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illiterateaffairs · 8 months

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behind the scenes chapter five | fifty fake dates

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pairing: jamie tartt x actress!reader (ted lasso)

rating: T

word count: 6,388

summary: you and jamie face the biggest test of your fake relationship so far; a double date with keeley and roy

a/n: this is once again a bit later than i had hoped to post, but this is my favorite chapter so far so i hope its worth the wait! i cannot wait to hear what you all think, especially in regards to the reader's scenes with roy and keeley :)

Jamie could be a very cocky person, but he could honestly say, in a completely unbiased way that you two were absolutely crushing this fake dating thing.

Not only had your movie premiere hard launch gone incredibly well the other week, you’d had many successful fake dates since. You’d been seen on various breakfast, lunch and dinner dates, as well as on walks together and even outside your flat again. You’d also posted a couple Instagram posts and stories here and there for good measure, slowly ramping up in a way that felt natural to a real relationship.

The public was eating it up. From fans to journalists, everyone thought you were adorable together. Jamie knew for a fact no one in the world suspected this was all for show.

Unfortunately, the pitfall of doing such a good job meant that not only had his coworkers bought the whole ordeal, but demanded to see it up close. And while fooling Roy and Keeley was a major cornerstone of the whole plot, he wasn’t exactly prepared for what Keeley had in store for them.

“A double date?” Jamie squints at her, after she’d cornered him in the locker room at the end of training one evening.

“Yeah, doesn’t that sound like fun!” Keeley nods, “It was actually Roy’s idea.”

“No!” Roy exclaims raspily from where he was sitting in the coaches office. The three of them were conveniently the last ones to leave for the night.

Keeley shakes her head, “You were the one who said you wanted to meet her.” She turns back to Jamie, “And I for one think a night out, just the four of us, would be a perfect way for all of us to get to know each other.”

Jamie hesitates. Again, he knows that’s the whole point of this charade. But he hadn’t been mentally prepared for when the opportunity to show you off actually came.

“I mean, I’m having dinner with her tonight,” he starts out slowly, “There’s no guarantee she’ll be available, you know, her being a hugely popular and successful actress and everything. But I’ll bring it up.”

Keeley smiles, “That’s all I ask!”

Jamie gives her a tight smile, before bidding her and Roy a good night.

Well, this should be fun.

“Hi, sorry I’m late. Filming ran long,” you say hurriedly as you breeze over to the table Jamie is sitting at. Despite there not being any photographers in this dimly lit restaurant, you feel the need to press a kiss onto his cheek, and he doesn’t seem to mind at all.

Jamie shrugs as you slide into the seat across from him, “No worries.”

You sigh, and mutter quietly, “Well, isn’t the point of this whole thing to be seen entering places together?”

“It's fine, really,” he insists. And then with a smirk, “We’ll be seen leaving together and I think that’s a little more important.”

You can’t help but chuckle as you finally catch your breath from rushing in. As you’re collecting yourself, you notice a glass of wine and an otherwise empty table in front of you.

“No menu?” you question.

Jamie shrugs again, this time a little awkwardly, “I went ahead and ordered for you. I figured you were filming late and thought you’d be eager to eat quickly. You like chicken parmesan, right?”

An impressed smile takes over your face, “Wow. As far as fake boyfriends go, you’re pretty good.”

A bashful smile takes over his own face. “I do my best.”

“And let me guess, you got the steak but you’re going to tell Roy you got a salad.”

Jamie quirks an amused eyebrow, “You’re not so bad yourself.”

You’re both equally proud and yet surprised at how quickly you’d become accustomed to each other’s lives and habits. And how natural it felt to fold one another into your own.

Jamie lets you take a healthy sip of wine before taking a deep breath, “Speaking of Roy.”

“Oh?” You raise an eyebrow this time in question.

“Yeah, uh, he and Keeley actually asked me something earlier. They - well, more Keeley - thought it would be fun for us to go on a sort-of double date? I told them I’d ask you, but I didn’t promise them anything. So, if it's not something you’re up for that's totally fine, I can blow them off.”

You bite back a laugh at how quickly and anxiously he’s speaking. You think it's best to cut him off before he passes out. “Jamie,” you reach across the table and take his hand, “I think that sounds fun.”

Jamie squints, “Really? Because we seriously don’t have to.”

“I’m serious! I think it would be fun to meet the people that sent you into a spiral and made you ask to fake date me,” Jamie scoffs but a smile starts breaking through again, “Besides, this deal is a two way street. You’ve done plenty to help boost my rep so far, it's time I return the favor.”

Now Jamie fully smiles, but still asks, “If you’re sure?”

“I’m positive!”

“Alright. Well, since you’re the one that has to pretend to be obsessed with me all night, I think it’s only fair that you get to pick the activity. What do you want to do?”

You mull it over in your end until the perfect idea strikes you.

“Can I tell you something?”

“Of course.”

“I am absolutely shit at bowling.”

From the passenger's seat of Jamie’s car, you let out a cackle. “There’s no way that’s true.”

“There absolutely is.” Jamie frowns beside you, completely unamused.

“Wow, finally something Jamie Tartt isn’t amazing at.”

“You know you haven’t seen me do that much,” he points out.

You hold your hand up and tick things off, “Amazing footballer, amazing fake-boyfriend. What else is there?”

This gets a laugh out of him.

The two of you are currently parked outside a bowling alley that is surprisingly empty for a Saturday evening. Jamie had received a text from Keeley saying she and Roy had arrived a few minutes prior, so now the two of your were mentally preparing for the night ahead.

“You know you could have told me this before and we could have done something else?” you asked after a few moments had passed.

Jamie lets out a deep breath, “But you were so excited about it when you brought it up.”

You chew the inside of your cheek to prevent yourself from smiling. “Well, I appreciate that. And I’m sure you’re not as bad as you think.”

“Let me know if you think that when you see me play.”

“Well, I can’t do that unless we actually go inside,” you whisper to him like it's a secret he hadn’t caught onto.

Jamie sighs deeply again.

“Hey,” you reach across the console and squeeze his hand briefly, “Tonight’s gonna be great. We’re gonna play a game, I’m gonna wow your friends, we’re gonna drink a shit ton of beers and have a shit ton of nachos, and have a good time.”

The side of Jamie’s mouth tilts up, “I think my vocabulary is rubbing off on you.”

You chuckle, shoving him lightly, “Come on, let’s get this show on the road already.”

“God, you’re impatient,” Jamie teases, but he’s finally pushing his car door open.

“Time is money, money is power, power is pizza, let's do this!”

If you were being honest, you had googled Roy Kent and Keeley Jones before. However, nothing could prepare you for how intimidating Roy was and how drop-dead gorgeous Keeley was in real life.

