I hung up with Kacia, my mind racing as I headed to my shift at the Athens coffee shop. During a break, I shot Jake an iMessage, filling him in on my latest slip-up with the $20. He replied instantly: "Bro, you're getting sharper. Nice move." We started joking about what Kacia might be like in person—those ChatNow curves had to be real, right? Jake, true to form, dropped a bombshell plan: we'd pretend to be brothers. I'd play the older, responsible one, while he'd be the younger, flashy sibling.
I laughed to myself, shaking my head. Hope Jake doesn't land me in jail one day. But honestly, having a friend like him—part genius, part chaos—was a blessing and a curse. I wasn't sure which category he fit into, but I needed his scheming brain for this.
After work, I was beat. I skipped stopping by Jake's and crashed at home, sprawled on my bed by 5 p.m. At 7 p.m., my phone buzzed—Kacia. I groaned, seeing her name. Here we go.
"Hey, love," I answered, bracing myself.
"Call me back," she said, hanging up before I could blink. Classic Kacia. She'd never stayed on the line longer than three minutes unless I funded her Cash App. I waited ten minutes, then called her back.
"Hey, love," I said, forcing cheer.
"Hi," she replied, her voice bright. "What happened earlier? Your phone cut off."
"Sorry, ran out of battery," I lied.
"Hmm, thought you were avoiding me," she teased. "Where you at?"
"Just chilling. Where are you?"
"I'm in Athens!" she chirped. "Just got here."
"No way! Where?" I asked, sitting up.
"Not sure," she said. I heard her ask someone in the background, "Yo Tina, What's this place called?" A muffled voice replied, "Milledge Avenue." She came back on. "She says it's Milledge Avenue, Ethan."
"That's not far," I said, calculating. "Like a 20-minute Taxi from my place."
"Really?" she said, sounding surprised.
"Yeah. So, when do we link up?"
"I'm slammed tomorrow helping with wedding prep," she said. "Cooking and stuff."
"How about Saturday?"
"Busy then too," she said, her voice dropping.
"Come on, babe, I'm dying to see you," I said, laying on the charm.
"Same," she said, softening. "Okay, let's do this: meet me at the Georgia Square Shopping Mall. Text me the spot. You get there first, and I'll find you."
Oh, she's slick, I thought, smelling a setup. Thinks she can outsmart me? Thanks, Jake. "That's tough, babe," I said, following Jake's script. "My little brother's in town and wants to meet you. He was supposed to leave yesterday, but he stayed to meet with you."
"Who's that?" she asked, her tone wary. "You told him about me?"
"My cousin, yeah," I said, grinning to myself. "Told him you're my girl, the one I'm gonna marry. He's got a surprise gift for you, but he won't tell me what it is. Says it's for you only. He's heading out right after meeting you."
"Really?" Her voice lit up. "What's the gift?"
"No clue," I said. "He's keeping it secret. Wants to give it to you himself."
"Oh, God, I'm so busy," she groaned. "Okay, let's see what happens tomorrow."
"That's my girl," I said, smirking.
"Ethan, please…" she started, but I cut her off.
"Babe, gotta go—got an emergency!" I hung up, laughing. Knew it. 'Please' always means 'send me funds.'
At 9 p.m., I called her back to nail down our plans. "Hey, love," I said.
"Hey, you," she replied, all sweet. "How we meeting tomorrow?"
"Let's see if you can sneak out," I said. "My place isn't far from Milledge. Just grab an Uber, and the driver will drop you right at my door."
"I can't stay long," she said quickly. "My folks can't know I'm gone. You'd need to be outside waiting, and the same Uber can take us to the mall."
Trying to play me again? I thought. "No problem, babe," I said smoothly.
"What're you getting me?" she asked, her voice eager.
"Just wait for the surprises tomorrow," I teased.
"That's why I love you," she cooed. "Oh, and babe, could you send me like $20 real quick? I need to get pizza."
"Not now darling," I said, stalling. "My bank's already processed the daily limit — let's sort it out tomorrow."
"Alright, take care," she said, then hung up.
I hit up Jake on iMessage, filling him in on Kacia's shopping plan. I was stumped on how to get her to my place long enough to pull off Jake's scheme. "Don't sweat it," he texted. "I'll handle her. Just follow my lead." We ran through our final rehearsal, Jake laying out how he'd play the flashy younger brother to keep her off balance.
Friday morning, I woke up at 8 a.m., buzzing with nervous energy. I'd taken the day off work, faking a doctor's visit. I swapped my bedsheets, stocked my mini fridge with three cans of soda and some fruit, hit up the CVS for a pack of condoms, and sprayed the room with Febreze. Forget spring cleaning—let a guy think he's getting laid, and he'll clean like his life depends on it." I thought, smirking.
At 9:25 a.m., Kacia sent a missed call. I called back. "Hey, love," I said.
"Hi, dear," she replied. "How's your morning?"
"Good. Yours?"
"Fine," she said. "Where's my fund?"
"Sorry, babe, still in bed," I lied. "Seems it will take exactly 24 hours before I can send funds again."
"Why not borrow some from your brother?" she pressed.
"He left early and hasn't come back," I said, sticking to the script.
"Send your address," she said. "I'm heading over soon. And first thing, I'm collecting the money in cash."
"No problem," I said, texting her my address. I shot Jake a heads-up: She's coming. Game on.
Thirty-five minutes later, Jake showed up, decked out in a sharp jacket and dragging a small suitcase for effect. We hugged, laughing about how we'd pull this off. "Trust me, bro," he said. "We got this."
Mid-gist, my phone rang—Kacia. "Hey, love, where you at?" I asked.
"Just got off an Uber outside your place," she said. "Come out quick. The driver's waiting."
"Okay," I said, hanging up. I turned to Jake, my stomach sinking. "Man, this isn't gonna work. She's sticking to the Uber plan."
Jake grinned, unfazed. "Leave it to the master, king of suckers. Let's go greet her. I'll take charge."
"Yes, boss," I said, following him out.
We stepped outside, and right across the street, standing next to a black Uber, was a girl waving at me. My stomach twisted. That couldn't be her, could it? But the closer I looked, the more reality sank in. This wasn't the Kacia from ChatNow. Her skin looked uneven, her face marked with blemishes the filters had wiped clean online. No soft glow. No flawless angles. Just raw, unedited truth. Her outfit? Plain. A basic combo that screamed last-minute, not the glam, bad-girl energy she always served in her photos. The girl I saw now was a far cry from the digital goddess I'd built up in my head. And in that moment, I realized: I'd fallen for an illusion.
"That her?" Jake whispered, his voice dripping with disappointment.
"Guess so," I muttered, my excitement fading.
"Damn, she's… not what you hyped up," Jake said, shaking his head. "This is gonna be interesting."