The Java Jive was calm for a late afternoon, sunlight streaming through the windows as Sophie and I sipped our lattes in our usual corner. I watched as Jason wandered by with a tray of dirty dishes, looking exasperated but not surprised when he spotted us.

"Alright, spill," Sophie demanded, leaning forward, her eyes narrowed like she was ready for interrogation. "Who's this mystery woman?"

Jason paused, setting the tray down with a sigh, rolling his eyes. "You two seriously need a hobby."

"Oh, please," I shot back, feigning innocence. "We're just looking out for you. It's totally normal to be curious."

"Right," he muttered, looking mildly entertained. "Because you're both so subtle."

Sophie scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. "We're absolutely subtle! We're like... professional ninjas at this point."

"Yeah, the very same subtlety you showed when you and Emma followed me on my first date in college, dressed as an elderly couple. I'll never forget those godawful wigs." He raised an eyebrow and smirked, clearly enjoying the memories he'd resurrected.

Sophie and I exchanged a guilty glance, and I leaned forward, propping my chin in my hand. "Hey, that was one time. Besides, we just wanted to make sure she was good enough for you."

Jason gave me a look that screamed not buying it, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Let's be real," Sophie chimed in, trying to keep a straight face. "Maybe you don't even have a girlfriend. Maybe you're just lying so you'd have an excuse to turn down Emma's fake-boyfriend proposal."

I shot her a look, my mouth open in mock offense. "Excuse me! I would make an amazing fake girlfriend."

"Oh, really?" Jason crossed his arms, looking back and forth between the two of us with a smirk. "If I remember correctly, you two went as far as Googling her full name before I'd even been on a second date. I'd say that counts as relationship sabotage, wouldn't you?"

I put a hand over my heart in feigned shock. "How dare you, Jason! We would never intentionally sabotage anything."

"Uh-huh," he said, giving us a knowing look before turning to head toward the back of the kitchen. "You two are the reason I have trust issues."

He laughed, a sound that came out half-exasperated, half-amused, and waved us off. "You'll meet her when the time's right. Besides, you two scared off all my college girlfriends, remember?"

"That was ages ago! And that was only, like, three," Sophie protested, waving her hand as if that number were nothing. "And you didn't need to be dating those types of girls anyway."

Jason just grinned, shaking his head at us.

I turned to Sophie, grinning. "So, he definitely likes her if he's this defensive. That, or he's the world's best actor."

"Right? And the secrecy!" Sophie sighed dramatically. "Fine, keep your secrets, Jason. We'll find out eventually." She winked, and we both watched him disappear behind the kitchen door.

"Challenge accepted," I muttered, sharing a mischievous look with Sophie. We exchanged a high-five, already plotting ways to get more information.

A few minutes later, I spotted Jason peeking out from the kitchen, probably to see if we were still scheming. I waited a beat before slipping out of my chair and casually making my way toward the kitchen, hoping he wouldn't notice.

But Jason had an uncanny sense of when I was up to something, and he caught me mid-step, giving me a half-smile and raising a hand to stop me. "Oh, no. The kitchen is sacred territory. You can't enter without a valid reason, and I'm pretty sure 'getting the tea' doesn't count."

I crossed my arms, trying to play it cool. "I just wanted to talk to you. And you're hiding something."

He grinned, shaking his head as he ducked into the kitchen. "Try again later, Sherlock."

Just as I was about to turn and leave, I collided with a solid chest. Startled, I looked up and found myself face-to-face with Liam, or more accurately, face-to-chest, his mouth curving into an amused smile.

"What exactly are you looking for?" he asked, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"Oh!" I stammered, crossing my arms and trying to regain my composure. "I was just... looking for Jason. But he's obviously busy."

"Yeah, he's very busy, you know, working, doing his job," Liam replied, eyebrows raised like he could see right through me.

We stood there for a second, the silence growing a bit awkward.

My mind scrambled for something to say, and before I could talk myself out of it, I blurted, "So, there's this new restaurant that opened a few weeks ago, and I was thinking we could go there. You know, for our official first fake date."

I'd been thinking about ways we could do an 'official launch' of this fake relationship, and dinner at a restaurant seemed like the perfect start.

Liam's eyes lit up with a spark of interest. "Um, sure, I'm free tomorrow night?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Tomorrow works for me too."

With a slight nod, he turned, glancing over his shoulder as he walked toward the door. "Great. I'll pick you up at seven."

I watched him walk away, feeling oddly warm, and hurried back to my seat where Sophie was practically vibrating with curiosity.

"Well?" she asked, eyes wide with excitement. "Did you find out anything about Jason's girl?"

"Nope," I sighed, slumping back into my chair. "He's a vault." I paused, then grinned. "But I do have news."

Sophie's eyes lit up, practically sparkling. "Spill!"

I leaned in, lowering my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I asked Liam on our first fake date."

Sophie's jaw dropped, and she squealed, clapping her hands together. "So, what did he say?"

"He said yes. Tomorrow night," I said, trying to keep my voice casual.

Sophie clapped her hands, grinning. "This is perfect because, lucky for you, I already have the perfect outfit in mind."

I rolled my eyes, but a smile tugged at my lips. Of course she did.

As I glanced back toward the kitchen doors, I thought to myself, This is not over, Jason.