You and Jamie approached them hand-in-hand, and took little to no time for you to clock that you were the only people in the establishment. You’re confused about this, but you have to quickly bury any questions when Keeley pulls you into a tight hug.

“Hi, it’s so great to meet you, I’m Keeley!” she greets enthusiastically, before pulling away from you abruptly, “Holy shit, I’m sorry. The last thing you probably want is a random stranger hugging you out of nowhere. I’m sure you’re on edge all the time from the attention you get.”

You can’t help but flush when anyone makes a reference to your level of fame, not one to dwell on it yourself. However, Keeley’s energy is so bubbly and kind, you can’t help but feel comfortable as well as amused at how hard she’s trying.

“No, no, not at all. Hugging is great,” You give her a big smile as reassurance, “Besides, you’re not a random stranger, you’re one of Jamie’s best friends, so you’re automatically already a cool person in my book.”

Keeley matches your smile before turning to Jamie, “Oh, my God, you were right about how nice she is.”

You turn to Jamie as well with a curious look, and he can barely make eye contact with you. “So, now you know Keeley, and that scruffy old-man behind her is Roy.”

You turn to the man in question, and give him a kind smile and small wave, “Hey! I take it you’re probably not going to bear-hug me like your girlfriend, but it’d be funny if you did.”

To everyone’s surprise, Roy cracks a smile at your joke. It’s a small one but it's there. The bearded man gives you an approving nod before the four of you start making your way to your table. As you and Jamie trail behind the other couple, he gives you an impressed smile and you beam back at him.

Once you’re seated, you and Keeley send the boys off to grab bowling shoes and snacks for the group.

“So, am I crazy or is this place extremely vacant for a Saturday night?” you ask the blonde as you type your name into the scoreboard.

Keeley chuckles, “Oh yeah, we actually rented the place out for the next couple of hours.”

Your eyebrows shoot up, “Okay. Boujee.”

Keeley shrugs, “We don’t normally do things like that, but Jamie thought you’d prefer a night not being bothered by fans and such.”

Oh.

“While I normally don’t do things like this either, it does sound nice to have a normal night out.”

“It’ll be fun!” Keeley says cheerfully.

“Definitely,” you nod along, feeling warmed by her vibrant personality. “Even more so because apparently Jamie is really bad at bowling.”

Keeley snorts, “Oh, good. I mean, I’m not so great myself and Roy didn’t seem too enthused about this,” at your alarmed look, she quickly continues, “He’s never enthused about anything, don’t take it personally.”

You nod again, still a bit unsure. While you’d seemingly appeased Roy with your joke earlier, you were still anxious to get on his good side for some reason. You were a people pleaser through and through, but especially when the people in question were hard to crack.

You don’t have much time to dwell on your thoughts when Jamie and Roy reappear with beer, nachos, and bowling shoes.

Soon after the game begins. Between the consistent and easy flowing small talk, you bowl first with a respectable 8 pins down for your first go. You were just getting warmed up. Then Keeley takes a turn and manages 5 pins. You try to keep your laughter at bay when Jamie lands his first roll in the gutter, before just barely hitting 2 pins on his second attempt.

“I told you I was shit,” Jamie frowns, plopping down beside you after his turn.

You give him a playful pout, rubbing his arm. “Hey, the night is young, babe. You can still redeem yourself.”

You miss the flush on his cheeks from the pet name, as you and Keeley turn to Roy stepping up to the lane.

“You got this Roy-o!” Keeley claps.

Roy lets out a deep sigh before casually rolling the ball down the lane only to get a strike.

You and Jamie sit up straight in surprise, as Keeley’s eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets.

“I thought you hated bowling?” she exclaims, Roy sitting beside her and taking a gulp of his beer.

“I said I didn’t like it, never said I was bad at it,” he corrects, “Phoebe had like 3 birthdays here.”

“Phoebe’s Roy’s niece,” Keeley says, facing you before you could even ask, “You’d love her.”

You hum in response. You give Roy a friendly yet challenging grin, “Looks like I have stiffer competition than I expected.”

You catch a glimmer of competitiveness in Roy’s eye as you stand up to take your next turn. While you weren’t sure he’d be down for a little competition, he seems intrigued by your retort.

You’re pleased when you score a spare this round. Jamie and Keeley cheer for you, the former planting a celebratory kiss on your cheek when you return. Roy, for his part, looks impressed. It was on.

The game practically flies by after that. You and Roy are pretty evenly matched, taking turns between scoring strikes and fumbling a bit under the pressure. Keeley holds her own as well, but she’s mostly just happy to be there, cheering both you and Roy on. Jamie for his part manages to do better little by little, but he’s certainly no stranger to a gutter-bar or ill-fated split. And while he was resistant at first, he starts laughing along with your groups playful jabs at his expense.

Between rounds, you thoroughly enjoy getting to know Roy and Keeley. Keeley is a bit more forthcoming in conversations, but after a couple beers, Roy loosens up a bit himself and you’re pleased to learn he has a fun sense of humor.

By the end of the game, you manage to one-up Roy Kent by mere single digits. And while he’s graceful in the loss, he can’t help but point out he was a bit rusty.

“Okay, now that you’re warmed up, why don’t we make the next game a little more interesting,” you challenge.

Roy raises one of his thick eyebrows, “Go on.”

“Let’s say the next loser between us picks up the tab for the night?” you suggest.

Roy chuckles, “Big talk from someone with all that Hollywood money.”

“Oh, come on, I’m sure the highest paid coach in the premier league can handle it,” you throw back.

Keeley and Jamie amusedly watch you two like a tennis match.

A mischievous smile makes its way onto Roy’s face, before he extends his hand to you, “It’s a deal.”

You smirk, shaking his hand.

“Alright, if we’re doing this again, I need another beer,” Jamie announces, standing up from the booth.

“Ooh, I’ll come with,” Keeley says, jumping up as well.

“Wait, wait,” you call out, grabbing Jamie’s hand so he turns back around.

“Yeah, love?” Jamie asks, startled by the ease in which the pet name rolls off his own tongue.

“Can you get me some chicken wings, please?” you ask, with the sweetest smile you can muster.

Jamie chuckles, “Of course.”

“Thank you,” you sing-song. He watches your eyes glance over at Roy and Keeley quickly and discreetly, before looking back up at him. Then you blink twice.

Jamie doesn’t hold back the small smile that takes over his face as he leans down to press a chaste kiss on your lips. He forces himself not to linger, so he and Keeley can head to the snack bar.

This leaves you alone with Roy for the first time tonight. You have half a second to worry you’d be sitting in awkward silence before the man himself is speaking up.

“I like you,” he says suddenly.

