I sat on Nathaniel's couch with both dogs, Nate watching us with an interested gaze. He had come back to his home with this sight, after I texted him saying that I was taking the rest of the day off.

I had my phone out much to my dismay, seeing that my mother had texted me multiple times throughout the day. Her determination unwavering and her ruthlessness unappreciated.

"So, we have the new tenant my doggy day care?" Lizzie watched with an amused eye, I felt slightly guilty knowing that Auburn was quite a handful and another dog that was much larger would be even more work.

"I'm sorry Lizzie I just couldn't." She shook her head slightly with a laugh, "There is no needs to worry."

"Thank you, Lizzie, your help is appreciated." Nate smiled at her slightly, happy that she was content with the new friend.

Another text came through my phone from my mother, adding to the plethora of texts she had sent. All telling me one thing about her meddlesome behavior, and how sure she was that her ideals would come to pass.

I know you havent called Brandon yet, so I did you a favor. -M

Tomorrow is the first date between you two at that cute little diner you love so much. -M

Its at noon tomorrow for lunch.-M

Do not be late, or youll have hell to pay. -M

Understand? -M

I let out a sigh of annoyance, my eyes rolled mentally and I sagged against the couch petting Auburn next to me. Nate noticed my mood and sent out Lizzie asking if we could be alone for a bit. I cringed slightly at that word usage making it sound like we were a couple.

He walked over to me sitting next to the seat that Ray had vacated, him bounding towards Lizzie ready to play with someone. I knew he was going to ask, and while I had wanted to avoid this conversation, I knew too well that it was finally time.

"Are you going to tell me what's making you sigh like that?" He implored and I took a deep breath.

"I have to meet the man my mother's picked out tomorrow." I felt him shake his head slightly with a small laugh.

"That woman of yours is stubborn isnt she?"

"Unbelievably so, and I still haven't figured a way out." Another sigh, this one filled with sadness and exasperation, slipped past my sealed lips. I hated all this situation with every fiber of my being.

"I might have a single idea, but you won't like it." He responded his eyebrows raised and his eyes widening at the movement involuntarily, he was challenging me yet also this action gave me a clear view of his eyes.

I felt myself smile and my own eyebrows raised, "And what's your plan Nathaniel." I drew out his name slightly, silently cheering when I saw his eyes go down to my lips before snapping back up to my eyes.

"The way I see it your mother simply thinks that you have never dated, now shes forcing someone to you because she fears you never will date." He began his eyes watching mine, the blue orbs dancing with uncertainty but also amusement.

"I guess that makes sense."

"So if you had proof that you were dating someone and had been for awhile-" He began but I interrupted him my voice riddled with confusion.

"But I haven't been." He shook his head slightly still utterly amused with my situation, which infuriated me even more.

"Listen Fenice till the end, I already knew that." He pulled on my ears slightly, making sure to emphasize on the listening part. I reached over and tugged on his own ears smirking at his bewildered look.

"You know that you haven't dated anyone, but you can make her think you have."

"And who would go along with something like that?" The way he looked at me made me pause, understanding now why he said I wouldn't like the idea.

"No, stop using this as another way to flirt." I scolded him, jumping from my seat on the couch as I began to head back to my room. He grabbed my hand and pulled me back, taking me into his arms and lowering his forehead to mine.

"Let me help you, this can be whatever you want it to be." He paused slightly a breath passing through his lips and onto mine turning the air electric, "Just don't let your anger towards me make you marry this man. Not when there might be a way out."

I knew he was right, as hard as that was to admit, even though he annoyed me most of our days he was giving me a way out. An escape to turn my life back into my own possession, and at least he was a better man then anyone else I was working with.

"Why would you help me?" I questioned one last time wanting to give him a chance to back out from the insanity.

"I have my own reasons but trust me I just want what's best for you." His eyes didn't move from mine when he spoke, every note of his voice was crystal clear.

