Page 22 of Faking It For Real

"And you turned him down, because you're a sane person."

"I did," I confirmed. "But he offered exclusive access to the team. Insider access that could significantly improve my sports portfolio."

Olivia was already shaking her head. "No. Absolutely not. I forbid it."

"TheSports Illustrationssummer internship," I continued, warming to the idea despite myself. "The deadline is right after hockey season ends. It comes with a $5,000 scholarship stipend for next year."

"Mia—"

"And Ethan's dad is friends with Samantha Rivers."

That stopped her. Even Olivia, with her principled stand against athlete worship, knew that name. Samantha Rivers was the photography director forSports Illustrations, legendary in our field.

"No," she said, but with less conviction. "There has to be another way."

"If there is, I'm all ears." I gestured to the empty ice cream container. "But right now, this seems like my best option. It's not like I'd actually be dating him. It's a business arrangement. A mutually beneficial exchange of services."

"It's a terrible idea," Olivia insisted. "You can barely stand to be in the same room with him."

"That's not entirely true," I admitted, thinking of our coffee shop encounter. "He's... not as horrible as I initially thought."

"High praise indeed," Olivia said dryly.

"The point is, I need money for tuition, and this could be a pathway to getting it. It's not ideal, but neither is dropping out."

Olivia studied me for a long moment. "You're seriously considering this."

"I am."

"What about your dignity? Your principles? Your frequent and eloquent rants against entitled athletes?"

"All temporarily on hold due to financial emergency," I replied, attempting a smile. "Look, it's four months of pretend dating. I've endured worse for less reward."

"Like what?"

"Remember my ex, John? Three months of actual dating, and all I got was a broken heart and his terrible playlist cluttering up my music library."

Olivia snorted. "Fair point." She sighed heavily. "If you're really going to do this, I reserve the right to mock you mercilessly throughout the entire fake relationship."

"I would expect nothing less." I stood up, suddenly energized with purpose. "Now I just need to find Ethan and tell him I've reconsidered."

"And what exactly are your terms going to be?" Olivia asked, following me to the sink where I rinsed our spoons. "Because if you're doing this, you'd better get something concrete out of it."

"Access to the team, obviously," I said, thinking aloud. "But you're right, I need more." I leaned against the counter. "I need an introduction to Samantha Rivers. A genuine recommendation for the internship."

Olivia raised her eyebrows. "You're going to ask Mr. Hockey Star to put his reputation on the line for you? Bold."

"It's no different than what he's asking of me," I pointed out. "He wants to use my public image to solve his problem. I'll use his connections to solve mine."

"If you put it that way..." Olivia nodded slowly. "It almost makes sense in a twisted, rom-com-plot kind of way."

"Exactly. It's just business." I grabbed my phone and opened social media, scrolling through the university athletics page until I found a post from yesterday. "Men's hockey team has weight training this afternoon. I'll catch him at the gym."

"I can't believe you're actually doing this," Olivia whispered, eyes wide.

"Desperate times," I shrugged, already mentally rehearsing what I'd say to Ethan. "But don't worry—I'm going in with my eyes wide open. No catching feelings, no drama. Just a straightforward exchange of services until hockey season ends."

Olivia gave me a look I couldn't quite decipher. "If you say so," she said, in a tone that suggested she thought otherwise. "Just promise me one thing?"

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