You sit up in surprise for the second time tonight. Roy didn’t come across as the most transparent person when it came to feelings, and you’re once again sure the alcohol was helping, but it still took you aback.

“Oh?” is all you can manage to say in response.

He nods, sipping on his beverage. “You’re good for Jamie. You treat him well, but you don’t take his shit. He needs that.”

You give him a small smile, touched by his words. You were both relieved you were pulling off the girlfriend thing so well, and also happy that he thought you were making a positive impact on Jamie. Your situation may be temporary - and mostly fake - but it felt good that you were a decent influence in the time you have.

“Thanks, Roy.”

He tilts his beer bottle in your direction, and you raise yours as well.

“You’re also a hell of a bowler, but you are going down this next game.”

You scoff, “You wish, Kent.”

Meanwhile, Keeley is also singing your praises at the concessions stand with Jamie.

“Bravo, Jamie,” Keeley grins, shaking Jamie’s arm with an affectionate squeeze, “Not only is she fucking fit and talented - at acting and bowling nonetheless - she’s so fucking cool. She’s perfect for you.”

Jamie smiles bashfully, but accepts Keeley’s compliments of you. She was right. You were amazing.

“And, I’m so happy you’re happy,” she adds, even more sincerely, “It always seemed like you were going through the motions in your past relationships, before and after me. And during me, I guess.”

Jamie moves to apologize but she shakes her head.

“You don’t need to do that,” she states forcefully, “You’ve grown so much. You deserve all the good things happening in your life. And this,” she nods in the direction you and Roy were sitting, “Is such a good thing.”

Jamie’s smile wobbles a little, “You know I wasn’t just going through the motions with you, right? I really, really cared about you Keeley.”

Keeley instantly sobers as well, nodding aggressively, “I know that.”

“Good.”

“But I can tell this is different,” she insists. “You’re different. She’s different. And like I said, that’s a good thing.”

Jamie nods. Keeley’s words weigh heavily on him. Maybe that was the thing about him and her all along. You could care about a person, but that didn’t make you two the right fit. He considers this thought as he and Keeley carry their food back to the table. You and him were different. But not the different Keeley thought. You were just acting, and you were doing a hell of a good job of it. But that was the point, wasn’t it? Keeley and Roy were believing all of it, just like he wanted. So why doesn’t he feel as relieved as he should?

He buries those thoughts as you excitedly stand up to start the next game. That wasn’t before you happily thank him for the wings with yet another peck on the lips. And with that and more alcohol flowing through his veins, he can hardly remember any of his worries.

After you score another strike right off the bat, instead of returning to your seat you gesture for Jamie to join you in front of the lane.

“What are you gonna do?” he questions, “Wrap your arms around me to show me the right technique?”

“While that would be adorable, no,” you retort with a laugh, “But I can give you some pointers.”

Jamie can barely focus on the tips you’re telling him, because even if you’re not physically showing him how to move, you’re still standing in such close proximity, and whispering to him nonetheless. How was he meant to pay attention? When you’re done with your explanation, you give him another quick kiss, wishing him good luck, before skipping back to the booth.

Whether it was the tutorial or the kiss, he’d never know, but he somehow managed 7 pins that first try, and knocked down 2 more his second go. That was almost a spare. He’d be proud either way, but was even more so when you excitedly cheered for him on his way back to the table.

The second game is just as much of a blur as the first, except this time as the competition and the alcohol levels grow, you and Jamie become much more affectionate. He knows you don’t love PDA, so you keep the kissing to a minimum around Roy and Keeley, but there’s no shortage of hugging and hand holding as you rack up points on the scoreboard. Towards the end of the game, you manage the first Turkey of the night, and Jamie picks you up and spins you around.

Before you know it, everyone’s down to their last shot. The score is so close, with you getting yet another strike at the last moment. Jamie and Keeley finish with respectable scores - Jamie having improved a lot this go - but they’re nowhere near you and Roy.

Roy’s final roll is what makes or breaks the game. If he scores a strike, he wins. But even a spare means you’d win. Everyone watches with baited breath as he steps up to the lane. Its as if the ball rolls in slow motion, but as it hits the pins and you all watch as each and every pin gets knocked down, various exclamations are shouted.

“He must’ve cheated!” is Jamie’s contribution to the yelling, but he and you are both half laughing at the same time.

You, for your part, can’t be too disappointed when you’ve had such a fun night with more than amazing company. You also watch as Keeley gives Roy a sweet, congratulatory kiss, which was the first time they’d done so all night. Your heart pangs in your chest a little, feeling envious for the first time for what another couple had. It’s not something you’ve felt often in your life, but seeing how well the pair complemented each other all night made you long for the same thing with someone one day.

“You put up a good fight,” Roy salutes you, settling back down next to his girlfriend.

You smile, “It was a close game, but I’ll hand it to you.”

You begin to take out your credit card, when Jamie pushes your hand away, already taking out his own wallet.

“I’ve got this,” he says.

You frown, “I don’t remember you being a part of the deal.”

Jamie shrugs, “A lady should never pay on a date, so your bill is now my bill.”

Normally, you’d argue on account of feminism, but you’re feeling a little loopy. Most likely from the beer and not at all from the boy in front of you with that lopsided grin.

After Jamie closes your group’s tab, the four of you change back into your regular shoes and start saying your goodbyes.

“This was so fun!” Keeley smiles, pulling you in for another hug, which you gladly reciprocate, “We should do it again soon.”

“For sure,” you agree, before pulling away and addressing Roy, “I would like a rematch.”

Roy chuckles, “You’re on.” And then he surprises you by giving you a quick hug himself.

With a final goodbye, Roy and Keeley start heading for the exit. Jamie gives you a sly grin once they’re far enough away.

“I’d say we did a good job tonight,” he says.

You nod, “We definitely did. You’re friends love me, and you know what? I love them, too.”

Jamie laughs, “Good.” He gestures his hand to the doors, “Shall we?”

You give Jamie your own secretive grin, “There’s one more thing I have to do before we leave.”

Jamie furrows his brows, “What’s that?”

Your grin only grows, before you grip his hand and pull him towards the far side of the bowling alley that housed a handful of arcade games.

Jamie cackles when you stop in front of one of them.

“The claw machine?”

You only nod, already shoving quarters into the machine, “I was hoping they’d have one of these.”

Jamie shakes his head, watching as you navigate the claw around the machine, “There’s no way you win this. You know these things are rigged, right?”

Before the words are fully out of his mouth, you’re already dropping a bright orange dragon in to the opening before pulling it out of the bottom.

Jamie stares at you with wide eyes, “How the fuck did you do that?”

You shrug, “I’m amazing at arcade games. And I needed a win.”

