“Ms., can you pretend to be our daddy’s date?” triplets asked stranger—what happened next magic
The Rules of the Ruse
Jessica stared at Ryan across the park bench while three little girls waited for an answer.
“this is insane,”
She said finally.
“completely insane,”
Ryan agreed.
“i don’t even know you.”
“I don’t know you either your daughters just asked me to pretend to be your girlfriend at my sister’s wedding.”
“Technically they asked you to pretend to be my date girlfriend implies something longer term”
Despite everything, Jessica laughed.
“this is ridiculous”
“totally ridiculous”
“but it would work”
Sophia interrupted.
“you need someone named Ryan daddy asked named Ryan”
“you don’t want to lie to your family this way you wouldn’t be lying because you’d actually bring someone”
“that’s still lying”
Mia pointed out carefully.
“but it’s a helpful lie”
Ella defended.
“like when we tell Daddy his burnt pancakes taste good”
“you tell me my pancakes taste good?”
Ryan asked.
“they’re terrible Daddy”
All three girls said in unison. Jessica found herself smiling despite the absurdity.
“how old are you three?”
“six”
Sophia announced.
“we’re triplets i’m the oldest by 2 minutes”
“i’m the middle”
Mia added.
“but I’m the tallest”
“i’m the youngest”
Ella finished.
“but I’m the funniest”
“they’re very confident”
Ryan said apologetically.
“i can see that”
An awkward silence fell. Jessica should walk away and thank these sweet girls for trying to help. She should politely decline their father’s completely insane non-offer.
Instead, she heard herself speak.
“What if we actually did this?”
Ryan’s head snapped up.
“what?”
“i mean hear me out i just told my mother I have a boyfriend named Ryan you’re named Ryan”
“the wedding is in 3 weeks what if he came with me as my pretend date?”
“you’re serious?”
“i’m desperate there’s a difference”
Ryan looked at his daughters, who were practically vibrating with excitement.
“this is crazy”
He said.
“completely crazy”
Jessica agreed.
“but I’ll pay you for your time whatever rate you think is fair for pretending to like me for one evening”
“i don’t want your money”
“then what do you want?”
Ryan was quiet for a moment.
“nothing if I did this and I’m not saying I’m doing this but if I did it would be because my daughters seem to think you need help”
“and they’ve apparently decided I’m the person to provide it”
“so you’re saying yes?”
“i’m saying I’ll think about it”
“Daddy!”
All three girls groaned.
“girls go play on the swings for a minute let me talk to Jessica alone”
The triplets exchanged looks but obeyed, running toward the playground. Once they were out of earshot, Ryan turned to Jessica.
“why did you lie to your mother?”
Jessica was quiet.
“because I’m tired of being the tragic figure at every family event”
“the workaholic older sister who chose her career over love the cautionary tale my aunt uses to warn her daughters about being too ambitious”
“so this is about pride?”
“maybe is that so terrible?”
“no”
Ryan said.
“but it is complicated if I agreed to this which I haven’t we’d need rules boundaries this would be a transaction not a relationship”
“agreed and if it got weird or uncomfortable either of us could back out no hard feelings”
“absolutely”
“and the girls can’t know it’s fake”
They are six. They will not understand the difference between pretending for a wedding and actually dating.
“if we do this they’ll think we’re really together”
Jessica had not considered that.
“would that be a problem?”
“it could be if they get attached and then we break up after the wedding”
“we could tell them we realized we’re better as friends”
Ryan ran a hand through his hair.
“this is insane”
“you’ve said that three times”
“because it keeps being true”
Jessica stood up.
“you’re right this was crazy i’m sorry for even suggesting it i’ll figure something else out”
“wait”
Ryan stood too.
“if we did this if I said yes what exactly would it involve?”
