So a couple weeks ago I went to this funeral with my boyfriend then afterwards a couple of friends and us came back to my house to watch a movie. We ended up watching THE WEDDING DATE. Then later that night I was reading fan-fiction and this story just hit me.
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Summary: Haley James, a single and struggling mother of two, lies to her family making her life seem like paradise but she's spun a web to thick and ends up borrowing a temporary paradise, but is this new paradise really temporary?
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It was a Tuesday morning and Haley ran around the tiny living room of her apartment trying to find all of her Trey's stuff for school. All of a sudden Ashley whizzed by her closely followed by Trey yelling. Haley grabbed some clothes laying scattered around and threw them in a pile and found the missing backpack. "Trey!" Haley yelled, "Get your butt in here!" the phone began to ring. She looked around and couldn't see it, she followed the ring and dug through some loose newspapers.
"Hello?" Haley said slightly out of breath.
"Haley, honey it's your mother." Lydia said in a sophisticated voice.
Trey ran into the room, "Yeah momma."
Haley moved the phone from her mouth, "Here's your backpack." she said handing it to him a small smile graing her lips briefly.
The little boy grabbed it and put it on his back, "Thanks momma." he said excitedly running back in the other direction.
"Hi mom." Haley said plopping down on the couch.
"Baby what are you and your boyfriend doing Friday?" Haley froze at her words. She didn't have a boyfriend, she just told her parents and family that so they would quit trying to set her up with some rich jackass, although she wouldn't mind the extra money.
"Well mom I think he has to work." she said trying to avoid the subject.
"Honey I have some bad news." she said obviously faking her sadness.
Haley tensed, "What's wrong."
"Your Grandma Helen died, Friday is her funeral." her mother said in a none to sympathetic tone. Lydia had never liked her mother-in-law and just because she was dead didn't mean she would start to praise her.
"What? When?" Haley asked frantic for answers. One of the only family members who had a heart was gone.
"Oh sweet heart it was last night. Your father went over there last night and she was gone, I highly doubt that he got a wink of sleep last night." she said in her sophisticated uncaring tone.
Tears pricked Haley's eyes then she saw her two children come in the room. Ashley following her big brother like he was a hero, "Momma we need to go." Trey said.
Haley wiped her eyes, "Um mom I have to take the kids to school, I'm running a little late." she said, her voice cracking.
"That's fine dear, call me soon and tell me whether you can make it Friday." Lydia said then hung up.
Tears slowly ran down her cheeks. Ashley climbed up into her mothers lap, "Mommy, what's wrong?"
"Baby my grandma died." she said. The little girl softly touched her moms check.
"I'm sorry mommy." then she hugged her mom's neck. Haley wrapped her arms around her child and wondered how she could ever feel her life was terrible when she had such sweet children.
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Haley sat in her living room with her two best friends, Brooke and Lucas who are married.
"Hales we are here for you if you need anything at all." Lucas said but Haley seemed so out of it.
"You know that right tutor-girl?" Brooke asked but Haley still stared on with her hands in her lap, "Haley." Brooke said more sternly.
"Yeah I know Brooke," Haley answered softly.
Haley began to fidget with her hands and looked down and bit her bottom lip thinking about all her lies she had told, "Brooke can me and you talk privately?" Haley questioned uneasily.
Brooke and Lucas shared a look, Luke didn't want to leave, "Sure Haley," Brooke answered nudging Luke's arm encouraging him to stand up and he did leaving the room.
"Haley what's wrong?" Brooke asked laying a hand gently on hers.
Haley looked up, a guilty look on her face, "You know it's terrible that I'm more broken up about lies I have told than about my grandmothers death."
"What are you talking about?" Brooke asked as confused as her first day in algebra class.
"I told practically my whole family I have a super hot boyfriend, his parents own a successful company but it's low key, he is so great with my kids, and he happens to be unavailable for every family get together." she said becoming slightly hysterical throwing her hands in the air.
"Haley Marie James, why would you make up such a huge lie?" Brooke practically yelled.
"After Damien left they thought I needed a man to support me and-" Haley started but was cut off.
"Haley James is to independent for that." Brooke said giving her a pointed look.
"I just didn't want to get into something with someone that I didn't even like." Haley said the took a deep breath and continued, "And now I'm coming to my bestest friend for a favor." she said with a sweet look on her face.
"I'm flattered that I'm your 'bestest' friend. But why am I always dragged into peoples problems?" Brooke asked rolling her eyes.
"Because you're good with drama and problems, so it's only natural that I come to you for help." Haley said wrapping an arm around Brooks shoulders.
Brooke pushed Haleys arm off and wrapped her around Haley, "You're the one who needs comfort and help. So what is it you need my help with?" Brooke asked with a soft smile.
"I need a perfect man willing to play along with this by Friday." Haley said fast giving Brooke a look hoping for a good outcome.
Brooke just had an idea, "What if I told you a certain person Luke and I know is like the ultimate player, he will date anybody who has breasts, and he is a really good liar, totally hot, and I just think he would be perfect."
"If you can get him to agree and meet me at the airport tomorrow morning that would be awesome." Haley said happier than happy .
"I grantee you it's a done deal." she said with smirk, after all people do call her a matchmaker.
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Nathan sat on his couch sipping on a beer while watching a Lakers game but then he was rudely interrupted by his cell ringing.
"Yeah." he answered in a bored tone.
"Nathan I need a favor." Brooke said sweetly.
"What is it this time?" he asked rolling his eyes.
"I have a totally hot friend who needs a favor." she said knowing the words 'hot' and 'friend' would defiantly get him listening.
He pressed mute on the remote, "This sounds better." he said smirking.
Brooke smiled, "She needs a fake boyfriend for a couple days. Her family was always trying to hook her up so she lied and said she had a boyfriend. Now everyone wants her and her boyfriend to come to her grandma's funeral. So I was wondering if you could be that boyfriend." she said not wanting to give a lot away.
Nathan didn't need a lot of time to think about his decision, "Why the hell not, sounds fun."
'How can you go wrong when there is a hot girl involved, I just hope Brooke is not lying.' he thought.
"Awesome, she'll meet you at the airport tomorrow morning then you guys are driving to Florida, where her family lives." Brooke said cheerfully.
"Fine." he said simply.
"One catch." she added quickly.
"And what would that be." he asked sarcastically.
'Damn it! I knew it was to good to be true.' he thought.
"She has two kids." she said carefully.
Nathan was silent, "Well, that's...um...cool." he said at a slight loss for words.
"Great, I knew you'd think so." she said cheerfully then hung up.
"I think I just got in over my head." he said to himself then his phone vibrated in his hand.
It was a text from Brooke. 'By the way this is a pic of her. -Brookie'
Nathan opened the picture she had sent and his breath caught in his throat. She was gorgeous. He was amazed by her curves and her legs looked awesome, and he wasn't even a leg guy. She was on the beach laughing, she had on a simple light blue bikini, her blonde hair tied into a messy bun on the top of her head, and he saw her big chocolate eyes. Nathan flipped his phone shut and let out a breathe he hadn't even known he was holding in.
'Yeah maybe this isn't going to be so bad.' he thought to himself with a huge smirk.
Background: She has 2 children, Ashley Marie James 2 and Trey Alexander James 6. Haley is 23, and so are her 2 friends Brooke and Lucas who are married. Nathan is Lucas' half brother that Haley has only heard of a couple times. Haley's family lives in Florida and Nathan lives in L.A. and is 27.