I waited for Aiden to say a word. But just like the day we met, he was silent. A pair of twin ocean eyes stared at me, so intently that I had to fight not to look away. Then just when I was about to ask him if he had lost the internet connection and was lagging, he responded.

Oh, the eloquence of Aiden Dalton. With all the words he could have used to say, "yes," "no," or anything in between such as "are you kidding me?" he just... nodded. A silent, single nod. That was the only response he gave after staring at me for a long beat. It left me feeling like an idiot.

He had set up our conversation, insisting we talk. He had left me believing he was open to the idea of fake dating... but when I asked, he just... stared, nodded once, and then offered to wash the dishes so I could go pack. What a lucky lady I was.

After a painfully quiet Uber ride to the airport, where the driver played classical music at such a low volume, leaving nothing but room for potential conversation, Tate saved me from having to endure more silence by being around. "LALIANA!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the terminal once he had spotted me. "AS I LIVE AND BREATHE! IS IT REALLY THE FAMOUS AUTHOR!?!"

I would have died of a heart attack if he hadn't just shouted in an empty hall. No one was around to care who we were. We had chosen to meet at this specific terminal due to how empty it usually was. It had been half under construction for five years.

"Tate!" I shouted. "Is it really the guy who hogs all the food for himself?!?"

He snorted and offered an eye roll. "I deserve that one." He wore a black turtle neck, in keeping with the bodyguard uniform of black colors, punching me in the arm as I reached his side at the empty gate. "But you snooze you lose when it comes to food!"

I laughed. "Don't lie. If you aren't threatened into it, you don't share."

"True." Tate placed his hand over his heart. "But food is my true love. How can you expect me to share it?" Glancing over my shoulder he nodded at Aiden who walked off silently.

"Wow..." Tate said watching Aiden walk out of earshot and towards the nearest restroom.

"I didn't think the dude could get any quieter." He looked back at me. "What did you do to my boy?"

"Nothing!" I said a little too loudly.

"Don't lie. He's acting weirder than usual." He raised a brow. "And you have 'guilty face.'" He continued to stare, waiting for me to confess.

"I..." I stammered looking around for something to distract Tate with, but there was nowhere to eat in this particular part of the airport. Where's a sandwich stand when you need one!?!

"Sanders wants us to fake date," I finally managed.

Tate snorted. "No offense, but you aren't really my type. Buddies for life, sure but fake dating? I'm a terrible actor."

I threw up my hands in flustered exasperation. "Not me and you! Me and Aiden!"

His mouth dropped open. "Oh, well... that changes things."

I didn't say a word. I just stood there, staring at the uninspired carpeting that the airport must have spent a fortune to cover the floors with but was still terrible. The red and blues made up a boring design, but I still stared down at it like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. I wanted to get lost in it. Anything to drop the conversation that I had fallen into.

"Laliana, you can't just drop something like that and not finish. What did you say?"

I shifted from one foot to the other, adjusting my flannel top, staring down at the black and white shirt until the lines became blurs. "I... I um... asked him..." I trailed off.

"To date you?"

I tilted my head back and forth with an unenthusiastic shrug. "Kinda..."

"Laliana, you are killing me here! Spit it out!"

I finally looked up at Tate. "I asked him to be my fake boyfriend."

Tate blinked several times, suddenly quiet as if the words didn't make sense to his brain. Then he groaned so loud that I jumped back, startled. "Fake date?!?" He covered his mouth. "FAKE. DATE!" Running his hand down his face he scoffed. "What... why would you do that?"

I stood there, confused as Tate began to pace in front of me like he was in the process of trying to think through damage control. I tugged on a strand of my hair, growing more and more self-conscious. "Um... I got the impression that he thought it was a good idea... and—"

Tate stared me down, crossing his arms. "You like him right?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but my face bloomed bright red in an unspoken response. "Scratch that. Your face answered." Tate rubbed his temples. "Then why didn't you ask him to ACTUALLY date you?"

I nearly fell over, suddenly feeling dizzy. "Are you insane?!?" There is no planet on which I would ask. What guy who is stuck babysitting you all day, trying to save you from dying would want to spend time with you WILLINGLY?