"Thank you Nate, no one has ever done anything like this for me." I don't know what possessed me to do my next action, as I closed the inch of distance between our lips. Perhaps it was floating in the air or rushing through my blood, but just this once before the madness ensued I wanted to kiss him.

Maybe I shouldn't have let myself give in for a single moment, but I was only human and he was unlike any man I had met in a long time. Our lips pressed together, eyes closed, arms pressed against his chest as he brought me closer. We moved in sync and this feeling made everything melt away.

Our lips finally parted, and our eyes met filled with emotions, "That was..." He trailed off slightly his hand tightening around me.

"Practice?" I replied, it slightly turning into a question more than a statement.

"What?" His voice blurted out the words, and I could tell that the kiss had affected him to making me smile at him.

"To fool anyone, we need to be able to kiss each other." I raised my eyebrows at him my lips quirking up slightly, as we stepped away from each other and out of grasp.

"I guess we will have to practice a lot then?" His eyes looked back down at my lips, licking his own in the process. When his eyes met mine again his gaze was intense and I almost didn't notice that he was talking again.

"-need to know everything about each other. If we want to pull this off that is." I nodded my head slightly following him as his went into the kitchen, I sat at the barstools watching him bring out a bunch of pots and pans.

"The first thing you should know is that I love to cook, even if I might not be as good as Nick." He winked at me as he brought out lemons and Salmon, along with some potatoes. "The next thing you should know is that I love seafood, especially Salmon."

I slowly got out of my seat, walking to where the lemons were and began to wash them with a pinch of salt. He looked at me with a smile as he began to prep the Salmon mixing a bunch of spices and butter together.

"Something you should know about me then," I paused stopping what I was doing to look over, "I always will lend a hand to someone when their cooking me dinner." I went back to my task as we both chatted.

"So then, my favorite food is salmon how about yourself?" He asked as he smothered the salmon in his mixture of spices, butter, and lemon zest.

"Chinese food, Orange Chicken and Fried Rice more specifically." I responded slightly offended by the look he gave me, I raised an eyebrow at him as he went back to the food.

"Breakfast, necessary or unnatural?" I knew the answer already, we both had a bad habit of nursing a coffee the entire morning and having our first meal during lunch.

"We both know the answer to that one Fenice." Laughter filled the room as he placed the salmon into the oven. He brought one of the barstools around so we could sit across from each other.

"Alright, first things first then Family, you two siblings, right?" He asked and I nodded slightly, fiddling with the locket around my neck.

"An older brother, Michael, and a younger half-sister, Sophie, but we don't get along."

"I have a younger half-brother; we don't get along either." I nodded slightly watching behind him as the two dogs tried to paw at the oven wanting the food inside.

"Alright I have a really hard one for you." He paused his eyes matching mine in a battle, "Your favorite color?"

"Baby Blue no contest, your?"

"Well it is a might hard question, but I'll have to go with Red. Similar to your hair in many ways." I felt a blush settle on my cheeks from the cliché worthy comment, but I felt like he was deflecting the conversation.

"You know how my step-mother is manipulative, and my father is controlling. What about your parents?" I asked watching as a look of sadness flashed one second and the next hatred.

"My mother passed away a long time ago when I was too young to remember her, the only one I ever knew was my brothers mother who never paid me any mind. My uncle was more of a father figure than anyone else." His head popped up when the oven timer went off, he quickly rushed over to the oven to check the Salmon. I looked over at him sadly, I knew the feeling all to well.

"We're similar Emily in that way, our mothers were taken from us way to soon." He set up the plates having a couple pieces of salmon with a baked potato.

"You didn't have to tell me all of that Nate, I won't push you." I grabbed his hand to emphasize my point, my ears tinted with pink.

"I knew your story; it was only right if you knew mine." I took a bit of the salmon surprised by the flavor. Though I still gave a piece of potato to both dogs, not able to resist their puppy-dog faces.

"You might give Nick a run for his money." We both laughed and continued to chat over the food, and while I knew this was simply an escape from a marriage and a reality, I couldn't find myself caring at that moment. Whether we were fake or not at the very least we were friends.