Chapter 2 Absolutely Ridiculous

Venice had been anxiously waiting for this Family vacation with her entire family; her parents, her sister, and her brother for days. Little did she know that her perfect plan to flaunt Richard Harmony as her successful famous boyfriend would totally fail. As she stumbled out of the car, a sharp pain stabbed through her chest, the pain of disappointment. She had expected to see Richard waiting for her, but now, she had to meet a stranger who wasn't famous at all.

It all came crashing down when she heard her friend, Nina, on the phone informing her that Richard had cancelled due to a last-minute acting session. Tears gathered in her eyes and threatened to roll down as she tried to make sense of the situation.

"Well, he couldn't even find a friend or a notable person to fill in for someone of my class," she mumbled, her voice echoing across the parking lot. "He had to send an assistant."

"This is ridiculous!" She yelled into the phone.

"Nina, can't you please find someone else? Someone more important than Richard's assistant to pretend to be my boyfriend for the week?'

"I'm sorry," Nina said sympathetically. "I've called everyone I could, and no one was available. Richard said his assistant is actually a cool guy. You can trust him."

Venice hung up the phone, feeling defeated. She quickly looked around, desperate to find a handsome, confident man that she could introduce to her family as her "boyfriend" for the week but there was no luck. As she continued to look around, she saw a casual-looking man standing in the middle of the parking lot. He took a few steps towards her and smiled.

"Hi," he said, extending his hand in greeting. "My name is Mike Riceland. I'm Richard's assistant."

Venice took one long look at him, sizing him up from head to toe. His shirt looked like it was bought two centuries ago, his trousers had faded completely and his shoes, his funny looking shoes looked like the boat that Moana had sailed in. The sight of him increased her anger. How could this shabby-looking man represent her? She gave him a stern look and crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

"Get in the car," she hissed.

Mike was taken aback by Venice's cold reception. He decided to try again and he spoke up.

"Look, I know this isn't the best situation," he said. "But I'm here to help. I can even pretend to be Richard. I might not look like him, but I can try. With your help, I think we can pull this off. What do you say?"

Venice looked around, carefully weighing her options. She wanted to keep up appearances, but she knew that being stuck with someone she disliked was better than going to the family vacation on her own. After all, it was only for 7 days.

"Okay now get in the car, we need to quickly get you new clothes," she finally replied. "But you can only do this because I'm desperate. You better not mess this up or I'll make sure you won't have a job with Richard anymore."

"You have my word," Mike said. "

Venice instructed her driver to stop at a luxurious boutique to shop for some clothes for Mike, since he was going to play pretend boyfriend to her for the week, he had to at least look the part. The car stopped at C and A boutique and they got inside.

Venice looked around the store, she knew she needed to give Mike an urgent makeover, at least in the clothes department, something to make him look the part. She quickly found several items she thought would fit the role.

Mike followed Venice around the store, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the situation. He had never been in a store like this before, and he felt out of place. He looked at the prices and his eyes grew wide with shock. He knew he could never afford anything here.

Venice was oblivious to Mike's discomfort. She quickly grabbed several outfits and shoes, and handed them to Mike. "Here, take those rags of and try these," she said firmly.

Mike nodded and reluctantly took the clothes from her. He went into the fitting room and changed into the new clothes. He couldn't believe how expensive they were. He admired himself in the mirror, feeling a bit more confident.

When Mike emerged from the fitting room, Venice nodded approvingly. "You look a little bit better," she said. 'Now we need to get you some accessories to complete the look.'

Venice quickly found a few items that she thought would help to complete Mike's transformation. She paid for the items, and they left the store.

Once they were back in the car, Venice and Mike began to rehearse their story. They were to say that they met at a charity event in New York and Mike was an actor. They went over the details until Venice was satisfied that everything was in order.

They drove to Venice's family mansion, and Mike was amazed at the size of the property. Venice had meticulously planned this elaborate charade to impress her family during their trip to Bali. She knew her mom could be nosy, and her sister, Keke, was always quick with sarcastic remarks. As they arrived at her family's luxurious mansion, Venice's heart raced, knowing that her carefully crafted web of lies was about to be put to the test.

