My Fake Girlfriend

ATHENA

“Are you sure you won’t need to shower after this?” Ares asked as he walked into the restaurant kitchen with two Americanos.

“Yeah. I’m baking, not cooking, so I’ll be fine,” I said and looked at the clock. It was only 11:30. “You’re here early, anyway. Miss me already?”

“Just keeping an eye on my investments,” he replied, and I glared at him. “What are you baking?” He handed me a coffee and stood beside me.

“I’m trialing some dessert recipes for the menu. There’s an apple pie cooling over there, and I’m just waiting on the crookies.”

He bent to look into the oven. “What’s a crookie?”

“It’s a cross between a croissant and a cookie.” As I said that, my timer started beeping, so I put my coffee down and grabbed an oven mitt to take them out.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest and tilted his head. I realised his eyes were on my chest. “Nice apron. Mind explaining it?”

I glanced down at the large eggplant emoji and rolled my eyes. My best friend Clara had bought me this apron last year because she claimed I needed more “eggplants” to spice up my boring life. Stupid Clara.

“My friend gave it to me,” I said as I reached into the oven.

Ares put on a disappointed face. “Aw, and here I thought you were hinting at something.”

I smacked his arm with my oven mitt. “You’re disgusting. And you’re not even my type.”

“Oh? And what exactly is your type?” He moved closer, but not too close because the oven was hot. Still, my stomach fluttered at his flirty tone.

It’s all business, Athena.

I cleared my throat and placed the tray of crookies onto the counter. “Blonde, green eyes, six foot two, and a trust fund,” I joked.

“So specific, huh?” He looked down at the tray where the chocolate on the crookies was still bubbling. “Smells good. Can I try one?”

“Go ahead, but be careful, they’re still hot.”

He took a knife and fork from a drawer and cut into one of them. Melted chocolate made a puddle on the tray. He blew on it before taking a big bite.

His eyes widened, and he put the fork down. “That…is amazing, Athena. You have to sell it—with vanilla ice cream on the side.”

“Really?” I took his fork and ate a bite of my own. “I think it’s too sweet.”

“It’s not.” He snatched the fork from me and ate another big bite. He closed his eyes and groaned.

I laughed. “If we weren’t in a fake relationship, I’d say you were in love with me.”

He looked at me, stepping closer, and raised his hand to my face. I stayed completely still as he dragged his thumb across the corner of my mouth, holding eye contact.

Then he put his thumb in his mouth, licking some chocolate off, still looking into my eyes. My cheeks felt hot.

“Are you flirting with me, Ares?”

“If I was flirting with you,” he leaned closer, “you’d be naked by now.”

Fire burned in my face, going down my whole body as my eyes widened. Ares laughed, and I reached for my coffee to chug it like it was water.

“We should go, or we’ll be late for lunch,” he said as if nothing had happened.

“Okay, give me ten minutes. Do you mind waiting outside?”

He nodded and left, and I took my time to calm down. I covered the pastries to cool and washed my hands, then freshened up in the office.

I let my hair down and changed into a short, strapless black dress and black stilettos. Then I grabbed my white shoulder bag on the way out.

Outside, Ares was on a phone call, but he hung up when he saw me coming.

“Wow.” He looked me up and down, his eyes pausing on my breasts.

“What? Is it too much?” I asked.

He shook his head, then thought again and nodded. “Seeing as you’re asking, I would prefer you to wear far less.”

I slapped him. “That is not what I meant.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” He laughed and opened the car door for me. “Let’s go.”

I sat down and stayed silent as Ares got in and started the engine. Palm trees passed by the window as we drove through LA.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Lily. Even though she wanted me to keep going with Ares, I was scared to face her. What if she changed her mind and told Rachel? Or Viola?

Or Aaron? That man was scary.

I’m screwed.

After a while, Ares asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” I said.

“You’re too quiet.”

“Ignore me.”

“I obviously can’t ignore you, since you’re making things awkward.”

I crossed my arms in front of my chest and said nothing.

After some silence, he asked, “Is it that time of the month?”

I frowned at him. “No.”

“Well, you’re acting like it’s that time of the month.”

“Ares!”

