Mister, can you pretend to be my mommy’s date the little girl asked, what the single dad did

The Secret Scheme of Two Little Agents

The next hour was possibly the weirdest experience of Grant’s entire life. That included the time he accidentally ordered 500 copies of the same book instead of 50.

They all walked next door to the cafe where “boring Mike” was waiting. Grant was introduced as Simone’s boyfriend, which made Mike’s face do something complicated.

The in-laws, Frank and Patricia, asked a million questions about how they met and what Grant did for work. Kennedy and Holly sat at the end of the table, acting like best friends.

“Mom and Grant are so happy together. Mom smiles way more now,” Kennedy loudly announced.

“Yeah, my dad talks about Simone all the time,” Holly backed her up.

It was a complete lie but sold it perfectly. Grant made up a story about meeting at the library where Simone worked. This was actually true, as he visited the Salem Public Library regularly for business books.

Simone jumped in, saying she’d noticed him because of his interesting book choices. They built a fake history that was somehow 60% based on real interactions they had experienced as strangers.

Grant mentioned owning Morrison’s Books but left out the part where he might have to close in two months. His landlord was jacking up the rent by 40%, and he couldn’t afford it.

Boring Mike excused himself after twenty minutes. Frank and Patricia seemed to relax once they realized Simone was dating someone who wasn’t a total disaster.

Halfway through lunch, Grant noticed Simone’s simple gold wedding ring. She kept twisting it nervously. He realized he was still wearing the ring Laura had put on his finger nine years ago.

He hadn’t been able to take it off, even though she’d been gone for three years. Their eyes met across the table, sharing a recognition of doing this alone.

“It’s so good to see you moving forward, Simone. Jason would want you to be happy,” Patricia said.

Simone’s eyes got shiny, but she smiled.

“Thank you. That means a lot.”

Lunch ended, and Frank insisted on paying the check. They walked back toward the bookstore while Kennedy and Holly chattered about books. Frank pulled Grant aside.

“Look, I don’t know you. But my daughter-in-law has been through hell raising Kennedy alone. If you’re serious about this, you better treat them right.”

Grant felt like garbage lying to him but understood the protectiveness.

“I hear you, sir. Simone and Kennedy are incredible.”

After the in-laws drove away, Simone collapsed against the wall.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe we just did that! I’m so sorry for dragging you into my complete mess of a life.”

“For what it’s worth, that was the most excitement I’ve had in about three years. Thanks for the adventure, I guess,” Grant replied.

Simone laughed hysterically. She explained they had been pressuring her to date since Jason died two years ago. They even threatened to petition for more custody.

“That’s rough. I’m sorry you’re dealing with that.”

Kennedy and Holly came running out, asking for playdates. Simone and Grant laughed, realizing their kids were now best friends.

“I should let you get back to your Saturday. Thank you again for helping us, seriously. You’re a lifesaver.”

“If you ever need a fake boyfriend again for in-law management purposes, I’m your guy. I’ve apparently got the hang of it now,” Grant offered.

“Hopefully that was a one-time emergency, but I’ll keep your offer in mind.”

As they walked away, Holly tugged on Grant’s sleeve.

“Dad, that lady seemed really nice, and Kennedy is awesome. Do you think we’ll see them again?”

Grant watched the car pull away, thinking about their matching wedding rings.

“Yeah, kiddo. Something tells me this isn’t the last time we’ll run into them.”

Over the next three weeks, Grant saw them nine times. Every meeting was supposedly a coincidence, but he suspected a matchmaking scheme.

Kennedy always “needed” a book the library didn’t have. Holly suddenly “needed” to return library books in person. The girls exchanged secret looks like agents on a mission.

Grant didn’t mind; talking to Simone was the best part of his week. They fell into an easy friendship, sharing jokes and helping at each other’s workplaces.

They talked about everything except the obvious. Grant hid his looming eviction, and Simone hid the constant texts from her in-laws asking for another dinner.

During the fourth week, Simone’s phone rang. It was Patricia.

“Answer it. I’m right here if you need backup,” Grant encouraged.

Simone hung up with a look of terror.

“They want us to come to family dinner at their house on Saturday. They want to meet you properly. Frank said something about making sure you’re the real deal. I think they’re testing us.”

“Mom, if you tell them you lied, they’re going to be so mad! They might not let me visit anymore! Please don’t tell them yet!” Kennedy pleaded.

“I’ll go. We can handle one family dinner. Give you time to figure out how to navigate this without them panicking.”

“This is going exactly according to plan,” Holly whispered to Kennedy.