“Can You Pretend to Be My Boyfriend for a Day”—She Asked the Mechanic, Not Knowing He Was a CEO
A Bold Request at Bloom and Blossom
Golden afternoon light streamed through the windows of Bloom and Blossom, the small flower shop that had been in Lauren’s family for three generations. She arranged pink roses in a crystal vase, her hands moving with practiced ease despite the knot of anxiety in her stomach.
Tomorrow was her 10-year high school reunion. Tomorrow she’d face everyone who’d predicted she’d never amount to anything, and tomorrow she’d see Derek, her ex-fiancé who’d left her for someone more ambitious three years ago.
The bell above the door chimed. Lauren looked up and saw him walk in, the mechanic from the auto shop two blocks over. She’d noticed him before. It was hard not to. He was maybe 32 or 33 with slightly long dark hair, strong features, and kind eyes.
He always wore simple work clothes, usually a gray t-shirt with engine grease staining the sleeves.
“Can I help you?” Lauren asked, trying to sound professional despite her frazzled state.
He looked around the shop, seeming almost uncomfortable among the delicate flowers.
“I need something for my sister, her birthday,” he said.,
“What is she like?” Lauren asked.
“Honestly, I have no idea,” he admitted with a self-deprecating smile. “I’m terrible at this kind of thing.”
Lauren couldn’t help but smile back. There was something genuine about him, something refreshing after the polished superficiality she’d been dreading at tomorrow’s reunion.
“Let me help,” she said, moving around the counter.
She showed him several arrangements, asked questions about his sister, and finally settled on a beautiful mix of white lilies and pink tulips.
“Perfect,” he said. “You’re good at this.”
“Family business,” Lauren replied. “Three generations of knowing flowers.”
As she wrapped the arrangement, the anxiety about tomorrow crashed back over her. She imagined the pitying looks, the whispered comments, and Derek showing off his new girlfriend, who was apparently some hotshot lawyer.
“Are you okay?” the mechanic asked, noticing her distress.
Lauren looked at this stranger with kind eyes and made a decision that was either brave or completely insane.
“Can I ask you something crazy?” she said.,
He tilted his head. “Sure.”
“Can you pretend to be my boyfriend for a day tomorrow? Just a few hours. I have my high school reunion and my ex will be there. Everyone thinks I’m this failure who runs a dying flower shop and I just need—”
She stopped, mortified. “I’m sorry, that was ridiculous. Forget I said anything.”
But he didn’t laugh or look at her like she was crazy. He just studied her face thoughtfully.
“What would this involve?” he asked.
“Just showing up, looking like you care about me, maybe hold my hand. Nothing weird, I promise. I’d pay you $100 for four hours.”
She knew she couldn’t really afford it, but the thought of facing tomorrow alone was unbearable. The mechanic was quiet for a moment.
“I’ll do it, but you don’t need to pay me,” he said.
“Really?” she asked.
“Really. I’m Ethan, by the way.”
“Ethan Cole. Lauren Bennett,” she replied, relief flooding through her. “Thank you, seriously. You have no idea what this means.”
