Chapter Ten
843 Words
A Holiday Illusion
In the weeks that followed her humiliating exit from her job, Tamara made a conscious decision to refocus her life. She threw herself into freelancing, accepting small graphic design gigs online and spending countless hours tweaking her skills, updating her portfolio, and sending out applications. The job market, however, was ruthless especially in a competitive city like New York. Rejection emails became a regular part of her inbox. But Tamara kept going.
To keep her spirits up, Tiffany made sure their weekends were never dull. Every Friday night, they’d pick a spot sometimes a rooftop lounge, other times a small local bar and dance their stress away. They laughed, made silly videos, and cheered each other on like they were still college girls with no worries in the world.
But Tamara, no matter how hard she tried, had drawn a hard line, no more one-night stands. The emotional mess that came with Jay was enough lesson for a lifetime. So even though she occasionally caught someone staring at her from across the room or flirted with a stranger at the bar, she never let it go too far. Not again.
One chilly morning, just two weeks before Christmas, Tamara sat in her robe, sipping lukewarm coffee while scrolling through i********:. Her timeline was flooded with engagement posts, holiday couple photo shoots, and “Christmas in the Bahamas” captions. It was suffocating.
As if summoned by fate, Tiffany strolled into the living room, already dressed and ready to head out. “You okay?” she asked, noticing Tamara’s distant gaze.
Tamara sighed. “Do you think it’s too late to be adopted by a rich family?”
Tiffany laughed and plopped beside her. “No, but it might be easier to fake being rich and in love.”
That made Tamara snort.
“Seriously though,” Tiffany continued, “you’re going to Summerville soon. Your parents are expecting you and your partner.”
Tamara groaned. “Don’t remind me. They’re probably already making matching PJs for me and my imaginary boyfriend.”
Tiffany gave her a long look before saying, “Then give them something real. Or... something close to it.”
Tamara raised a brow. “What do you mean?”
“I mean Candace,” Tiffany said plainly.
Tamara blinked. “Candace?”
“Yes! He likes you, he’s single, and he’s already cool with your parents. All you need to do is ask him to play your boyfriend for a few days. Problem solved. Christmas magic.”
“That’s insane,” Tamara said. “Why would he even agree to that?”
“Because he likes you,” Tiffany said slowly. “And you need this.”
Tamara hesitated, then finally nodded. “You think it’ll work?”
Tiffany smirked. “I know it will.”
Later that afternoon, after pacing around her room for nearly twenty minutes, Tamara finally picked up her phone and dialed Candace. He picked up on the second ring.
“Tamara?” his voice sounded both surprised and pleased. “Wow. This is a nice surprise.”
She chuckled nervously. “Hey, Candace. So, um, I have a weird favor to ask.”
“I’m intrigued already,” he said with a light laugh.
She took a deep breath. “Okay, here it goes. My family’s expecting me to come home for Christmas with a partner. Long story short, I may have accidentally let them believe you were my boyfriend.”
“You... what?” he said, amused.
“I know, it sounds bad,” Tamara rushed on, “but I’m under a lot of pressure. My sister has this perfect job, this perfect boyfriend, and I—well, I have none of that. I just… I don’t want to show up again and be the disappointing daughter.”
There was a pause on the line before Candace replied gently, “Tamara, you are not a disappointment.”
Her chest tightened at his kind words. “Still. I don’t want to be pitied. And you were the only person I thought of.”
“So... you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend for the holidays?”
“Yes,” she said, already wincing. “Just for a few days. I’ll make it worth your while, I’ll even pay for your flights if you want”
“Stop right there,” Candace interrupted. “You don’t have to pay me anything. If it means helping you feel more comfortable and less stressed around your family, I’ll do it.”
Tamara exhaled in relief. “Really?”
“Really,” he said. “Besides, who wouldn’t want to spend Christmas with you?”
Tamara smiled into the phone, feeling a warmth that surprised her. “You’re the best, Candace.”
“Just remember that when I’m being grilled by your dad and your nosy aunts,” he joked.
They both laughed, and for the first time in weeks, Tamara felt genuinely hopeful. Maybe Christmas wouldn’t be such a disaster after all.
- Writer
