“Let me guess, caramel macchiato?” Brian mentioned as he sat down at the table you had secured for your meeting at a coffee shop two days later.

You glanced up at him and smiled. “Close. It’s a caramel frappe, so I can see why you’d guess that, Mr Americano.”

“Is it your preferred drink?” he wondered, and you grinned.

“Depends on if I’m in the mood for caffeine or not.”

“You like sweet things. Noted.”

“Are you still trying to drink tea instead of coffee these days?” you asked, and Brian tilted his head to the side.

“You’re more observant than I am.”

“Oh, uh…” You tried not to look too caught in headlights. The years you spent crushing on the man before you had built you quite the catalogue of information. You didn’t want to come across as someone who knew too much.

Or as someone who liked him too much, secretly.

Brian’s easy smile calmed your nerves as he leaned back in his chair. “This will be a piece of cake then. You’ll be able to fool everyone with me if you’re aware of my little vices already. I’ll have to catch up, however.”

“Well, it’s why we’ve met today, right? Game plan and all. So, this cousin of yours. Her wedding sounds like a big deal.”

Brian nodded. “The fact that she’s younger than me and getting married first is causing quite the talk among our family too. Thanks again for stepping up with me for this whole agreement. You’re saving me from a lot of attention I don’t really want right now.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.”

“Why aren’t you dating anyone?” you gingerly wondered, peering at the man across from you with some interest.

You had known Brian since high school. He was incredibly charming, and whilst you had never been bold enough to approach him about your feelings, many peers had. Into adulthood, that trend seemed to continue. It was no secret in your friends’ group that Brian was well-versed in women, and the need for you in this role still did seem a little farfetched.

Brian could have any woman he wanted. You were convinced of this.

“Dating is burdensome. I don’t have enough energy for myself most days, let alone consider someone else’s feelings too. It’s easier to get through these younger years having fun and being single, don’t you think?”

As a hopeless romantic, your heart immediately refuted his opinion. However, you weren’t so lucky in love, and to most people, it would appear you didn’t have much interest in finding The One either.

Nurturing your crush on Brian this long had made other men incomparable.

“We’re still young,” you agreed, and Brian grinned. “But why me?”

“Can I be honest with you? I guess, in a situation like we’ve chosen, honesty is key. Being on the same page will help us succeed with this.”

You nodded.

“You’re a sweet person, Y/N. You’re loyal, dependable, and I can see my family liking you. You’re likeable. People feel comfortable around you, you know.”

You smiled outwardly, but you didn’t know whether his words were a compliment or not. You didn’t want to be just comfortable to Brian Kang. You had to admit he hadn’t lied either. You were all those things. And for those traits, Brian had picked you over all the others you could think of that could have stood in as his partner.

You knew Suzy from Sales would be fuming if she ever caught wind of this.

Accepting it further, you smiled more brightly. “I guess I’m good with making people feel at ease around me.”

“Totally. You’re the best for that, Y/N. I always feel like you would do anything with me. I like that.”

You smiled brightly, warming up to his approach. “So, let’s talk more about who I need to know about.”

---

 

A few hours later, you were at home, scrolling through Brian’s Facebook friends and familiarising yourself with faces and names. He had been thorough, and when you looked at each person, you felt as if you already knew what to expect from each one of them.

“Getting ready to meet the family, are you?”

Glancing over at Lainey entering your room, you held up a hand. “If you have anything negative to say, I’m not going to listen.”

“I’m curious. Why are you doing this? Did he tell you why he needs you as his fake date?”

“I’m dependable.”

“Is that code for gullible?” Lainey quipped, and you glowered at your best friend. “Okay, I’m sorry. But seriously, you’ve been in Brian’s world for this long, and you’ve never been on his radar before. Don’t you find that weird?”

You shook your head. “I understand why he’s picked me over the likes of Suzy.”

“Oh?”

“I’m likeable. He thinks I’ll be someone who will hit off well with his family.”

“As opposed to someone who is showy and beautiful like Suzy?”

“Ouch.”

“You’re beautiful too, Y/N. You deserve the world. And a whole lot better than being someone’s fake anything. At least Suzy is used to fake things, like her bra-”

“Lainey, let’s not.”

“Fine. When’s your first meeting?”

“This weekend. There’s a family gathering at his Uncle’s home. It’s where we’ll debut as a couple.”

“I know I’m totally against this. Morally. But I must admit, I’m keen to hear all about how this goes.”

You smiled. “You’re not the only one anticipating this first venture into Brian’s world.”

---

 

“You look nervous.”

Looking over at Brian, who was driving you both to the party, you smiled softly. “A little.”

“Don’t be. My family will love you.”

“I want this to go well for you.”

“What could go wrong? We’ve got our story of how we started dating sorted, and you’ve gone over the main people to know about four times already. Relax, we’ll do great together.”

“Right. You’re right.”

“Of course, I am. You’re going to wow them all. I just know it.”

With Brian’s encouragement, you relaxed enough for the final leg of the trip, arriving at the party forty minutes later. Getting out of the car, you waited for Brian before stepping towards the garden where you could hear jovial conversations happening.

And then Brian slipped his hand to the small of your back. It surprised you, and you looked up at him with round eyes.

He glanced down at you and shot you one of the best smiles you had ever seen. “Are you ready, sweetheart?”

Oh boy. With the way your heart was pounding in your chest, you struggled to answer him verbally, simply nodding your head eagerly as you jarringly walked towards the hedge opening.

Maybe you weren’t quite ready to fake date with Brian after all.