The best thing about the coffee shop by my apartment was that they had free internet, and they didn't badger me as long as I bought at least one drink.

My fingers flew over the keys, scrolling through one job posting after another. My degree was all but useless these days, and I could hear my mother's voice nagging in my mind. But I quickly pushed that voice away and drained the last of my coffee, biting my lip as I looked at the screen in utter discouragement.

One of the guys that worked behind the counter came over to my table and set another cup on the table.

"I didn't order this," I said quietly, not wanting to be on the hook for the drink. I barely had enough for the one I bought earlier. I had turned off my internet at home, but I needed it today.

"It's on me. You look like you need it," he said. I raised my brows, worried for a moment he was much younger than me, maybe even a high school student.

"Miranda mentioned that you lost your mom recently and you were having a hard time. I figured a coffee might at least make you feel a little better," he said nervously and rubbed the back of his head.

"She hasn't been my mom in a long time. But that's really kind of you, thank you," I said softly. He nodded and almost ran back to the counter, making me chuckle quietly to myself. I went back to my job hunting but was interrupted again. I looked up at the person that sat down across from me.

"Um, hi?" I asked. The woman that sat across from me was familiar, but I couldn't place her. She took her sunglasses off and set them on the table, smiling softly at me.

"Hi Rose," she said and as soon as she spoke I recognized her.

"Tasha? What are you doing here?" I asked. The last time I saw Tasha was at Christmas, but she didn't stay long stating that she had somewhere else to be. Tasha was my best friend's boyfriend's older sister. Tasha was about ten years older than the rest of us, and for a long time, I looked up to her. She was a big support system for me my last year of high school. Got me off the bad track I had gotten myself on, and helped me get my grades back up enough to get accepted into my programs.

She had lost her parents too. She understood what I was going through.

"I'm looking for you," she said, "I heard about Janine. And about the other stuff."

"Lissa?"

"No, my brother opened his big mouth," she said with a shake of her head and a smile. I sighed and closed my laptop, crossing my arms over my chest.

"What did he tell you?"

Tasha waved her hand at me and leaned on the table. "Not important, but I have a possible opportunity for you. One that can make you a lot of money."

"And what would that be? You've been pretty tight-lipped about what you do."

Tasha nodded. "What do you know about Dimitri Belikov?"

I raised my brows at her and scoffed a laugh. He was a singer and a popular one at that. I had heard a few of his songs before, and seen his pictures on social media, hell I even followed him on media platforms. Super hot, super sexy voice, and humble beyond means.

"Yeah, so does every other person in the world. What about him?"

"What would you say about working with me? With him?"

I cocked my head at her. "What's the catch?"

She smiled at me. "Why do you think there's a catch?"

"Because I know you, and you don't do things unless it benefits you in the long run."

Tasha smiled at me. "This is why I've always liked you. And why you're the best option."

I nodded and took a drink of my coffee, waiting for her to elaborate. She looked at her watch and then looked at me.

"Look, Dimitri is a really private guy, which means he isn't too interested in the idea of getting involved with someone. Concerns about them not wanting him for the right reasons. He got burned pretty hard a few years back. His label is getting on his case about not portraying the right image they want. Which is where you would come in."

"I'm not an escort."

"Oh, God no. But if you pretended to be his girlfriend, it will make the label happy, it will make me happy that they're leaving him alone. I know that you won't cause him issues. And while he may not agree with me, you are exactly his type, and you two have very similar personalities. You would get paid, very well," she explained. I scratched my neck and furrowed my brows.

"I'm still waiting for the catch."

Tasha smiled at me and then glanced at her watch. "Look, there's no other catch. Be a fake girlfriend, go to some cool events, get to hang out with a star and get paid. I have to run, I slipped over here on a break. But think about it," she said and slid a business card across the table to me. "I wouldn't ask just anybody to do this. I'm asking because I think you could do some real good here despite being in a bad spot."

I took it and watched her leave, my head spinning at all the information.

I still couldn't believe that I was doing this, but here I was, sitting in Tasha's living room. I silently hoped that I dressed okay, but I figured casual was better than overdoing it. After a few minutes, I heard Tasha's voice flow down the hall, a man's voice speaking quietly in response. As they came into the living room I wasn't sure what to do and stood up. Tasha smiled at me and then at Dimitri.

"Dimitri, this is Rose Hathaway," she introduced us. I smiled at him and awkwardly waved, not sure why I was so nervous.

"Hi," I said.

"Tash, what is this?" Dimitri asked tiredly. Seeing him in jeans, a t-shirt and a long leather jacket made him look less like a billboard star and more like a regular person, which was comforting.

