Page 22 of Faking it with my Bad Boy Crush

"And if someone asks why we never mentioned the Seattle coffee shop before this week?"

"Then we say it felt too new to talk about yet. Which, conveniently, is also true—just not for the reasons anyone will assume."

Maya was quiet, her light brown eyes searching my face like she was looking for deception. "What do you get out of this? Really?"

I'd expected this question, but that didn't make it easier to answer honestly. "Community acceptance. Right now, the island sees me as a corporate vulture. If I'm dating you—if I'm with someone they trust, someone who represents everything good about Lopez Island—that changes the perception. They'll listen to what I have to say about protecting local businesses instead of assuming I'm here to destroy them."

"And you are here to protect local businesses?" The skepticism in her voice was clear.

"I'm here to fix the mess my firm created," I said quietly. "That includes your permits, your property dispute, and making sureyou have the legal protection to survive whatever comes next. But I can't do that if no one will talk to me."

She looked out at the water, her profile sharp against the morning light. I found myself noticing details I shouldn't—the way her braid fell over her shoulder, the slight furrow between her brows when she was thinking, the capable strength in her hands.

"One week," Maya said finally. "That's what we agreed last night. Seven days of this... arrangement. Then we're done and you leave Lopez Island."

"One week," I confirmed. "Maybe two if the legal issues take longer to resolve."

"One week," she repeated firmly. "I don't need two weeks of this circus."

I pulled up a calendar on my phone. "Today's Saturday. If we start today, that takes us through next Saturday. The community meeting was Thursday, so we have six days to establish the relationship before people start asking why you're with me."

"People are already asking." Maya's voice was dry. "Tessa already asked me at the booth between customers why you showed up at the farmers market."

So, she had noticed I’d gotten here early.

"What did you tell her?"

“Just enough.” She turned back to me, her expression guarded. "But she's going to figure it out fast. She's known me since high school. She can read me better than anyone."

"Then we tell her the truth." The words came out before I'd fully thought them through, but they felt right. "If she's that important to you, she deserves to know this isn't real. We need at least one person in on it who can help make it believable."

Maya blinked, clearly surprised. "You want to tell Tessa we're faking?"

"I want you to have backup. Someone who knows what you're actually doing and can cover for you if things get complicated." I met her eyes. "I'm asking you to lie to your entire community. The least I can do is let you tell one person the truth."

Something shifted in her expression—not quite trust, but maybe the beginning of respect. "Okay. I'll tell Tessa."

"Good." I looked back at my notes. "Public appearances. We need to be seen together. The farmers market is a start, but we need more. Dinner at the island restaurant. Walking through town. Maybe I come by the bakery for coffee in the mornings."

"You want to come to the bakery every morning?" Maya's voice held a note of alarm.

"I want people to see us together in casual, natural settings. You open at 6 AM, right? I could stop by around 6:30, grab coffee, chat with you while you work. It establishes a pattern. Makes it look like I'm making an effort."

"Because nothing says romance like watching someone knead dough at dawn," Maya muttered, but I caught the hint of amusement in her voice.

"Actually, I think it does." The words came out more honest than I intended. "Showing up when you work hardest. Being there for the unglamorous parts. That's what people do when they care."

Maya looked at me sharply, like she was trying to figure out if I was being genuine or just a good actor. I wasn't entirely sure myself.

"Fine," she said. "You can come by the bakery. But you're buying coffee, not just pretending to."

"Deal." I made a note on my phone. "What else? Are there island events this week? Things where we should be seen together?"

"There's a volunteer beach cleanup on Tuesday evening. The island council sponsors it monthly." Maya's voice was cautious. "That would be very visible. Everyone goes."

"Perfect. We'll go together."

"You're going to volunteer for beach cleanup?" The disbelief was clear.