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— You have to tell me how you and Mike met, — Jenna’s coworker Anya leaned in, a mischievous smile on her face, scooting closer to Jenna to catch every word. Her eyes sparkled with genuine curiosity, which could have thrown Jenna off balance if she hadn’t already been on the edge at this damn office party, forced to play the role of Mike’s “girlfriend.”
Jenna mustered every ounce of self-control, feigned a smile, and began, trying to keep her voice steady, though in reality, it was no easy feat. What the hell am I doing? How did it even get this far? she thought, desperately trying to remember what parts of "their" story were "true" in this warped reality.
— Well, you know, it was… very unexpected! — she tried to smile naturally, though her mind had gone completely blank. Get a grip. Just say something… something “romantic.” You got this, Jo… Jenna, she mentally corrected herself, feeling a pang of discomfort at the sound of this strange new identity.
— Really? — Anya asked with intrigue, tilting her head as she leaned on the bar. — So, how did it happen? I mean, it’s Mike, for heaven’s sake. He’s so closed off and, well… kind of boring… Sorry, I didn’t mean—
— You’re not the first to say that, — Jenna forced a smile, covering her mouth with her hand to hide the wave of irritation rising within her. She’d had to defend Mike, her best friend, before, but now it felt strangely uncomfortable. She was supposed to defend him as his “girlfriend.” That thought only added to her internal unease. How did I even end up here? This is some kind of sick joke...
— Oh no, I mean, I’m just, you know, surprised, — Anya leaned in closer, her eyes glittering with interest. — You’re so vibrant, Jenna, and he’s... well… shy, a little insecure… what brought you two together?
Shy. Right. Mike didn’t even really date, ever. He’d always vented about that on those drinking nights when we commiserate over their own lousy love lives. Jenna sighed, clasped her hands together in front of her, trying to put on an endearing look she hoped would come across as sweet. Damn it, I don’t even know how to act “sweet”!
— Well… — Jenna bit her lip, trying to look like she was reminiscing about some life-changing moment. — When I first started here, honestly, I didn’t even notice him. — She let out a nervous laugh, feeling how Anya eagerly drank up every word. — But one day… I – she put a hand to her – left my laptop in the conference room, and he just brought it over to me without a word. And… he gave me this look that made me see there was more behind that quiet exterior.
Quiet exterior, right. He hardly talked to girls, and then, whenever we’d sit and gripe about being single, I’d joke, “Mike, who’d ever want you with that sulky look in your eyes?” Jenna mentally smirked, remembering how it really was. But now, she had to hold her tongue.
— And so after that, — she continued, trying to keep her cover, — we started talking more. And I realized that he’s… well, not like everyone else. You know, he’s… genuine. Yeah, genuine and… — she paused, searching for compliments. Damn it, what could anyone possibly love about Mike? He’s just a great drinking buddy and usually picks up the tab, and he’s got some good jokes. Oh, right! — …and he always makes me laugh, — Jenna tried to put a note of admiration in her voice, as if she were really talking about someone special. — Mike has this funny way of making silly jokes, and no matter how serious I try to be, he still makes me laugh.
Laugh, sure. I remembered we joking up over his clumsy attempts at flirting with bartenders — it always ended up awkward and cringeworthy. And now, suddenly, she was “in love” with his sense of humor.
Anya smiled, clearly charmed by the story.
— Oh, that’s so sweet! I always thought he was a little shy and awkward, but with you, he must’ve really opened up, huh? — she looked at Jenna with such admiration that Jenna had to keep a straight face to hide her own distaste for the whole thing.
— Oh, he’s really opened up, — Jenna replied with a slight smile, barely believing her own words. She needed to end this conversation, she thought, glancing away, but Anya caught her gaze, practically glowing with excitement at this impossibly romantic tale.
— Oh, Jenna, this sounds like some kind of fairytale! — Anya clapped her hands, nearly spilling her champagne glass.
— Fairytale, right, — Jenna muttered, forcing a smile that took every ounce of effort. Inside, she was boiling with irritation at the absurdity of it all. A fairytale… if only Anya knew what a nightmare this really was.
— So when’s the wedding? — Anya suddenly asked, her eyes lighting up even more. — You two have been together for a while now, so…
Jenna felt a lump in her throat and almost choked on air. The question caught her completely off guard. She felt a chill run through her as Anya’s words hit her.