"This is how we get your label off your back about getting a girlfriend."

"By hiring a prostitute?" he asked and I raised my brows.

"I am not a prostitute," I snapped, "Tasha!"

She raised her hands and looked nervous. "Okay. She is simply hired on to appear as your girlfriend, but in reality, she's someone that you can talk to, and be yourself with. I've known Rose since she was young, and she respects privacy. Plus, I think she may even be able to help you with your writer's block."

Dimitri breathed heavily through his nose. "I do not have writer's block!" he grumbled.

I smirked. I could see where Tasha saw that we were similar. I had a feeling that we were either going to but heads horribly, or it would be a wonderful fake relationship.

Tasha said something to Dimitri quietly before excusing herself to make coffee. I watched her leave and sat back down, gesturing for him to do the same. He looked hesitant before sitting down on the other couch.

"So you're a singer?" I said and then winced at how stupid it sounded. Dimitri chuckled and I got a glimpse of a smile. He really did have a nice smile.

"I am. And you're a writer?" he assumed.

"I have a degree in creative writing, but it hasn't taken me anywhere yet," I said with a nod of my head. We both sat in silence for a moment before something popped into my head and I voiced the question.

"That new song you've been teasing, is it directed towards the Catholic church?" I asked. Dimitri looked at me carefully for a moment.

"You figured that out from three ten-second clips?" he asked.

I shrugged. "It was just the theme and the way you described things that made me think that. Am I completely off?"

"No, you're almost dead on. It's both about the homophobia linked to the church, but about loving someone so much that they make you see things clearly."

I smiled to myself and nodded in slight victory.

"How do you know Tasha?" he asked.

"Her brother is dating my best friend. And her brother and I spent a lot of time together in detention, usually because we were trying to outdo the other," I chuckled, "But I have to admit, he's not a completely terrible guy. And he can cook, so I don't starve on Thursday nights."

Dimitri gave me a crooked smile. "Christian is a good kid."

"Hey, we aren't kids," I retorted. Dimitri rolled his eyes at me. I glanced behind him and I saw a sway of Tasha's hair. She was waiting for us to agree to whatever deal we had.

"You know that I'm not being paid to have sex with you? That my terms simply state being seen with you, attending events with you?" I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

Dimitri smiled at me. "I am well aware of the terms, Ms. Hathaway."

I nodded and bit my lip, glancing out the window at the skyline.

"Ms. Hathaway-"

"Rose. I think that it would be best if you got used to calling me Rose," I corrected with a small smile.

"Rose," Dimitri corrected, "Why are you doing this? I assume you have a reason, and frankly, it is none of my business, but I'm simply curious."

I nodded. "My biological mom died about five months ago. And when she died, I discovered she took out credit cards and loans in my name," I said clearing my throat, "So now I'm stuck with them, even though they aren't technically mine. And I had to quit my job because my boss was a complete and utter perve."

"How many? Debts, I mean?"

"She has wracked up the equivalent of seventy-five thousand dollars," I said with a shake of m head. "I explained to the credit card companies what happened, but because all the information to verify my identity is the exact same, and they've been open for so long, it's causing issues. It also means that my credit is trash."

"Even though you can prove that it wasn't you making the purchases?"

I nodded. "There is a possibility I'll be on the hook because I never reported it because she had all the statements mailed to her place. It's been giving me quite the anxiety. So now, I'm essentially a sugar baby, minus the sex."

Dimitri didn't seem familiar with the term and I laughed.

"I think I've missed something," he said and I shrugged.

"It's fine," I said, "Anything that I need to be aware of?"

"You will become popular very quickly. I suggest making your social media private, or opening a separate one if you want other people to see it. I've spent most of my career alone, and with my label getting on my case about being single, the paparazzi are going to eat this up," Dimitri explained and looked almost ashamed, "And I am going to apologize in advance for all of that."

I nodded. "I figured there would be some publicity with this," I said with a shrug. Dimitri nodded and ran his hand through his hair.

"So I'll be a glorified groupie?"

Dimitri grimaced at the word. "I'd like to think of you as someone that isn't expecting something out of me every time I'm seen in public with you. I mean, yes I am paying you, but I know your reasoning up front. No smoke and mirrors, no games. We both know the situation in front of us."

"Anything I need to know? About you, I mean?" I asked.

Dimitri got more comfortable and rested his ankle on his knee. "Not anything I can think of off the top of my head. But I figured for the first few weeks, we can spend time getting to know each other. Eventually, I will start introducing you into my life publicly," he explained.

