Chapter 11 Pretending Feels Too Real
My Fake Boyfriend
Alex knew something was wrong the moment his mother's name appeared on his phone during the middle of a Tuesday afternoon.
Margaret Carter rarely called without a reason.
She preferred carefully scheduled conversations, concise updates, and emails that ended with polite signatures instead of emojis.
Alex answered as he left a project meeting.
"Hi, Mom."
"Alexander."
He smiled despite himself.
Only his mother still used his full name.
"How are you?"
"I'm well."
There was the familiar pause that always came before she reached the real reason for calling.
"I wanted to remind you about Saturday."
Alex frowned.
"Saturday?"
"Our anniversary dinner."
He stopped walking.
"Already?"
"Your father and I have been married for thirty-five years."
"I know."
"You forgot."
"I forgot the date."
Margaret sighed softly.
"I expected as much."
Alex rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm sorry."
"I know you're busy."
Her voice softened slightly.
"But your father has reserved the ballroom at the Lakeside Club."
Alex immediately understood.
This wasn't simply a family dinner.
It was one of the Carter family's formal celebrations.
Business associates would attend.
Old family friends.
Extended relatives.
Every conversation would revolve around careers, investments, marriages, and carefully maintained appearances.
"I'll be there."
"Good."
Another pause followed.
"And..."
Alex closed his eyes.
Here it comes.
"...please don't arrive alone again."
He let out a quiet breath.
"Mom."
"Alexander."
"I don't have a girlfriend."
"I didn't say you did."
"You implied it."
"I implied nothing."
She spoke with perfect politeness.
"I merely observed that your grandmother has started asking questions."
Alex laughed tiredly.
"Grandma has been asking questions since I turned twenty-five."
"And your aunts are becoming increasingly creative with their matchmaking."
"I've noticed."
Margaret hesitated before continuing.
"I only want you to enjoy the evening."
Alex knew what she meant.
He also knew exactly how the evening would unfold if he arrived alone.
Questions.
Concerned smiles.
Comments about working too much.
Subtle suggestions that success meant very little without someone to share it with.
He had endured those conversations for years.
"I'm sure I'll survive."
"I'm sure you will."
She paused again.
"But if there is someone special..."
Alex almost laughed.
The first face that appeared in his mind wasn't anyone he had dated.
It was Jamie.
Standing in the kitchen with flour on his cheek while arguing that fresh basil should never be replaced with dried herbs.
Alex blinked.
Why did I think of him?
"I'll see you Saturday, Mom."
After ending the call, he stood in the hallway outside the conference room for a long moment.
By the time he returned to work, an idea had quietly begun forming.
It wasn't a particularly good idea.
It was simply the easiest one.
That evening, Jamie was sitting cross-legged on the living room floor surrounded by photographs from his latest food magazine assignment.
Several printed images covered the coffee table.
Alex walked in carrying takeout because Jamie had spent the entire afternoon editing.
"I brought dinner."
Jamie looked up with a grateful smile.
"My hero."
Alex set the bags on the table.
"You've been working all day."
"So have you."
Jamie stretched his sore shoulders before gathering the photographs into neat stacks.
Alex watched him for a moment.
"Can I ask you something?"
Jamie immediately noticed the unusual tone.
"Of course."
Alex sat on the opposite end of the sofa.
"It's... slightly ridiculous."
Jamie laughed.
"Those are usually the interesting questions."
Alex smiled nervously.
"My parents are having their anniversary celebration this weekend."
"I remember."
"You do?"
"You told me about it months ago."
Jamie smiled.
"You also mentioned your aunt asks intrusive questions."
Alex groaned.
"She absolutely does."
Jamie waited patiently.
Alex rubbed his hands together.
"They've been encouraging me to bring someone."
Jamie nodded slowly.
"Someone you're dating."
"Yes."
Another brief silence settled between them.
Jamie looked at him curiously.
"You met someone?"
Alex answered so quickly that it almost sounded defensive.
"No."
Jamie's heart quietly relaxed.
Then Alex spoke again.
"I was wondering if..."
He hesitated.
"...you'd come with me."
Jamie smiled.
"I'd love to."
Alex shook his head.
"Not as my roommate."
Jamie's smile slowly disappeared.
"What do you mean?"
Alex looked almost embarrassed.
"I was hoping..."
He cleared his throat.
"...you could pretend to be my boyfriend."
The apartment became completely silent.
Jamie simply stared at him.
He had imagined Alex asking many impossible questions over the past several months.
That wasn't one of them.
"You want me to..."
"Pretend."
Alex nodded.
"Only for one evening."
Jamie looked down at his hands.
His heart had begun racing so loudly he was certain Alex could hear it.
Pretend to be your boyfriend.
The words sounded dangerously close to every dream he had carefully hidden.
Alex quickly continued.
"You can absolutely say no."
"I'll understand."
