"Gracie, Gracie… I heard someone call my name relentlessly.
God why couldn't they just let me rest in peace.
"Gracie" the voice called much closer, "Gracie, Grace- , oh…. there you are, I've been looking all over for you" my friend Mabel said, while she plopped herself on my bed, her face radiated a strange sort of happiness.
"Guess what?" She asked.
"What?" I replied.
She pulled her hands from behind her back.
"Ta-da, he proposed yesterday," she said beaming.
Another one, these days they were popping in like flies with diamonds on their wrist. Mabel and I lived in this apartment together but her friends dropped by all the time, and as time went on, they became my friends out of convenience too.
Speaking of friends… I knew it had to be any moment soon.
"Gracie" voices shouted in unison as they crowded me.
"You should try to be a bit more optimistic about things you know, the way you are now, you'll never find a husband," Chloe said.
"I don't think she needs it actually" Zara cut in.
"Zara, don't say that, marriage is everything and you know that, she'll be so sad and alone if she doesn't get married" Claire added.
"Guys…please, maybe she's tried but it just didn't work out, I mean look at her, she's boring, plain, sits here all day sleeping or reading, even if she did try, who would want to date someone like her" Mari said.
Claire gasped, out of everyone she was the most soft hearted. And took things too seriously.
"Mari, you shouldn't say something like that" she chastised her.
"But I'm right aren't I?" Mari argued.
"She's right Mari" Mabel cut in.
"Pls don't say that, Gracie really tries, but she's just not good with men. The good news is that I have a solution, I got an update on a new dating app already, I'll just get her signed up on the match group- I zoned out.
Wait a minute, signed her up? Shit. This couldn't be happening again, the last time Mabel signed me up on a dating app, it had been a nightmare. How I'd survived it, I didn't know, what was I going to do now? How would I get out of this one?
I panicked. And said the first thing that came to my mind.
"I have a boyfriend," I blurted out.
The chatter stopped and everyone stared at me.
"What?" Mabel asked, her face scrunched in confusion.
"Yh, I got a new boyfriend. Me and this guy we've been talking to each other for a while now, he asked me to be his girlfriend, a few days ago, I've been meaning to tell you all" i said.
Shit. I can't believe I just lied.
They weren't going to buy it.
Claire rushed forward and gave me a hug.
"Oh my God Gracie, you should have told us sooner" she said happily.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me about this guy, I'm your roommate Gracie, I feel so betrayed," Mabel cut in pouting.
"I kinda forgot…." I muttered.
"What do you mean you forgot? who forgets a whole human being they're dating, I say it's a lie." Mari said, squinting her eyes in disbelief.
"Mari," Claire exclaimed. "Don't say such, that is such a bold accusation you know right, you know Gracie's shy and she doesn't talk much, I'm guessing that's why she didn't tell us" she countered.
God I've never loved Claire so much more than I did at this moment.
"I say it's bullshit, she's lying," Mari insisted.
"Come on Mari, don't be that way, I mean why would Gracie lie?" Chloe said softly.
"Yeah Mari, Chloe's right, why would Gracie lie? she has no reason to, right Gracie?" Mabel said, staring at me.
"But she has a reason to dumbheads" Mari snapped. "Mabel just said she wanted to sign her up on a dating app. What does an introvert hate more than not sleeping and eating?" Mari asked and looked around, everyone stared at her back.
"It's socializing, idiots, she panicked and said the one thing that would get Mabel off her back" Mari said finally.
Everyone went quiet.
"Well ... .I still don't think Gracie would lie" Claire said in a last attempt to defend me.
"I have a suggestion" Zara said quietly, everyone had probably forgotten she was in the room, she was one of the friends that didn't like arguing too much.
"What's that?" asked Mabel.
"Why doesn't she bring her boyfriend over, you're having an event at the Mayfair hall tomorrow, right?" She said to Claire.
"Let her bring her boyfriend along, that'll clear all doubt" she finished.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I hadn't thought that far.
"Ohh Zara you're such a genius" Claire said, clapping her hands enthusiastically.
"Hmm…she is right," Mabel agreed.
"Alright Gracie, how about you bring your boyfriend, let's see him, I mean it'll be good, we're all experienced with men, so…we'll tell you if he's good for you or not, right guys?" Mabel finished.
They all agreed in unison.
Mari scoffed. "I'm sure you're lying and the event would prove it."
"Ohh please Mari" Chloe said annoyed.
"Let it go ok" Claire said to her.
She merely scoffed again and walked out.
"Don't mind her Gracie, I know you're not lying" Claire said, holding my hands and smiling, soon enough they all walked out.
And I was left alone, shit. What did I just do, the event was tomorrow, there was no way I'd be able to secure a boyfriend that would act the part convincingly. I didn't have any male friends either. What did I get myself into?
Mari would scorn me once she finds out I'm lying, and there's Claire, she'd be so heart broken, Mabel would be disappointed in me, Chloe would feel pity for me. And Mari….
I shot up from bed immediately, I had no other choice, I had to find a boyfriend somehow, I couldn't waste time on dating apps, after all that was the main reason why I got myself in this mess in the first place, i just had to find a good actor who could play the part of the boyfriend role just for one night.