I nodded. "Great. So when does this start?"

Tasha came around the corner with mugs in her hands, setting them on the table with a clearing of her throat.

"As soon as possible."

I tapped my fingers against the table. Tasha said that she wanted to meet with me about the details of working with Dimitri and offered to meet me here. Except, she was ten minutes late. I frowned and picked at the chipped nail polish on my thumb with a sigh.

I sipped my latte and blew a breath from my lips, sipping up my sweater. It was surprisingly cold in here despite how hot it was outside. And I knew that it was mostly humidity because my hair was almost untamable today. A trait I got from my mother.

I jumped when a man sat down in front of me. He had a baseball cap on, jeans, a t-shirt, sunglasses and a leather jacket.

"Um, I'm waiting for someone," I said.

"You're waiting for me, I got lost," he said and I recognized his voice. Dimitri took off his sunglasses and set them on the table and smiled at me.

"I thought I was meeting Tasha," I said but he shook his head.

"I asked her if I could do this. I want to make the contract the way it works best for both of us, not simply to appease my label. If we do this, we need to agree on all aspects," he said and set the folder on the table that I didn't notice in his hands.

He gestured to my cup and I nodded. I would need a refill soon. He glanced at the side of it before he stood up and walked to the counter. I ran my hands through my hair and groaned quietly. I was hoping that the café would stay as quiet as it is for the time we were here. All we needed was for someone to walk in and screw everything up.

He came back and set the cups on the table, taking the lid off his and taking a sip. It was such an odd thing to do.

"You drink your coffee like an old man," I chuckled and he grinned at me.

"Ivan tells me that all the time," Dimitri said with a chuckle.

"Ivan?"

"My best friend, he's also my brand manager," Dimitri explained.

"Brand manager?" I asked.

"Essentially, he is the one who helps do all the marketing for me as a product. How to maximize sales, make sure people get paid, make sure I get paid. In the eyes of the label, I am a product to be sold. So Ivan makes sure I make money and helps with advertising and such. I don't understand much of it, but Ivan is very good at it," Dimitri explained as he took another sip of his coffee.

I nodded and took the last drink from my first latte and crossed my arms comfortably over my chest.

"So how is this going to work?"

Dimitri opened the folder and pulled out a few pages, setting them in front of me.

"This is a breakdown of the tasks you're expected to do as my partner. Most of it is appearance things; touring, public events, being seen out in public on our own, the such. There are things I want to go over, comfort level and such. I want this to be as comfortable as possible for both of us."

I nodded and looked over the list, making a mental note of a few things.

"So when you go on tour, I'd accompany you?"

"Yes. Expenses will be covered. This is essentially a job, and with it comes a lot of perks and compensations. But there is a level of confidentiality I require from you."

"Like things about your life and your music that hasn't been released?" I offered.

"Exactly. Once you experience the first few outings you'll understand what can and cannot be said about me, or even about you. And before we go forward, is there anything about you or your past that could cause alarm?"

I bit the inside of my lip as I really thought it over.

"Not really. I was in the foster system for a while. I've had some exes but most were amicable splits, and other than my mom wracking up credit debt in my name, I can't think of anything that would cause any red flags," I explained.

"And I believe Tasha mentioned that you have a degree?"

I nodded. "Creative Writing, which I guess is why Tasha thought I would be of help."

Dimitri nodded and jotted down a note on the inside of the file and then took another drink of his coffee.

Dimitri explained that some things would be provided to me as loans. Things like clothes, jewelry and such. It was the same for him, designers wanted to use celebrities to market their brand. He explained that he would set up the right avenues for this.

"What kind of risks am I looking at with this? I mean, you're a popular guy."

"I myself don't usually carry security on day to day basis, however, if you become a highly sought figure, we will look into hiring someone to tail you when you are out and about. When we go to events, we have Stanley who comes with us. He doesn't look like much, but he's got a sharp eye. When we have time, I would like to work with you on basic defence techniques, for my own sake of mind."

"Techniques like what?"

"Defensive mostly, how to get out of someone's grip, things along those lines," he said and I nodded, crossing my legs.

"What is this?" I asked, pointing to one of the events listed on the list.

"Oh, you don't need to go to those unless requested. It's pretty much photoshoots and such. Some places may ask for you to be in shoots, but most won't," he said and crossed it out on the papers and then initialled. I took the pen and initialled it too.

"Now, something that I want to discuss with public affection. Going into this, I know that Tasha has explained why I'm not big on dating," he said and I blushed.

