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  “What do you usually get?” She responded with a question of her own, and he quirked a brow before stepping up to order.

  “Two Power Green smoothies. Extra probiotic mix in my own, please,” he said, drawing his wallet from his pocket. Claire narrowed her eyes, not used to being ordered for and certainly not sure if she particularly liked it. She supposed she had welcomed him to the task, however, and decided upon picking a table for them to share. She chose one near the window that faced the street, sitting on the awkward stool. She rested her elbows on the small table, watching the traffic as it passed outside the window.

  “My favorite spot,” Matthew said with a small smile, placing her smoothie in front of her. She considered the sickly green beverage with an uncertain expression, and he could only chuckle at the sight. “It’s pretty tasty, for a health beverage. I won’t say it’s as pleasant as something like a strawberry banana smoothie, but the health benefits of one much outweigh the other,” he murmured. He slipped his straw into his cup, taking a long sip. Claire watched him for a moment before taking her own straw with some trepidation. She supposed if they were going to pretend to date, she could place this small amount of faith in the man. She poked her straw through the hole in the top, taking a small sip of her own smoothie. Her initial reaction was to scrunch her face in distaste, but as the liquid trickled down her throat, she began to adjust to the taste. It wasn’t as bad as she might have thought, but it certainly wasn’t good either.

  “It’s… alright,” she allowed, smiling sheepishly. Matthew seemed nonplussed by her distaste, however, simply watching her with a faint smile.

  “You know, I’m not used to having company at the gym. People are generally too intimidated to approach me,” he admitted.

  “Might have to do with buff shirtless dude thing. But hey, come on, Matt. You have to admit, I’m not like most women you would spend your time with,” she grinned. He nodded, seeming to be debating whether or not that was a good thing. Claire averted her eyes, feeling herself grow self-conscious once more.

  “We can use that, you know. That’s why we work so well together, in this fake relationship. You were unlike the others from the start, and I couldn’t help but fall for your charms,” he grinned, reaching out to give her a teasing nudge. She rolled her eyes, but shot him an appreciative grin immediately after.

  “Okay, well, when you put it that way,” she murmured, flipping her hair dramatically and fixing him with a sultry look. “Who could resist my charms, Matt?” She purred, internally pleased with the faint dusting of a blush on his cheeks.

  “Who would want to, my dear?” He retorted before glancing at his watch. “Alright, since we have a vague idea of what we’re going to tell people, we can hammer out the details over the next month or so until the wedding. No rush, yeah?” He suggested, and she hesitated for a long moment, seeming to consider his words.

  “That should work. It would probably be best if we exchanged numbers, so we can actually… keep touch, I suppose,” She dropped her eye contact, grabbing her cellphone out of her pocket. He grabbed his as well, sweeping through a long list of contacts. “You sure you’ll be able to find me in that extensive list, dudley do-right?” She deadpanned, and he snorted in amusement.

  “I was just thinking it would probably be better if I added you to my favorite contacts list,” he admitted with a wide grin, swiping to another screen and typing her name in the proper input field. She did the same, going as far to put an emoticon heart beside his name.

  “To look authentic,” she supplied as they swapped phones and he smirked at his contact listing.

  “How precious,” he teased as the two input their contact info in each other’s phones. They swapped back, and he laughed upon seeing that Claire had put a heart beside her name in his contact list as well. “I guess we’re both precious, then,” he mused aloud.

  “I don’t know about that. We’ll just be in the honeymoon phase,” she muttered, slipping her phone back into her pocket.

  “Already planning a honeymoon? Isn’t that more for the bride and groom?” He retorted, holding his hands up in a placating gesture as she narrowed her eyes at him. “Kidding, kidding. I understand, Claire. I’ll text you later, so we at least have some backlog if someone asks to see your phone,” he muttered, rising from the table.

  “Thanks, Matt. For… all of this. It…,” she paused, realizing she was coming off as far too sentimental. “Well, it helps me a lot. It’ll be a relief to get my mom off my back,” she said, chuckling awkwardly. He hesitated, looking as if he were sincerely considering his next words.