The car pulled up to the grand entrance of the mansion, and Venice's parents came out to greet them. Her mother, Mrs. Wilson, a sophisticated woman with a keen eye for detail, took one look at Mike and raised an eyebrow.

"Venice, dear, is this your assistant?" Mrs. Wilson asked with a confused expression.

Venice felt embarrassed and she struggled to regain her composure. She glanced at Mike, who was dressed in the new clothes she had bought for him at the boutique. He looked a bit uncomfortable but managed to compose himself.

"No, Mom," Venice replied, trying to sound convincing. "This is Mike, my boyfriend."

Mike extended his hand with a warm smile. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Wilson. Venice has told me so much about you."

Mrs. Wilson studied Mike for a moment before nodding. She ignored his request for a handshake completely and she turned to her daughter. "Well, this is an interesting choice."

Venice's heart skipped a beat, relieved that her mom seemed to buy their story, at least for now. However, she couldn't ignore the sarcastic grin that was spreading across her sister Keke's face as she walked over.

Keke, always the mischievous one, couldn't resist making a snide comment. "Wow, Venice, you didn't tell us your boyfriend was so... charming."

Venice shot her sister a warning look as she responded, "Hello Keke."

Mike, trying to diffuse the tension, added, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Keke."

Keke chuckled softly and turned to her parents. "Meet Venice's boyfriend, wow!"

Venice let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. It seemed like they had passed the initial test, but she knew they still had a long way to go to maintain this charade.

Mike did his best to blend in, but it was evident that he was uncomfortable.

As they climbed into the private jet, Venice couldn't help but feel the awkwardness in the air. Mike didn't seem to blend in well with her family's luxurious lifestyle, and it was evident to everyone on board. Mrs. Wilson made small talk, trying to get to know Mike better.

"So, Mike," she began, "tell us more about yourself. What do you do for a living?"

Mike, in addition to being an actor, Mike had also fabricated a story about being a successful businessman, he replied, "I am an actor and I also run my own businesses, in tech and investments."

Venice's father, Mr. Wilson, raised an eyebrow. "Impressive. What kind of business?"

Mike had to think on his feet. "It's a venture capital firm, investing in innovative start-ups."

Venice silently applauded Mike's quick thinking, but she couldn't help feeling anxious about her parents' curiosity. She knew that one slip-up could unravel everything.

Throughout the flight, the tension between Venice and Mike continued to mount. They struggled to maintain the facade of a loving couple, often stumbling over their rehearsed stories. Keke, sitting across from them, couldn't resist being sarcastic.

"So, how did you two meet, again?" Keke asked, her tone laced with sarcasm.

Venice glanced nervously at Mike before she delved into their made-up love story. "Well, it's a bit of a fairy tale, really. We met at a charity event, and sparks flew instantly."

Mike chimed in, "Yes, I couldn't take my eyes off Venice. We danced the night away, and the rest is history."

Keke smirked and leaned closer. "Sounds like something out of a romance novel."

Venice's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She knew Keke was enjoying every moment of their discomfort.

The flight continued with forced smiles and strained conversations.

Venice, made a desperate attempt to shift the attention away from her, she decided to engage her sister, Keke, in conversation. She knew that Keke had been dating a basketball player, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask about him.

"So, Keke," Venice inquired, "How about your boyfriend, Why did he not show up?"

Keke's eyes lit up with pride as she talked about her boyfriend. "Oh, he's amazing, Venice, my star player. He couldn't bear to be away from me, but he has a game today. He'll be joining us tomorrow, and I can't wait for you to meet him. He always wins every game."

Venice acted unimpressed. "What's his name?"

Keke leaned in with a sly grin. "His name is Bryan. Bryan Gonelli. You must have heard of him."

Venice racked her brain, pretending not to know him. "Well the name sounds familiar, but I can't place it. What team does he play for?"

Keke smiled as she rolled her eyes. "He plays for the Eagles, Venice. They're one of the top teams in the league, and everybody of importance knows who he is."

Venice calmly responded. "Oh, the Eagles?"

Keke nodded proudly. "That's the one! Bryan has been instrumental in their success. He's a true superstar on the court."

The rest of the journey was quiet with Keke occasionally throwing Jabs at her sister and laughing in an attempt to mock her for choosing Mike as her boyfriend.