Jamie laughs again, “I’d say you’re far from a loser. Did you see whose name was at the bottom of the scoreboard?”

You giggle, and then hold out the dragon to him, “Well here. A consolation prize.”

Jamie takes the stuffed toy from your hands, “For me?”

“Of course. I mean, as long as you treat him right and give him a name.”

Jamie studies the dragon’s face for a moment. “Alfred.”

You snort, “Alfred?”

“Alfred the Dragon.” Jamie says, assuredly.

“Well, I love it.”

“Good,” Jamie laughs along with you. “Well, the reservation we had on this place is about to end. People are going to start showing up any second so we should probably go.”

“Wait,” you grab Jamie’s hands again, “It's only, what, 9PM? Let’s go out and do something else.”

“Really?” Jamie asks, both surprised and amused.

“Yeah, why not? I hardly ever get out like this, might as well make the most of it while I have the mental energy,” you say with a laugh. “Come on, you’re the guy who knows all the spots where we can enjoy a drink on the down low right? Any bars like that?”

A smile starts to grow on Jamie’s face again, “Well, there is one.”

“Did you bring me to a karaoke bar?” you question, but there’s an excited grin on your face.

Jamie shrugs from the driver’s seat of his car, relieved he’d stayed sober enough to keep the night going. He feared that wouldn’t last much longer, though.

“Everyone at this place is so pissed they’d never realize they were around a famous actress, even if you wore a shirt that said ‘I was in Study Break’.”

You laugh embarrassedly, rubbing your face. “Of course you’ve seen the sitcom I was in.”

Jamie smiles, “That and Parks and Rec are only two of the greatest comedies of all time.”

“That’s generous,” you say. “If we’re at a karaoke bar, does that mean you’re going to sing?”

Jamie huffs, “Hell no. I would need several drinks for that.”

“I think we can make that happen,” you smirk. “Do you think Alfred will be okay to wait in the car?”

You both turn back to where Jamie had buckled the plush dragon in behind the two of you.

“Does that make us neglectful parents to leave our kid in the car?” he asks.

“Eh, he’ll survive.” You shrug, before the two of you jump out of the car.

You and Jamie immediately camp out at open spots at the bar and order drinks. While much of the beer from earlier had worn off, Jamie could still tell you were feeling lighter, bopping along to the horrible singing from the karaoke performer on the stage in the front of the room. He’s adored getting to see such a playful side of you tonight. He hopes he can start to bring it out of you even when alcohol wasn’t involved.

“I just realized when we conducted our research on each other, I didn’t ask if you had a go to karaoke song,” you ask him after a few minutes of quiet between the two of you.

Jamie thinks for a beat. Not that he’d participated in the activity often, he did have a few go-to’s. “Probably something by The Beatles. Or Britney Spears.”

You cackle, “Those two couldn’t be more different options and yet they’re both so perfect for you.”

Jamie laughs along with you, “What about you?”

“Hmm, I like a good 80’s song. Some Madonna, or Pat Benetar.”

“Those are solid.”

“And this isn't the 80's, but if I can get someone to do a duet with me, The Chain by Fleetwood Mac.”

“That is a bold karaoke song.”

“Sure, but it's so powerful.”

You both sip on your drinks as you keep humming along to the next singer who's doing a rough version of Bennie and the Jets.

“I know another question I didn’t ask you that feels like an oversight,” Jamie says this time, “What is Miss Movie Star’s favorite movie?” Jamie’s immediately intrigued when you become embarrassed by the question. He pokes your stomach gently. “What? Now you’ve got to tell me.”

You answer so softly, he can barely hear you over the music. “When Harry Met Sally.”

Jamie’s mouth is agape, “Excuse me, When Harry Met Sally? The girl who hates romance’s favorite movie is a romantic comedy?”

You squeeze your eyes shut, “I never said I hated romance, I just said some movies set unrealistic expectations.”

“Still!” Jamie exclaims with wide eyes.

“I know, I know. But it’s just so comforting! And Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal are so good together.”

“I mean, yeah.” Jamie agrees, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

“But I stand by the fact that most romcoms can be a bit far fetched.”

“Okay, that’s fair. What other movies are your favorites then?”

You once again look afraid to answer, but inevitably do. “13 Going on 30…Notting Hill…”

“Are you kidding me? 13 Going On 30 is the most unrealistic. It's about a girl who goes from a 13 year old to a full grown adult overnight!”

“Yes, but Mark Ruffalo!”

“And Notting Hill is about the biggest actress in the world moving across the world for a random bookstore owner, how is that realistic?”

“Well, I mean I’m pretending to date you!” you retort before thinking through what you’re saying.

Jamie doesn’t dwell on it, “Did you just compare yourself to Julia Roberts?”

You sputter, “Not fully, but that would make you Hugh Grant!”

Jamie gives you a look, “I’m of a little higher rank than a bookstore owner.”

You gesture between the two of you, “So you’re saying the two of us come across as realistic. That’s good, that's what we want.”

Jamie chuckles, as you ground your conversation back in reality. “That’s fair.”

You smile slightly, “And again; I never said I hated romance and stuff. I just wish it was easier to come by like it seems on screen.”

Jamie nods, speaking more softly, “Yeah, me too.”

Before you lose yourself in Jamie’s gaze, you turn the topic on him, “What’s your favorite movie, then? Bend It Like Beckham?”

Jamie snorts, “While that’s a great film, I wouldn’t say it's my favorite.”

“Fair. But if you say another one of my movies, I’ll punch you.”

Your conversation continues just as smoothly as your cocktails go down after that. You bounce between learning more about one another, to mindless conversations about seemingly nothing. You also take many breaks to belt the lyrics to songs you love as more and more drunk patrons lousily perform.

Before you know it, you’re both nearly as drunk as the karaoke singers. Jamie soon realizes though, you’re much more of a lightweight, constantly coming up with random topics.

“I like the way you say Keeley’s name,” you tell him at one point, completely unrelated to the conversation you were having.

Jamie furrows his eyebrows, “Keeley?”

You shove your index finger in his face, “See, like that! Keeley.”

He chuckles at your poor, yet adorable imitation of his accent.

“You’re from where again?” you ask.

“Manchester.”

“So, that’s what? A Manchester-an accent?”

Jamie laughs again, “Mancunian.”

“Mancunian,” you slur, making yourself laugh this time. “I like it.”

“Do you like the way I say your name?” Jamie asks teasingly.

You bob your head up and down, “I like the way you say everything.”

Jamie didn’t expect that answer. Even in his inebriated state, he feels his stomach flip.

