Temporary Boyfriend

　　1

　　On New Year's Eve, while I was absorbed in work at my computer, my mom called.

　　“Norah, are you coming home for the holidays this year?”

　　Before I could respond, I heard my brother and his son in the background.

　　“Come back soon, we miss you so much.”

　　Was it me they missed, or just my money?

　　I snorted inwardly, recalling last year’s events.

　　I hurried home with bags full of holiday treats and handed my nephew a generous cash gift as soon as we met.

　　But when I went to the bathroom, I overheard him complaining to his dad.

　　“Aunt makes so much money every year. Why does she only give me just 300 dollars?”

　　Then my brother’s response was even more shocking.

　　“Your aunt is turning 30 this year. At her age, she’ll never get married. Her money and her house will all be yours eventually.”

　　I was so enraged that I nearly lost my temper but managed to keep it in check.

　　On the second day of the New Year, I made up an excuse about working overtime, bought a plane ticket, and flew back to Harrisburg.

　　A year had flown by, and once again they were trying to lure me home, just pretending they missed me.

　　For some reason, I blurted out, “Sure, I’ll come. I actually just started dating someone and can bring him home to meet Mom, Dad, and my brother and sister-in-law.”

　　There was a stunned silence on the other end of the line.

　　After hanging up, I felt a rush of satisfaction.

　　But that soon gave way to regret and anxiety. I’ve spent 30 years without finding a boyfriend, and now, with the New Year upon us, where was I supposed to find one?

　　My motivation to finish the report vanished, and I sat at my desk, feeling utterly lost.

　　"Working late again, boss?" came a clear voice.

　　I looked up to see Zachary George standing there.

　　He just joined the company last year right after grad school and was on my team.

　　With the New Year tomorrow, most people had already left for home or vacation, so I was surprised to see him still here.

　　“Zachary? What are you still doing here? Aren’t you heading home for the holidays?”

　　He sighed. “I couldn’t snag any train or flight tickets, so I’m stuck in Harrisburg this year.”

　　Alone?

　　The thought sparked in my mind.

　　Zachary was often the subject of speculation among the women in the office.

　　With his fair skin, tall frame, and striking looks, he was quite the heartthrob, especially when he smiled.

　　He was usually reserved and diligent at work, and since he’d always been single, many people in the department had been trying to set him up with someone.

　　He might just be the perfect person to impress in front of my family.

　　“Um, Zachary, are you still single?”

　　“Yeah.”

　　I was surprised to see him blush slightly at my question.

　　After hesitating for a moment, I stammered, “Zachary, I was wondering if, um, you might be able to do me a favor. It might be a bit awkward.”

　　Normally, as the team leader, I’m all business, but now I was stumbling over my words, which caught Zachary off guard.

　　“What’s the favor? It won’t be a problem. I’ll help.”

　　Looking at his handsome, earnest face, I decided to go for it.

　　“Could you pretend to be my boyfriend and come home with me for the holidays? Don’t worry, it’s just for show, just a few days to trick my parents.”

　　A stunned silence followed.

　　Zachary was clearly shocked, just standing there, speechless.

　　I was so embarrassed that I wanted to disappear into a hole.

　　“I’m sorry if I’m being forward. Just pretend I was joking. Please don’t take it seriously, ha-ha… ha-ha…”

　　“When do we leave?”

　　My awkward laughter was cut short.

　　Before I could recover, he asked again, “When are we heading back?”