“the wedding is in 3 weeks we need to spend some time together before then so we at least know basic information about each other”
“have coffee a few times maybe one dinner so the girls see us together and believe it”
“and at the wedding you be my date meet my family dance with me pretend to be my boyfriend for about 6 hours”
“then we go back to being strangers”
“strangers who share a very weird secret”
“exactly”
Ryan looked toward the playground where his daughters were taking turns on the swings. Their blonde heads were bright in the fading light.
“they’re going to be impossible about this”
He said.
“is that a yes?”
“that’s a give me your number and I’ll text you tomorrow with an answer”
Jessica pulled out her phone. They exchanged numbers and stood there awkwardly for a moment.
“this is the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to me”
Jessica said.
“Same but if you say yes I promise to make it as painless as possible.”
“I doubt that.”
Jessica smiled.
“your daughters are staring at us.”
Ryan glanced at the playground. All three girls were indeed watching intently, not even pretending to play anymore.
“they’re going to have so many questions on the way home”
“good luck with that”
“if I survive the interrogation I’ll text you”
Jessica walked to her car feeling like she had stepped into some alternate reality. Three hours ago her biggest problem was a fictional boyfriend.
Now she had potentially solved that problem by recruiting a complete stranger and his triplet daughters into an elaborate deception. This was either the best idea she had ever had or the worst.
She had a feeling she would find out which very soon. Ryan’s phone buzzed at 9:47 p.m.
“jessica did you survive the interrogation?”
Ryan smiled despite himself. The girls had indeed bombarded him with questions the entire drive home.
Was he going to marry the pretty lady? Would she be their new mommy? Could they be flower girls?
He had explained carefully that Jessica was just a friend who needed help. He said they would go to a wedding together for just one day.
The girls had exchanged knowing looks that terrified him.
“ryan barely they’re convinced we’re getting married”
“jessica that’s sweet”
“ryan it’s concerning i meant what I said about them getting attached”
“jessica I understand if this is too complicated I completely understand backing out”
Ryan looked at the text. He should back out. This was insane.
Pretending to date a stranger to help her avoid family judgment at a wedding was the plot of a bad romantic comedy.
But then he remembered how Jessica had looked sitting on that bench. She looked lost, desperate, and trying so hard to hold it together.
His daughters had seen someone who needed help and somehow, impossibly, they decided their father was the solution.
“ryan I’ll do it on one condition”
“Jessica name it”
“ryan if at any point this gets weird or complicated either of us can end it no questions no guilt”
“jessica a deal thank you Ryan seriously you’re saving me from a singles table”
“ryan happy to help when do you want to start this charade?”
“jessica a coffee this weekend somewhere the girls can play so they see us together”
“ryan there’s a cafe near the park with a play area saturday afternoon”
“Jessica perfect and Ryan”
“ryan yeah?”
“Jessica your daughters are remarkable you’ve done an incredible job with them”
Ryan stared at that text for a long moment. When was the last time someone had acknowledged that?
When had someone noticed how hard he worked and saw past the single dad with triplets to the actual person beneath?
“ryan thank you that means more than you know”
“jessica see you Saturday and thanks again for agreeing to this insanity”
“ryan still think we’re both going to regret it”
“jessica probably but at least we’ll regret it together”
Ryan set his phone down and looked at the photo on his nightstand. Emma, pregnant with the triplets, was laughing at something he had said.
It had been four years since she died. He had spent four years doing everything alone.
Maybe it was time to stop being quite so alone, even if it was fake, temporary, or dangerous.
Saturday afternoon, Jessica arrived at the Riverside Cafe wearing jeans and a casual sweater. She tried to look like someone on a relaxed coffee date rather than someone about to audition for the role of fake girlfriend.
Ryan was already there. The triplets were occupying a table near the window. All three girls spotted her immediately.
“jessica!”
They shrieked in unison, launching themselves at her.
“hi sweethearts,”
Jessica said, surprised by how genuinely happy she was to see them.
“you came,”
Sophia said.
“we thought maybe you changed your mind,”
Mia added.
