in Elaine's bedroom.

The only problem was the interruptions, which gave Andy a glimpse into how annoying being an ultra hot girl must be. Two drunk guys wandered over to them and butted into the conversation right as Andy was about to make what he thought was an interesting point.

"Hey Elaine, we're both really big fans of yours, can we get a selfie?"

"Not right now guys, I'm having a drink with my friend"

"Stuck up bitch"

Andy heard one of them mutter the bitter insult under his breath as they moved away. Elaine must have heard it too, but didn't respond.

"Sorry about that" she strangely felt the need to apologise for the strangers rudeness "You were saying?"

"Please don't apologise, they were bugging you, it wasn't your fault"

"I always get told I bring it on myself. I guess there is something in that, the amount of work I put into building my social media presence"

"Fuck that, you make content people enjoy so that means they are allowed to harass you? That's such bullshit"

Andy was also thinking of his experiences with Tamara and how, less broad shouldered than Elaine, she had practically been rendered a prisoner in her own room. His emotion showed.

"Wow, It's really nice you feel that way" Elaine looked genuinely touched by that reaction"Most people just think the fame whore is getting what's coming to her"

"Well fuck those people. You aren't a fame whore. People who say that are just jealous. They's be doing what you are if anyone gave a shit about their photos"

"Yeah fuck 'em" Elaine agreed with a broad and approving grin "You know, I only do it for the money"

"Huh?"

"Shit, I just realised how bad that sounded" Elaine giggled, placing her hand to her mouth cutely "What I meant is, I'm trying to use the influencing money to pay off the massive student debts I'm incurring by coming here. I wouldn't be able to do a degree otherwise"

"Yeah, that's smart. I.."

Andy had started to feel like the conversation was going somewhere meaningful, but it was soon interrupted by two more would-be suitors for Elaine, emboldened by ****. Then, thirty seconds after they had been politely sent away, another one came along. It was starting to feel impossible. If this was what going out was like for Elaine, he was surprised she bothered.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do" the Insta model told Andy "We're going to scooch up nice and close to each other, you're going to put your arm around my shoulder, and I'll rest my hand on your thigh"

"What?"

"It's a trick I use with boyfriends to get other guys to fuck off. Works like a charm" Elaine explained "Unless you aren't comfortable with that, of course?"

"No, I'm fine with that" Andy answered, with perhaps the understatement of the year.

Andy pushed his body closer to Elaine's, so their thighs were pressed up against each other. He placed his arm around Elaine's neck, somehow shocked that met with no resistance even though she had suggested he do it. He then felt her hand being placed gently on his thigh. He really hoped his growing erection didn't find it.

He briefly felt like a king. The guy who appeared to all the world to have wooed the hottest girl in his year by day two of Fresher's week. He didn't feel like a very comfortable king, though.

It was fine for Elaine to sit like this with an actual boyfriend. They would probably be making out most of the time. It soon became apparent it didn't work so well for a prolonged conversation. Andy kept having to lean back so his lips weren't inappropriately close to hers whenever he turned to speak.

"This isn't quite working is it?" Elaine giggled after a while "Sorry about my silly idea. Would it weird you out if I suggested we went to one of our rooms so we can actually talk?"

"No, that works for me"

The record for the understatement of the year had just been broken.

"Great! So, your place or mine?"

---

Elaine was in Andy's room. She was sitting on his bed. He really wished he had made more of an effort decorating the place now.

Andy was still convinced Elaine was only being friendly. She did at least seem to genuinely like him as a person, but was he really going to be bold enough to try and make a move on her now? It would look like he thought she had plotted to get herself invited into his room to be fucked by him, which Andy was self aware enough to realise would be an absurd notion.

Perhaps it was time to break out the mind reading trick he's prepared for an occasion like this? Elaine had said she enjoyed them, and it ought to be a lot more impressive this time around.