My Daddy Valentine (Be My Fake Valentine)

1. Ella

1

Ella

I swear, the city is like a dream. The kind of dream where everything is a little too shiny, a little too fast, and every corner you turn promises something you’ve never seen before. But here I am, standing in the middle of it, staring at the towering buildings with wide eyes and a hand on my hip, trying to convince myself that this is actually happening.

“Ella, you’re going to love it here,” Ava says, her voice carrying over the hum of traffic. She’s standing at the back of her car, grabbing a box from the trunk. Her blonde hair bounces in waves as she slams it shut with a satisfying thud. “New city, new opportunities, fresh start. What could go wrong?”

I laugh, half nervous, half excited. It feels like I’ve been dreaming about this moment for months, and now that it’s finally here, I’m a little… overwhelmed.

"I still can’t believe you're letting me crash at your place," I say as I tug my oversized suitcase along behind me. "I swear, I’ll be out of your hair in no time."

Ava grins, her eyes lighting up with that mischievous spark she’s always had. “What are best friends for, if not for giving you a place to sleep while you conquer the world?”

I snort. “Conquering the world might take a bit longer than I expected, considering how much I’ve packed. I’m not exactly a minimalist."

Ava rolls her eyes. “You’re going to need a bigger apartment for all your art supplies and sketchbooks anyway. Can you even walk through the door without tripping over a pile of paint tubes?”

I shrug, trying not to blush. "It's a creative process."

The truth is, I can’t wait to dive headfirst into my new life here. I’ve always dreamed of being part of the city’s art scene, and now I’m one step closer. I’ve scored an internship at Linden & Co. Gallery —the kind of place that exhibits famous artists and hosts exclusive events. The kind of place where my sketches could one day hang next to the masterpieces of people whose names are whispered with reverence. It’s a big deal, even if I’m just the intern.

“Have you heard anything about who’ll be mentoring you?” Ava asks as we head toward the entrance of the building.

I shake my head. “Not yet. But I’m hoping it’s someone who actually wants to mentor me. I mean, I can handle a little criticism, but if they’re going to toss me in a back room to organize boxes for eight hours a day, I might lose it.”

Ava raises an eyebrow. “Knowing you, you’d probably organize those boxes in some genius way, like a work of art.”

I laugh, but it’s half true. My obsession with neatness borders on ridiculous sometimes. “Yeah, well, if I’m gonna spend my time there, I’d at least like to make a good impression.”

The doorman gives us a polite nod as we walk through the glass doors of Ava’s building. She leads me to the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor, where I’ll be crashing until I can stand on my own two feet.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” she asks as the elevator hums upward.

“Unpack my life into your guest room,” I answer with a dramatic sigh.

Ava laughs and elbows me gently. “It’s a cozy guest room. You’ll love it.”

We reach her floor, and I follow her down the hallway to the door of her apartment. She digs through her bag for the keys while I shift my heavy box to one side.

As she opens the door, I take in the familiar smell of her place—fresh coffee beans, vanilla-scented candles, and a trace of something sweet she probably baked earlier. My stomach growls.

“After you,” Ava says, gesturing with a flourish.

I step inside, already envisioning where I’ll set up my sketchbook and art supplies. I know this space will be temporary, but I’ll make it my own. I’m used to living in cramped dorms and shared apartments, so a small guest room is nothing new.

"Where do you want me to put this one?" I ask, lifting the box that’s holding my favorite supplies—sketchbooks, pencils, paints.

“Just dump it on the couch for now,” she says.

I smile, depositing the box on the couch. “I need to grab the last box from the car.”

She nods, opening the box on the couch so she can peer inside.

I head out of her apartment and into the hallway. I slip inside the elevator, excited to start this dream come true. As the elevator music plays, I smile. This is happening.

I rush outside, opening the trunk to grab the last box, phew. A sense of freedom washes over me as I tuck the smaller box under my arm and slam the trunk closed. This is really happening. I suck in a breath of fresh air, and head back past the doorman.

