Which is why I’m surprised by how nervous I am.
I’ve negotiated many contracts in rooms like this. I’ve sat across from CEOs who could buy and sell small countries. And yet I’ve never felt my palms sweat or had to consciously control my breathing before a business meal.
But then again, I’ve never had this much riding on a performance before.
“You okay?” Freya’s voice is soft beside me as we follow the hostess to our table. Freya is wearing a simple black dress, herred hair swept up in a way that shows off the delicate line of her neck, the engagement ring sparkling on her finger. She appears every inch the sophisticated fiancée of a successful businessman.
She also appears nervous, which is oddly comforting.
“I’m fine,” I lie, adjusting my tie for the third time in five minutes.
“Ben.” She stops walking and turns to face me, forcing me to stop too. The hostess continues ahead, clearly expecting us to follow when we’re ready. “You’re not fine. You’re doing that thing where you get all rigid and scary.”
“I don’t get rigid and scary.”
“You absolutely get rigid and scary. Chill out, okay? Think of it this way… Red and Marnie aren’t your employees; they’re potential friends. You need to relax.”
She’s right, of course. I can sense the familiar armor sliding into place, the same emotional walls I put up whenever I feel out of control. In business, that armor serves me well. It makes me appear calm and authoritative even when deals are falling apart around me.
But this is a different kind of enterprise, the kind of situation that I’ve never encountered before. This is about convincing two strangers that Freya and I are in love, which requires me to be vulnerable in a way I’ve spent years avoiding.
“How am I supposed to relax when everything depends on tonight going perfectly?” I ask.
“Hey.” She reaches out and straightens my tie, her fingers gentle against my chest. The touch is meant to be reassuring, but it sends electricity through my entire nervous system. “It’s goingto be fine. We don’t have topretendto be comfortable with each other. Wearecomfortable with each other.”
She’s right again. Despite all my anxiety about tonight, being with Freya is the most natural thing in the world. It’s everything else, the lying, the performance, the knowledge that my entire professional future might depend on how convincing we are, that has me tied in knots.
“Besides,” she continues with a small smile. “What’s the worst that could happen? They figure out we’re faking it? You lose one contract. You’ll make ten more.”
I want to tell her it’s not that simple. That this isn’t simply one business deal. It’s the agreement that could establish SkyNova as a major national player. Losing it wouldn’t just be a setback; it would be a public failure that could damage my reputation for years.
But observing her face, I realize she already understands all of that. She’s trying to give me perspective, to remind me that there are more important things than commercial success.
Like friendship. Like the person standing in front of me, who agreed to this insane plan because I asked her to.
“You’re right,” I respond, and I’m surprised to find that I actually mean it. “It’s going to be fine.”
“There’s my fake fiancé.” She grins and slides her hand into mine, the gesture so natural it takes me a moment to remember it’s part of the performance. “Now come on. Let’s go charm the pants off these people.”
Red and Marnie Dawson are already seated when we reach our table, and they both stand to greet us. Red appears exactly likehe did in Texas, weathered, no-nonsense, the kind of individual who’s spent his life working with his hands. Marnie is dressed up, wearing a pearl necklace and big earrings, with silver hair and bright blue eyes that miss nothing.
“Ben!” Red’s handshake is as firm as I remember. “Good to see you again, son.”
“You as well. Red, Marnie, I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Freya Hull.”
Freya steps forward with a smile that’s both genuine and radiant. “It’s so wonderful to meet you both. Ben’s mentioned so much about you.”
“It’s so good to meet you, Freya,” Marnie declares with a laugh, pulling Freya into a hug that catches both of us by surprise. Clearly, the Dawsons are huggers.
“It’s wonderful to meet you,” Freya replies, sounding completely genuine.
And maybe she is, because I get the feeling she’s having fun with this whole charade.
And just like that, the tension in my shoulders starts to ease. I did well bringing Freya. This is what she does; she makes people feel comfortable, welcomed, like they’ve known her for years instead of minutes.
We settle into our booth, Red and Marnie on one side, Freya and I on the other. The seating arrangement feels intimate, like we’re old friends catching up rather than strangers navigating a professional dinner disguised as a social occasion.
“So, Freya,” Marnie states once we’ve ordered drinks, “Ben mentions you’re an artist.”
