By Tuesday morning, Maya realized pretending to date Daniel Reid was harder than she thought.
She had barely settled into her desk when Clara swanned over, leaning against her chair like a cat about to pounce.
"So," Clara purred, "are you bringing him to Thursday's happy hour? Because if you don't, I'll assume this whole thing is fake."
Maya nearly choked on her granola bar. Clara, of all people, couldn't suspect the truth.
"Of course he's coming," Maya said quickly, forcing a smile. "Why wouldn't he?"
Clara's grin widened. "Good girl. I'll save you two a booth."
The second Clara walked away, Maya groaned. Fake dating rule number one: appearances weren't optional. People were watching.
By noon, she marched to Daniel's desk. He was in the middle of typing an email, but he leaned back when she appeared, arching an eyebrow.
"Something wrong?"
"Happy hour," she muttered. "Thursday. We have to go together."
He looked amused. "Do we?"
"Yes! Clara already invited us. If we don't show up as a couple, people will talk."
His lips curved into that half-smile again, and Maya's stomach flipped. "Fine. We'll go."
She exhaled, relieved, before blurting out, "But we need rules."
That earned her a full smile—small, but devastating. "You do love rules, don't you?"
Maya folded her arms. "I'm serious. If we're going to pull this off, we can't just… wing it."
He gestured toward the empty chair beside his desk. "All right. Let's hear them."
She hesitated before sitting, suddenly too aware of how close his cologne smelled—clean, subtle, a little distracting.
"Rule one," she said firmly, pulling out her notebook like it was a board meeting. "Public affection only when necessary. Holding hands, maybe a hug. But no… no kissing."
"Noted." His tone was dry, but his eyes glinted with humor. "Though if Caldwell organizes another couples' dinner, you might have to reconsider."
Her cheeks warmed. "We'll cross that bridge if we come to it."
"Rule two?"
"Social media." She chewed her pen cap. "We should probably post something. Just so it looks convincing. A photo together, maybe."
Daniel's brow furrowed. "I don't even have Instagram."
Maya blinked. "You don't?"
He shook his head. "Too much noise. But if you want to post something, go ahead. Tag me on LinkedIn, I suppose."
Maya laughed despite herself. "Romantic. Very romantic."
"Rule three?" he prompted.
She sobered. "No real feelings. This is just pretend, okay? We stop when it stops being useful."
Daniel was quiet for a beat, studying her like he was weighing something unspoken. Finally, he nodded. "Agreed."
Her chest tightened, though she didn't know why.
---
The first test came sooner than expected. That afternoon, Caldwell summoned both of them into his office to review a client proposal. The room smelled faintly of cigar smoke and ambition. Caldwell skimmed the slides with a grunt before glancing at them over his glasses.
"You two make a strong team," he said. "Not just professionally. Personally as well. That kind of stability matters to clients."
Maya forced a polite smile, though inside, her nerves scrambled. She felt Daniel's hand brush against hers on the conference table—subtle, deliberate. Her pulse skyrocketed.
To anyone else, it looked casual. To her, it felt like a jolt of electricity.
Afterward, in the elevator, she whispered, "What was that?"
He glanced down at her, unruffled. "Rule one. Public affection when necessary."
Maya's cheeks burned. "That was not necessary."
"Caldwell seemed convinced."
The elevator doors slid open, saving her from replying. But as she walked back to her desk, her hand still tingled where his had touched it.
---
Thursday arrived faster than expected, and with it, happy hour. Maya agonized over her outfit—professional enough for colleagues, but not so professional she looked like a nun. She settled on a soft blue blouse and dark jeans, hoping she didn't look like she was trying too hard.
Daniel was already at the bar when she arrived, sleeves rolled up, nursing a drink. He looked infuriatingly relaxed, like he hadn't just thrown her entire life into chaos.
"Maya," he greeted, standing as she approached. He leaned in, brushing a hand at the small of her back as he kissed her cheek.
Her brain short-circuited. "What are you doing?" she whispered.
"Appearances," he murmured back, low enough that only she could hear.
Clara spotted them and let out a delighted squeal. "Finally! Sit, sit—you two look disgustingly cute."
Maya forced a smile, sliding into the booth beside Daniel. She was hyper-aware of the warmth of his arm brushing hers, the casual way he leaned closer when people glanced their way.
At one point, Clara raised her glass. "To Maya and Daniel—the office's new golden couple!"
The table erupted in cheers. Maya laughed nervously, clinking her glass against Daniel's. He caught her gaze for a second longer than necessary, his expression unreadable.
And that's when it hit her.
The rules were already breaking.
Because no
matter how many times she reminded herself this was pretend, her heart clearly hadn't gotten the memo.