Tate started laughing, doubling over. "No!" He took deep breaths after each set of words, trying to keep some semblance of composure. "You are insane for asking him to FAKE.... DATE... YOU!" He wiped his eyes as he stood back up. "You just made things so much more awkward!"

I crossed my arms, growing irritated. "Are you done laughing at me?"

Tate closed his mouth, trying to muffle his laughter. "Hold up..." He closed his eyes trying to compose himself. "Okay, I'm good." He crossed his arms. "But you really messed this up Laliana."

I shook my head. "I don't follow."

Tate placed his hands on my shoulders, staring into my eyes with gentle compassion. "There is something between you. That fake date that I had to sit through because you two geniuses didn't just ditch the paparazzi and leave like a normal humans was not acting."

"Did... Did Aiden say anything?" My voice was so quiet I was surprised when Tate answered.

"Does Aiden ever say anything ever?" His arms dropped. "I'm guessing he said no. He hates lying."

My face turned brighter and Tate gasped. "He said yes?"

I shrugged. "He kinda nodded and then didn't talk to me after that. And here we are."

Tate patted my head like I was a puppy. "Oh, Laliana. You'll learn." I shoved his hand off my hair. "You do realize why this makes things more awkward though right?"

I shook my head. "It makes things super weird and confusing. Don't you write stuff for a living? Isn't fake dating a common trope?"

I rolled my eyes. "I write action-adventure pieces with romantic aspects."

Tate pulled me over to a set of empty chairs. "Okay... Aiden will be back in a minute so I have to give you the short version." He took a deep breath like he was getting ready to go into a verbal sprint. "Celebrity couples spent a lot of their relationship in front of the camera. As for a fake contracted couple? It's a WHOLE lot more."

"So we go on dates and they follow us around right?" It didn't sound that bad. I was used to a small aspect of it. When I thought about doing it with someone I already knew, it wasn't as terrifying. My heart filled with butterflies at the thought of Aiden.

Then I remembered how his acting was so good, it left me convinced of feelings that were an illusion, killing all the hopeful butterflies inside.

Tate placed his hands on my cheeks forcing me to look at him and focus. "Laliana, it's more than just going on dates. Every private moment has the potential to become public because it's good for your brand. You won't just be hanging out. You will be holding hands, holding each other close, kissing —"

A large roar filled my ears. I couldn't hear another word... my brain was caught on a word like a piece of clothing getting yanked to a stop by a loose nail on a door. I gripped Tate's hands on my face so tight that he yelped, yanking them away. "Ow! Dang! Watch that grip!"

"Kiss?" I squeaked, eyes wide.

Tate looked confused. "Uh... yeah. People who date kiss... What?" He connected the dots far faster than I wanted him to. His eyes went from dubious to shocked. "Holy crap on a burrito... have you never kissed anyone before?"

I ignored his question, my train of thought running off like a hijacked... well train. My voice went up an entire pitch. "As in... everyone will be watching us if... when we...." The words died. "HOLY CRAP TATE!" I gripped his hands again. "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!?"

Tate smiled mischievously. "You are gonna have to kiss Aiden. And when you do, you kiss him good. Might as well enjoy this very fake... very uncomplicated situation you've gotten yourself into."

...

"Ladies and gentlemen, we've begun our descent into Ottawa International Airport," the stewardess said over the intercom, shattering the illusion of the steampunk world I had been deep inside through the book in front of my face. Blinking, I refocused on the real world and reluctantly put away Lightning Bringer by . I had managed to finish the first book in the series and jumped right into the second book, thankful that I had the foresight to bring twelve books.

Based on how little Aiden and I had communicated in the five-hour flight, I knew that retreating into the world of books was far safer than trying to figure out how to make things less weird between us.

I had a habit of over-talking. So slipping into my fallback of denying the existence of problems in the real world and being invested in the fake problems of fake people, left me with a lot of time to read.

Where Aiden was awake and alert while we drove to the Ottawa Marriot Hotel, Tate slept, no doubt, thrown off from his constantly changing work schedule. I managed to get several more chapters in by the time we climbed out of the Uber and shuffled into the hotel. Aiden held my luggage in one hand and half dragged a sleepy Tate inside.