It’s around midnight that Jamie realizes that even under the influence, you were still a sneaky one. You’re laughing through a story about you and your friend Katie, when the MC calls Jamie’s name out as the next singer. Jamie looks towards the stage in confusion, before it dawns on him. His suspicions are confirmed when he sees the cheeky grin plastered across your face.

“How did you- when did you??” he stutters.

“When I said I had to go to the bathroom like 20 minutes ago,” you hiccup.

Jamie shakes his head, “I can’t go up there.”

“Sure you can!” you exclaim, attempting to push him off the barstool, although you’re doing a pretty pathetic job of it.

As the MC repeats his name, some people around you clock that he’s The Jamie Tartt and start chanting for him.

He gives you a look, “So much for staying under the radar.”

In your state, you don’t even seem to care, instead joining the crowd, “Jamie. Jamie. Jamie.”

He truly believes if he were a little less drunk, he would have resisted harder. But what was Jamie Tartt if not a crowd pleaser?

He eventually makes his way to the stage, receiving a louder than normal applause from the bar crowd. He reminds himself that even if they’re aware of who he is now, they certainly won't remember this tomorrow. As he pulls the microphone off the stand, he realizes he doesn’t know what song he’s singing, until the unmistakable first beats of Toxic by Britney Spears play through the speakers. He locks eyes with you immediately back by the bar, and you have a shit eating grin still plastered on your face. He can’t help but smile back.

At this point Jamie’s inevitably given into the absurdity of the night, and unashamedly gives a full fledged performance. The bar goes wild, but he’s only really aware of you. He somehow hears your cheers above the roar of the crowd, and is egged on by your amusement. Under normal circumstances, he may be embarrassed by how seriously he was taking this, but he’s surrendered to the simple fact that if it made you happy, he didn’t care how ridiculous he looked.

By the time he’s reached the final chorus of the song, you were up from your seat and the whole bar was singing along. Everyone cheers even louder when he’s done, and he gives them an over dramatic bow. As he bounds back down the stage, the people he passes offer high fives and tell him they’re huge fans. He even hears a few people breakout into his football chant.

“Wow, you were so good!” you tell him genuinely, putting each one of your hands on his shoulders, “Football better watch out, cause you could have a real career as a singer.”

Jamie rolls his eyes with a laugh, “Sure I do.”

You laugh along with him, “Either way, now that I know you kill at karaoke, we definitely have to come back.”

“Alright, alright, but next time you’re singing with me.”

“As long as its Fleetwood Mac, I’m down.”

The two of you don’t last much longer after that. As soon as Jamie can tell you’re starting to grow tired, he announces you should call it a night. He calls a car this time though, planning to pick up his car the following day when he was much more sober. You beg him to take Alfred the Dragon, though, stating sincerely that you’d cry if he was left in the car alone all night long. He immediately hates the idea of you crying and hurriedly unlocked the car to retrieve the stuffed animal.

When the car pulls up to your flat, he tells the driver he’d be a few minutes while he walked you to the door.

Jamie amusedly watches you very carefully walk up the concrete stairs. Despite not feeling quite that steady himself, he still follows closely behind in case you trip.

You stumble a little when you reach the top and Jamie gently takes hold of your arms, the two of you unable to keep from giggling.

“Well, this is me!” you announce, standing up straight in his arms.

“You don’t say?” Jamie jokes.

“You can stay here, you know,” you say, “The couch is pretty comfortable. I fell right to sleep at the end of Ratatouille the other night.”

“You were watching Ratatouille?” he asks incredulously.

“Ratatouille,” you mimic his accent again, pinching one of his cheeks lightly, “I fucking love your accent.”

Jamie laughs, a little less amused this time with you in such close proximity, “Well, thank you.”

You nod to the door, “So, you wanna stay? I bet people would go crazy if they heard about you leaving my place tomorrow morning.”

Jamie huffs. He considers it. He does. He’s exhausted, and he’d also love more time with you. And you’re right, this would be good for the ruse. But even as the alcohol slowly wears off of both of you, he thinks maybe tonight isn’t the best time

“Maybe another night,” he eventually responds softly. He nods behind him, “I can’t keep the driver waiting much longer.”

You pout playfully but nod, “Okayyy. I’ll talk to you tomorrow though?”

He nods back, “Of course.” A beat passes, “Thank you again for coming out tonight. With Keeley and Roy. Meant a lot.”

You smile at him brightly, “Anytime. Like you said, we’re a team.” Then you slide out of his arms that he’s long forgotten were even wound around you. “Good night, boyfriend.” you say dramatically, before turning to the door.

He smiles wistfully at the back of your head, “Good night, girlfriend.”

Just as you manage to get your door unlocked, you abruptly turn back around to face him. Before he can question anything, you’re gripping his shoulders and pulling him in for a quick, albeit sloppy kiss - and not on the cheek, but the lips.

Jamie can hardly process what is happening before you pull away from him. He looks at you curiously as you give him a coy smile and whisper, “Google Earth.”

Jamie breathes out a surprised and shaky laugh, “Always taking pics.”

You giggle with him, before once again going back to your front door. You wish him another good night, before entering your flat and shutting the door.

Jamie shakes his head. You definitely wouldn’t remember much of the last couple hours of your night. Part of him wishes he could forget some of it, too. That would make things a lot simpler.

a/n: it's a race to the who falls first finish line! who do we think will admit to it first? also two notes- 1) criminal that jamie wasn't on the team when they went to karaoke in season 1, 2) idk enough about bowling scores to make this completely accurate, so work with me on this haha

taglist: @respondingtoshowerthoughts-blog @royalestrellas @torpedo--belly @skewedcherries @littlemisssunshine192 @hopefulromances @breakmyheartlater @ohpuckyeah @alipap3 @meg-ro @rexorangecouny @pythagothug @bonesbonesetc @xxenia14 @rockchickrebel @thatonedogwithablog @percysaidnever @msjb2002 @loveforaugust @dicgohargreeves @whimsical-roasting @tortilla-maria1 @rubyliquor @taytaylala12 @kno-way-home @gcidrvsh @lightninginab0ttle @beekprsdaughter it wouldn’t let me tag the last couple of you, but i will keep trying <3

#jamie tartt x reader #jamie tartt imagine #jamie tartt fanfiction #jamie tartt x female reader #jamie tartt fanfic #jamie tartt x f!reader #mine #ted lasso fanfiction #ted lasso fanfic #behind the scenes series

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illiterateaffairs · 9 months

Text

behind the scenes chapter four | what like its hard?

masterlist | prev | next

pairing: jamie tartt x actress!reader (ted lasso)

rating: T

word count: 4,021

summary: you and jamie attend your first public event as a “couple”. you can totally pull it off, right?

a/n: happy birthday for me to you! i hope you enjoy this chapter - we’re cooking with gas now ;) i also introduce a few more side characters in this chapter, so i created a face claim list if anyone’s interested! totally want everyone to picture the OCs however they want, but thought it would be cool to show who i picture, and also just help keep everyone straight haha <3

When Jamie arrives at Nelson Road Stadium the day after your strategy session, he expects questions; maybe even a little bit of excitement. He was well aware of the photos that got released last night. He’d also resisted the urge to text you “i told you” but he assumes you’d seen them. He also assumes his teammates will have seen them by now, so he anticipated a reaction from them today.

