We were all sitting around the small coffee table in front of the TV. Jay and I were on the center of the wrap-around couch and Age was sitting by himself on the edge of the left side, facing us. We had been sitting there for a while working out how we were going to keep a fake relationship going.

Seeing Age sitting there now brought back the memory of my body curled around his as we watched Forrest Gump. I mentally shook myself and told my mind to stay away from all non-business thoughts of Age. It was harder than I thought. I still don’t know why I agreed to continue the lie, but I had. That didn’t mean I had forgiven Age for lying to me. Oh no, that ship of resentment, mistrust, and a bunch of other harbored feelings, hadn’t sailed yet.

“How long is the fake relationship going to last,” I asked, directing my question at Age. I was still pretty angry at him for not telling me the truth about his real profession. He had had so many opportunities to tell me, like after we’d had sex, both times, or in the car ride on the way back to my apartment. But he hadn’t and now I was pretending to be Age’s girlfriend so he could better his career. And so I wouldn’t be tormented by my family for the rest of my life. It wasn’t still too late to call it quits and send Age back to where he had come from, but I knew I wasn’t going to.

Age’s business-like voice broke through my thoughts. “Well, in this state couples have to be legally separated for at least a year before the divorce-”

I cut him off. “A year? We have to pretend to be dating for a year,” I yelled sitting up straight on the couch. He must have been out of his fucking mind. I was really considering dropping him on his ass if I had to keep this charade up for an entire year.

Age had the decency to blush, just a bit, at my outburst and my chest tightened and a small shockwave travel down into the pit of my stomach. Shit, I really had to stop paying attention to him physically or else this wouldn’t last a month let alone a year.

“Well, the waiting period of a year begins once your parents have legally separated,” Age said and then sighed. “Which actually hasn’t happened yet since they are still living in the same house.” He continued the next part of his sentence slowly, waiting for my reaction. “So technically it would be longer than a year…” My jaw dropped. Age was out of his mind; abso-fucking-lutely crazy. I opened my mouth to tell Age what I thought about him at that exact moment, but Jay cut me off.

“Yeah but what does that year entail. I mean, you guys are going to be ‘pretend’ dating and only while your dad is in the city on business to meet James,” Jay said. “That’s like going out to lunch once a month, while your dad is in town, and that’s it, right? And it really only has to last about 6 months for your dad to trust him without caring about whether or not James is dating his daughter,” Jay said sitting back on the couch. He crossed his legs and sipped his milkshake.

Age looked down and refused to meet my gaze. “Yeah… Yeah that should be fine,” he said his voice was suddenly unattached and hard. His voice reminded me that Age only saw me as a business partner. I was a way to better his career, and nothing more. I was going to have to keep telling myself that. The memory of him groaning my name as he came inside me popped in my head and flashed a new wave of hurt through me. I needed that hurt to keep my mind clear because every time I looked at Age, I was a little breathless with wanting him naked and that had to stop if this was going to work.

“You forgot to add ‘as long as your dad is still my client,’” I said in a voice just as hard as his had been. Age’s head jerked up and his honeyed brown eyes met my cool blue grey ones. Shit, I hadn’t meant to say that out loud or for my voice to be that stone cold. I needed to get my emotions in check. They had to stop from wanting to hurt him to wanting him period. My eyes broke the contact with Age’s first and I let myself fall back onto the couch; my back immediately being cushioned by soft, dark blue, almost black, material.

I could feel the beginning of a headache and my eyes hurt. I looked up at clock below the TV and sighed. It was almost 1:00am and I was physically and emotionally exhausted. My back hurt and my feet were cold. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed and forget about the fictional turn my love-life was taking.

“Look, we can talk about our plans for our mock relationship later,” I said as I stood up. I needed to get out of the room before I threw the rest of my milkshake at Age. I still didn’t understand how he could act so distant and nonchalant about the situation. You’d think he entered fake relationships all the time. Maybe he had been an escort in college, because it definitely came natural to him, being charming and open one minute to being totally cold and business-like the next.

