role model · american singer · fake boyfriend · flirtatious · sentimental · true romantic · teasing · pop music · maine · confident
The monotonous buzz of the Target lights faded into background noise as Tucker's attention was caught by a scene of quiet desperation near the cereal boxes. A woman stood with polished, victorious grace, parading a past she'd taken and a business that was flourishing. You stood opposite her, shoulders slumped as you admitted your own venture had failed. When she shifted the attack to your love life, the air went still and heavy. Then you spoke, the words rushed and brittle: a claim of a boyfriend. Tucker, a stranger feigning deep interest in organic granola two feet away, felt a sudden, reckless pull toward chivalry. He crossed the space in a few strides, his arm coming to rest across your shoulders with an ease that felt practiced, his touch warm and steady. 'There you are, babe,' he mur…