FAKE RELATIONSHIP PROPOSAL

l night long. It was more than simply a foolish favor to pretend to be Ethan's girlfriend-I was selling a part o

unning into anything. I felt little and out of place at the idea of being at some opulent, upstate New York home. But thi

e, his black luxury SUV shone in the early morning sunshine. He just nodded as if this were the most n

e driver's seat, he i

apping up, "As

ourney. My thoughts kept returning to the same topic as I attempted to divert myself by gazing out the wi

in a casual tone, "So, about last night."

n more than I did, he needed this to succeed. "I'm not giving up, I prom

l work out. He stopped, trying to think of the perfect term, "She's just a little-" insistent. We've been

d muttered sourly. "So, what's the backgrou

nking twice. "We met at a company even

nnection, not simply an idle flirtation. The notion of taking on that role in front

hen? Are we... i

rally. We are smitten with one another and find i

he minute, this was becomi

well landscaped, with tall trees that framed the entry like they belonged in a fai

switched off the e

wavering my voice just en

ever forget that you are also doing this for

ho set up matches. Even though there was a stake for each of

y with well-groomed hair and pearl earrings. She said, "Ethan, darling!" and gave him a cozy embrace before turning to face me. Her gaze swept over me, evalu

marked, "And this must be Charlotte."

s I felt, I faked a grin. "It's so ni

informal. I hope this weekend will make you feel completely at

is whole thing was a fiction, with a base as thin as san

sudden surge of electricity even though it was a light touch. We were just playing a game, so a

is is Clara," so abruptly

e that could only be attained by a privileged lifestyle. With a somewhat too tigh

spite my racing heart. I moved forward Etha

ifferent message, her grin e

Ethan had said, there was still an unspoken link that connected them, and I c

's voice, strained and low: "Clara, this needs to end. We've finished." "You