  “It’s no problem. Anything for a friend, though that’s a remarkably new sentiment coming from me. I’ll see you around, Claire,” he smiled, waving before slipping towards the locker room. She watched him go with a faint smile, cursing herself for how much she wanted to see what he looked like under those gym shorts. Shaking off the thought, she retreated to the women’s locker room. She couldn’t have known that he was thinking the very same about her bare form, but well…

  Boys will be boys.

  Chapter 3

  Matthew awoke to the familiar tone of his phone receiving a text message and he reached to the bedside table with a groan. He swiped the phone to view the message, eyes widening when he saw the message from Claire. It wasn’t the fact that she’d sent a text that bothered him, no. It was what the text read. Apparently her sister, the very sister that was getting married, had already insisted upon meeting Claire’s new boyfriend. His eyes bulged as Claire begged him to meet them for lunch at a popular restaurant downtown. He knew he should say no, he hadn’t signed up to immediately play the boyfriend game; he’d intended to work out their plan a bit more before meeting the family. However, he knew it would look outright awful for her supposed boyfriend to refuse to meet the sister. He groaned under his breath, slipping out of bed and into the bathroom to prepare for the impromptu date.

  Around a half hour later, he grabbed the keys to his little red sports car and slipped out the door. He texted Claire to inform her that he was on his way to the restaurant, shoving his phone in his pocket and glancing at his reflection in the side mirror of his car. He flopped into the driver’s seat, turning the ignition and reveling in the powerful purr of his engine. Not wanting to be late, he sped to the restaurant as quickly as the speed limit would allow— or perhaps a bit more so. He spotted Claire outside the restaurant, standing next to a woman who looked similar but remarkably homely in comparison to his… his fake girlfriend. He pulled into a parking space, running a hand through his hair before stepping out and approaching the two women. Claire’s sister spotted him before Claire, eyes wide as she sputtered and pointed at Matthew. Claire quirked a brow, following her sister’s gaze and immediately lighting up upon seeing the man. She waved happily, much to her sister’s surprise, and Matthew rushed forward to gather Claire into his arms. She squeaked, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

  “There’s my girl,” he said in a forcibly tender tone, though he was somewhat irritated to be forced into the act so soon.

  “Matthew, baby, I knew you would come through,” Claire cooed, cupping his cheeks in her hands. Her sister watched in slack-mouthed awe, gasping audibly.

  “Claire, that’s who you’re seeing? Jesus, kid, he’s gorgeous,” the woman announced, and Claire reddened in embarrassment. “Matthew, yeah? I’m Courtney, Claire’s sister. Once mom told me she was bringing a man to the wedding, I had to see for myself,” the woman, Courtney, chuckled.

  “Nice to meet you, Courtney. I see that good looks must run in the family,” he lied smoothly, gripping Claire’s hand in his own. He brushed his thumb against the back of her hand, not really realizing he was doing so.

  “Aw, you’re too sweet. I told Claire, here, that I would treat the two of you to lunch. The looks of that sports car, though, you don’t seem to be hurting for cash,” Courtney grinned, leading the fake couple into
the restaurant. Claire held Matthew’s hand almost unbearably tight and when he glanced towards her, she was offering the most apologetic look she could muster. He smiled gently, mouthing that it was fine before turning his attention back to her rambling sister, managing to tune back into what was being said. “Claire’s never had much luck with men, I thought she was one of those lesbians, for a spell. Has that big butch personality, like a man,” Courtney continued to ramble, and Matthew narrowed his eyes dangerously.

  “It’s a shame that to have such an outgoing and vibrant personality is considered manly. Your sister and I get along so well because of her personality. She just needed a man who could handle her. I’m just glad I came along before someone else got the chance,” he said coolly.

  “Courtney’s never quite understood my weakness for alpha males,” Claire muttered, to which Courtney only laughed. Courtney guided the two to the table she had reserved, and Matthew pulled out a chair for the woman he was pretending to court. Claire shot him an appreciative smile, and he leaned in to ghost his lips to her ear.

  “Play it cool, Barkley,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he drew away. Courtney looked utterly thrilled, and Claire herself was blushing prettily in the low light of the restaurant. He smiled to himself, taking a seat directly at Claire’s side. Courtney sat across from them, smiling to herself.