— Wedding? — Jenna managed to say, trying to mask her inner panic. — Uh… I’m not even sure, — she laughed nervously, looking away to avoid Anya’s eyes.
— Oh, come on, Jen! — Anya nudged her playfully. — You’ve been together forever! And you live together!
— We… what? — Jenna barely kept herself from stammering. Her palms grew sweaty, and her heart was pounding so hard it felt like everyone could hear it. She forced herself to smile, but inside, the panic was surging.
Anya giggled, seeming to take her surprise as modesty.
Jenna couldn’t breathe. She struggled to recall anything that would support her “life” with Mike, but her mind was a frightening blank. What year is it, for god’s sake? What’s this “living together” crap? Just yesterday, we’d only been a “couple” for a few weeks!
— Anya, are you… sure? — Jenna asked, fighting to keep her voice even, though inside, she was screaming. — It’s just… kind of surprising to hear.
Anya just laughed as if Jenna had made another joke.
— Oh, Jen, come on! You told me all about how you and Mike got that lovely apartment with the view of the park, how cozy it is, how Mike takes care of you, and you cook for him… It’s just adorable! — Anya’s eyes sparkled with that dreamily romantic look, while Jenna felt like she was in the middle of a nightmare. — Oh, just a dream! A real fairytale! By the way, how’s your kitty?
— Kitty? — Jenna felt her face flush, and for a second, she thought she might lose it entirely. She tried to hide her confusion with a nervous laugh. — Oh, well, he’s… um… — Jenna felt a fresh wave of panic wash over her. She knew she couldn’t stay here another second. If she didn’t talk to Mike right now, she’d lose it and start screaming. With a quick, apologetic “One sec!” to Anya, she almost ran off to find Mike among the guests.
She spotted him by the drinks table, chatting with a mutual friend, a glass of wine in his hand. She practically flew over to him, making him turn just in time to see her anxious expression.
— We need to talk. Now, — she whispered, grabbing his arm and practically dragging him toward the terrace, where they could talk privately.
Once outside in the cool night air, Jenna turned to him, her frustration mixed with panic.
— Did you know? — her voice was trembling, her eyes shooting daggers. She let go of his wrist, knowing that if she kept holding on, she’d probably start shaking him.
Mike, baffled by her sudden fury, looked at her in confusion.
— Know what, Jen? — he mumbled, rubbing his wrist and clearly clueless about what had caused this reaction.
— That everyone thinks we’ve been living together for a year and that we have a… damn CAT, Mike! — Jenna was almost yelling, her voice shaking slightly. She felt her hands trembling but fought to stay calm. — Everyone thinks we’re some… perfect couple, that we have this shared apartment, and even a cat named… god knows what! Anya just went on about how sweetly you take care of me, and how I apparently cook for you! Do you get what I had to make up just to avoid suspicion?
Mike’s eyes grew wide, as if he was just beginning to grasp the scale of what was happening.
— Wait… you’re serious? — he muttered, realizing this wasn’t some quirky twist of their altered reality, but a full-on intrusion into their lives and perceptions.
— Yes, Mike, seriously! — Jenna shuddered, her face flushed with embarrassment and rage. — Don’t you get it? That… mage or whoever he is… he’s not just messing with how people see us. He’s altering reality. Every day, it gets worse. Yesterday we’d “been dating” a few weeks; now it’s a year, living together with a damn cat! And tomorrow? Tomorrow are we supposed to wake up married? Or maybe I’ll get pregnant, and everyone will think it’s normal?
Mike looked away, conflicted, scratching his head as he sighed.
— Damn… — he muttered, but in his voice, Jenna unexpectedly picked up something else, something like… acceptance? Or worse, a faint, ridiculous satisfaction. As though, despite the absurdity of the situation, he wasn’t all that unwilling to embrace this new reality.
Jenna felt a surge of anger bubbling up inside her.
— Mike, you can’t be serious, — she practically hissed, her eyes flashing. — Are you just going to accept all of this as if it’s… normal?
In silence, Mike took a step forward and hugged her, holding her tightly, unexpectedly gently. Jenna froze, unsure how to respond, feeling a strange mix of anger and confusion welling up in her chest. He didn’t say anything, but in his silent gesture, she felt it — he had already given in.
Reading her thoughts, Mike whispered softly:
— Maybe it’s not so bad, Jenna.
She closed her eyes, realizing that from now on, the fight would be hers alone.