“are you really going on a date with daddy?”
Ella asked.
“it’s not exactly a date,”
Ryan said quickly.
“jessica and I are just getting to know each other”
“that’s what a date is Daddy”
Sophia said with six-year-old wisdom. Ryan caught Jessica’s eye; she bit back a smile.
“why don’t you girls go play in the kids’ area?”
Ryan suggested.
“Jessica and I are going to talk for a bit.”
The triplets ran off after extracting promises that they could have hot chocolate later. Ryan and Jessica sat down at the table.
“so Ryan where do we start? basic information I guess? stuff we’d know if we’d actually been dating for 3 months right?”
“i’m Ryan Cole i’m 36 i’m a freelance graphic designer i work from home so I can be there for the girls i’ve been a single dad for 4 years”
“i’m Jessica Hart i’m 34 i’m a litigator at Morrison and Associates i made partner 2 years ago i’ve been single for 5 years”
“why 5 years?”
Jessica paused.
“my fiance left me 2 weeks before our wedding said I was too focused on my career i haven’t really dated since”
“i’m sorry”
“don’t be he was probably right i am too focused on my career”
“that’s not a character flaw Jessica”
“tell that to my family”
Ryan studied her.
“is that what this is really about? proving something to them?”
“maybe is that so wrong?”
“no but it is sad”
Jessica looked away.
“your turn why haven’t you dated in however long?”
“i tried twice both times failed spectacularly”
“the first woman wasn’t ready for instant triplet motherhood the second said I was still in love with my dead wife”
“were you?”
“i don’t know maybe emma and I had 15 years together you don’t just turn that off”
“i’m sorry for your loss”
“thank you”
They sat in silence for a moment. This was strange and intimate. Two strangers were trading their deepest wounds over coffee.
“so Jessica what else do we need to know favorite foods movies how we supposedly met?”
“We should probably have a story for that how did we meet?”
“The park,”
Jessica decided, three weeks ago.
“your daughters helped me when I was having a bad day we started talking exchanged numbers started seeing each other”
“that’s actually pretty close to the truth”
“the best lies usually are”
They spent the next hour trading information. Ryan loved old movies and made terrible pancakes.
Jessica was addicted to crime podcasts and could not cook anything that did not come with assembly instructions. They both loved reading and hiking when they had time.
They had strong opinions about pineapple on pizza. Ryan was pro; Jessica was absolutely against.
“we’re going to fight about pizza at the wedding”
Jessica warned.
“looking forward to it”
The girls returned, demanding hot chocolate as promised. They climbed into chairs, eyeing Jessica with obvious curiosity.
“do you like our daddy?”
Sophia asked directly.
“sophia”
Ryan warned.
“it’s okay”
Jessica said.
“yes I like your daddy he’s very nice”
“do you like like him?”
Ella pressed. Jessica glanced at Ryan, who looked like he wanted to disappear.
“i think your daddy is a good person”
Jessica said carefully.
“and I’m very glad I met him”
“that means yes”
Mia whispered to her sisters. The next two weeks passed in a blur of carefully orchestrated encounters.
There were coffee dates where they learned each other’s habits. Ryan always ordered black coffee. Jessica needed cream and two sugars.
He was a morning person; she functioned on deadlines and adrenaline. There was dinner at Ryan’s house where Jessica met his mother, Margaret.
Margaret looked at her with assessing eyes.
“My son doesn’t bring women home you must be special”
“we’re just friends.”
Ryan had said quickly.
“of course you are”
Margaret had replied with a knowing smile that terrified both of them.
They had an afternoon at the park where Jessica pushed the triplets on swings and learned their individual personalities.
Sophia was the leader, always planning. Mia was the empath, worried about everyone’s feelings. Ella was the wild card, always ready for adventure.
“you’re good with them”
Ryan observed as Jessica helped Ella across the monkey bars.