“Hi Charles,” I say, reading his name tag.

“Good morning, Miss. Have a lovely day.”

I nod. “Oh, I will.” I smile at him as he opens the door for me. I make my way toward the elevator. I push the button a few hundred times, and wait.

The doors swish open and a man walks out, looking at his phone as he does. He bumps right into me.

“Oh!” I gasp, stumbling backward and dropping my box. It hits the floor with a thud, and my paints go rolling.

I bend down to collect them, cursing softly under my breath.

The man doesn’t even glance down at me. Instead, he mutters something like “watch where you're going” and continues walking without offering to help.

I blink, completely taken aback. Who does that? I think, my heart racing slightly—not from his words, but from the fact that he’s gorgeous .

He’s tall, with broad shoulders that fill the doorway, dark hair swept back in a way that looks effortless, but he clearly put a lot of thought into it. His jaw is sharp, and his expression is one of utter disinterest—like he’s been dealing with interruptions all day and can’t be bothered.

I watch him go, annoyed but also... distracted. Ugh. Why does he have to be so attractive?

I shake my head, kneeling down to collect the rolling paints, muttering under my breath. “Some people are unbelievable.”

I gather my things, rushing into the elevator before the doors shut. I push my blonde hair out of my face as the elevator travels to the fourth floor.

When I reach Ava’s apartment I’m flustered.

Ava smiles as I walk in, but as soon as she reads the annoyance written clearly all over my face her smile falters. “What happened?”

“Some guy nearly knocked me over coming off the elevator,” I say, carefully picking up the last of my supplies. “And didn’t even offer to help me pick up my stuff.”

Ava’s eyes widen. “Who was it?”

“Some jerk in a suit.”

“Striking dark eyes? Dark hair? Too gorgeous you can’t stop staring?”

I nod. “Sounds like him.”

“Ah.” Ava nods. “That’s definitely Simon.”

“Simon?” I ask, confused.

“Yeah, Simon Weber. He lives on the floor above me. He’s some big shot artsy guy or something. Works around the city a lot, and I’ve heard he’s a real piece of work. Like, brooding, arrogant... you name it.”

“Wait, the Simon Weber?” I’m floored. “He lives here?”

Anyone aspiring to be a painter has heard of Simon Weber. He’s practically famous for his brushstrokes. The man’s a genius when it comes to art. Wow. I didn’t even recognize him. Well, to be fair, he’s a lot better looking in person.

“Yeah, you know him?”

“Everyone knows him.” I can’t believe this. “I can’t believe how rude he was.”

Ava laughs, clearly entertained. “You’ll get used to him. He’s got that ‘I’m too important for you’ vibe. Just stay out of his way and you’ll be fine.”

I don’t need to be told twice. I’m already doing my best to pretend I didn’t notice his dark eyes and the way his jaw flexed when he walked past me. “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be seeing much of him again.”

Ava shrugs. “I wouldn’t count on it. Simon has this way of popping up when you least expect it.”

I roll my eyes. “Great. Just what I need—more irritating people in my life.”

“Hey, you’re in the city now,” Ava says with a wide smile. “There’s no shortage of interesting characters here. You’ll love it.”

I manage a small smile, despite myself. “Right. I’ll be fine as long as I can avoid Simon Weber.”

Yeah, the last thing I need is some grumpy, attractive artist in my life. Even if he is famous, and could probably teach me more about art in twenty minutes than whoever my mentor will be in a lifetime.

Ava raises an eyebrow, looking more mischievous than ever. “You might be saying that now...”

I groan and drop my head back against the couch. “Let’s just get this over with. The sooner I can get my stuff settled, the sooner I can get to my internship.”

She grins. “Alright, let’s unpack. But just so you know, the universe might have other plans for you and Simon.”

I laugh, rolling my eyes. “I’m not falling for that.”

But a part of me wonders... What if I do?