Sam exhaled heavily and set her coffee cup down with a dull thunk. Steam curled upward, twisting in the soft café light.
Across from her, Ashley leaned forward, eyes wide.
"Wait—your grandma asked you to bring who to the family reunion?"
Sam groaned, rubbing her temple. "Alexandra. The woman I accidentally spilled coffee on. Apparently, Nana's expecting me to show up with her like it's some fairytale romance."
Ashley blinked. "You're joking."
"I wish I was." Sam slumped back in her chair. "If I'd known it would get this complicated, I would've just suffered through another one of Nana's matchmaking attempts with Josh. But no, I panicked. I told her that Alexandra was my girlfriend."
Ashley's laughter burst out, loud enough to make the next table glance over.
"Oh my God! Okay, but serious question—this Alexandra... is she at least hot? Because if she's not, just say you broke up. Simple fix."
Sam rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because that won't land me another blind date with Josh the Human Spreadsheet." She paused, tapping her fingers against her cup. "But for the record... Alexandra's not bad. Actually, she's—" she hesitated, a faint smirk forming "—she's beautiful. Stunning, even. Just... understated. She was wearing this plain white tee and jeans, nothing fancy. Mud on her shoes, probably from I don't know, maybe her job requires soil and water. But somehow, she still looked—"
Ashley grinned knowingly. "Like your type?"
Sam didn't answer. She just lifted an eyebrow and looked out the window, trying to smother the small, involuntary smile tugging at her lips. Truth was, there was something about Alexandra—a quiet kind of magnetism that stuck in her mind longer than she wanted to admit.
Ashley took a sip of her latte, watching her. "You know, you could just... go on an actual date for once. Maybe have a girlfriend for real?"
"I don't have time for that," Sam said flatly. "Between the company, the new project, and putting out fires every other day, romance is a luxury I can't afford."
Ashley sighed dramatically. "One day you're gonna blink and realize you're the richest lonely woman in the retirement home."
"Better that than heartbroken and distracted," Sam shot back, though her tone softened with a tired smirk. "Relationships are messy. Time-consuming. And always end in headaches—or worse, public drama."
Ashley lifted her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. So what's the grand plan, then? Skip the reunion?"
Sam slumped lower in her seat. "Tempting. But Nana would probably disown me, revoke my inheritance, and hand my CEO seat to one of my cousins before dessert."
Ashley nodded solemnly. "And there it is. The horror of a Kingsley family reunion."
Sam dropped her head into her hands. "How did I end up in this mess?"
Ashley leaned forward, voice soft but teasing. "You could always talk to her again."
Sam peeked through her fingers. "And say what? 'Hi, remember me? The woman who spilled oat milk all over you and introduced you to my grandma as my girlfriend?'"
Ashley grinned. "Exactly! But maybe this time, you come prepared—with a plan."
Sam lowered her hands, suspicious. "Ashley Davidson, what are you plotting now?"
Ashley shrugged, too casually. "Do you still have her number?"
Sam sighed. "Yeah, but Samantha Kingsley doesn't ask strangers for favors."
"Right," Ashley said, smirking. "Which is why you won't ask. You'll offer something."
Sam frowned. "Something like... what?"
Ashley took a slow sip of her coffee, eyes glinting. "A contract."
Sam blinked. "A contract?"
"Think about it," Ashley said. "She already played the part once—right there in front of your grandma, no questions asked. If she went along with it for free, imagine how much easier it'll be when you're offering actual money."
Sam leaned back, crossing her arms. "You want me to hire her to pretend to be my girlfriend?"
Ashley's grin widened, triumphant. "Exactly. She gets something out of it, you get Nana off your case, and no one gets hurt."
Sam stared at her friend like she'd lost her mind. "You're unbelievable."
"Maybe," Ashley said, waggling her eyebrows. "But I'm also brilliant. Unless, of course, you'd rather have dinner with Josh."
Sam groaned. "You're impossible."
"And yet, you adore me," Ashley said, raising her cup in mock salute.
Sam shook her head, a reluctant smile tugging at her lips. Hire Alexandra? The idea was ridiculous—
and yet, somehow, it didn't feel entirely wrong.