She Agreed to Be His Fake Girlfriend for One Weekend, Not Knowing He Was a Billionaire Falling Fast
The Coffee Shop Agreement
One look at the stranger across the coffee shop was all it took for Kira Sanders to realize she’d made a terrible mistake. His eyes full of hope and desperation locked with hers as he waved frantically.
She knew immediately she’d agreed to something ridiculous on that community message board without thinking it through. “Thank God you showed up,” he said breathlessly as he approached her table.
Tall with dark hair and striking green eyes, he wasn’t at all what she’d expected from someone desperate enough to hire a fake girlfriend. “I’m Zach, Zach Zimmerman, and you must be Kira.”
“That’s me,” she replied cautiously, regretting her impulsive decision to respond to his odd request. Last night, scrolling through neighborhood posts about lost cats and furniture for sale, his plea had stood out.
“Need date for family weekend to get relatives off my back. We’ll pay $500, no strings attached.” $500 would help with her overdue rent and it had seemed simple enough at the time.
Now facing this attractive but clearly anxious man, she wondered what she’d gotten herself into. “Look, I know this is weird,” Zach said, sliding into the chair across from her.
He wore a simple gray Henley that somehow looked expensive, though she couldn’t say why. “But my family reunion is this weekend and I can’t face another interrogation about my love life. They’re relentless.”
Kira sipped her latte, studying him. “So you want me to pretend to be madly in love with you for a weekend with strangers? That’s a lot to ask of someone.”
“Not madly in love,” he corrected, looking slightly embarrassed. “Just dating, seriously dating enough to get my grandmother to stop trying to set me up with every eligible woman in New England.”
There was something endearing about his discomfort that made Kira smile despite herself. “And you couldn’t ask a friend to do this?”
“Because they all know my family. It wouldn’t be believable.” He ran a hand through his dark hair, messing it up in a way that was annoyingly attractive.
“I know it’s unorthodox, but I’m desperate.” “The reunion starts tomorrow evening, and my cousin just got engaged, which means all attention will shift to my perpetually single status.”
Kira should have said no; any reasonable person would have. But rent was due in 5 days, her freelance graphic design work had been slow, and honestly, there was something about Zach that made her want to help him.
“$500 for the weekend?” she confirmed. “Plus expenses, I assume? And we need to establish some boundaries.”
Relief washed over his face. “Absolutely. Whatever you need.”
What followed was a crash course in Zach Zimmerman’s life. He worked in investments, lived in the city, and had a large, close-knit family that worried too much about his happiness.
His parents had been happily married for 35 years. He had two married sisters and his grandmother was the family matriarch who believed no one could be truly content without a partner.
“Tell me about yourself,” he said finally. “I should know the basics if we’ve been dating for 3 months.”
Kira provided her own abbreviated biography. 28, freelance graphic designer struggling to establish herself, single for 2 years after a relationship that ended badly.
One younger brother in college, parents divorced when she was 12. “Keep as close to the truth as possible,” Zach advised as they finished their coffee.
“It’s easier to remember and honestly, the real you is perfectly fine for this.” She wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not.
They agreed to meet the following afternoon. Zach would pick her up and they’d drive to his family’s property in the Berkshires, where the reunion was being held.
They’d return Sunday evening and Kira would be $500 richer. Simple enough.
When Kira gave Zach her address, she felt a twinge of embarrassment. Her apartment building wasn’t exactly upscale with its peeling paint and temperamental elevator.
She’d been saving for months to move somewhere better but client payments were inconsistent. She expected him to arrive in a sensible sedan or maybe a modest SUV.
