American Boyfriend

Alessia groaned, burying her face in her palms. "I have just a week to get a boyfriend. Fuck."

The sound of crunching chips filled the air, drawing her attention to the woman sitting across from her, unfazed by the crisis at hand.

Straightening up, Alessia narrowed her eyes. "You're really not going to say anything?" she demanded, arms crossed.

Brielle barely spared her a glance before rolling her eyes. "What else is there to say? I've told you already-quit the lie. Just tell your family the truth. They won't kill you. They might be pissed, sure, but that's as bad as it'll get," Brielle said, tossing another chip into her mouth. She pointed a manicured finger at Alessia. "And honestly, you're not finding a man like that in a week."

Alessia sighed and let her gaze wander around the lunchroom. The days were slipping away, and she still couldn't confess to her family or, worse, find a fake boyfriend.

If only she had kept her mouth shut. She wouldn't be in this mess. After successfully dodging family visits for two years, they had insisted on her presence this year.

Mama had mentioned she'd been avoiding them-accurately so-but Alessia had denied it, using her "busy schedule" as an excuse for not traveling the world to see them.

The truth was, home stirred up memories-painful ones. It was the reason she'd left Italy for America, searching for a fresh start. But then Mama dropped the bomb: Antonio was getting married.

Alessia had no idea how to process that, so she had said nothing. Mama, sensing her unease, reassured her.

"We know, Amore, this must be hard for you. It's okay to feel sad, angry-whatever you feel. But we want you home, sweetie."

Alessia's emotions spiraled out of control. "I've moved on. It's been two years," she had snapped, ignoring the tightening in her chest. But that was where she messed up. Mama had then asked her to come home if she'd truly moved on and even invited her to attend Antonio's wedding-his wedding.

Mama's subtle hint about bringing someone with her hadn't gone unnoticed by Alessia. When she hesitated, Mama assured her that it was okay to come alone. And that's when Alessia's big mouth betrayed her.

She had told her mother she was seeing someone. Someone serious. And yes, they would come to the wedding.

Now, she couldn't bring herself to tell Mama it was all a lie. And how she had felt so small and insignificant at that moment, not wanting their pity.

And now, she was in deep.

"You know, you could save yourself the headache and ask Noah to go with you. He fits your description," Brielle said, snapping Alessia out of her reverie.

Alessia's face twisted in disgust. "Ew, no thanks," she huffed. The last person she wanted to involve in this farce was Noah. Fucking Noah. Brielle only shrugged, glancing at her watch as she began gathering her things.

"Suit yourself," she said, slamming her hands on the table loud enough to turn a few heads. Alessia raised an eyebrow.

"You know, for someone in need of help, you're pretty picky. It wouldn't hurt to swallow your pride and ask him. Who knows? He might even say yes," Brielle said, her tone pointed.

Alessia gave her a bored look as she started packing up her things. Lunch break would be over in-yeah, three minutes.

"And if he says no?" Alessia challenged, though she had no intention of asking him.

Brielle shrugged. "Then you call your mum and tell her it was all a lie. Or better yet, tell her he died. That way, you don't even have to go."

Alessia stared at her, a mix of surprise and amusement on her face. "Seriously? They'd think it was a joke. Besides, how convenient would it be for 'him' to suddenly die a week before the wedding?" she asked, exasperated.

Brielle closed her eyes in response, clearly summoning her patience. "Jesus, Ali, death knows no time," she muttered while zipping her bag.

Maybe Brielle was right. Maybe she could tell her family-

"Is that Noah?" Brielle's voice shot up a few octaves, dragging Alessia's attention back to the present.

She turned to see the man himself, his tall, broad frame impossible to miss, his blonde hair catching the light. He scanned the room before his gaze locked on hers. His lips twitched slightly, and Alessia quickly looked away.

"Yeah, lunch is over. I'll see you later, okay?" Alessia mumbled, leaning in to press a quick kiss to Brielle's cheek before walking off.

She knew she was being childish, avoiding him like this, but she had bigger problems to deal with than another argument with Noah.

That always seemed to happen when they crossed paths. She hurried to the nearest elevator, hitting the button just as the doors began to close. But they didn't-because a large hand had stopped them.

Noah stepped in, his eyes briefly meeting hers before muttering something under his breath.

Alessia shut her eyes. Just when she thought she'd managed to escape meeting him. Her rivalry with Noah was born when he first walked into the company. She'd watched him greet every other employee with a smile, but he frowned at her, staring at her like she irritated him.

She had thought it was just a coincidence and he had no problem with her -like, why would he when they just met?

But, she was wrong as Noah kept giving her weird glances and doing his best to avoid her, not to talk of their frequent disagreements. Noah wasn't her best, but well, the man was hot.

She stared at her fingers and immediately knew she couldn't -she couldn't ask Noah to be her fake boyfriend.

Two days later.

"Can I speak to you?" Noah asked as he stood by the doorway of her office, both hands tucked into his pockets.

Alessia looked up, meeting his blue eyes. Her gaze drifted down his body unconsciously, admiring how good he looked in a button-down shirt.