“they’re easy to love”
Jessica replied. Something shifted in Ryan’s expression, something Jessica could not quite read.
They practiced their story, added details, and refined the narrative. By the end of week two, they could finish each other’s sentences about their fictional relationship.
“this is starting to feel real,”
Jessica admitted one evening as Ryan walked her to her car.
“it’s not real,”
Ryan said.
“it’s just practiced right?”
“of course”
But when Ryan hugged her goodbye, their first physical contact beyond handshakes, Jessica felt her heart skip.
This was dangerous. She was starting to forget this was fake.
The night before the wedding, Jessica’s phone rang with an unknown number.
“hello Jessica Hart?”
A woman’s voice was familiar.
“yes”
“this is Amanda Mark’s wife”
Jessica felt her stomach drop. Mark was her ex-fiancé, the one who had left her five years ago.
“amanda hi i didn’t know Mark got married”
“2 years ago we have a baby now jack he’s 6 months old”
“that’s That’s wonderful congratulations”
“thank you listen I’m calling because Mark heard you’re bringing someone to your sister’s wedding tomorrow someone serious”
Jessica’s mind raced. How did Mark even know about the wedding or Ryan? Who told him that?
“your cousin posted something on social media mark saw it he wanted me to call because”
Amanda paused.
“because he wants you to know he’s happy for you that he always knew you’d find someone eventually”
Jessica felt rage flash through her. He wanted her to know he was happy for her, as if his approval mattered.
“tell Mark thank you for his concern”
Jessica said, her voice cold.
“but I don’t need his blessing for my relationship”
“i know i’m sorry this was awkward i shouldn’t have called”
“no you shouldn’t have”
Jessica hung up and sat in her car shaking with anger. Mark had heard she was bringing someone to the wedding.
Mark had left her because she was too career-focused. Mark had married someone else, had a baby, and moved on completely while Jessica had stayed stuck for five years.
Now, tomorrow she would walk into that wedding with Ryan, her fake boyfriend whom she was paying in awkward coffee dates. She would prove to Mark and her entire family that she had moved on, too.
Except she had not really moved on. She had just gotten better at pretending. Her phone buzzed. It was Ryan.
“the girls are asking if you’re nervous about tomorrow i told them you’re probably fine but I’m terrified”
Jessica smiled despite herself.
“jessica why are you terrified?”
“ryan meeting your entire family while pretending to be your boyfriend that’s not nerve-wracking at all”
“jessica you’ll be great just remember our story and smile a lot”
“ryan what if I mess up forget important details?”
“jessica then we improvise it’ll be fine”
“ryan you seem very calm”
“jessica I’m a litigator i face down hostile judges and opposing council i can handle my family”
“ryan that’s either very brave or very naive”
“jessica guess we’ll find out tomorrow”
“ryan jessica”
“jessica yeah?”
“ryan are you okay? you seem off”
Jessica stared at that text. How did he know? They had only known each other two weeks.
“jessica my ex- fiance wife called he heard I’m bringing someone to the wedding wanted to congratulate me”
“ryan that’s incredibly inappropriate”
“jessica that’s Mark always needing to have the last word”
“ryan do you want to talk about it?”
“jessica not really but thank you for asking”
“ryan for what it’s worth he’s an idiot anyone who left you because you’re ambitious and driven is someone who doesn’t deserve you”
Jessica felt tears prick her eyes.
“jessica that’s the nicest thing anyone said to me in a long time”
“ryan get some sleep tomorrow’s a big day”
“jessica ryan”
“ryan yeah?”
“Jessica thank you for doing this i know it’s weird and complicated but thank you”
“Ryan see you at 2 p.m don’t be late the girls are already planning your outfit”
Jessica laughed and set her phone down. She looked at herself in the rearview mirror.
Tomorrow she would walk into her sister’s wedding with a fake boyfriend and prove to everyone—to Mark, to her family, and to herself—that she had moved on. She just hoped she could remember it was all pretend.