Dropping Tate onto a nearby lobby couch, Aiden and I made our way up to the counter. A tall brunette stood behind a sleek tan desk, all smiles and freckles as we approached. "You must be Laliana Summers. We've been expecting you." She beamed brighter. "Can I just say... I love your books!"

I laughed, flustered, and touched. "Thank you."

She turned and took in Aiden. "Oh! And this must be your boyfriend." She giggled and leaned over the counter, speaking in hushed tones. "I've been following the stories. You two are so cute!" she gushed.

"I've put you two into a King Suite." Um... what?

"And..." she glanced over at Tate who was smacking his face, trying to wake himself up. "I have Mr. Tate Dalton..." she looked down at her screen, taping several keys with her long manicured fingernails. "In the room next to yours." She continued in a flurry of excitement. "Here are your keys. Twelfth floor."

Before I could get a word in to express that Aiden and Tate were the ones sharing a room, she reached under the counter and pulled out the newest story in the Seapunk Princess series. "Would you mind signing it? I won't be able to go to your book signing tonight. It would mean a lot. My name is Danny by the way. I just love your stories. Princess Ara is so brave. I can't imagine ever being that brave."

Me and you both, I thought.

I smiled and quickly signed my name, along with a quick note about how when the time comes, she will find the courage to be brave. This resulted in a squeal, gathering the attention of several others in the lobby and causing Tate to startle and fall of the couch.

Danny covered her mouth, looking sheepish. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry."

"That's okay," I said with a wave of my hand, flustered by the level of excitement that was just displayed. "But I wanted to change—"

"I knew it. That's Laliana Summers," someone whispered loudly nearby. "Look, she brought her boyfriend!"

I clamped my mouth shut. I couldn't tell Danny that Aiden and Tate would be sharing a room. How would that make sense if I was supposed to be dating Aiden? Especially since a small crowd was staring and began to move not so casually towards us.

Aiden picked up our keys with one hand and wove our fingers together with his other. "Thank you so much for your help Danny," Aiden said with a winning smile. She giggled, blushing under his breathtaking gaze. I didn't blame her. No one stood a chance against those eyes. Then Aiden tugged me away, calling for Tate over his shoulder to grab the bags as he whisked me towards the elevator.

Once inside, he pushed the button to our floor and the elevator closed shut, leaving a slow-moving Tate behind. "Shouldn't we wait for him?" I asked.

Aiden shook his head. "He'll figure it out. He's on duty right now and he's half asleep. Think of it as payback for making me drag him inside."

I laughed. "Fair."

"About the counter," Aiden said letting go of my hand. "By the end of the day, everyone will know we are staying here. And considering how Danny reacted, I am pretty sure the other staff members will be watching us interact."

"Oh..." I flexed my hand, feeling the loss of his warm touch against my skin.

The door dinged, stopping on the twelfth floor. We were greeted by a sleek hall with plush red carpeted floors, light grey walls, and silver sconces that lit the hallway in a cheery greeting.

We stopped in front of the King Suite. Aiden pulled out the keycard and looked down at me. "Which means you may be stuck with me."

My face burned, but I ignored the contradiction of emotions that swirled through me. Delight and terror each battled for dominance while I stared up at Aiden, suddenly speechless. After a pause, I found words. "It's a big room right? I'm sure there's a couch."

I wasn't sure what won, delight or terror. Terror would have insisted he figure out how to stay with Tate, while delight wanted him close with vivid imagery. Hence why couch seemed like a compromise that neither part of me seemed fully satisfied with.

Pushing the door open, we walked inside the room. Oh my gosh... I hate— love, hate? no, love Danny.

Rose petals worked their way from the doorframe all the way to an overwhelmingly large bed that took up most of one wall. More rose petals were laid in the shape of a large heart on the bed. Two champagne glasses and a bottle chilled in ice on the nightstand next to the bed.

"Did I miss our wedding?" I blurted out, suddenly without a filter as I stared at a room that looked more like a honeymoon suite than an actual honeymoon suite.

The door shut behind us, closing us into a room with one bed and no couch insight.

---

What is your favorite romantic book trope?