2 - Rules of Pretending
1005 Words
Ava took a sip of her wine, letting the silence between them stretch—but it wasn’t awkward anymore. It buzzed with something else. Curiosity. Tension. Heat.
Across the table, Ethan leaned back in his chair with the relaxed confidence of a man who never second-guessed himself. But there was something guarded in his eyes now—like he was watching her reactions with more interest than he wanted to admit.
“You really want to go through with this?” she asked, twirling the stem of her glass between her fingers. “Pretend we’re dating?”
He shrugged. “It’s efficient.”
“That’s not romantic at all.”
“I’m not romantic.” His voice was smooth, matter-of-fact. “I’m a lawyer.”
“I thought lawyers were good at lying,” she teased.
He gave her a look. “Only in court.”
Ava smiled despite herself. “So what’s in it for you, Mr. Efficient?”
Ethan reached for his drink, swirling the dark amber liquid. “My sister will get off my back. My firm’s senior partners will stop asking why I spend more time with my caseload than actual people. And—” he paused, raising an eyebrow, “—it’ll irritate Connor.”
She blinked. “My ex?”
He smirked. “He’s still hung up on you.”
Her cheeks flamed. “He cheated on me.”
“Yeah, and now he’s regretting it. He asked me last week if you were seeing anyone.”
That made her sit straighter. “And what did you say?”
Ethan’s smile turned sharp. “Not yet.”
Ava didn’t know why that made her feel oddly triumphant. Or why she suddenly had the urge to adjust her dress and sit up taller under his gaze.
“But we’re not using this just to make our exes jealous,” she said firmly.
“Of course not.” He raised his glass. “This is mutually beneficial. A clean, professional arrangement.”
“You make it sound like a business contract.”
“It basically is.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, then we need rules.”
He gave her a look that was half-challenge, half-amused. “Rules?”
“Yes. Ground rules. If we’re going to pretend to be a couple, we need to be clear.”
Ethan leaned in, resting his elbow on the table, interest sparking in his eyes. “All right. Let’s hear it.”
Ava counted them on her fingers.
“One: No kissing unless absolutely necessary.”
Ethan’s mouth twitched. “Define necessary.”
“Family events. Nosy coworkers. Emergency situations.”
He nodded. “Fair.”
“Two: No actual feelings. This is fake. Strictly fake.”
“Obviously.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You don’t have to agree so fast.”
“I’m not the one who watches The Wedding Planner when I’m sad.”
Her jaw dropped. “How do you—?!”
He shrugged. “Connor. Again. Said you cry every time Matthew McConaughey smiles.”
She huffed. “Fine. Rule three: We don’t talk about my movie choices.”
Ethan’s smile was smug, and annoyingly charming. “Deal.”
“Four,” she added, holding up another finger, “we stop the act after one week. No exceptions.”
“Agreed.”
“And five—”
“More rules?”
“Yes, five,” she said, eyes sparkling. “If either of us falls for the other, the deal ends immediately.”
Ethan’s smirk faltered, just a bit. “You think one of us might fall?”
“Stranger things have happened.”
He leaned in, eyes locked on hers. “It won’t be me.”
The way he said it—low, certain, and dangerous—sent a shiver down her spine.
She swallowed. “Same here.”
But in that moment, as they stared at each other over the flickering candlelight, Ava felt something shift in the air.
His gaze dropped to her lips again, lingering for a beat too long.
She looked away, heat crawling up her neck.
“Do your clients know you’re this intense in real life?” she asked, reaching for her water.
“Only the lucky ones.”
Ava let out a laugh, light and breathy, half to break the tension, half because—God help her—he was charming when he wasn’t being an arrogant know-it-all.
They made it through dinner, their conversation a strange dance of sarcasm, flirty comments, and moments that felt too real to be part of a fake arrangement.
When the check came, Ethan took care of it without even looking at the bill.
“I could’ve paid for myself,” she said, standing and adjusting her shawl.
“I know,” he said, brushing past her with a soft touch to the small of her back that made her flinch—for all the wrong reasons.
It wasn’t a grab. It wasn’t even particularly intimate.
It was...natural.
And it sent her heart racing.
Outside, the city buzzed around them. The night air was crisp, carrying the scent of rain and traffic.
He turned to her under the restaurant’s golden sign. “So we’re doing this?”
She hesitated. “We’re doing this.”
Ethan gave her a slow nod. “Then I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Noon. We’ll make it public.”
Ava blinked. “Public how?”
He smirked. “Brunch. Somewhere your ex is likely to be.”
“You’re diabolical.”
“I’m strategic.” He looked her up and down, his gaze lingering with that same unreadable intensity. “Wear something cute.”
She crossed her arms. “I am cute.”
He didn’t argue.
Instead, he stepped closer, just for a moment, as if testing her boundaries. His voice dropped low.
“Goodnight, Ava.”
And then he walked away—without looking back.
Ava stood there, heart hammering, wondering what the hell she’d just agreed to.
- Writer