What he wasn’t expecting was to walk into the locker room and find an actual mob. His teammates didn’t even notice he’d arrived, they were so busy yelling at each other and waving their phones around. Jamie studies the room, unsure if he should even say anything. But they had a match to play.

“Oi,” is all Jamie manages and then suddenly every pair of eyes are on him. The room falls silent for exactly five seconds before everyone erupts into even louder commotion. He struggles to make out what everyone is saying.

“How the hell did you meet The Y/N Y/L/N?” Comes from Isaac.

“What’s she like? I bet she smells nice,” From Dani.

“Are you two actually dating?” “There’s no way, he’s got to be paying her.” From Colin and Jan Maas respectively.

He even makes out Coach Beard theorizing that the photos must be doctored.

Jamie’s not even sure where to start with addressing the room. He glances toward the coaches’ offices and sees Roy looking on curiously through the glass, eyebrows furrowed. He takes a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

“Alright, alright, pipe down,” Jamie shouts over the crowd, “Bunch of animals, you lot.”

Everyone eventually quiets down. Sam raises his hand.

Jamie rolls his eyes, “Yes, Sam?”

“Is it true?” he asks cautiously, “Are you dating Y/N Y/L/N?”

Jamie takes another deep breath and nods, “Uh…yeah.”

“How the fuck did you manage that?” Isaac questions again.

“I ran into her while I was on a run,” Jamie shrugs, “Took her to coffee. ‘Cept she doesn’t drink coffee, only hot chocolate.”

“That’s true!” Dani gasps, “I read that in an article.”

Jamie holds back a smirk.

“So, what? You’ve been sneaking around the whole time she’s been in town for that movie?” Zoreaux asks.

Jamie shakes his head, “Nah, we’ve only gone out a couple times. It’s still new. She wanted to keep it low key but you know, paparazzi and all that.”

There’s a murmur of agreement throughout the room.

“Do you think…” Will pipes up nervously, “She’d ever come to a match?”

A chorus of excited “oohs” echoes through the room. This time Jamie can’t hold back his grin.

“Maybe.”

They once again erupt into yells until Roy is telling everyone to shut up and get ready. The team listens to their coach, but not before congratulating Jamie on his brand new relationship again. Although a few of them are still in disbelief.

Jamie once again makes eye contact with Roy who approaches him at his bench.

Roy’s lips form a straight line and he nods. Jamie translates that into ‘I’m happy for you’ in Roy speak. Jamie gives him a small smile and goes back to tying his shoes.

He’s in a particularly good mood as the team piles out of the locker room 30 minutes later to go warm up for the match. But when he rounds the corner he runs directly into Keeley.

“Shit, sorry,” He mutters, shaking off the surprise of seeing her so suddenly.

“Oh, it’s okay,” Keeley insists, “I’m the one showing up out of nowhere. You’re the one who’s supposed to be here.”

They both laugh, albeit a little awkwardly.

“I saw those pictures,” Keeley says quickly, not one to beat around the bush, “Of you and Y/N Y/L/N.”

Jamie huffs humorously, “Oh yeah? That makes you and everyone else.”

Keeley chuckles, “When you said you were seeing someone, that was not who I was expecting. I told Roy what you told me and he thought you might be lying.”

Jamie laughs along with Keeley again and he hopes it doesn’t come off as forced as it sounds in his head.

“Well, as you can see I was definitely not lying due to the photographic proof.”

“So, you really like her then?” Keeley asks, “She seems totally amazing, but I guess you never know with big Hollywood stars.”

Jamie nods, “Yeah, no, she is amazing. She’s kind. And funny. And yeah, I really like her.”

Keeley gives him a warm smile, “Good. You deserve someone like that. And I for one cannot wait to meet her.”

Jamie smiles and nods again. With that, Keeley bids him good luck and they part ways so she can meet up with Rebecca in the owner’s box.

Okay, he was in it now. And it's surprisingly easy to lie about a fake girlfriend when most of the details so far were true. He was pleasantly surprised at how well the two of you got on the prior night despite having just met.

This was going to be a piece of cake.

Tonight was going to be miserable.

Despite happily agreeing to do so weeks ago, you were now dreading attending this movie premiere with your castmates.

Yes, it looked good to show support for your co-lead and his girlfriend. Yes, it would be a good opportunity to go officially public with your new fake relationship. Yes, it meant free food.

But, God, did you hate things like this.

You attended red carpet events, award shows, galas, and the like all the damn time, but it never made it any easier. Sure, you’d gotten pretty comfortable in your own skin and less afraid of public speaking over several years of being in the business. However, you still detested strangers yelling at you and awkward encounters with other people you only saw at these functions.

You were an introvert at heart and you’d much rather stay in and watch a film on the TV in your bedroom.

Which is precisely what you were doing now. You were meant to be putting on your dress for the evening as the hair stylist and make up artist Margot coordinated were due any minute. Instead, you were wrapped in your robe, watching The Parent Trap which you had stumbled on channel surfing while you were procrastinating.

You were halfway through coming up with a plan to get out of going when you heard voices growing closer from down the hallway.

“...Maybe you can talk some sense into her.” Margot.

“Yeah I’m sure I’ve gained a lot of credibility from the 4 times we’ve interacted so far.” Jamie?

He wasn’t supposed to be here for another hour when you had to leave.

They converse more before you hear them from right outside your door.

“Alright, good luck,” Margot says, “And thank you for actually wearing a shirt under the suit jacket.”

Jamie scoffs, “How the hell do you know about that?”

“You don’t think I did my research on you once she told me you were going through with this plan? Now get in there, Romeo.”

You bite back a smile as Margot’s heels bound away from your room.

“Knock knock,” Jamie’s muffled voice comes through the door, as he still actually knocks.

You begrudgingly sit up in your bed. “Come in.”

Jamie slowly opens the door and peeks in, before his eyes settle on you. Once he steps in, you get a full view of his ensemble. He’s wearing a crisp maroon suit, with black trim that will complement your own black dress, just as you had planned. It also appeared he’d attempted to slick his longer hair back, but a few strands were falling out of place. It worked for him.

You nod at him, impressed, “You are wearing a shirt.”

Jamie crosses his arms, “Did you look me up for research, too?”