I walked into the kitchen and rinsed out my glass. “Sure,” Age said. He pulled a small card out of his back pocket and walked over to where I was standing. “Here are my numbers in case you need to reach me for anything,” he said and when I didn’t reach my hand out to take it, Age dropped it on the counter. He then walked over to the front door and opened it. He was about to leave, but stopped and turned. The door stayed half opened at his back.

“Thanks Leira, for doing this. I know how much you don’t want to and… just thanks,” he said and gave me a half smile. I nodded because that was all I could do. For a second he had been the Age who had told me I was beautiful, comforted me when I had found out my parents were splitting, who had washed away my tears, and stood behind me when my mother was acting out. But then he was gone and the business man was back. Age looked at me for a second more, turned around, and walked out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him.

I stared down at the little white card on the counter. It had Age’s name and contact information, completely business totally impersonal and so unlike the little white card he had left for me a week ago. That card was still somewhere in my purse probably hanging out at the bottom with the loose change.

“So...,” Jay said looking up at me from the couch. I had almost forgotten he was in the room. “How do you feel about this?” When I shrugged and turned towards the sink, I heard him get up. “Is this what you want,” he asked me. “Do you want him back in your life? Because I know for a fact that you were a little depressed the last time he left, and after witnessing his attitude about this ‘brilliant’ plan, I have no doubt he’s going to leave coming out the winner when this is all said and done,” Jay said from behind me.

Jay was right, but I didn’t want to admit it out loud. When this fake relationship was done, Age would have his promotion, and I’d be no better off. Sure my family would think that it hadn’t worked out between us and that Age and I had chosen to go our separate ways, but I’d still be alone. I’d still have to endure my mother’s nagging about having let Age get away, and how I would never be able to find another guy that perfect would who would be willing to date me, and she’s be right.

When I didn’t say anything Jay just continued. “I know you’re harboring feeling about him, Leira, both homicidal and romantic, but feelings non-the-less,” Jay said, grabbing my shoulders and turning me around so that I faced him, my back pushed up against the sink. “And I know those homicidal feelings are because he lied to you, but what happens when it’s just the erotic, passionate, and romantic feelings that are left?” I gave him a look that told him he was full of it.

“Oh come on! Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt,” Jay yelled and I tried not to roll my eyes at the line he’d just used. “That man was made for erotic dreams, even though he’s being kind of a bitch now, you’re going to get attached. I know you, Leira. I, personally, liked him better when he was an escort, but that’s beside the point.” Jay waved his hands. “The point is that after this is all said and done, and you two ‘break-up,’ you’re the one that’s going to get hurt, because you’re going to invest your feelings into this fake relationship, and don’t try to deny it, Leira,” Jay said putting his hands on his hips.

“I can’t deal with this now, Jay,” I said rubbing my eyes. He gave me a look that said I was going to have to deal with it sooner or later, but I ignored him. Jay was right, and I knew it. I could see myself forgetting that the relationship was fake, and opening myself up, like I had at my parents’ house, but I didn’t want to think about that now. All I wanted to do was go to sleep.

“I’m really tired and I have to meet my dad for breakfast tomorrow so I’m gonna head off to bed,” I said and then walked out of the kitchen. I heard Jay sigh as I shut my bedroom door. It was dark. Even though my curtains were open, there was only a little bit of light coming in from the outside. I sighed and walking into my bathroom. After brushing my teeth, I climbed into bed and put my glasses down on my nightstand.

Minutes ticked by and I couldn’t go to sleep. My eyes focused on the fuzzy red glow from my clock. I turned over onto my stomach and faced the terrace. I let myself go over all that had happened since I had left work. I had gone from losing all contact with Age, thinking I was never going to see him again, to having to see him under the pretense of a fake romantic relationship. I didn’t know which one was worse.

I was going to have to forget about the small amount of past, but a past none-the-less, that Age and I had if I wanted this sham to work. I was going to have to put aside my physical attraction to Age and focus solely on the business side of our relationship for the next couple of months. Then after that, Age would be out of my life, and I’d never have to see him again. That thought made my stomach drop a little but I didn’t want to name the feeling, so I pushed it away and closed my eyes.