"I know it's a strange favor."
Jamie looked back up.
"Why me?"
The question escaped before he could stop it.
Alex blinked.
"What?"
"You have coworkers."
"Friends."
"You could ask anyone."
Alex answered without thinking.
"I trust you."
The simple honesty stole the rest of Jamie's breath.
Alex continued quietly.
"My family already knows about you."
"They do?"
"I talk about you more than I realized."
Jamie smiled faintly.
"You do?"
"My mother already knows your name."
He laughed awkwardly.
"I may have mentioned your cooking once or twice."
Jamie couldn't help smiling.
"Only once or twice?"
"Maybe more."
Jamie looked away for a moment.
Every sensible part of him warned that this was a terrible idea.
Pretending to be Alex's boyfriend would only make returning to friendship even harder afterward.
He already loved Alex more than he should.
Spending an evening acting like they belonged together felt almost cruel.
Yet how could he possibly refuse?
If Alex needed him...
The answer had probably been decided the moment he asked.
Jamie looked back at him.
"I'll do it."
Alex's shoulders visibly relaxed.
"You will?"
Jamie nodded.
"It's just one evening."
Alex smiled with genuine gratitude.
"Thank you."
Jamie returned the smile, though it carried a sadness only he could feel.
"I should probably know the rules."
"Rules?"
"Our relationship."
Jamie laughed softly.
"How long have we supposedly been together?"
Alex smiled.
"I hadn't thought that far."
"I figured."
Jamie picked up a notebook from the coffee table.
"If we're pretending, we should at least be convincing."
Alex laughed.
"You sound very serious."
"I am."
He began writing.
"When did we meet?"
Alex smiled.
"Actually..."
He looked around the apartment.
"...we don't have to invent that part."
Jamie's pen stopped moving.
"Because it's true."
Alex nodded.
"We really did meet after the pipe burst."
Jamie smiled.
"And we really became friends."
"Exactly."
Jamie looked at him for a long moment.
"It'll make the story easier."
Alex nodded.
"It will."
They spent the next hour discussing harmless details.
Favorite memories.
How long they'd supposedly been dating.
Which stories sounded believable enough to satisfy curious relatives.
At some point, they both stopped calling it pretending and started referring to it simply as "our story."
Neither of them noticed.
The following afternoon, Emma appeared at the apartment carrying a shopping bag and an expression that immediately made Alex suspicious.
"What are you smiling about?"
Emma hugged Jamie before answering.
"I heard about Saturday."
Alex narrowed his eyes.
"Mom called you."
"She absolutely did."
Emma looked between the two men.
"So..."
She clasped her hands dramatically.
"...you're finally doing this."
"We're pretending," Alex reminded her.
Emma smiled sweetly.
"Of course you are."
Jamie laughed.
"It's only for one evening."
Emma looked directly at him.
"If believing that helps."
Alex sighed.
"Emma."
"What?"
"You know I'm right."
Alex opened his mouth.
No words came out.
Emma smiled triumphantly.
She waited until Alex walked into the kitchen before leaning closer to Jamie.
"He loves you."
Jamie's eyes widened.
"He doesn't."
Emma lowered her voice.
"My brother once forgot his own birthday."
Jamie smiled.
"I remember."
"He has never forgotten your favorite tea."
Jamie's heart skipped.
Emma continued.
"He smiles differently when you're around."
She glanced toward the kitchen.
"And he hasn't realized why yet."
Before Jamie could answer, Alex returned carrying three mugs of coffee.
"What are you two whispering about?"
Emma accepted her mug with perfect innocence.
"Nothing."
Alex looked unconvinced.
"I definitely don't believe that."
"You shouldn't."
Saturday evening arrived faster than either of them expected.
Alex stood beside Jamie outside the ballroom entrance.
Both wore dark tailored suits.
Both looked unusually nervous.
Jamie quietly adjusted Alex's tie one final time.
"You've done this enough times that it doesn't even feel strange anymore," Alex said.
Jamie smiled.
"I noticed."
The ballroom buzzed with elegant conversation.
Crystal glasses sparkled beneath enormous chandeliers while a string quartet played near the entrance.
Alex took one slow breath.
"Ready?"
Jamie nodded.
"As I'll ever be."
They walked inside together.
Margaret Carter spotted them almost immediately.
She smiled warmly as they approached.
"Alexander."
She hugged her son before turning toward Jamie.
"You must be Jamie."
Jamie offered his hand politely.
"It's wonderful to finally meet you."
Margaret smiled with genuine kindness.
"Alexander has spoken very highly of you."
Alex looked mildly embarrassed.
"Mom."
"What?"
She laughed softly.
"It's true."
Several relatives began drifting toward them.
Questions already filled their expressions.
Alex felt Jamie's shoulder brush lightly against his own.
Without consciously planning it, he smiled.
"This is Jamie."