Pretending To Be His

Seven : Intrusive

When Aria finally got home, she dropped her keys on the counter with a clatter, exhaustion settling over her like a heavy blanket. The encounter with Grayson still echoed in her mind, the strange mix of irritation and something else she didn’t want to name swirling in her thoughts. She kicked off her shoes and sank onto the couch, hoping for a few minutes of peace to clear her head.

But of course, the universe had other plans.

Her phone buzzed a glance at the screen revealed Sara’s name. Great, she thought, already bracing herself. She swiped to answer, putting on her best "everything’s fine" voice.

“Heeey, Sara.”

“Aria! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

Aria’s heart sank. How could Sara have found out? Her mind raced as she swallowed thickly, trying to buy herself a moment to think. “…Tell you what?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, I just saw the statement! Grayson Stone’s PR team officially confirmed your relationship!”

The blood drained from Aria’s face as the full weight of the words landed. A statement? Already? She hadn’t even had a chance to process the meeting with Grayson let alone deal with the public fallout yet.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me sooner!” Sara rushed on before she could even begin to explain. "I mean, I get it—I’d probably keep it to myself too if I were dating someone as hot as Grayson Stone. You know, to enjoy it before the whole world knew. But I’m you’re best friend!”

Aria’s mouth opened and closed, no words coming out. She had been about to tell Sara the truth—that this was all just a fake relationship, part of some ridiculous PR scheme to benefit them both. But hearing Sara’s excitement and assumptions made her pause. It was easier to let her friend believe the lie, to avoid the complicated explanation that would only lead to more questions.

“It happened so fast—”

“It’s the most insane thing I’ve ever heard! You’re dating Grayson Stone! I can’t believe it!" Sara’s voice was nearly breathless with excitement as she talked over her. “This is literally like something out of a romance novel! How did it even happen? You have to tell me everything—oh, my, God, was it after that pitch meeting? Did he just, like, sweep you off your feet Christian Grey style?”

Aria let out a nervous laugh, trying to keep up with the whirlwind of Sara’s excitement. “Um, sort of.”

“Ugh, I’m so jealous! Here I was, thinking you’d had a rough day at work when all along you were busy dating a billionaire!"

She wanted to tell Sara the truth, to explain that it wasn’t real, that this was all a ridiculous PR stunt she had somehow found herself entangled in. But hearing her best friend so happy for her, so excited—it made the confession feel impossible. Besides, Sara would never believe her right now that official PR statement was out and the world thought they were dating. Denying it now would make her friend think she was making excuses, or ‘lying’ to her, so maybe it was easier to let her think Aria had found some fairytale romance, even if the reality was far from that.

“So, tell me, is he as dreamy in real life as he is in all those photos? What’s he like? You have to give me some details!”

Aria bit her lip, forcing herself to play along. “He’s... Well, he’s exactly how he seems in public—serious, focused...”

“You’re so lucky! I can’t wait to hear more but I have a huge client meeting tomorrow and if I don’t sleep now I’ll have dark circles so I’ll let you go, but we need to catch up. I require all the juicy details, promise?”

“Yeah, promise.” She said softly.

“Okay! Talk soon!”

As the phone call ended, Aria collapsed back onto the couch, mind reeling. A public statement. Sara’s assumptions. The lie she’d just allowed to snowball into something much bigger than she had expected… What have I gotten myself into? She was wondering how she was going to keep the truth from Sara when her phone buzzed again. And again. And again. She glanced down at the screen, her stomach twisting as a barrage of text notifications lit up her phone. She unlocked it curiously and scrolled through the messages. Old acquaintances—people she hadn’t spoken to in months, even years, all suddenly wanted to “catch up.” The texts ranged from subtle to outright fishing for information.

"I just saw something online about you and Grayson Stone... is it true?!"

"Hey Aria, long time no speak! We should totally catch up—how about coffee this week?"

"Okay, spill the tea. Are you really dating the Grayson Stone?! We need details, girl!"

With each new message, her frustration grew. People were now suddenly interested in her life and it was painfully obvious why. It wasn’t about reconnecting—it was about him. They didn’t care about her or her work or anything she’d accomplished, it was all about Grayson and what they thought her new high-profile relationship could offer them. Another wave of texts buzzed in rapid succession, each one more intrusive than the last. Old classmates, distant relatives, even former coworkers she barely remembered. Everyone wanted something.

" Hope you’re doing well!! Let’s grab drinks sometime?"

"Are you and Grayson Stone, like, serious? Congrats, girl!"

“I don’t suppose you could pass along my blueprints to Grayson Stone could you? It would help me out massively!!”

It was all the same: shallow pleasantries wrapped around ulterior motives, each message dripping with opportunism disguised as friendliness. Everyone wanted a piece of her now that she was supposedly “in” with Grayson Stone and she couldn’t take it anymore. The phone buzzed again in her hand and without thinking, she hit the power button, turning it off. The sudden silence was a relief and she tossed her phone aside, leaning back to let out a long, frustrated breath. She supposed she better get used to the attention, because apparently even being the fake girlfriend of Grayson Stone came with a level of interest she hadn’t fully anticipated.

