Psychic Billionaire Husband

Fake Boyfriend Ad

The next morning, Maeve and Lily sat at the kitchen table with a fresh cup of coffee, staring down at her phone. Notifications pinged endlessly, the screen a blur of messages and profile pictures.

“Okay,” Lily said, scrolling through with one hand while crunching on a piece of toast with the other. “Let’s see who the first contestant is.”

Maeve groaned. “Why do I feel like this is going to be a disaster?”

“Positive vibes, Maeve. Positive vibes.” Lily opened the first message for them to see.

‘Hey babe, I’ll be your fake boyfriend if you’re cool with things getting real behind closed doors. ;)’

Maeve sputtered on her coffee. “Oh, absolutely not. Delete!”

Lily cackled and swiped the message away. “Okay, that one’s out. Next!”

The next applicant was a man in his mid-forties with a bio that started, “I’ve been working on a self-published novel about alien soulmates for the last twelve years…”

Maeve shot Lily a flat look. “Hard pass.”

“Agreed.” Lily flicked the message away without hesitation.

Then there was Brad, who sent a shirtless selfie and a message that read, “You pay, I slay. ;)”

“Is that... is that a bottle of protein powder in his hand?” Maeve asked, squinting.

Lily grimaced. “He looks like he could bench-press you and your emotional baggage, but I’m guessing conversation isn’t his strong suit.”

“Next,” Maeve said firmly.

The messages kept coming, and somehow, they kept getting worse. One guy claimed he’d only take the job if he could wear his cowboy hat everywhere. Another listed ‘hunting trip buddy’ as one of the relationship duties Maeve would need to fulfill.

The most unsettling message of all was a one-liner: ‘I’ve been watching you for a while. This feels like fate.’

Maeve shuddered. “Block him. Immediately.”

Lily didn’t need to be told twice. She tapped the block button and tossed the phone down with a groan. “Okay, this is not going how I imagined.”

“You think?” Maeve said, burying her face in her hands. “This was your ‘brilliant’ idea, remember?”

“Hey, it’s not over yet!” Lily said, trying to rally. “We just have to dig deeper. Somewhere out there is your perfect fake boyfriend.”

Maeve arched an eyebrow. “And what if he doesn’t exist?”

Lily grinned mischievously. “Then I’ll go full matchmaker mode and build one from scratch.”

Maeve rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a small smile. “You’re impossible.”

“Maybe,” Lily said, picking her phone back up, “But impossible is where the magic happens.”

Maeve sighed, leaning back in her chair. “Fine. But if we don’t find someone decent by tonight, we’re done with the whole thing.”

“Deal,” Lily said, her eyes gleaming with determination.

Maeve shook her head with a small laugh as Lily dove back into the chaos. “And put my phone down, we actually have work to do.”

Lily huffed dramatically. “Fine, fine,” she said, setting the phone aside with a grumble.

_____

The hours dragged on, and Maeve was starting to lose hope. She sat cross-legged on the couch, clutching what had to be her fourth cup of coffee, while Lily swiped and scrolled with laser focus.

“Lily,” Maeve groaned, leaning her head against the armrest. “It’s almost midnight. If we don’t find someone by then, I’m officially pulling the plug on this ridiculous plan. I’ll get back at Ryan with another way.”

Lily shot her a determined look. “We are not giving up. Midnight is ages away. Have a little faith!”

“It’s thirty minutes away,” Maeve said flatly, gesturing to the clock on the wall.

Lily waved her off. “Plenty of time.”

Maeve sighed, closing her eyes as Lily continued to sift through the seemingly endless stream of unsuitable candidates. Just as she was about to suggest calling it quits early, Lily let out a triumphant gasp.

“Oh my God, Maeve. I think I found him.”

Maeve opened one eye skeptically. “You said that about protein-powder guy.”

“No, no, no,” Lily said, practically shoving the phone into Maeve’s hands. “This is different. Look!”

Maeve sat up and stared at the profile on the screen.

The man’s name was Elian – just Elian. His profile picture was a candid shot of him leaning casually against a sleek black car, dressed in an impeccably tailored three-piece suit. His dark, wavy hair was perfectly tousled, and his faint smirk radiated confidence and charm.

“Okay,” Maeve admitted, her tone cautious. “He’s… attractive.”

“Attractive? Maeve, he looks like he stepped out of a James Bond movie!” Lily said, practically bouncing. “And read this bio!”

Maeve skimmed the text.

‘Confident, charming, and adaptable in any social situation. I thrive on challenges, enjoy witty banter, and have an exceptional wardrobe. Yes, I can ski.’

Maeve’s eyes widened slightly. “He can ski?”

“Which means the company retreat at the ski resort? Totally covered,” Lily said, grinning. “But wait, it gets better. He says he’s been living abroad for years and only just came back to town last week. So the chances of anyone recognizing him are practically zero.”

Maeve leaned back, staring at the profile in stunned silence. He was perfect.

“Well?” Lily prompted, practically vibrating with excitement. “Are you messaging him, or am I?”

Maeve hesitated, the cynic in her whispering that it was too good to be true. But the pragmatist in her knew she was running out of time – and options.

“Fine,” she said finally. “Let’s message him. But keep it professional, okay?”

Lily grinned and quickly typed out a message.

‘Hi, Elian. My name is Maeve. I’m looking for someone to play the role of my boyfriend for a company holiday retreat at a ski resort. Your profile stood out, and I think you could be a great fit. Let me know if you’re interested, and we can discuss details.

They didn’t have to wait long. Less than ten minutes later, Elian’s reply appeared on the screen.

‘Hi, Maeve. Thank you for reaching out. I’d be happy to discuss this unique opportunity. It sounds like a fun challenge. Let me know when and where we can meet to go over the details.’

Maeve read the message twice, her heart racing. She handed the phone back to Lily. “He sounds… normal.”

“Normal?” Lily scoffed. “He sounds amazing. And he replied in ten minutes! That’s fate.”

“Or coincidence,” Maeve countered, though a small smile tugged at her lips. “But there’s no time to meet him before we leave. The bus for the ski resort leaves tomorrow morning.”

Lily’s face lit up. “So? Just tell him to meet you at the resort! It’s perfect. He shows up, ready to go, and you get to skip the whole awkward pre-interview phase.”

Maeve hesitated. “What if he’s a no-show? Or worse, not who he says he is?”

“Then you tell everyone Ryan cheated on you, why holding it back? Let’s see how the whole department react knowing our new Head of Marketing is a cheater.” Lily said breezily. “Now stop worrying and message him!”

Taking a deep breath, Maeve typed out her reply.

‘Thank you for replying so quickly. The retreat is tomorrow, and we’re heading straight to the ski resort in the morning. Here’s the address. Let’s meet there directly, and we can coordinate once you arrive.’

Elian’s response came almost instantly. ‘Sounds perfect. I’ll meet you there. Looking forward to it.’

Maeve stared at the screen, nerves tightening in her chest. “He agreed. It’s happening.”

Lily clapped her hands together, grinning from ear to ear. “Maeve, this is going to be epic. Just you wait, this Elian guy is going to blow everyone away.”

Maeve wasn’t so sure, but as the bus rumbled to life the next morning, packed with her entire marketing department, she couldn’t stop herself from checking her phone every few minutes.

Somewhere out there, her ‘fake boyfriend’ was on his way to meet her.