Once everyone got the produce jokes out of their system, the group settled down and started painting. For the next half hour or so, everyone sipped wine and chatted quietly while jazz music played from speakers set up in one corner of the room. Julia was pleasantly surprised to discover that the whole experience was rather relaxing.

“Maybe it’s the wine talking,” Andie said, turning to Kat after finishing her second round of twofers, “but painting your boyfriend’s penis isn’t as awkward as I’d thought it would be.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Kat pointed out.

“Your pretend boyfriend, then,” Andie said waving her paintbrush in the air as if dismissing the details.

Kat eyed Andie caustically but didn’t argue. “Where’s your pretend boyfriend?”

“Who? Curt?”

“Ha! Then you admit it!” Julia crowed. “I knew you liked him.”

“I tolerate him,” Andie sniffed. “He’s busy with the wedding party tonight. Rehearsal dinner or something.”

“He’s really here for a wedding?” Julia asked.

“Yep. That was all true. The wedding is Sunday.” Andie paused, then added, “He mentioned something to me about being his plus-one.”

“Wait, like a real date?” Julia demanded. “Beyond this simulation thing?”

“Plus-ones aren’t real dates,” Andie argued.

“It’s absolutely a real date.” Kat tapped her fingers. “There’s dinner, drinking, dancing, usually some banging in a hotel room—or a church confessional.”

“What?” Andie and Julia both demanded.

“Please tell me it wasn’t with a priest,” Julia begged.

“Please tell me it was,” Andie encouraged.

“Not a priest. I don’t think.” Kat shrugged, brushing it off. “So? Are you planning to go?”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“See?” Kat clapped her hands. “I told you true love can happen here!”

“Whoa, slow down. Nobody said anything about true love. I haven’t even said yes yet.” Andie glanced around the room. “Where’s the wine lady?”

Julia grinned. Seeing her usually chill friend get flustered was an unexpected but interesting development.

Even though she’d begun this experience intending to prove her friends wrong and show them it was impossible to experience real feelings while playing pretend, that the kind of love they were hoping to find was a fantasy, Julia had to admit, the longer she was here, the more the possibility was starting to seem, well … possible.

“What about Luke?” Kat asked.

“What about Luke?” Julia wondered, heart ballooning at the mention of his name. “I haven’t seen him all day,” she admitted, deflating a little. “I don’t know where he is tonight.”

“I do,” David said, and pointed.

Julia craned her neck to look past her easel. Sure enough, Luke was standing in the corner of the room by the sound system. “What’s he doing?”

“Plugging in a microphone,” Patrick said matter-of-factly.

The artsy jazz music cut out, followed by a screech of audio feedback.

Everyone in the room cringed and turned toward the sound.