  “I’ll be honest with you. I’ve never seen Claire this happy in… her entire life. She’s always had to put up this big emotional wall when it comes to men, but I can tell she really cares about you. I can tell you care about each other, that is,” the woman smiled. Claire turned an even brighter shade of red, and Matthew could do little more than chuckle to himself.

  Awkwardness aside, the lunch date passed with little trouble. Courtney couldn’t stop fawning over the new couple, hinting that she would be aiming for Claire to catch the bouquet. As Courtney got in her car to drive home, the couple stood side by side, waving to bid her farewell. As soon as she was out of sight, Claire began apologizing desperately.

  “I’m so sorry, Matt, I didn’t think she would be so demanding, and I didn’t mean-,” she blurted, cutting herself short as he ruffled her hair.

  “I’ll admit, it was a bit trying to force this… thing, so soon. But I think, all things considered, I think it went well. Your sister lives in town?” He inquired, glancing in the direction the other woman had driven.

  “Y-yeah. I was going to suggest… that is, I was thinking we could spend more time together. Off the clock, so to speak. So we can get to know each other a bit more, and cover our tracks…,” she trailed off, glancing uncertainly up at him. He was hesitant, wondering if there was something deeper to this whole charade than he had initially expected. He dismissed the thought, however, nodding his agreement to her suggestion. Even if he suspected he was being used, he couldn’t shake his budding attraction for the woman he was faking a relationship with.

  “I think you’re right. If your sister lives in town, she could spot us anytime,” he muttered. She smiled, seemingly satisfied with his agreement. He knew this situation could go downhill any given time, but at this rate, he would be happy enough if he could just land his friend in bed. Just to satisfy a craving, if nothing else. What were friends for, after all?

  Chapter 4

  Claire found herself clutching her phone much like a teenager in love. She realized she might be getting absorbed in the facade, but tried to assure herself that there was no harm in wanting to spend time with her handsome friend. They had arranged a date of some sort, a casual walk in the park where they could be seen together. She cared less about being seen and more about being at his side, but she couldn’t allow herself to get swept up in that thought. She allowed her thoughts to slip away, texting a swift message to acknowledge Matthew that she was on her way to the park. He replied with a smiling emoticon, claiming that he was all too eager to see her. It was nice to feel appreciated, even if it was all part of some big game. She exhaled a sigh, slipping her phone back into her pocket and focusing on her surroundings. The city park was not far from her apartment, though she rarely found herself with the time to waste there. It wasn’t that she disliked the great outdoors, it was simply that she preferred to save the more romantic scenery until she had someone to share it with.

  She chuckled under her breath, wondering how she had forced herself into this situation. She could admit to herself that she’d always found Matt rather handsome, though it had been from an objective point of view. It was rather clear that he only used women for one purpose, but perhaps he was shaking that habit. It seemed that he cared enough to pursue this whole act with her, with no apparent benefit for himself. Unless he was planning to get her in bed, but… God, he couldn’t be interested in her.

  “Claire,” a warm voice called, and she glanced up as she stepped through the front entrance to the city park. She perked up upon seeing Matthew, noting that he seemed to be hiding something behind his back. She jogged towards him, eyes widening as he produced a bottle of wine from behind his back. He chuckled. “The best vintage for my best girl, I thought you may appreciate this gesture a bit more than flowers.” She nearly jumped out of her skin in her rush to get closer, taking the wine bottle in her hand and realizing just how expensive the selection must have been.

  “Public drunkenness, Matt?” She teased, and he quirked his lips in a small smile.

  “I doubt we’ll have too much trouble,” he assured her, taking her by her arm and leading her to the water fountain. She was surprised to see a small picnic basket placed on a bench near the fountain, and Matthew gestured for her to follow him towards. He sat beside her on the bench, producing two wine glasses as well as some rather tasty looking dessert items. She fought not to salivate, considering him with a quirked brow.

  “This doesn’t seem to be the path to an aesthetic physique, at least, nothing close to the health drinks we had at the gym,” she chuckled, accepting a plate as he offered it to her.