I woke up the next morning feeling as tired as I had the night before. I called my father, still half asleep, from underneath the warm covers of my bed, and asked him when and where he wanted to meet. He chose a nice bistro about 20 blocks from my apartment. I told him I’d meet him there around 11:00, and after I hung up I set my alarm clock to wake me up in an hour. I rolled over, still in my nest of blankets and went back to sleep.

It was 9:00am when I woke up again to the sound of loud beeping. I hit the off button on my clock and pushed the covers down my body. I stretched and walked over to the bathroom to brush my teeth and shower. After I had showered, toweled off and slid on my underwear and nude colored bra and walked over to my closet. I found a pair of jeans with black beading on the back pockets and put them on. I then pulled on a cream and orange stripped top and finished my outfit with a black cardigan and black ballet flats. I looked down at my outfit and smiled. It was getting close to Halloween. My favorite holiday was only three weeks away and I loved this time of year.

I quickly ran a brush through my wet hair and bobby pinned my long bangs back and out of my face. I let the rest of it hang loose to dry in thick waves, which would stop at mid-back, as I put on my mascara and lip gloss. I walked out of my room and noticed that Jay was still asleep. I wrote him a note on the chalkboard in the kitchen telling him I was having brunch with my dad and that I’d call him later. I knew he’d want to finish our conversation from last night, but I wasn’t sure I was ready for it. I sighed, and headed for the door when something caught my eye. Jay had put Age’s business card, the one Age had given me last night, on the fridge. I glared at the two by three inch card and walked to the door, after grabbing a jacket I headed out.

I found my dad, about 20 minutes later, reading the newspaper with an empty coffee mug next to him at one of the tables by the window at the bistro. He looked up from his paper as I came through the door. He smiled, stood up and then once I was at the table engulfed me in a hug. After I kissed him good morning, I took the seat across from him and opened up my menu. I was trying to postpone the inevitable conversation we were about to have. My diversion didn’t last long.

“So, as you know your mother and I are getting a divorce,” my father said as soon as the waiter had left our table with our orders. I sighed. So much for stalling. “I am hoping to move out as soon as possible so the legal separation can start. It will be best for the both of us if that happens as soon as possible,” my dad said and briefly looked down into his coffee mug before continuing. “Then after a year we can begin the process of signing off on the divorce,” he said. The waiter poured my father another cup of coffee and handed me my first.

“I know dad. Age told me about the yearlong separation period last night,” I said adding milk and sugar to my mug. It was going to be ok, as long as I didn’t look directly at my dad I could hold myself together. I could control my emotional state for this one meal and then after I could take a closer look at my feelings about the falling apart of my family. But right now I had to act strong and put together for my father’s sake.

“Oh, you guys met up after you both left the restaurant in such a hurry,” he asked me with a smile. “If you wanted to have a dinner alone you could have told me, hijita.” I choked on my coffee. My father thought Age and I had ditched him to have a romantic dinner for two. Oh, he couldn’t be farther from the truth…

I opened my mouth to tell my dad that he was wrong, but the waiter came with our food at that moment and put a plate down in front of me. I looked down at the Belgian waffles and the pile of fresh fruit and came up with a white lie to tell my dad.

“No dad, we didn’t meet up.” I said as soon as the waiter left. “I called Age when I got home. He had to leave early because there was a small emergency at his office last night. It ended up being nothing at all,” I lied. I quickly looked down at my food so I wouldn’t give myself away. I moved the fruit onto a separate plate and then grabbed the small pitcher of syrup that the waiter brought me.

“Oh,” my dad said as he salted his eggs. He sounded almost disappointed that Age and I hadn’t snuck away to have a romantic evening alone. God, if he ever found out about the sham we were planning, it’d be such a letdown. I felt bad enough for lying to him about the fake relationship, but what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him, right…?

“Anyway,” my father said after some time. “I found a rather large condo near my office here in the city and I’ll be moving in in a couple of weeks.” My fork stopped in its path half way to my mouth with a piece of waffle on it. My father didn’t notice my shock and kept talking. “I’ll be back and forth between the house and the city in the next month, but hopefully I’ll be settled in by Thanksgiving,” my father said.

