Very First Date

I smiled at Joaquin’s curiosity, enjoying the shift in our dynamic. It was nice to have a bit of leverage, even if it was just a teasing secret. "A promise I made with someone, I guess," I said, my tone light yet evasive.

Joaquin raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? And what exactly was this promise?"

I chuckled, mimicking his earlier nonchalance. "Just like you said, I'll only answer questions that are beneficial to our situation. Whether I made a promise to someone or not is none of your concern."

He laughed, appreciating my cheeky response. "Fair enough. We'll leave it at that for now. But don’t think I won’t try to find out."

"We’ll see," I replied, still grinning.

With the way he said “we’ll see”, it made me think that he does have ways to find out who the person is. With his status, he can find out just about anything.

Now that explains why he knows who I am… and even said my name when I approached him without me even introducing myself.

The question is: up to what extent does he know about me?

He stood up and gestured towards the door. "Now, go change into the clothes I’ve prepared for you. We have a lot to discuss, and I'd rather do it in the garden."

I blinked, looking down at my outfit. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing? It’s just us."

Joaquin shook his head, his expression serious. "We’re supposed to be engaged now. You can’t go around looking like you crashed a party and slept in your clothes. If you’re going to be seen with me, you need to look the part. Trust me, appearances matter, especially to my father.”

I rolled my eyes but didn’t argue. He was right about one thing: if we were going to convince his father—and everyone else—of this engagement, I had to play my part. “Fine, but I better look stunning,” I said, standing up.

Joaquin smiled, a glint of amusement in his eyes. “You will. The clothes are in the wardrobe. Take your time.”

I walked over to the wardrobe and opened it, my eyes widening at the array of designer outfits inside. “Did you raid a fashion show or something?”

“Just picked a few things I thought you’d like,” he replied with a shrug, still grinning.

I shook my head, pulling out a simple yet elegant dress that looked like it cost more than my rent. “You’re something else, Joaquin.”

He laughed. “I’ve been told.”

I took the dress and went to the bathroom to change. As I slipped into the outfit, I couldn’t help but admire how perfectly it fit. I smoothed down the fabric and looked at myself in the mirror. I had to admit, I looked the part of a wealthy author’s fiancée.

When I walked back into the room, Joaquin’s eyes lit up with approval. “Now you look like you belong,” he said, his tone warm. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” I replied, trying to hide my nervousness. This was a lot to take in, but I was determined to see it through.

We made our way to the garden, a beautifully landscaped area that looked like something out of a magazine. Joaquin led me to a secluded spot where a small table was set up with tea and pastries.

“Wow,” I said, looking around. “This is… beautiful.”

“It’s one of my favorite places,” he admitted, pouring us both a cup of tea. “Now, let’s talk strategy.”

I took a seat and sipped my tea, trying to focus. “Alright. What’s the plan?”

Joaquin leaned forward, his expression serious. “We need to make our engagement as convincing as possible. That means we need to know everything about each other. Likes, dislikes, habits, everything. We’ll need to spend time together, attend events, and act like a real couple.”

I nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. “Okay. Let’s start with the basics. Favorite color?”

“Blue,” he replied without hesitation. “Yours?”

“Green,” I said, smiling. “Favorite food?”

“Pasta. Yours?”

“Sushi,” I answered.

We continued this way, exchanging bits of personal information and getting to know each other better. It felt strange, yet oddly comforting, to share these details with someone I barely knew.

After a while, Joaquin leaned back, a thoughtful look on his face. “This is a good start. But we’ll need to do more than just share facts. We need to spend time together, make memories, and build a believable relationship.”

I nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. “I understand. So, what’s next?”

He smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “How about a trip to the city? We can go shopping, have lunch, and just enjoy the day. It’ll give us a chance to get to know each other better and be seen together in public.”

I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. Let’s do it.”

As we made our plans, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation. This was just the beginning of our charade, and I had no idea what lay ahead. But one thing was certain: my life was about to get a lot more complicated—and a lot more interesting.

“Oh, right… I almost forgot,” he trailed off as I looked at him straight in the eye. “Last night, I contacted a lawyer to draft a contract on our current situation. You need to sign an NDA, too. But that’s going to be done after our trip.”

I arched a brow at him. “You’re really that secretive, huh…”

“Of course,” he scoffed. “If my father knew that what we’re doing is a ruse, then he’d automatically pester me nonstop.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What makes you so sure that your father, who is also a powerful man, wouldn’t know about what we’re doing?”

Joaquin leaned on the rest of his seat. “He won’t. My personal secretary does the trick. He’s so loyal to me, so he blocks of those prying eyes. My dad’s going insane that he doesn’t know anything about what I’m doing.”

“Huh…” I slowly nodded at what he said, amazed. “Hooray for his loyalty, then. Do wish it stays that way.”

“Of course it will.” He then stood up, extending his hand towards me. “Let’s have our very first date.”