Lines Blur too Easily
1148 Words
Chapter Two
Sophie wasn’t sure what was more absurd—the fact that she had just agreed to fake-date her former boss, or the fact that she was still sitting at the restaurant with him, sipping on a glass of red wine like this was normal.
It wasn’t.
Nothing about Daniel Reid had ever been normal, at least not for her.
He was power and control wrapped in a designer suit, the kind of man who could silence a room with a single glance. Back when she worked for him, she had spent two years trying to prove herself, pushing past his impossible standards, only to walk away without so much as a “good luck” from him.
And now, here she was—his fake girlfriend.
What the hell had she done?
“So,” Daniel said, breaking the silence, “ground rules.”
Sophie arched a brow. “Ground rules?”
He nodded. “If we’re going to make this convincing, we need to establish some expectations.”
Of course he wanted to set rules. Typical lawyer.
She swirled her wine, pretending to consider. “Fine. But I get to make some too.”
“Fair,” he agreed. “First rule: no falling in love.”
She snorted. “That won’t be a problem.”
Daniel smirked. “Glad we’re on the same page.”
Sophie leaned forward, resting an elbow on the table. “My turn. If we’re faking this, I’m not playing second fiddle to some other woman. If we’re out in public, you act like I’m the only one in the room.”
His gaze flickered with amusement. “Jealous already?”
She rolled her eyes. “Please. I just don’t want to look like an i***t while you flirt with someone else.”
“Understood,” he said easily. “When we’re together, you have my full attention.”
Something about the way he said it made warmth creep up her neck, but she ignored it.
“Next rule,” Daniel continued, “we need to be seen together. Not just once or twice—frequently.”
“How frequently?”
“At least twice a week.”
She made a face. “That seems excessive.”
“If we want this to be believable, we need to commit.”
She sighed. “Fine. But I choose the next one—no physical affection unless necessary.”
Daniel tilted his head. “Define ‘necessary.’”
Sophie hesitated. That was a very good question.
“If our families are watching,” she said after a beat. “Or if we’re in a situation where people might get suspicious.”
He hummed in thought. “So… no hand-holding? No kissing?”
Her stomach did a weird little flip at the way he said kissing, but she refused to acknowledge it.
“Not unless absolutely required,” she said firmly.
“Noted.”
The server came by with their food, momentarily halting the conversation. Sophie picked at her plate, still wondering how she’d ended up here.
Daniel, meanwhile, ate like this was just another business dinner.
“What happens when we break up?” she asked after a few minutes.
He glanced up. “What do you mean?”
Sophie stabbed at her salad. “Eventually, we’ll have to pretend things didn’t work out. What’s the plan for that?”
Daniel was quiet for a moment. Then he leaned back, studying her. “We make it amicable. A clean break. No dramatic stories for our families to latch onto.”
She frowned. “You really have thought this through.”
“Of course.” He took a sip of his drink. “Unlike you, I don’t make impulsive decisions.”
Sophie bristled. “This wasn’t impulsive.”
His lips twitched. “It wasn’t?”
She exhaled sharply. “Fine. Maybe it was. But you didn’t exactly stop me.”
“Because it benefits both of us.”
She hated that he was right.
The rest of the dinner was spent hashing out minor details—social media posts (minimal but enough to seem real), event appearances (strategic), and how long they’d have to keep this up (Daniel estimated three months, Sophie prayed for less).
By the time they left the restaurant, Sophie was exhausted.
As they stepped outside, a cool breeze cut through the warm summer night. She wrapped her arms around herself, glancing at Daniel.
“Guess we should make our exit separately,” she said.
Daniel, standing beside her with his hands in his pockets, studied her for a moment. “Not yet.”
She frowned. “What?”
Then she heard it.
“Sophie? Is that you?”
She turned—and froze.
Her mother stood just a few feet away, a surprised smile on her face. And right beside her? Daniel’s mother, looking equally pleased.
Oh, hell.
She barely had time to process before her mom stepped closer. “I didn’t know you two were—”
“Dating?” Daniel interrupted smoothly, stepping beside Sophie with ease. “Yes. We wanted to keep it quiet at first.”
His hand settled lightly on the small of her back, warm even through the fabric of her dress. Sophie’s entire body stiffened, but Daniel didn’t miss a beat.
Mrs. Reid’s eyes lit up. “Oh, this is wonderful! I always thought you two would make a great couple.”
Sophie forced a smile, praying she wouldn’t combust on the spot. “It’s… new.”
Her mother beamed. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
Daniel answered before she could. “We wanted to be sure before making it public.”
Mrs. Patel clapped her hands together. “This calls for a celebration! Dinner at our house this weekend?”
Sophie nearly choked. What?!
Daniel, that traitor, smiled like it was the easiest thing in the world. “We’d love to.”
Sophie turned her head sharply toward him, eyes widening. We?
Her mother squealed in excitement, already pulling out her phone to send details.
By the time the two women walked away, Sophie rounded on Daniel. “Are you insane?!”
His lips quirked. “You’re welcome.”
She groaned, dragging a hand down her face. “You just committed us to a family dinner!”
He shrugged. “You wanted it to be convincing.”
She glared. “You enjoy this, don’t you?”
“Not particularly,” he said, but the amused glint in his eyes told a different story.
Sophie exhaled sharply. “This is going to be a disaster.”
Daniel only smirked. “Guess we’ll find out.”
And as he walked away, Sophie had the unsettling realization that this arrangement might be far more dangerous than she had anticipated.
Because lines were already starting to blur—and it had barely even begun.
- Writer
