After Maya left, Amaira let out a long, relieved breath. She thought she’d finally survived the whirlwind Theodore had dragged her into. However, her reprieve was short-lived as she watched him pull out his phone again, glancing at the screen and sighing.
His eyes flickered toward her, and without missing a beat, he said, “Looks like we’re not done yet.”
Amaira's eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, not done yet? I just stopped your blind date from happening—wasn’t that the whole point?”
Theodore’s lips curved into a half-smile as he answered the incoming call. “Yes, Mother,” he said smoothly, and Amaira’s stomach dropped.
Her mind raced. Mother? Oh no, this can’t be good.
Theodore continued speaking into the phone, his tone even, but Amaira could sense something brewing behind those calm eyes. She couldn’t hear what the person on the other end was saying, but her gut told her it was bad news for her. Theodore’s demeanor remained cool and collected, though his gaze flicked to her every few seconds, as if gauging her reaction.
“Yes, Mother,” he repeated. “Wow, the news reached you that fast?”
Amaira was sweating. What news? What’s happening now? Her imagination spiraled into a frenzy of wild possibilities. Did Maya somehow contact Theodore’s mother? Was this going to escalate even further?
Theodore leaned back in his chair, a subtle smirk forming on his face as he listened to whatever his mother was saying. He nodded a few times, making occasional hums of acknowledgment. Amaira sat on edge, unable to decipher the conversation but knowing it had something to do with her.
“Yes, I’ll bring her to you soon,” Theodore finally said, and Amaira’s heart practically leapt into her throat.
He hung up the phone and turned to face her, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Well, looks like we have our next task.”
Amaira blinked rapidly, her mind scrambling to keep up. “Wait... we? What do you mean we have a task? I thought I was done with these ridiculous ‘tasks’ after pretending to be your girlfriend for five minutes!”
Theodore chuckled softly. “Not quite. That was just the warm-up.” He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table, and gave her a look that made her stomach flip. “Now it’s time for the real challenge.”
Amaira groaned inwardly. “I don’t like the sound of that.” She leaned back in her seat, rubbing her temples. “What now? Am I supposed to pretend to be your girlfriend at a company event or something?”
Theodore shook his head, clearly enjoying her discomfort. “No, nothing that formal. But my mother wants to meet you.”
Amaira’s heart stopped. Meet... his mother? She stared at him in disbelief. “Are you serious? Already? I don’t even—”
“Yes, you are meeting her,” Theodore interrupted, his voice firm but still teasing. “But not right this second. Don’t panic. You’ll meet her soon enough.”
Amaira felt a wave of panic rising. She had barely managed to get through pretending to be Theodore’s fake girlfriend for a blind date. Now she was expected to fool his mother? How am I supposed to survive that?
“You’re kidding, right?” Amaira said, her voice almost desperate. “I can’t meet your mother like this. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to say! She’ll see through me in a second.”
Theodore raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed by her distress. “My mother isn’t a detective, Amaira. She’s not going to interrogate you... much.”
“Much?” Amaira echoed, her anxiety skyrocketing. “You’re really not helping.”
Theodore chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. “Look, it’s simple. Just be yourself. Well, be my girlfriend, but you know what I mean. You’re already in this far—you might as well go all the way.”
Amaira groaned, burying her face in her hands. “This is a nightmare. I’m going to mess this up, and you’re going to regret ever asking me to do this.”
“I don’t think you’ll mess it up,” Theodore said calmly. “In fact, I think you’ll do just fine.”
Amaira peeked through her fingers, giving him a skeptical look. “Why are you so confident?”
Theodore grinned. “Because you haven’t run away yet.”
She dropped her hands, staring at him. “Give me a minute. I might just run out the door right now.”
Theodore’s grin widened. “You won’t.”
She hated how sure of himself he sounded, but deep down, she knew he was right. As much as she wanted to bolt, something kept her rooted in place. Maybe it was the fact that she was already knee-deep in this ridiculous situation. Maybe it was the strange thrill of it all. Or maybe—just maybe—it was because, despite everything, she didn’t actually mind spending time with Theodore.
“Well, since I don’t seem to have a choice,” Amaira muttered, glaring at him, “what exactly do you need me to do?”
Theodore’s expression softened slightly. “Like I said, it’s simple. You’ll meet my mother soon, but I’ll handle most of the talking. You just need to be charming, smile a little, and pretend like we’ve been dating for a while.”
Amaira nodded slowly, though her mind was racing. This can’t be real. It felt like she was in the middle of some weird rom-com, except there were no cameras and no audience to laugh at her misfortune.
“Okay,” she finally said, exhaling a long breath. “I’ll do it. But you owe me—big time.”
Theodore leaned back in his chair, smiling smugly. “I’m sure we can work something out.”
Amaira rolled her eyes. “Don’t get any ideas.”
Theodore drove her back home, the air between them still thick with the absurdity of the situation. Amaira stared out the window, watching the city pass by in a blur, her mind racing with thoughts of what was to come. Meeting his mother wasn’t going to be easy, and she had no idea how she was going to pull it off.
Her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen and felt her stomach twist. It was a text from her uncle.
“Need the money now. No more excuses.”
Amaira clenched her phone tightly, feeling the weight of her situation crash down on her all over again. Theodore might be crazy with his fake-girlfriend scheme, but he was also her only lifeline. She needed the money his offer promised—more than she cared to admit.
“Everything okay?” Theodore asked, his voice breaking the silence.
Amaira nodded, though her insides churned. “Yeah, just... family stuff.”
Theodore didn’t press further, but his gaze lingered on her for a moment before turning back to the road.
Amaira sighed softly, leaning her head against the window. One task down, and now I have to meet his mother. What could possibly go wrong?
But as the car pulled up outside her apartment, she couldn’t help but feel like she was tumbling deeper into something far more complicated than she’d ever imagined.
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