Staring up at the ceiling, her mind raced despite the quiet. What have I gotten myself into? Wasn’t dating a billionaire—even in a fake circumstance—supposed to be fun? Where were the perks that came with it? When was she going to get the clichéd shopping montage or be casually tossed a black card with no limit, like in the movies? She scoffed at the thought. Instead of private jets and luxury vacations, she was dealing with rumours, invasive questions and the gnawing discomfort of a lie spiralling out of control. There was no glamorous whirlwind, no lavish dinners or jaw-dropping surprises.

Just Grayson Stone’s infuriating smirk, a PR-fuelled relationship that felt more like a business transaction and the constant buzz of her phone reminding her of the very public role she now had to play.

The reality was far from the fairytale stereotype and she felt a little disappointed she wasn’t getting the full experience. But there was no point in trying to unpack all of it now—her mind was too tangled and the constant whirlwind of thoughts wasn’t helping. Deciding that sleep was the best option, she headed to her bedroom, slipping into her usual routine hoping it would bring some calm. As she climbed into bed, she couldn’t help but wonder how long she could keep pretending, how long this charade with Grayson could last before everything fell apart. But her mind was too exhausted to keep circling around the question and soon, the pull of sleep was too strong to resist.

The next morning, Aria awoke with a sense of unease still lingering. The previous day’s events played over in her mind, but she pushed them aside as she prepared for work. With her laptop bag slung over her shoulder she stepped out of her apartment and immediately froze. A crowd of reporters had gathered outside her building, cameras poised and microphones at the ready. The buzz of voices grew louder the second they spotted her and before she could even process what was happening they surged forward, surrounding her in a flurry of questions and flashing lights.

“Aria! Aria! Is it true you’re dating Grayson Stone?”

“How did you meet? Are you two serious?”

“How long has the relationship been going on?”

Her heart pounded in her chest as she stood there, momentarily frozen in the overwhelming chaos. The sea of reporters pushed in around her, their cameras flashing like blinding bursts of light, their voices merging into an overwhelming cacophony. How did they even find me here? She swallowed hard, trying to push through the throng, keeping her head down as the wave of questions crashed over her.

“Ms. Hart! Can you tell us how Mr Stone feels about your relationship going public?”

“Which brand do you prefer Ms Hart—Chanel or Gucci?”

“Aria, over here, give us a smile!”

A cold sweat formed on the back of her neck as some of the reporters grew bolder, tugging at her coat, trying to hold her back. She yanked herself free, the anxiety gnawing at her more intensely with every step. The flashing cameras were disorienting, making it difficult to even see where she was going, let alone focus on anything but escape.

“Who was the first to confess?”

“Are their wedding plans on the horizon?”

Her mind raced, replaying the ridiculous questions that were being hurled her way. Wedding plans? Confessions? She had barely even agreed to this arrangement with Grayson and already the world was speculating about their future like it was some fairy-tale romance. As she pushed forward, her hands tightened into fists inside her coat pockets, her breaths growing shallow as the questions continued, each one more intrusive than the last. The more she tried to ignore them, the more persistent they became, hounding her every step.

“What’s it like dating a billionaire?”

“Do you think this is the real deal?”

“Are you and Grayson going on a luxury vacation soon?”

Her mind raced as she kept moving, the flashing cameras making it hard to see where she was going. All she wanted was to get to her car, to escape this madness, but every step felt like a battle against the flood of voices calling her name.

“Are you heading to work Aria?”

“What brand are you wearing now?”

“Can you tell us what diet plan you follow?”

“How many children are you and Mr Stone planning on having?”

“Are you running late today Aria or is this a fashion statement?”

She forced herself to keep moving despite the tight knot of panic twisting in her stomach as humiliation beginning creeping in. She finally spotted her car in the distance, just a few feet away and let out a sharp breath. Almost there, she told herself, even though her legs felt like they were made of lead. She could hear her pulse in her ears, feel the panic rising in her chest. With a surge of determination, she ducked past one of the reporters and reached for the handle of her car, fumbling with her keys as the voices clamoured around her. Her hands shook as she tried to unlock the door, the barrage of questions growing more intense as the reporters closed in around her.

“Are you and Mr. Stone moving in together?”

“Can you confirm rumours of an engagement?”

“Is Mr Stone planning on buying you a new car?”

Aria finally managed to get the door open and practically threw herself into the driver’s seat, slamming the door shut with a resounding thud. The noise from the outside world faded into a muffled hum and the relief was immediate. The crowd outside still pressed against the windows, lights flashing from the clicks of the cameras, but at least now there was a barrier between her and the chaos. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself as she gripped the steering wheel. She hadn’t expected this. Sure, Grayson was a public figure, but she’d thought the PR statement would cause a minor stir at most—not this circus outside her front door. Get a grip, Aria, she told herself. She would have to learn to deal with this, find a way to keep her head above water in this new reality.

Because one thing was certain—this was only the beginning.