Just like with blazers and suits, he looked effortlessly attractive. Her eyes fixated on his wrist, noticing ink peeking out from beneath his sleeve.

Does he have a tattoo?

Noah cleared his throat, snapping her out of her thoughts. She immediately flushed, realizing she'd been caught checking him out. So what? The man knew he was attractive and wasn't above using it to his advantage.

"No," she croaked, quickly clearing her throat. "No, I'm busy." She turned her attention back to her laptop, staring at the same blank screen she had been fixating on for the past hour.

She heard the door close and sighed in relief-until she realized...

Wait, what? She looked up again. "I said I'm busy. I can't talk right now," she protested. As usual, Noah ignored her, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

She glared at him, but he stared back, expressionless. Folding her arms, she leaned back in her seat. Since he was already in, she might as well hear him out.

"Fine. You have one minute," she muttered. He crossed his legs and leaned back, mirroring her posture.

"I'll need more than a minute," he said flatly. Her nostrils flared in frustration and annoyance.

"No. You don't get to waltz into my office and demand my time. One minute-that's all you're getting. Use either make use of it wisely or get out," she snapped, pointing at the door. She was already on edge, mentally counting the days until she could leave for Italy and how she hadn't been able to find a boyfriend. The last thing she needed was to deal with Noah.

He remained unfazed by her outburst, his calm gaze unwavering. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Figlio di puttana," she cursed under her breath. "Fine, two minutes," she muttered. Noah nodded.

"Good," he replied dryly. "I'm going with you." His tone gave nothing away. Alessia blinked, confused.

"Excuse me?" She asked, her annoyance growing by the second.

"Brielle told me you needed help," he explained. It took a moment for his words to sink in. And when it did, her mouth fell open.

"What?!" She squeaked, bolting out of her chair. "She didn't!" She muttered, more to herself than to him.

"She did. It would be helpful if you sat down so we could discuss what to do next," Noah said calmly. She glared at him.

"First of all, there is no 'we.' Second, she is going to hear from me." Humiliation burned her cheeks. She hated appearing weak in front of Noah, especially since they were almost rivals for the CEO position. Not like she was interested in getting the position but, she couldn't lose to Noah.

And Brielle had gone ahead and told him everything that was going wrong in her life.

"You're wasting your two minutes," Noah pointed out. She shook her head.

"Well, I'm no longer interested in anything you have to say. Get out," she snapped. He didn't budge. Everything about him was perfectly controlled, while she was on the verge of a meltdown.

"Unless you want me to report this to management, you should probably leave," she added, hoping to scare him off. But she had forgotten-Noah was just as stubborn as she was.

"I'm going with you, as I said earlier. Book the tickets. We'll leave together."Alessia stared at him, incredulous. The nerve of him to think she would let him tag along.

"Thank you for volunteering, but believe me, it was unnecessary," she said, stepping behind her chair to distance herself from his gaze.

"Have you found someone else?" he asked, his tone was sharp. She opened her mouth to tell him that she hadn't but changed her mind at the last minute.

"I'll figure something out-"

"So, no, you haven't. I'll go with you," he interrupted. She groaned."No, no, no. You're not coming with me," she said, trying to sound firm, though her tone faltered.

"Why are you so against the idea of me going with you?" Noah asked. For a moment, she thought she detected hurt in his voice. But again, this was Noah.

"It's simple. We. Are. Not. Friends," she replied, emphasizing each word."We're not enemies," Noah countered, frowning as he studied her face.

"Wait, are we enemies?" He asked, sounding genuinely confused. Alessia snorted."You've hated me from the start, so yes, I think we're more like enemies," she said.

Noah's frown deepened.

"I never hated you, Alessia," he muttered. And a tightness grew in her chest. She cleared her throat, uncomfortable with this version of Noah-one that made her feel things she didn't want to acknowledge.

"That doesn't change the fact that you're not coming with me," she insisted. She preferred the brash Noah she knew, the one who kept grating on her nerves.

"Ale-"

"Case closed! Your two minutes are up," she interrupted, plopping down into her chair in a decidedly ungraceful manner.

Noah stood after a few seconds of silence, towering over her, his face was unreadable like it had always been from the start.

"I'd like to think I'm your only option. Unless you want to look like a loser in front of your family and your ex, you'd reconsider," he said before walking out.

Long after he left, Alessia found herself staring into space. His words had struck a nerve, and she couldn't shake the feeling that he had done it on purpose. Of course, he had.

A question lingered at the back of her mind: Was she a loser?

"Jesus, Elle, you can't go around snitching on me!" Alessia muttered, gesturing wildly with her hands, even though Brielle couldn't see her. She balanced the phone between her neck and shoulder while rummaging through her bag for her keys.

"Well, someone had to, since you couldn't do it yourself," Brielle huffed. "I was expecting a 'thank you,'" she muttered as Alessia rolled her eyes.

"What were you thinking? Noah and I can never work, and you know that. But you still went ahead and told him everything!" She kicked the door open and walked in, shutting it behind her.