We didn’t talk for the rest of the ride and arrived at the hotel on time for dinner. Ares gave his car keys to the valet service and took my hand to lead me inside.

We walked into the Japanese restaurant’s private room where all of his family were already gathered.

“Athena!” Viola jumped from her seat and pulled me into a hug. “I missed you.”

I chuckled. “Already?”

“Of course!” She stepped away so I could greet Ares’s parents. Rachel hugged me, but Aaron shook my hand professionally.

“Athena, darling.” Lily opened her arms wide. I smiled nervously and gave her a hug.

“It’s good to see you again.”

“Come sit.” She invited me to sit beside her at the large table for seven, and Ares sat at my other side. “We’ve already ordered for the table. Do you have experience with Japanese food?”

I nodded. “Yes, at culinary school, we spent time studying cultural foods.”

Viola sat opposite me. “Ooh, does that mean you know how to make sushi?”

I smiled at her excitement. “I do, but probably not as well as the chefs here. I would love to become better at it.”

“What do you want to drink, love?” Ares asked.

“Just water is fine.”

“So, how’s the restaurant coming along, Athena?” Rachel asked from next to Viola. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

“Everything is going smoothly, thank you. Ares has been helping out a lot with getting things ready.” I turned to him and smiled.

“That’s good. Ares rarely cares about others,” Aaron said from the head of the table as he took a sip of water.

Ares rolled his eyes, but his hand held mine tightly under the table.

“He’s changing, Dad. You know he’s stopped partying these days,” Viola said.

An awkward silence fell. Under the table, Ares dug his nails into my skin. I flinched at the pain, and he suddenly dropped me with an apologetic look.

“Oh, would you look at that, the food is here,” Lily said.

Everyone seemed to sigh with relief.

Plates of food filled the table. There was a platter for sushi and another for tempura. There were some steaming gyoza meat on skewers. And there was a large hot pot with simmering broth.

Everything looked delicious, but I noticed the scallops and octopus on the sushi platter and made a note not to eat from that plate. I was about to warn Ares when Aaron started to speak to me.

“So, Athena, tell me about your family.”

“Oh, um…well, my dad is a chef. He owns seven restaurants across the East Coast. And I have two older brothers. Jayson is an architect, and Jackson is a doctor.”

“Why don’t you work in your father’s restaurants?” he asked. This felt like a job interview!

“Well, I don’t want to be in his shadow,” I said. “I wanted to make my way up on my own. That’s why I decided to move back to LA on my own. Work hard and learn hard.”

Aaron nodded, which made me relax a little. He seemed to respect my decision.

“Athena, taste this!” Ares suddenly shoved something in front of my mouth.

“Oh! Okay.” I bit down on the tempura and chewed.

Then my eyes widened, and I spat it out onto my plate.

“Athena!” Ares complained, looking disgusted.

I ignored him and grabbed my bag, searching through it like a mad woman. My throat and mouth were already starting to itch.

Where’s my EpiPen?

It isn’t here!

Fuck!

Ares touched my arm. “Love, what’s wrong?”

I looked at him with wide eyes and tried to speak, but throat wouldn’t let me, so I just pointed at the tempura on Ares’s plate. I’d bitten it, so the squid was visible now.

My face was getting hot. I was sure it was turning red.

“Oh god, I think she’s having an allergic reaction!” Viola jumped from her seat and ran out of the room.

“Athena, shit, I’m so sorry!” Ares held me as I coughed. My head was starting to spin. My whole body felt hot and itchy. It was getting harder to breathe.

“I found a doctor!” Viola was back, but now my eyes were watering and I couldn’t see.

Ares helped me down onto the floor as someone stood over me. There was a sharp stab on my thigh. Seconds later, I gasped when my throat started to open.

“What’s her name?” a man’s voice asked.

“Athena,” Ares answered.

“Athena, can you hear me?”

I slowly opened my eyes, but everything was blurry. Oh god, I’m so dizzy.

“You’re going to be okay,” he assured me. “I have a clinic eight minutes away from here. Can you bring her? She should be kept under observation for a while.”

“Athena?” Ares said, but his voice sounded far away.

Suddenly, everything went black.