Summer with a Fake Date: The Love Beach Collection
Prologue
May 25th
Wanted
Saleswoman for the Summer Season
Are your sales skills top notch?
Do you have the ability to sell anything?
If so, you’re the saleswoman we’re looking for.
Email Quade Sanderson at [emailprotected] for more details
* * *
My gaze skims the ad one more time. I didn’t plan to work this summer. With college graduation behind me I’m looking forward to some time off before I start searching for a job.
Except…if I stay here, Dad expects me to work for him at Blush, the talent agency he’s owned for longer than I’ve been alive, and the thought of having to deal with, and spend time with a bunch of shallow?—
I can’t stop the full body shudder at just the thought and my fingers are typing before the ripple of unease reaches my toes.
* * *
1:15 pm
From: [emailprotected]
To: [emailprotected]
Saleswoman for the Summer Season
Dear Mr. Sanderson,
My name is Hadley Calla Knowles and I’ve spent every summer for the past twelve years working a variety of sales jobs.
I’ve sold fishing tackle, tacos, plants, clothes, land, doorknobs, alcohol, organic face care products, hamburgers, cars, pet insurance, and coffins. I’ve proven through my extensive experience that I can sell anything and therefore believe I am the person you are looking for.
I’ve attached my CV with references as well as copies of my degrees in public relations marketing.
I’m willing to answer any questions regarding my experience or education and look forward to hearing more about the summer position.
Regards
Hadley Knowles
1:18 pm
From: [emailprotected]
To: [emailprotected]
Re: Saleswoman for the Summer Season
Dear Ms. Knowles,
After vetting your CV I believe you could be the right person for the summer position, but I need to confirm a few things with you before we move forward.
1.Are you available for the entire summer—June 1 through August 31?
2.Are you willing to relocate to Love Beach, South Carolina, for the duration?
If your answer to both of the above questions is yes, I’d like to go into more detail about what the job entails and how much you will earn.
Regards
Quade Sanderson
1:22 pm
From: [emailprotected]
To: [emailprotected]
Re: Saleswoman for the Summer Season
Dear Mr. Sanderson,
My answer to both questions is yes.
Regards
Hadley Knowles
1:32 pm
From: [emailprotected]
To: [emailprotected]
Re: Saleswoman for the Summer Season
Dear Ms. Knowles,
The job includes transport to Love Beach, room and board, as well as $2,100 per week.
You are required to sign a NDA before we go into more details about the job. I have attached the document for you to sign. Once you have and returned it, we will continue with this interview.
Regards
Quade Sanderson
* * *
“Two thousand one hundred dollars!” I shake my head and reread Quade Sanderson’s latest email. “Transport, room and board are included… What kind of job is this…?”
Clicking the attachment I download the digital agreement. If it were a physical document the ink wouldn’t even be dry before I sent it back.
* * *
1:34 pm
From: [emailprotected]
To: [emailprotected]
Re: Saleswoman for the Summer Season
Dear Mr. Sanderson,
Signed NDA attached.
Regards
Hadley Knowles
1:38 pm
From: [emailprotected]
To: [emailprotected]
Re: Saleswoman for the Summer Season
Dear Ms. Knowles,
Thank you for your prompt reply.
Having you sign a NDA may seem a little strange but once I explain, the reasoning will become clear.
I require a girlfriend for the summer but am currently single with no prospects or interest in sight. The reasons for my need to be in a relationship are not of consequence but I will reveal those if you are still interested in the job.
You will have your own sleeping quarters and only need to pretend to be with me when others are around. Those times will mainly be at large group events so you won’t have to be by my side continuously, you will be free to mingle and enjoy yourself.
We will have two days on our own prior to arriving at our summer accommodation which will give us time to get comfortable with each other as well as get our story straight.
What do you say?
Do you think your sales skills are sharp enough to sell us as a couple?
Can you fake it with me for the summer?
Regards
Quade Sanderson
* * *
Ireread the new email from Quade Sanderson and murmur, “This can’t be real…”, as I scroll back through all our email correspondence. I even go back to the online classified ad and my original inquiry, and nope, I’m not imagining things, my understanding is not wrong.
This guy needs a fake girlfriend for the summer.
Can I pretend to date someone for that long?
I scan his last two emails again.
The money is good, more than good, along with no living expenses for three months while basically holidaying at the beach and this is really hard to say no to.
My fingers hover over the keyboard, I’m tempted, so very tempted, just not sure…
“How hard can it be to pretend to be dating this guy?”
It can’t be harder than selling doorknobs and I barely scraped by the few weeks of that job before I picked up a bartending gig.
My fingertips brush the keys, my mind see-sawing back and forth.
The vibration of my phone on the desk draws my attention and I see my dad’s name on the screen.
Instantly, I’m reminded of the argument we had this morning right before I saw the saleswoman ad and I recall why I abandoned my plans to take a break and started looking for a job, why I need to get away from home for awhile.
I love my dad but he’s an overbearing helicopter parent at times and I need to get out from under his disapproving glower and make my own way.
In spite of him calling me a directionless child because I won’t do as he asks most of the time, I don’t do things without thinking them through.
I know what I’m doing and when I don’t I…
“Fake it ’til I make it.”
* * *
2:06 pm
From: [emailprotected]
To: [emailprotected]
Our summer of love trip
My Darling Quade,
I cannot wait to see you!
I’m so excited about spending the whole summer at the beach. All I can hear in my head is Sandy and Danny from Grease singing Summer Nights. (You know how much I love that movie!)
Spending three months together in Love Beach will be a magically romantic time and I cannot imagine wanting to do that with anyone but you.
All my love
Hads
xoxoxo