“I’m completely serious,” I say, twisting my hands nervously. “I make him look stable and wholesome, dating someone nice and hardworking, like a cute hometown story. And his followers have been going crazy, which has been making my music spread like wildfire on social media.”
“Holy shit,” Maren breathes, eyes wide.
“I wanted to tell you, but I promised Jack I’d keep it quiet. It was part of our agreement. He didn’t want to risk his brothers knowing and it getting out, and normally I would have said fuckit I’ll do as I want, but I knew asking you to lie to Calvin would be so selfish. So…” I trail off.
Maren stares at me for another long moment, and then bursts out laughing.
“Oh my god,” she wheezes, clutching the shelf for support, her whole body shaking with laughter. “This is, this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!”
“Maren!” I hiss, eyes darting toward the kitchen like Jayson might materialize any second.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she gasps, trying to catch her breath, wiping tears from her eyes. “This is just so unhinged. I literally would have never guessed that this is what you were going to say.”
Her laughter is infectious, and despite my anxiety, I find myself smiling too. “I know. I still can’t believe we’re pulling it off.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Maren says, her laughter subsiding into giggles, her expression delighted. “So when you two were all cozy at dinner, making eyes at each other across the table…”
“All for show,” I confirm, though something twists uncomfortably in my stomach at the memory.
Maren shakes her head in disbelief, still grinning. “I can’t believe this. I was completely convinced.”
“So… you’re not mad that I lied to you?” I ask tentatively, relief flooding through me.
“Not at all,” she says, picking up her clipboard again, her tone reassuring. “I get it. I’m only peeved I haven’t been able to talk through all of this with you. Especially the part where it’s completely obvious that you have a crush on him. That’s SO not fake.”
My cheeks flush hot. “It’s not like that. I told you we’reacting.”
Maren’s eyes narrow. “Bullshit. You aren’t that good of an actress.”
“We have good chemistry!” I protest weakly, knowing how unconvincing I sound. “That’s what makes it believable!”
“So,” she says, folding her arms and giving me a knowing look, “you spend all this time with Jack, pretending to be his girlfriend, looking at him with those big doe eyes, and you haven’t developed any feelings at all?”
“Fine!” I throw my hands up, the admission bursting out. “I might have a tiny little crush on him. But it’s nothing serious. Just a small, completely manageable attraction because, you know, the man is unfairly gorgeous. But that’s it. Tiny!”
Maren squeals so loudly that I’m sure Jayson can hear her in the kitchen.
“I knew it!” She slaps her hands together, practically vibrating with excitement. “I fucking knew it! The way you look at him…”
“It’s just physical,” I insist, trying to sound convincing even though I’m failing miserably. “Nothing I can’t handle. The arrangement ends in September, he goes back to Europe, and that’s that.”
“Mmhmm,” she says. Her skepticism couldn’t be more obvious. “Nothing’s happened? Not at all? You’re telling me two hot young people are pretending to date with crazy chemistry and you’ve managed to keep your hands off each other?”
My face burns even hotter. “Nothing happened.”
“Lark, like I said, bad actress,” she says smugly.
“OK… that night at dinner, when we disappeared to the gazebo, we were talking and… we might have almost kissed,” I admit reluctantly, the words coming. “Before Chloe interrupted us. But we didn’t! It’s been totally, well mostly, back to normal since.”
Maren practically dances in place, her glee unmistakable. “This is exactly how it happens! First comes the fake dating, then the real feelings, then the real kissing, then?—”
“It was a momentary lapse in judgment,” I say, cutting her off before she can finish that thought. “It won’t happen again.”
“Sure, sure,” Maren says, leaning forward. “So what happens in Miami when you share a hotel room?”
Jack and I had already planned for this. Everyone knows we’re arriving together so we can’t get separate rooms without it looking suspicious. “We have a plan,” I say, trying to sound confident. “We’re getting a bigger room with two beds and sleeping way way far apart. Nothing is going to happen.”
“A weekend of pretending to be madly in love while fighting your very real attraction,” Maren sighs dramatically, her tone making it clear she thinks I’m delusional. “Oh, you aresogetting some.”
