Rain Check?

~66~

  Sunday. The actual day of Valentine's and Chris is listening to his mother drone about, asking all sorts of questions to what he might have planned with Demi.  

  Lounging back on his couch, Dodger curled up against his chest. He's not really willing to tell his mother that this is about as exciting as this holiday will be for him, minus a couple of kisses from the pup. 

  The chicken that he is, still hasn't come clean to his mother about his failed try at a relationship with his nephew's teacher. He knows all too well that he'll get an earful, along with a much deserved smack upside the back of his head. She'll ask numerous questions and as much as he loves his mother, he doesn't really wan to be seen as a disappointment in her eyes.

  Because he's seeing enough of that in himself every time he looks in a mirror.

  "Are you taking her out? Or maybe planning something at home?"

  "We uh, we're staying in," he answers, still being honest. She technically didn't ask if they would be staying in together.

  Truth be told, he'd barely moved since coming home Friday night from the dance. He certainly hadn't left his house, letting Dodger just run around the yard rather than going for actual walks. Not that Chris needed a reminder of what he loved about Dempsey, but holding her close to him as Stevie Wonder played gave him at least a hundred memories clouding his brain. 

  He'd pulled out his phone more times than he could count. Finger flickering over her text stream and FaceTime an equal amount. 

  Chris had also dodged Megan's calls and texts as well, begging him to fix whatever is going on with him and the interviewer that's writing ill of him with his lack of face to face time with several of them at the Globes. He's not interested in it.

  That is until Sunday afternoon when he gets an alert that he's been tagged on Instagram. Of course this isn't overly unusual considering his fans tag him constantly in almost everything that gets posted about him. But then a text comes through from Scott.

  It's enough to make him actually sit up.

  Buzzfeed has tagged me on a post. I open the app quickly, going straight to their feed. "4 of the Most Perfect Women for Chris Evans."

  "What the hell?" I mumble, clicking on the post, taking me to their website. 

  "Chris Evans, Captain America, America's A$$, the internet's boyfriend, has caused a bit of an uproar amongst his fans recently with the realization that their fella is off the market. But, that hasn't stopped them from giving many names of who would be absolute perfection for the Avenger.  One reporter compiled the list, and we've got it just for you!

  First up, the internet has gone crazy over the newly announced lust fest from Lizzo, gushing over her affection for the actor. She's even gone so far as to announce that she's pregnant with his child. The fans are having a field day, wishing the couple and their future child well.

  Not too far behind is former girlfriend Jenny Slate. Now, while Jenny is in a long term relationship that hasn't stopped fans from wishing to see the two costars back on the market with one another. Several have quoted that if he wanted a normal girl he could still have that with Jenny as she's more a comedic than an actress which must mean she's less Hollywood. 

  However, fans did not just stick to the obvious list having also documented his longstanding friendship with Scarlett Johannsen. Johannsen is happily married, expecting a child with her husband, but fans still believe these two are complete soulmates. 

  Rounding out the list is a lesser known name, citing a recent interview during his press tour for Knives Out. That's right, readers. If you saw his interviews with Ana de Armas then we're sure you spotted the way he undressed one reporter with his eyes, commenting slyly about her choice of footwear. Fans are all about this pairing, thrilled with his openness in flirting for all to see.

  So, that brings us to one question. Is his recent 'relationship' an open relationship?  Is it all for show? Because we're pretty positive after witnessing that interview, and just a couple weeks later walking the carpet with a new woman, that Steve Rogers himself would tell Mr. Evans, "You gotta be shitting me."

  Chris throws around multiple curse words, loudly, startling Dodger who jumps off of his spot on the couch. He closes out the article, going back to Scott's text. 

  "Jasper still work at Buzzfeed?" he shoots off. He rolls his neck while waiting for a response.

  Scott pops back saying yes and he's already sent him a text to find out who wrote it. As Chris begins to type back a thanks, the cell rings.

  "I mean, it's not a horrible article," Scott says tentatively, causing Chris to groan.

  "Let's see. Accusing me of faking the relationship with Demi, while trying to link me with other women who would be 'perfect' for me, leaving out the only one that I'm actually interested in."

  "What's the likelihood she'll see it?" he asks.

  Chris sighs, hanging his head. "I have no idea. She's never followed gossip rags, but that was before she became a part of this life."

  "Damn," Scott mutters over the phone.

  Chris takes a deep breath, closing his eyes as he releases the shuttering breath. "Is it her?"

  "Yep. Looks like it." 

  "I'm not giving in, Scott. I've been ignoring Megan all weekend. She and Tara both think I should give this woman an interview, make her happy so she'll start painting me in a better light."

  "I mean, they're not necessarily wrong, Chris. You've got the show coming out on Appletv soon. You don't really want bad press about you before it, right?" he asks, trying to help his older brother notice that his career could get a bit messy.

  "But she's the woman I cheated on Demi with. There's no way in hell that I'll get any closer to fixing this with Demi by fixing this crap with a reporter. A reporter that I can't even remember the name of!" His frustration is turning to anger, desperate to repair his relationship with Dempsey no matter the cost, even if it is his career.

  Scott hums for a moment, clearly thinking of something that might help the situation. "What if you did a video interview? She's in LA, you're here in Boston. There's no way you can do anything stupid like last time, unless you plan on getting drunk and confessing you have actual feelings for her."

  "Hell no," he states quickly, agitated that his brother would even suggest that he has actual feelings for the woman. "I found her attractive, which now the whole world knows, but I wouldn't do anything more than flirt while sober."

  "It's not a bad idea though. Placate her, maybe say something endearing and loving about Dempsey in the process. Get that out further into the internet and then maybe your fans will stop shipping you with these completely off the wall women."

  "Technically Jenny wasn't off the wall," he whispers.

  "Not really something you should say when trying to get back your girlfriend, idiot," his brother reminds him.

  "Wasn't what I meant, but yeah I can see how that would not sound appropriate." He takes a deep breath, falling back onto the couch. "Damn, I am an idiot. Maybe you should be here with me so I don't say something that could be taken the wrong way."

  "I do have a life, Chris. Keeping you in check is beginning to feel like a full time job."

*Unedited...

*Bit of a filler. Not real sure where I'm taking this part of it, but I know it'll come to me...