The side of your mouth quirks up, “I looked you up right after we met.”

Jamie looks taken aback, “Really?”

“Yeah. I wanted to know what the deal was with you football players,” You shrug, “And may I say, your reputation precedes you.”

Jamie looks at the ground, “I promise I’m not as bad as all the tabloids make me look. At least…not anymore.”

“Don’t worry, I get how fame and fortune can get to a person. I don’t judge.”

Jamie looks up at you again and you exchange small smiles. He wanders over closer to your bed and peers at your TV. “Can I join you?”

Now you’re the one who's a bit surprised. Wordless, you scoot over so he can perch himself on the edge of your bed beside you. Jamie makes himself right and home and leans against your headboard.

You don’t say anything for a couple moments as you both stare ahead at the screen.

Eventually Jamie murmurs, “Chessy is hot.”

You snort, but nod. “Yeah she is.”

After another few seconds, you see Jamie’s head turn towards you from the corner of your eye, “Margot told me you do this a lot.”

“Do what?” you ask, not taking your eyes away from the movie.

“Hide away when you don’t want to do things,” he explains, “Why don’t you want to go to this premiere?”

“I don’t know. Premiere’s are stupid,” You mumble like you’re five years old.

Jamie chuckles, “Come on. They’re fun. You get to wear cool shit and get free shit and meet other famous people and shit.”

“You have quite the diverse vocabulary.”

“Shut up,” he laughs, “Seriously, though. What's not to like?”

“Okay, yeah, theoretically it's fun,” You sigh, “But in actuality…it’s a lot. My social battery is this big.” You hold up your pointer finger and thumb like you're pinching something. “I don’t love interacting with people I barely know.”

Jamie nudges you with his shoulder, “You weren’t so bad with me when we met.”

“Well, that was different,” you mutter. The sentiment hangs in the air for a little too long for your liking and you don’t have the nerve to consider what you meant, so you barrel on, “This is hours of forcing small talk with people I only see at things like this. And yeah, Margot will be there and my co-stars will be there…”

“I’ll be there,” Jamie interjects, “Right by your side the whole time like the good, doting boyfriend I am.”

You finally turn to face Jamie and he winks at you. You shake your head, but you manage a smile.

“I know. But it’s still so draining. I love my job. I love getting to experience this life that so many dream of. But sometimes I’d rather just curl up in a blanket and pretend that nobody knows who I am.”

After another few seconds of silence, Jamie nods slowly. “Okay.”

“Okay?” you question.

“Okay,” he shrugs, “We can stay here then, and watch other god tier movies like The Parent Trap all night if that's what you want.” You squint at him suspiciously and he continues. “You shouldn’t have to do anything you don’t want to do and I’d be more than happy to play hooky with you. But, then we’d miss out on the chance to debut our extremely real relationship in front of the world, and then you wouldn’t get to prove everyone wrong for saying you’re not fit to be a romantic lead and no one will get to see how fit you look in that dress.”

You laugh lightly. You’re briefly stunned by his suggestion that you don’t go - despite his point about losing sight of the reason why you were going in the first place. No one really had ever entertained the idea of you skipping out on something unless there was a valid reason. But to Jamie, not wanting to go was reason enough.

Then you remember that he’s also right about wanting to prove the trolls wrong. And not only that - this was for Jamie, too. Maybe you could cop out if it was just your reputation at stake, but Jamie’s credibility with his friends was on the line, too. And you weren’t going to be the one that fucked this up for him.

“Okay,” you sigh dramatically, “You wore me down. I’ll go.”

Jamie rolls his eyes good naturedly before he pulls himself off of your bed, “I’m glad to hear it. I can’t waste a good suit like this.” He poses playfully for you and you can’t help but giggle. “I’ll leave you to get dressed and meet you downstairs.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” you call out, stopping him before he makes it to the door. He watches curiously as you jump off your bed and shut yourself in your walk in closet. “I need help zipping up this dress.” You explain from the other side of the door.

You hear Jamie make a noise of what must be agreement as you change from your robe to your dress. You hold it up against your chest so it doesn’t fall before you open your closet door and re-approach Jamie.

Jamie sucks in a breath when he takes in your appearance. Your hair is still pulled back messily, as you’d yet to get your hair and makeup done, and the dress wasn’t fully in place but you were…stunning. He’d seen you in countless films and photographed on magazine covers but you were even more remarkable in person.

“Wow, you look incredible,” he somehow manages to say once you’re standing directly in front of him.

You grin at him, “Thank you.” Then you spin around so he has access to the back of your dress, and well, your back. He tries not to think about how soft your skin feels as he slowly pulls the zipper up.

You’re also struggling not to shiver with Jamie in such close proximity, his breath tickling the back of your neck. You can’t remember the last time you’d been this close to another person like this outside of a film.

You laugh internally. Probably Margot the last time you got dressed for an event.

Once the dress is fully zipped, you turn back around and find yourself face to face with Jamie, just as close as you’d been moments ago. You gulp, gesturing to the door.

“After you.”

Jamie smiles and gives you a curt nod before heading out the doorway. You take the few seconds you have before you need to follow him to let your breathing return to normal.

This must be what happens when you deprive yourself of human intimacy for so long. One guy gets within three feet of you and you start feeling crazy.

Although, your brain tells you, crazy might not be the right word.

As soon as your limo pulls up to the movie premiere, your skin begins to crawl. You peer out of the window and feel anxious at the sight of the dozens of photographers who at this moment are taking pictures of your costar, Ana Suri, who plays your best friend in the film.

Sensing your tension, Jamie gently squeezes your knee, drawing your attention back to him.

“Hey,” he says softly, “We got this. We smile for the cameras, let them capture how fucking amazing you look, and then go inside. We’ll be in and out.”

You smile at both his compliment and his reassurance, placing your hand over top of his, “Thank you for being here and making this slightly more bearable.”

“Hey, we’re in this together, you know? Like a team. And as your teammate it’s my job to support you and hype you up.”

You snort, “Well, I’d say this is a little different than what a football team does.”

Jamie shrugs, “Either way, we’re winning tonight.”

Jamie’s confidence gives you the power to force yourself out of the limo moments later. As soon as you step onto the carpet, the crowd erupts into cheers. Both paparazzi and fans are eager for your attention. You turn back around, watching Jamie exit the car. You swear the crowd gets louder, which you didn’t think was possible. The English love their footballers.

The photographers love that you and Jamie are on the carpet together, calling out to both of you as you pose in front of them. With his arm around you, Jamie gently rubs your back which manages to calm your nerves.

Maybe tonight wouldn’t be too bad.

You’re pretty sure your inner monologue manages to jinx it.

