The sound of my phone aggressively ringing woke me up and sent me running to pick it up quickly.

"Dude, you're dating Annabeth Chase?!" Grover's voice yelled into the phone.

So it worked...

"Ahh, it's too early for questioning. Just...stop by my apartment today, okay?" I said as I hung up the phone as rolled back into bed.

After no success falling back asleep, I cursed Grover, stood up and headed to the living room of my spacious apartment. 

My breakfast was a simple bowl of cereal and I ate it on my couch as I turned on the television, which was playing the news.

There I saw a picture of me and Annabeth at the baseball game, both of us laughing. The news anchor went on and on about us dating.

"The rumors are yet to be confirmed, but I would say that something is definitely there," she said. "The Daily Mail reports that after this picture was taken they headed back into their room and closed the curtains."

I laughed as I remembered the events of last night. In the private room we'd turned on the game and watched it on separate couches. So romantic, I know.

Then she'd bid me goodbye and left. No kiss, no hug, just a nod. And then I'd headed back to my apartment alone.

As I scrolled through my phone the top story everywhere seemed to be my 'date' with Annabeth. I couldn't even find an update about the attempted attack on that reporter.

Her plan was working perfectly.

Grover came over shortly and took no time laying into me and questioning me.

"I thought you hated that woman!" Grover declared as he paced in front of my television, blocking my view.

I shook my head as I leaned back in my couch and tried my best to still see the screen. "I never said I hated her, Grover."

Grover stopped suddenly and threw his hands up in the air. "You basically said she was all you didn't want to become! That doesn't just change overnight!"

"Grover, we're not dating," I assured him. "Now would you please stop blocking the screen?"

He turned red as he sat down besides me, looking defeated. "See? Even that new anchor lady is curious why you're dating her!"

I laughed as I turned off the television. "I don't care about her opinion, and we're just friends, Grover."

"This doesn't seem like you," he said sharply as he sat up. "Percy, you know better than anyone what fame can make you do, and if you start dating the most famous girl in America, you think you won't become vicious?"

"We're not dating!" I practically screamed at Grover. His eyes widened. "I'm sorry, but we're not! Chiron—he set me up with her. He and her little manger made this some business deal! I'm helping her get press, and it'll get me some, too!"

Grover turned as red as his hair as he stood up and frowned angrily. "Chiron, seriously?! He actually agreed to do this?! I thought—I thought he was sane! I'll call him, right now. Get you out of this—!"

He tried to storm off but I stood up and grabbed him by the wrist. He squirmed before finally listening to what I had to say. "Grover, no. She's actually pretty cool. It's not like it's real, anyways. I'll just get a couple of free dates every once in a while in exchange for some new fans. It's fine, honestly."

Grover shook his head, but reluctantly sat back down, all his rage leaving him as quickly as it had started. "I just don't like this side of you. The business-y side that only cares about good press and success."

"Grover, that's not really me, I just need to sell some albums," I said as I sat down besides him. "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

"I wish I could believe you."