  “You’re perfect the way you are, darling,” he offered her a charming, playful grin. She felt her cheeks grow warm, forgetting for a moment that this was all for a show. He loaded up her plate with a large slice of chocolate cake, humming to himself as he prepared himself a much smaller portion. She watched him for a moment before turning to watch the rhythmic pulsing of the fountains water jets. It was a beautiful scene, and there were very few people lingering in the area they were occupying. She couldn’t deny the romantic nature of the scene, and mused somewhat sadly that anyone would fall for Matthew’s acting. “Aren’t you going to eat?” He inquired, taking a forkful of cake and holding it out for her. She examined the proffered portion with a quirked brow, leaning in to take the offered bite. As she drew away, she watched with some surprise, as Matthew continued eating with the fork as if her lips hadn’t just been wrapped around it. It was almost as intimate as kissing, but she supposed she shouldn’t allow herself to get all flustered by that thought either. There was no question that for their act to be believable, the two would have to swap spit. As if reading her mind, Matthew set his fork aside and cupped her cheek in his hand.

  “You’re so sweet to me, darling,” Claire managed, and he rumbled a warm laugh before leaning in to ghost his lips to her ear.

  “You’re a rather sweet morsel yourself, Claire,” he murmured, shifting to ghost his lips to hers. She stiffened, drawing her lip between her teeth as he edged away. Before he could put too much distance between them, she lurched forward to grab him by the shirt collar. Their lips mashed together in perfect synchrony, and she could taste the chocolate on his lips as she thoroughly kissed the man. His tongue flicked against her lip, and her mouth parted slightly before she even realized what she was doing. As their tongues met, electricity felt as if it were jolting through her entire body. She drew away, touching her lips hesitantly. Her face felt pleasantly flushed, and Matthew looked all too pleased with himself. “We do have to look authentic, after all,” he murmured,
brushing his thumb against her lip. She shivered beneath his touch, all too aware of the hungry gaze he leveled upon her. It seemed that the act was the last thing on his mind for the moment, but truthfully, she wasn’t too captivated the falsified relationship for the time being. She wanted to kiss him again, and he looked entirely receptive as she leaned in to meet his lips again. She stopped short, considering his intense gaze with her heart pounding in her chest.

  “Maybe we should… stick to the plan,” she muttered, drawing away and exhaling shakily. She wanted to believe the man held some sort of feelings for her, or at least respected her. It was growing increasingly apparent that he seemed intent upon treating her like the other women in his life. Though she had been the one to suggest they spend more time together, she was beginning to regret the notion. He looked taken aback, narrowing his eyes at her before speaking.

  “Are we not sticking to the plan? Your plan, as it were,” he bit out, and she could almost believe he felt rejected. That was ridiculous, however, and she could only reason that he knew that she’d caught on to his intent.

  “I just think the kissing is unnecessary. Especially when no one important is watching,” she offered defensively, wrapping her arms around herself. He laughed humorlessly, tossing back his entire glass of wine.

  “That didn’t exactly seem like part of the plan. Finding yourself a bit swept up, Claire?” He smirked. Her face burned with embarrassment, and she stood from the bench, shoving her plate in the picnic basket.

  “Of course not. I know how you are, Matthew. A woman is just a means to an end. I would never allow myself to get swept up in this farce,” her eyes appeared dead cold. He glared, and her heart sank at his obvious distaste.

  “Alright. I simply thought I was playing my role exceptionally. I’m beginning to wonder if this is even worth my time,” he spat, rising and gathering his things. Her eyes widened in fear and she fought to swallow a gasp. “When you’ve decided on whether you’d rather be hot or cold, I’m sure you’ll know where to find me,” he hissed, turning his back on her and stalking away. She watched him go, fury broiling in her breast. This only cemented her idea that he was using her to get into her pants, though if he had simply been up front she might not have minded that as much. She watched him stalk to the exit of the park, sinking onto the park bench and burying her head in her hands. She should have been comforted by the idea that she had done the right thing, but something inside of her ached. Something cried for her to follow the man out of the park, to plead her case… whatever her case may have been. She felt a tear slip down her cheeks, and she roughly rubbed her eyes before rising up from the bench. She wouldn’t be so desperate as to chase him down. She would text him when they had time to cool off, consider things from each other’s point of view.