Page 17 of Faking the Face Off

“Yeah. That.” She sighs and looks down at her hands again. “They’re willing to pay me. A lot. Enough to help my dad out for a while, maybe long enough to figure something out. You get the publicity, it helps your career and the Renegades, and I get a way to help my family.”

I sit back, trying to process what she’s just dropped on me. It’s not every day you find out your livelihood could be threatened because you’re not a fan of marketing. “So, let me get this straight. The owners think the best way to fix my ‘profile’ problem is to pay you to pretend we’re a couple?”

“Pretty much.”

I lean forward, elbows on my knees, staring at Anna as her words settle over me like a heavy fog. “And you agreed to this?”

She hesitates, looking down at her hands, twisting her fingers together like she’s trying to wring out the guilt. “Not…exactly.”

“Why would they even come to you with this?” I ask, still trying to wrap my head around it. “I mean, don’t they have PR people for this sort of thing? Why you?”

Her cheeks flush, and she bites her lip before meeting my gaze. “Because…I sort of was in the room when they were having the conversation, and may have said some things that led them to the idea.”

The room falls silent, the kind of silence that amplifies every tick of the clock and every breath we take.

“Youwhat?” I finally manage, my voice sharper than I intended.

“I didn’t mean to!” she blurts, sitting up straighter, her words tumbling out in a rush. “It just…came out. I was in a meeting with them, well…not really, I was dropping something off and I overheard them. They were brainstorming ways to boost your image. I made some suggestions, in an effort to protect you—and somehow, they took that and ran with it, saying you needed someone to be in a fake relationship with to soften you up. Next thing I know, they’ve approached me as the ‘someone.’”

I shake my head, still trying to process. I was summoning the courage mere moments ago to ask this woman out and now, we’re talking about jumping twenty paces ahead and being in a relationship? Not that I’d be mad about it, but there is something to be said about the thrill of the chase.

“Anna, you know me. You know I don’t do this kind of thing. I’m not some guy who wants to sell a fake story to the world.”

“I know,” she says softly, her voice almost a whisper. “I told them it might not be a good fit, but they didn’t listen. And then Sutton said something about your reluctance being part of the problem, and…here we are.”

I lean back, running a hand through my hair, the weight of her confession settling heavily in my chest. “So now I’m the guy who needs saving from myself and you’re the solution? Great.”

Anna reaches out, her hand brushing mine, her eyes pleading. “I didn’t mean for it to turn into this. And I swear, if you say no, I’ll walk back into those offices and tell them it’s not happening.”

I look at her, the genuine regret in her expression clashing with the absurdity of what she’s asking me to consider.

“And what about you?” I ask, my voice quieter now. “Why are you even considering this?”

She hesitates again, the vulnerability in her eyes making my chest ache. “For my dad…he’s in a bad spot, and this could help. At least for now.”

Her words hit harder than I expected, and suddenly, all my frustration evaporates. This isn’t just about me or some PR stunt—it’s about Anna, and she’s clearly desperate.

I sigh, running a hand down my face. “You know this is insane, right?”

“Completely,” she says, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “But it’s temporary.”

“Like you living with your dad?”

“Shush.” She reaches out and lets her hand rest on mine. “Temporary in that we’ll do it long enough to lift your profile and get Jimmy off your back, while giving my dad some breathing room, too.”

I meet her gaze, the weight of the decision pressing down on me. She needs me, but everything about this feels so…wrong.

“I get it. I do. And if this is really what you want to do, and we can come out of it okay on the other side, I’ll go along with it. For you.”

Anna holds up a finger. “It’s for us. Don’t forget, this comes from the top, Ollie. They’re watching you, too.”

Does that reminder carry more weight? It does, but I’ll unpack it later. “Fine. But I need you to know something first.”

Her eyes meet mine, wary. “What?”

“This whole fake girlfriend thing could blow up in our faces. I don’t want it to cost you more than you’re already dealing with.”

Anna’s shoulders sag, her anger melting into exhaustion. “I know it’s a risk, but I don’t know what else to do.”

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