Strut the Mall by Annelise Amore

They say fake it ‘til you make it, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

My life is an aesthetic dream: designer clothes, my own apartment, and a hot boyfriend who shares my passion for modeling. The reality is I’m stuck wearing a neon green tee at Fancee’s for discount shoes, my boyfriend is a lying mooch, and people are only willing to pay for pictures of my feet, not my face. The quarterback from high school, Zack, doesn’t even recognize me when he comes in. Well, I’m not being passed over again. On New Year’s Eve, I make a resolution to do what’s best for me, even if that means dumping my ex, throwing fruit at his sugar mommy, and getting hauled out of the bar by the bouncer, who happens to be Zack. At least now he’ll remember me. He even offers me a ride home and a warm meal. But that meathead doesn’t want my midnight kiss. He’s more interested in a job recommendation for Fancee’s warehouse. Fine, whatever, have some health insurance.

When my ex starts hounding me at the mall for a second chance, Zack steps in, and for some stupid reason, I claim he’s my new boyfriend. The solid wall of muscle should keep my ex at bay. But Zack wants to continue the ruse through Valentine’s Day to get his family off his back about getting a girlfriend.

Faking it for the cameras is easy. Faking it for his loving family proves a little more complicated. Plus, we work together in more ways than one. But he’s a straight-laced guy, and I sell pictures of my feet. Still, part of me believes if I can finally strut my true self in front of him, I might snag the priceless kind of love/life I’ve been faking for so long.