"That's just what you think, but my dear friend, Noah is the best option you have-if not the only one," Brielle replied. Alessia felt a familiar twinge. It stung, realizing Brielle had said the same thing Noah had said earlier.

Collapsing onto the sofa, Alessia sighed. "Noah and I aren't friends. He's hated me forever. I can't take him to Italy." The idea made her uneasy-so much could go wrong.

What if he ruined everything? He'd make her look like a fool in front of her family, like a complete loser.

She kicked off her sandals and curled into a ball on the couch.

As if reading her mind, Brielle asked, "What if he doesn't blow it all up? What if he's exactly what you need, and you're just too blind to see it?" Alessia shook her head.

"Elle-"

"I want the best for you, Ali. And since you've decided to do this, I'm going to help you however I can-and that help is Noah." Brielle cut her off, and Alessia ran her fingers through her hair.

"You know this is hard for me, right?" Alessia asked, her voice quieter now. She could practically feel Brielle nodding through the phone.

"Just give it a try, okay? Maybe he's not who you think he is." Alessia huffed.

"Funny," she replied dryly, though there wasn't anything amusing about it.

"I've got to go, babe. We'll talk tomorrow," Brielle said, and Alessia caught the faint sound of a male voice in the background.

"Alright, love you," Alessia muttered, sitting up straighter.

"Love you too. And, Ali?" Brielle called, causing Alessia to hum in response.

"Noah doesn't hate you," Brielle's voice softened, and the statement caught Alessia completely off guard.

The beep of the phone ended the call, leaving Alessia blinking in surprise. Noah didn't hate her? She had never been wrong about him-could she be wrong now?

She stood up from the couch and walked into the kitchen to start dinner. Her apartment wasn't huge but it was comfortable enough for one.

Her thoughts drifted back to two years ago when she'd first arrived in America. She still wondered where it had all gone wrong.

The chemistry between her and Antonio had been sizzling when he proposed. It was still there when they planned the wedding. But a few days before the ceremony, she noticed he seemed distant.

She'd assumed it was just stress. She squeezed her eyes shut, recalling that day-the worst of her life. The pitying stares, the mocking whispers-it was unbearable.

A loud ring shattered the silence. It took a moment for her to realize it was her phone. Wiping her hands on a towel, she picked it up.

The name flashing on the screen made her stomach clench-Mama.

"Ciao, Mama," she greeted, already dreading the conversation.

"Come stai, Tesoro?" her mother's voice boomed through the speaker.

"I'm fine, Mama," Alessia replied, stepping out of the kitchen.

"It's late. Is something wrong?" she asked, even though she had a pretty good idea why her mother was calling.

"No, nothing's wrong. Your papa just wanted me to ask if your boyfriend eats meat. Cannoli?" Alessia stared up at the ceiling. Really?

"Ma, why would you think he doesn't eat meat?" she asked, dodging the question.

Her mother chuckled. "Gli americani sono imprevedibili. What do they call it?"

"Vegetarians, Ma," Alessia muttered, hearing her mother laugh again.

"Ay, you're right," her mother said, before clearing her throat. Here it comes.

"What's he like, Tesoro? Are you happy?" The innocent question felt like a blade to Alessia's heart. Her mother only wanted the best for her, and all Alessia could do was lie.

"I'm happy, Mama," she said softly. "More than happy," she added, guilt gnawing at her.

"Then why didn't you tell me about him sooner?" her mother asked, the disappointment evident. Alessia closed her eyes, the guilt now overwhelming.

"I wasn't sure about him," she lied, her voice steady. There was a brief silence on the other end.

"What's he like? Is he tall? Tell me about him, darling." Her mother's rich Italian accent gave her a pang of nostalgia.

Alessia wanted to laugh as her eyes watered-she wanted to tell her mother the truth. That there was no man. That she couldn't describe him because he didn't exist. That Antonio was getting married, and every relationship since had been a failure.

"Oh, Tesoro," her mother's voice cracked, and Alessia realized she was crying as teardrops fell on her hand.

She opened her mouth to speak the truth but stopped. "He's tall, 6'3, handsome, Mama," she chuckled softly, closing her eyes as she conjured an image of the man she wished existed.

"Is he hot?" her mother asked, drawing a real laugh from Alessia. "Ay, Mama. He drives me crazy half the time."

She could almost picture him now-the man she'd made up in her head.

Her mother laughed, lightening the tension in Alessia's chest.

"Does he have blue eyes? You've always liked guys with blue eyes" Mama asked.

Alessia sighed. "Yes, Mama. They're captivating."

"Incantevole?" her mother asked, and Alessia nodded. "Enchanting, Mama."

"I can't wait to meet him," her mother whispered. Alessia nodded, her throat tightening. "You'll bring him, right?"

"Yes," Alessia replied, her voice distant. She stared into space.

"I love you, Tesoro," her mother said before the call ended.

Minutes after, it dawned on Alessia-the man she'd described wasn't at all imaginary or non-existent. He was real.

The man she'd described was -Noah.