Lara sat at a corner table in Bean Haven, the coffee shop next door, her hands wrapped around a latte, steam rising in the cozy air. She'd agreed to meet Ethan Cole, the guy from the ad, but her nerves were a mess—her hazel eyes darted to the door every time it opened, her curly brown hair tucked behind her ears. What if he was a scammer? Or worse, what if he laughed at her?
The door swung open, and a guy walked in—tall, with tousled black hair, green eyes that sparkled with mischief, and a leather jacket over a white tee. Ethan Cole. He spotted her, flashed a grin that made her heart skip, and slid into the chair across from her. "Lara, right? I'm your fake boyfriend," he said, his voice warm, teasing.
Lara blushed, her fingers tightening around her mug. "Um, hi. Thanks for coming. This is… kind of crazy."
Ethan leaned back, his smile easy. "Not crazy. Smart. I need money for a photography project—my dream exhibit. Your ad said there's a loan involved. We help each other out." At 27, Ethan was a freelance photographer, broke but ambitious, with a charm that made Lara's cheeks heat up.
She nodded, explaining the deal: "We pretend to be a couple at my sister's wedding. You play the perfect boyfriend, make my ex jealous, and convince my parents I'm stable. They'll give me a loan to save my bakery, and we split it—fifty-fifty."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, sipping his coffee. "What's in it for me, besides the money? Weddings are a lot of work—dancing, family drama, pretending to be in love."
Lara hesitated, then blurted, "I'll bake you anything you want. Free desserts for a year."
He laughed, a sound that made her smile despite her nerves. "Deal. But we need to practice—make it look real. How about a first date, right now?"
They walked to a nearby park, the spring air warm, flowers blooming in bright pinks and yellows. Ethan took her hand, his touch sending a jolt through her, and they strolled past a fountain, laughing as they made up a fake "how we met" story—Lara tripped at a farmer's market, Ethan caught her, and they bonded over strawberry tarts. "You're good at this," Lara said, her heart racing, his hand warm in hers.
But as they sat on a bench, feeding ducks with leftover bread, Lara spotted Jake—her ex—across the park, his arm around a new girl, his smug smile aimed at her. Jake waved, walking over, and Lara froze, her fake relationship about to be tested way too soon.
To be continued…