"Tasha told me about Greta, and then promptly told me not to tell you that I knew, but I figured if you knew I knew, it would make things less awkward," I said as I ran my hand through my hair.

Dimitri nodded. "Thank you for admitting that you know. Yes, I was taken advantage of and it really affected my career."

I rested my elbows on the table and leaned toward him.

"For public display of affection, I don't have any issues. It's almost going to be expected to be seen, and I know that you aren't going to be a child about it and manhandle me. I know from the slight sloothing I did last night, that you respect women a lot because you were raised by them. I think you even stated in an interview that you want to treat every woman the way you'd expect your sisters to be treated. It's a good philosophy," I explained gently, "Just don't shove your tongue down my throat every time you kiss me."

Dimitri sputtered a laugh, making me laugh too as he wiped the coffee that came out of his nose off his face. I grinned at him as he wrote a note on the file, and I laughed when I read it.

Quirky and funny. The press will eat her up.

"Do you have any tattoos?" he asked.

"Is that going to be a deal breaker?"

"No, but that is something that I would be asked, and if I don't know about them, it would make things look bad," he said, "Not that I'm opposed to them," he added quickly.

"No, but I do have a scar on the left side of my abdomen, just below my ribs. And another on the right side where my appendix was," I explained.

"How did the other one happen?"

I bit my lip and sniffed, glancing away for a moment. I didn't like thinking about it, or even talking about it.

"Car accident when I was sixteen."

"I'm sorry. I can see it's a touchy subject," Dimitri said softly. I absently scratched my neck and nodded.

"It's fine," I whispered, "How about you? Tattoos or scars I need to know about," I chirped.

"Just the tattoo on my neck and a few little scars. But I haven't disclosed the stories behind any of them before."

I never had noticed a tattoo on the back of his neck before. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and toyed with it before turning it to me. The tattoos were strange, but I didn't question them. Five little Xs on the back of his neck, each piece looking like a bolt of lightning.

"Can I ask what they mean?"

Dimitri smirked at me. "I knew you'd ask. And you'll probably be the only person I ever tell the answer to aside from my family. They represent the sparks of light in my heart. My mother, my grandmother, and my three sisters," he explained, a fond look on his face.

I smiled at him, happy to see so much fondness in his eyes. Everything I had seen about him in the eyes of the media was that aside from fan interactions, he was generally a very stoic and private man. I could understand why his label would want to push for him to seem more approachable.

I cleared my throat. "So aside from you drinking your coffee like an old man, what is something I should know?"

Dimitri laughed and shook his head. "Um. I love cheese, but I'm lactose intolerant so I'm not supposed to eat a lot of it."

I snorted a laugh. "Then I guess we will both suffer together. I am also intolerant."

Dimitri grinned. "What's your favourite movie?"

I twirled a strand of my hair over my finger. "You'll laugh."

"I promise I won't," he said with a laugh.

"The Green Mile. I had to read the book in high school and then I watched the movie one night with my foster mom. I sobbed like a baby and now I watch it when I can't sleep. There is something about Tom Hank's voice that is soothing," I said with a quirk of my lips.

"You don't strike me as the reading type."

"I'm not," I laughed, "But I like to write."

"Tasha mentioned you wrote a thing in university that was published?"

I waved my hand. "It was just an assignment that the professor wanted to post in the school paper. It's nothing big."

Dimitri raised a brow and picked up his phone and smiled at me.

"I'm pulling funny faces in the mirror, wiping down the glass so I see clearer. I'm trying to feel safe inside. My body doesn't feel like mine. I look at who I am. I think I fear her," he said, "You titled it 'The Mirror'."

I nodded and he looked at his phone again. "I think it's for the best if I should open up my chest and mail the contents to your hotel room to wake you while you rest."

I blushed and looked at my coffee. So many of my poetry assignments amazed my professors that they asked for my permission to showcase them. I hadn't gone to a wildly popular school, and the fact that Dimitri had found them and had read them, I felt unsure about myself.

It was a strange feeling that someone who was somebody had read it.

"What do you think?" I asked quietly.

Dimitri set his phone down and smile. "I think you deserve more credit than you're given."

I smiled and scoffed a laugh. "Really?"

There was a momentary look of shock on his face. "Tasha told me that you had a really hard upbringing, and I don't think that you have told this enough, so I'm going to say it. You are very talented and do not give yourself enough credit. So when I say, that you wrote something that has a lot more meaning beyond the surface level, and I can see it, you've done an amazing piece."

I smiled at him again. "Thank you," I whispered.