After less than two minutes on the carpet, some paparazzi start calling for you two to kiss. You instantly look at Jamie, trying not to appear as stressed as you feel in front of the cameras. Jamie just gives you that boyish smirk that makes you want to roll your eyes. Still, he blinks twice: Your signal for asking if kissing would be okay.

The ball is in your court and you have every right to refuse to do anything. And yet, you find yourself leaning in.

Your noses brush together before your lips touch, but even that was enough to send an electric current down your spine. As soon as you do kiss, the crowd once again screams. You find it amusing despite how completely out of your element you were at this point, so you laugh five seconds into it and you feel Jamie smile against your lips as well. After a couple more seconds you pull away, but you continue to look at the boy in front of you who's still smiling. You give him a shy smile of your own before turning back to the cameras.

Despite not loving the attention as well as PDA in general, you suppose it was good to kiss in a setting so public. No one could call that fake. It certainly didn’t feel fake.

You pose together a little longer, before Jamie suggests getting some pictures on your own. You nearly squeeze his hand off in protest, but he quietly promises to stay close. He keeps his promise by hyping you up from the sidelines, which once again makes you laugh.

After deciding you’d had enough of being yelled at by photographers, you decide to greet some fans - an activity you enjoyed far more than interacting with paparazzi. You signed some autographs and posed for some selfies.

“You and Jamie Tartt are so cute together,” one young girl tells you in the sweetest British accent you’d ever heard.

You look over your shoulder after she says this to find Jamie still watching you from the side. When you catch his eye, he quickly turns away, making you giggle.

Turning back to the girl, you say, “I think so, too.”

Eventually, you rejoin Jamie and the two of you finally enter the theater. You catch up with Margot in there, who briefs you on the who’s who of the attendees so far and tells you who you should talk to before taking your seats.

Jamie is an absolute pro as he stands beside you while you make small talk with people whose names you won’t remember later tonight. You shouldn’t be surprised - he has charisma oozing out of every inch of him.

You feel a sense of relief when you run into your costar Charlie - finally someone you know! He introduces you to Isabel, who you’re happy to find is super kind despite some press she’s gotten for being a diva over the years. You’d be a diva too if you looked as drop-dead gorgeous as she did. It makes sense that she and Charlie found each other.

As Isabel gets caught up in a conversation with Jamie - apparently her dad is a big Premier League guy, despite being from the states - Charlie speaks softly to you.

“So, the rumors about you two were true, huh?” Charlie asks.

You turn to him and nod, “Cold hard facts.”

He studies you for a second before giving you a small smile, “That’s good, I mean, I’m happy for you. I actually hadn’t told you this, but after I was cast and they were still deciding who should play Callie” (your character’s name), “The studio was concerned about casting you because of all that bullshit online about your dating history.”

You scrunch your nose, “They said that?”

He nods, “But I insisted you were the best person I read with. And you were. But it was also a bullshit reason not to cast you.”

“Wow,” You scoff, but give him a kind smile nonetheless, “Well, thank you for sticking up for me.”

He shrugs, “It was nothing. And I’m glad to see you happy with someone despite what people have said. Fuck the haters, right?” He says the last part in a mock-American accent and you laugh.

“Exactly.”

The rest of your night passes by smoothly. You and Jamie share popcorn and candy during the movie, exchanging comments every so often about the film. It was an action-thriller, and Isabel crushed her role in it. You tell her this when you and Jamie bid her and Charlie goodbye, electing to skip the after party to hit a drive thru before going home.

When the limo pulls up to Jamie’s house, you give him a sleepy but grateful smile.

Jamie smiles amusedly back, “You did good today, kid.”

You huff, “Thank you, but I am very glad its over.”

“Ah, come on, it wasn’t so bad,” Jamie teases, “I bet the pics of us are already online and we look hot.”

You shake your head, “I’m gonna need my full eight hours before I have the energy to look at pictures of me on the internet.”

“Okay, we can deliberate tomorrow but I’d still call this night a success. 1-nil, Team Jamie-Y/N.”

You chuckle, slumping against the backseat, “No, you’re right. Thank you so much again for being here tonight.”

Jamie gives you a more genuine smile. “Of course, anytime.”

You smile at his sincerity which lasts exactly .5 seconds before he continues.

“Now it’s my turn to make you do something for me,” he smirks before pushing the limo door open.

“Like what?” you ask, nervous for what he could possibly have in mind, but a deal’s a deal.

“I don’t know yet,” Jamie shrugs from outside the car. He leans back in to press a light kiss to your nose before popping back out, “Good night, girlfriend.”

You roll your eyes and mumble, “Good night, boyfriend.”

Jamie laughs at your tone before shutting the door and jogging up his driveway. Damn, your fake boyfriend was a handful.

As the limo pulls away, your mind wanders back to Jamie’s comment about the photos of the two of you. Despite your earlier protest, you find yourself willingly searching for them. You find them on Google - still too exhausted to deal with Twitter comments tonight. The first few results are of the two of you side by side, along with some of just you or with fans, but then you stop on one of your kiss. Despite a part of you still irked by showing public displays, your heart skips a beat. You’re instantly brought back to the moment from earlier, and even though it was brief, the feeling of Jamie’s lips on yours is burned into your brain. Goosebumps form on your arms at the thought.

As soon as you become conscious of your feelings, you immediately swipe the photo away and shut your phone.

You have to chalk any butterflies up to your lack of relationships lately. That’s all this is. You’re simply touch deprived and feeling the thrill of the lie.

Jamie was just another costar of sorts. It was normal to get caught up in the feeling of a romantic scene and then go back to normal when the camera stopped rolling. Jamie was basically a coworker. A teammate, like he’d said. And in order to win your match of sorts, you had to play the game.

So what if you also enjoyed getting to spend time with Jamie while you did so? You were just becoming friends. It was completely innocent.

Right?

a/n: attempting a slow burn with this one hehe, let me know what you all think!!

taglist: @respondingtoshowerthoughts-blog @royalestrellas @loveslide @torpedo-belly @skewedcherries @littlemisssunshine192 @hopefulromances @breakmyheartlater @ohpuckyeah @alipap3 @meg-ro @rexorangecouny @pythagothug @bonesbonesetc @xxenia14 @rockchickrebel @thatonedogwithablog @percysaidnever @msjb2002 @loveforaugust @dicgohargreeves @whimsical-roasting @gcidrvsh @lightninginab0ttle it wouldn’t let me tag the last couple of you, but i will keep trying <3

#jamie tartt x reader #jamie tartt x female reader #jamie tartt x f!reader #jamie tartt fanfiction #jamie tartt fanfic #ted lasso fanfic #ted lasso fanfiction #behind the scenes series #my writing

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