After a long night yesterday in the heated privacy of our room, we decided to play the part of a loving couple in public. We sat at the edge of the café, near the large glass windows that overlooked the bustling street. I had to admit, the place was perfect.
Cozy, intimate, and just the right amount of public for what we needed. Caleb had picked it, and I had to give him credit—he seemed to know how to stage the perfect "relationship" scene. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over everything, making it look like we were the starring couple in some romantic movie.
I sipped my iced coffee, trying to seem casual, but my heart was racing. This was our first real public date, and I couldn't help but feel the eyes on us. People were watching. People had to be watching.
That was the whole point, right? To convince everyone that we were the perfect, loved-up couple. But the more I thought about it, the more my stomach twisted with nerves.
Caleb, on the other hand, was completely at ease. He leaned back in his chair, his arm draped across the back of my seat, his long legs stretched out like he didn't have a care in the world.
He was wearing one of those effortlessly casual outfits that probably cost more than my rent—a crisp white shirt rolled up at the sleeves and tailored pants that fit him too damn well. His hair, slightly tousled like he'd just run his fingers through it, added to the whole "I woke up like this" vibe.
And then there was me, sitting there like a nervous wreck, trying to act like this was all totally normal. Like I was totally used to having a billionaire pretend to be my husband.
"You okay?" Caleb's deep voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. His sky-blue eyes were focused on me, and for a second, I forgot we were putting on a show. For a second, I thought he was actually concerned.
"I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile. "Just… trying to get used to this."
He chuckled softly, the sound rich and warm. "Relax, Megan. We're just two people out on a date. No big deal."
I raised an eyebrow. "A date where we're supposed to trick the entire world into believing we're madly in love and planning to spend the rest of our lives together. No pressure, right?"
He grinned, leaning in a little closer. "Exactly. Just pretend like you can't keep your hands off me."
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips. "Oh, sure. That'll be easy."
"Hey, you've done a pretty good job so far," he teased, his hand casually brushing against mine on the table. It was such a small, seemingly innocent gesture, but the warmth of his skin against mine sent a shiver down my spine. "You're a natural."
I shook my head, trying to hide my amusement. "I doubt that."
"Seriously," Caleb continued, his voice dropping to a lower, more intimate tone. "You've got this whole 'adoring wife' thing down. People are eating it up."
I glanced around, noticing a couple of people at nearby tables sneaking glances at us. A few were even whispering. It was working. People were buying it.
"Well, I guess I have a good teacher," I said, trying to play along.
Caleb smirked, clearly pleased with himself. "Glad to see you're learning."
"Don't let it go to your head," I warned, taking another sip of my coffee. "This is just business, remember?"
"Right. Business." His eyes sparkled with something playful, something that made my heart skip a beat. "But that doesn't mean we can't have fun with it."
Before I could respond, he reached across the table, taking my hand in his. His thumb traced small circles on the back of my hand, and I felt a blush creeping up my neck.
We were supposed to be playing a part, but damn, he was good at this. Too good.
"So," I said, trying to shift the conversation before I melted into a puddle of nerves. "What's the plan? How do we make sure everyone believes we're the perfect couple?"
Caleb leaned back, still holding my hand, his expression thoughtful. "Well, for starters, we could feed each other."
I blinked. "Feed each other?"
He nodded, his grin widening. "Yeah. You know, like in those cheesy romantic movies where the couple shares food? It's cute. People love that stuff."
I stared at him, half-expecting him to laugh and say he was joking. But he looked completely serious. "You're kidding."
"Nope," he said, grabbing a fork. "Here, I'll show you."
I laughed, shaking my head. "There's no way I'm letting you feed me."
"Oh, come on," he said, holding up a forkful of cake. "It'll be fun. Think of it as practice."
I eyed the cake, then him. "Fine. But if you make me look ridiculous, I swear—"
Before I could finish, he gently brought the fork to my lips, his eyes locking with mine in that intense way that made it hard to breathe.
I opened my mouth, letting him feed me the cake, and to my surprise, it wasn't awkward at all. In fact, it was… kind of sweet. And not just because of the cake.
"There," Caleb said, his voice low. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"
I swallowed, suddenly feeling a little lightheaded. "No. Not bad at all."
"Good," he said, his thumb brushing over my hand again. "Now it's your turn."
I raised an eyebrow. "You want me to feed you?"
"Hey, fair is fair," he said, leaning in a little closer. "I'm waiting."
I rolled my eyes but reached for the fork. "You're ridiculous."
"And you love it," he shot back, giving me that cocky grin that somehow managed to be both infuriating and charming at the same time.
I grabbed a piece of cake and held it up to his mouth. He leaned in, taking the bite with a mischievous glint in his eyes, and for a moment, it felt like we were the only two people in the world.
The café, the people, the whole fake marriage thing—it all faded away. It was just us, laughing and sharing cake like it was the most natural thing in the world.
He swallowed and licked his lips, his gaze never leaving mine. "See? We're a great team."
I laughed, shaking my head. "I don't know how you do it."
"Do what?"
"Make this all seem… real."
He tilted his head, his expression softening. "Maybe because it is real. At least right now."
I blinked, not sure how to respond. Was he just playing the part, or was there something more behind his words?
I couldn't tell, and that scared me. It scared me how easy it was to get lost in this, to forget that this was all just a charade.
But before I could dwell on it, Caleb stood up, pulling me to my feet. "Come on," he said, his hand warm in mine. "Let's go for a walk."
"A walk?" I asked, glancing out the window at the busy street.
"Yeah," he said, tugging me closer. "We need to be seen, right? Let's give them something to talk about."
I hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Okay. Let's do it."
We stepped out onto the sidewalk, the cool evening air brushing against my skin. Caleb slid his arm around my waist, pulling me close as we walked.
I could feel the curious stares from passersby, the whispers behind us, but for some reason, it didn't bother me anymore.
In fact, for the first time, I felt… comfortable. Like maybe, just maybe, this wasn't as impossible as I'd thought.
As we strolled through the city, laughing and talking like an actual couple, I found myself forgetting about the cameras, the public, the whole fake marriage deal.
For a little while, it felt real. And that scared me more than anything. Because if I wasn't careful, I might end up forgetting that this was all just temporary. Just a business arrangement.
But as Caleb's hand tightened around mine and he leaned in to whisper something that made me laugh, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, I was already in too deep.