"So, anything else I should know about you?" I asked.

The café was nice, but it didn't seem to help either of us relax enough to get to the good stuff, the stuff that we actually did need to know about each other in order to function well together.

Ivan's idea was dinner, and Lissa's idea was to get drunk. So we did both.

I slammed the shot glass down on the table and giggled.

"Wait, you became a signer by accident."

Dimitri nodded and ate a few fries. "Yes, very long story. Anyways, serious question now," he said. I laughed at him because I knew that this was not going to be a serious question.

"Popcorn toppings, and don't say white cheddar," he said as he sipped his beer.

"Salt and pepper, obviously," I said with a roll of my eyes, "And lots of butter."

"Good answer," he said and flagged our waiter, gesturing to our shot glasses. When we sat down, it was clear that our waiter recognized him and Dimitri murmured that if he caused a problem we'd leave, but we were fortunate that our waiter respected that we were here as customers.

"So, think we have enough info for our personal archives?" I asked, holding back the burp that was trying to creep its way up my throat.

Dimitri nodded as he continued to eat. I dipped my deep-fried pickle chips in ranch and sighed.

"Kay, good, but I'm not sober enough to answer any more questions," I said and smiled as my burger came to the table.

"I can't believe you ordered that," Dimitri said and I rolled my eyes.

"A peanut butter and siracha burger is amazing. Don't knock it until you try it," I said and took a large bit, moaning in appreciation.

Dimitri shook his head and took a bite of his burger and laughed.

"You have peanut butter all over your face," Dimitri laughed and reached over the table, wiping my cheek with a napkin. I rolled my eyes at him and licked the side of my hand as the peanut butter ran down the side of my hand.

"That is a mess," Dimitri said and I made a face at him but continued to eat. I ate my burger by the time Dimitri ate half of his burger. I wiped my mouth and sighed happily.

"Your appetite is terrifying," Dimitri mused and I smiled at him.

"You'll love it," I laughed and he shrugged. Dimitri finished his burger and stole the last pickle off my plate.

I glared at him playfully but let it slide.

"I think I'm going to be hurting in the morning," I said.

"You didn't eat any dairy," Dimitri said.

"Yeah, but I definitely drank you under the table," I slurred, "Tequila and I are not friends. Gin, on the other hand, we're like this," I said and crossed my fingers together. Dimitri shook his head and got the bill from the waiter as I came by. I reach for my wallet but Dimitri shook his head.

"My treat," he said and I raised my brows at him. He laughed and winked at me.

"Mostly because I'm worried that you drank enough that you might confuse the bills," he said and I snorted a laugh.

"Jerk," I muttered. He left our waiter a good tip and ordered an Uber.

"What's your address?"

"Didn't I say something about not being paid for sex?"

Dimitri rolled his eyes. "So I can make sure you get home okay," Dimitri said exasperatedly. I smirked and told him, leaning against the wall outside as we waited. As the day moved to night, the air had cooled considerably. The air was cold against my arms and I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself.

Dimitri took off his jacket and offered it to me. I slipped it on and pulled it closed around me, swaying into him as I lost my balance. The sway knocked Dimitri off balance too and we both stumbled, laughing as we tried to straighten ourselves up.

I noticed a few people were watching us from across the road, but I didn't care. Tonight was the first time in a while that I had fun. Once the Uber arrived, we piled in and started the drive. I blinked a few times as we drove, the alcohol starting to settle into my veins. I rested my head against the window and sighed tiredly.

"We're here," Dimitri said softly. I jolted away from the window, blinking a few times.

"I think I dozed off," I said.

Dimitri smiled and told the driver to wait for a moment and walked me up to my apartment. I pulled my keys out of my pocket and rubbed my face before unlocking the door.

"I had a good time today. I'm guessing it'll be the first of many," I said with a tired smile. Dimitri nodded with a smile.

"I did too. Good night, Rose. Sleep well and drink some water before you go to bed," he said tucking a strand of hair behind my ear that I had been fighting the walk up to my door. I smiled at the gesture.

"Good night," I said. Dimitri pressed a quick kiss to my cheek.

"Figured I try it out before we're seen in public together," he said with a wink, "Your perfume smells good."

I laughed and stepped into my apartment.

"Lock your door," Dimitri called out and I turned the lock with a grin. After that, I went in search of a glass of water and comfortable pyjamas.

Just something I've been kicking around with.

Take Me to Church – Hozier.

The Mirror – I Would Leave Me If I Could by Halsey

Telltale – I Would Leave Me If I Could by Halsey