“Can You Pretend to Be My Date for a Day?” Poor Woman Asked a Single Dad—What He Said Next Changed…

The Desperate Proposal at Freeman’s Auto

Wyatt Freeman was flat on his back under a Honda Civic at 3:30 on a Friday afternoon in November. Grease was on his hands and a wrench wouldn’t cooperate when he heard the bell above his shop door chime.

He figured it was just his parts delivery running late again. He didn’t even bother sliding out until he heard a woman’s voice.

“Excuse me, is anyone here?”

There was something in her tone that sounded like she was either about to cry or possibly throw up. Maybe both at the same time.

He rolled out from under the car, wiping his hands on a rag that was already filthy. He looked up to find a woman in a Maplewood Fresh Mart uniform. She stood in the middle of his auto shop clutching her car keys.

Her knuckles were white. He vaguely recognized her as the cashier from the supermarket who always smiled when she scanned his groceries. But right now, she looked like her entire world was falling apart.

“Can I help you, ma’am? You having car trouble?” Wyatt asked.

He used that calm voice he used when customers were panicking about check engine lights. The woman started pacing back and forth like she was having an argument with herself out loud.

“This is insane. I can’t just ask a stranger this. This is completely crazy. I should just leave and figure something else out.”

Wyatt just stood there holding his wrench, completely confused about what was happening in his shop.

“Ma’am, are you okay? Do you need me to call someone for you?”

She stopped pacing and looked at him with desperate brown eyes. She blurted out the most bizarre question Wyatt had heard in his entire 35 years on this planet.

“Can you pretend to be my date for a day?”

She said it so fast the words almost ran together. Wyatt genuinely thought he’d misheard her. There was no way a random woman just walked into Freeman’s auto repair and asked him to fake date her.

But she was staring at him, waiting for an answer. He was still holding a wrench like that was somehow going to help this situation make sense.

“I’m sorry, what?” Wyatt said.

The woman took a shaky breath and started talking at approximately 100 mph. She explained that her name was Isla Chen and she worked at the supermarket.

Her boss, Mrs. Duncan, had apparently told corporate eight months ago that Isla was engaged to some wonderful guy to make her seem stable during layoffs. EA had played along, thinking it would blow over.

Except now, corporate was coming tomorrow for employee family day. They wanted to meet everyone’s families, including Isla’s completely fictional fiance.

“Just find a nice young man to bring, it’ll be fine,” Mrs. Duncan had said.

“If I show up alone, I’m done. I’ll be exposed as a liar. My boss will be humiliated in front of corporate, and I’ll definitely get fired.”

“I can’t lose this job because my parents are counting on me to help with my dad’s medication bills.”

Isla was talking so fast she was barely breathing. Wyatt’s brain was trying to catch up while processing that this woman was asking him, a complete stranger, to commit fraud.

“Why me, though? You don’t even know me,” Wyatt said.

It seemed like a reasonable question. Isla laughed, but it wasn’t a happy sound.

“Because you’re literally the only single guy in this entire town who isn’t either related to me or dating someone already, or a total creep.”

“I’ve seen you at the store with your daughter. You’re always nice and you don’t gossip. Honestly, you just seem like a decent person who might possibly help someone who’s completely desperate.”

Wyatt was about to say something, but he wasn’t even sure what. The door to his back office flew open. His 7-year-old daughter, Nora, came running out with her blonde ponytail bouncing and her Superman backpack still strapped to her back.

“Dad, I finished all my math homework and I didn’t even need help this time!” she announced proudly.

Then she spotted Isla and her entire face lit up.

“Oh, hi! Are you my dad’s girlfriend? Finally! I’ve been asking him to get one like forever.”

Wyatt felt his face go completely red.

“No, sweetie. She’s just a customer who needs help with something.”

But Nora was already walking over to Isla with her hands on her hips, looking very serious for a second grader.

“My dad is really, really good at helping people. He fixes everyone’s cars even when they can’t pay sometimes. He says helping people is the most important thing you can do.”

“So he’ll totally help you with whatever you need.”

Nora said it with such complete confidence that Wyatt wanted to both hug her and explain that this situation was complicated. Isla looked at Nora and then at Wyatt. Her eyes were filling up with tears.

“I can pay you. I have $200 saved up. It’s yours.”

“I just need you to show up tomorrow afternoon for like four hours and pretend we’re engaged and eat some potato salad. Then we never have to see each other again. Please, I’m literally begging you right now.”

Wyatt’s brain was screaming that this was the most ridiculous request anyone had ever made. He should absolutely say no because this was fraud and lying and all kinds of wrong.

Then he looked at this woman who was clearly terrified of losing her job. He thought about how his late wife, Claire, used to tell him he was too soft for his own good.

He could never say no when someone really needed help. Nora was standing there with those big blue eyes that were exactly like her mom’s, waiting to see if he was going to practice what he preached.

“Keep your $200,” Wyatt heard himself say.

Isla’s head snapped up with hope all over her face.

“I’ll do it. But if we’re going to pull this off, we need to get our story straight.”

“If your boss is as nosy as you’re making her sound, she’s going to ask questions. We better have answers that match.”

Isla’s entire body sagged with relief. She actually started crying right there in his auto shop.

“Oh my god, thank you. Thank you so much. I promise I’ll make this as easy as possible.”

Wyatt was already mentally going through his schedule. He was trying to figure out how he was going to explain to his mom that he was fake dating someone for a corporate event.

They agreed to meet that night at Wyatt’s place to rehearse their fake relationship story. Nora insisted she was coming to the event tomorrow.

“If you guys are pretend engaged, then I need to be there to make it look real! Plus, I can tell everyone how much you love each other.”

Isla actually laughed for the first time since walking in. She said that was fine; the fiance definitely meets the kids, so it would help sell the story.

As Isla was leaving, she turned back in the doorway.

“Why are you really doing this? You don’t know me at all.”

Wyatt leaned against his workbench and gave her an honest answer.

“Because I know what it’s like to need a job and be scared of losing it. And because you were brave enough to ask for help when you were drowning.”

“Most people are too proud to do that and they go under. At least you’re fighting.”

Isla looked at him like he just said something profound instead of just basic human decency. After she left, Nora came and stood next to him.

“Dad, she’s really pretty and she seems nice. Can she be your actual girlfriend after tomorrow?”

Wyatt ruffled her hair.

“It doesn’t work like that, honey.”

But Nora just grinned.

“It should.”