“Wait, what, you’re moving here? Into the city? For how long,” I asked him, putting my fork down. Shit. If my father moved into the city that meant we’d see each other more often and he’d expect Age to be with me.

My dad had always been into doing family stuff together: dinner, lunches, and family outings. That meant that the one or two lunches over the next couple of months wasn’t going to work. It’d be more like Age and I seeing each other a couple of times a week. Shit.

“Yep,” my dad said smiling. “I found a temporary place in the city while the divorce is still pending. It will be easier to handle the legal matters with James and I can work out of the company’s building here in the city in stead of the one near the house,” he said. “In the next couple of weeks, I’m going to transfer everything into my new office from the old company building to the newer one here. I’m moving the company’s headquarters to the newer building as well,” my dad said and then finally seemed to realize that I was more than a little fazed by the news. “Leira, honey, are you ok,” he asked me.

I nodded and stuck a piece of waffle in my mouth so my dad wouldn’t think anything was wrong. My dad staying in the city meant that would spend more time with him. I knew I didn’t have the heart to say no to my dad, especially when he was going through such a rough change. If I didn’t spend time with him, my father would probably spend his nights either working or alone. This meant that for the next couple of months, when ever my dad would invite me out, I would most likely say yes, which meant that Age would be expected to join me, so he would come. Shit. I was going to have to tell Age about this, and that was a conversation I was not looking forward to.

We spent the rest of brunch talking about the move that was coming up and my father told me about the new condo he had found. It was a couple of blocks away from his new office and closer to where Tony lived than my apartment. I wasn’t paying much attention since I was mostly contemplating what Age’s reaction to the “new” plan would be. Would he be ok with spending more than a lunch or two with me or would he want to forget the whole thing?

It was probably a good idea if Age forgot about the whole thing and we went our separate ways now (instead of a year from now), but I knew he wouldn’t want to. He was the type of person to finish something he had started, and this wasn’t going to be any different. Even though I wished for him to call this fake relationship off, a small part of me hoped he be happy to spend more time with me.

As soon as the thought popped into my head, I pushed it away. Thinking like that was going to get me nowhere fast. My father’s voice broke through my thoughts. “So are you and Age going to help me move,” he asked in a happy tone. I mentally groaned. “I spoke to Tony last night and he said he’d help, and I’m going to drive Nico up so he can help since we’re going to do this on a weekend.”

“Sure dad,” I said and finished off my waffle. “I’ll even get Jay and Lucas to help. I’m sure Jay will just sit around and tell people where to put things, but Lucas will be useful,” I said with a smile. My dad laughed and called the waiter over, and then gave him is credit card.

“Good, that sounds like a plan. I have a lot of stuff that needs moving, so the more help, the better,” he said. After brunch we talked for a little bit more about his plans for moving out. When we left the restaurant, my dad then walked me to my car, which was parked two blocks away from the bistro. My father would be going back home in a little bit, but he promised me he’d be back in a couple of days. “We’ll get dinner,” he said. “It will be you and James, of course, and Tony, Jen, and Jay and Lucas are always welcome,” he said with a smile.

I told him that sounded good. We said our good-byes and I got into the car. I smiled at him as he walked in the other direction, towards his hotel. Once he was out of sight, I lunged for my purse. I started dumping things into the passenger seat. I gave a little yell of triumph when I found what I was looking for. I flattened out the small white card and grabbed my phone and quickly dialed the number on it before I lost my nerve. I let out a breath when the ringing stopped and it went to voicemail.

Age’s voice came over the phone, telling me he was unable to answer, which was fine with me, because at the moment, I really didn’t feel like talking to him.

“Hey Age,” I said once I heard the beep. “It’s me, Leira. Um… well, there have been a few changes to the plan… Call me.” I quickly left him my cell number and then hung up. I turned on the car and pulled out of the paralleled parking spot. Now all I had left to do was wait and see, once Age called me back, if our fake relationship was still on.