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I saw it was rather full as we arrived in the dining area. A sign to our left read Waffle Breakfast, which explained why it was so packed. This was a unique country club event and not just a standard breakfast. Of course, my parents wanted to show off their newly engaged daughter to the entire club. I should have known better.
"Erica, Aaron, over here," Mother's voice called out from the middle of the dining area.
Everyone turned to look at us as we weaved our way through the tables and towards my parents.
My mother was dressed in a sparkly gray dress, while my father had on a black suit. They both looked wealthy.
"It's about time you two showed up," my father said, standing up. "We've been waiting almost ten minutes."
Of course, my father would complain about the time; he was punctual.
"Sorry we're late, Mr. and Mrs. Melvin," Aaron said with a slight bow before pulling out my seat for me.
We both sat down as I held in a laugh at his antics, but my parents ate it up.
"It's no problem, Aaron, and please, call us Julie and Tom," my mother urged.
I rolled my eyes.
"None of that," my mother said. "Rolling your eyes is not lady-like."
I rolled my eyes again but with dramatic flair. Aaron squeezed my hand, and I got the hint to take it down a notch.
"Sorry, Mom."
"It's okay," my mother said before a smile blossomed. "Now, fill us in on how the two of you took the steps to become a couple! Tom and I have been figuring out how long you have kept this secret."
Glancing at Aaron, I had no clue what to say. We hadn't prepared for a line of questioning.
"We started dating a few months ago, but since we've known each other for so long, it was easy for me to propose. Did you see the ring?" Aaron said, grabbing my hand and holding it out for my family to see.
My mother gasped at the sight of the diamonds on my ring finger.
"It is beautiful," my mother said, holding my hand to the light.
I looked around and caught people staring at us, eyeing my ring. My mother was making quite a show for all the people of the country club.
Pulling my hand back, I thanked her. "Thanks, Mom. Aaron picked it out all on his own. He knew exactly what I wanted."
I made goo-goo eyes at Aaron, batting my lashes while staring at him. Aaron stuck his tongue out at me, and my parents laughed.
"You two look so in love," my father said. "We're so happy you finally got together."
My chest ached as I looked at the pure joy on both of my parent's faces. Their hearts would break in a few months when Aaron and I broke up, or well, fake broke up. I had to remind myself this was all an act.
"Thanks, Dad," I said with a fake smile. "We're happy too."
"Very happy," Aaron added, holding my hand above the table.
My parents' eyes were glued to our hands, and Aaron raised them to his lips and kissed the back of mine. A fluttering filled my stomach at the sensation of his smooth lips on mine. He must have been wearing Chapstick since his lips were tacky against my skin, but I wasn't complaining.
We spent the rest of breakfast answering my parents' questions and taking in their compliments. It was a strange experience, especially knowing that everything was a lie.
I felt bad lying to my parents, but it had to be done. One day in the future, I will come clean. Once I was married with kids, Aaron and I could admit we made the whole thing up, but for now, I played my role of the doting fiancée to a tee.
***
The airport was packed, but no one recognized Aaron. It was part of the perks of being well-known behind the camera. He didn't get recognized in public too often, or at least that is what he told me. He was treated like a regular D-list celebrity — that's how he put it.
