My mother was some sort of Goddess of the guilt trip.

I told her that I had to cut out on meeting her boyfriend and she's looking up at me with puppy dog eyes and is damn near in tears.

So I was standing outside my mother's house, hoping to get away with her and avoid more sad eyes that would challenge my resolve. I figured it would ultimately help her too, as she could get ready for her own date without the temptation to beg me more.

The temptation to call Case and cancel the whole thing was strong. I wanted someone to reschedule, but Case insisted that his father's schedule was packed to the brim with things, and this was the only opportunity he had for a good month.

Still.. I just didn't like standing up my own mother. I felt like a heel, a bitch, someone who was only concerned with money.

I hoped when I was able to tell her the truth about this, she would understand. It was a whole lot of money. Life-changing money. Picking between career and family was so often a rough decision in the modern day, and I was being forced to make that decision before I even had kids, or even a proper job.

Briefly, I wondered how did I even state what my job was, and what the heck do I put on my tax forms?

Case soon pulled up in his fancy black BMW. I'm sure he probably had access to a tax person to help me with all of this, and I put the concern out of my mind.

He honked his horn and I came running. I climbed into the passengers side and pretty much collapsed into the seat.

"What's eating you up?" He turned the keys and we were off and down the road. The car ride was as smooth as butter, it clashed with my mother's sedan where I could often feel every little bump on the road.

"My mother. She's not happy."

"Yeesh, no showing a family event? She'll get over it. It's what's blood is for. Maybe when I meet her I'll do my part in making her forgive you."

"What, are you going to bribe her?"

"I was thinking more of flowers, but I guess in a way everything is bribery to a degree."

"What, flowers for my mother, and no flowers for me?"

"Did you want flowers? I can get you a bouquet on the way. I wasn't sure it was appropriate given the professional nature of our agreement."

"Right. I'm a professional fake fiancée. No, I'm good, I guess it's the thought that counts though."

"Okay, no flowers. For now. Next time though, I'm not making any promises."

The ride was short, and it was to another restaurant that I honestly didn't know existed. I was surprised our town had so many options for fine dining, but after the last fancy meal I had, I wasn't about to start complaining about another one bit.

"Anything I should worry about saying around your father?"

"Like what?"

"Does he have any triggering political opinions I should avoid touching? Or maybe just something in general that'll set him off?"

"No on the former, and on the latter, I'm not really following."

"One of my friends had a father who believed Sylvester Stallone cost him his potential Hollywood career, and if you would even mention the man's name, he would go on some long rant and wouldn't shut up for hours."

"That's... actually kind of impressive."

"Yeah, so any particular delusions? Does he think Bill Gates stole his idea for Windows?"

"No. Nothing like that. My father is pretty level headed." He was silent for a moment as he turned off the car. "Bill Gates? How rich do you think I am?"

I shrugged. "Rich enough that you're damn near paying me six figures to pretend to be engaged to you?"

Really, he was rich beyond ever having to worry about money, and that was honestly enough. When you get into actual billions, you're basically running up a high score and your quality of life improves no further.

Caviar tastes the same to a millionaire and a billionaire, after all.

We stepped out of the car and approached the building. Case was holding my hand.

It felt awkward for him to be doing that. I almost snapped my grip away from him, but I stopped myself. It was all part of the fiction.

"Ah, Mr. Williams, your father is already here with his date." The waiter said, nodding and waving us through.

We walked through the restaurant, and I was immediately hit with that strange alien feeling again. There was live music playing classy chandeliers, it was way too classy than what I was used to.

How on earth would I have met a man like Case Williams in my day to day life if not for a damn Craigslist ad of all things?

I wished that was the most shocking thing about us, though.

There was much more. There was much worse.

Mom was there.

She was sitting at the table.

They seriously couldn't have booked the same restaurant, could they? Did I really need to make standing my mother up even more awkward?

"Ah, Marissa. Good to see you again."

That was Case. Case was approaching my mother and offering a handshake. Case knew my mother's first name.

My mother's eyes were fixed solidly on me.

"Oh, um.... hello, Case." She broke the glare to properly greet my fake fiancée, only for her gaze to immediately snap back to me.

"Marissa, this is Sage." He said, Case then nudged me, because I was catatonically staring at my mother.

"I know." Mom said. "I really, really know."

"Hmm? Have you two met before?" Case was absolutely oblivious to to the tension that was between my mother and I.

"Yes. I could say I've known Sage her whole life."

He stopped, and looked back and forth between us, obviously struggling to make sense of the situation that was in front of him.

An older man then walked back to the table, dusting himself off, and pausing seeing the situation. "What's going on here then?"

Case shrugged. "I... I think they've met before?"

What did I do? Did I rip off the band-aid here? Do I run away screaming?

Because running away screaming sounded really good.

I was faced with the terrifying prospect that I had just stood my mother up for dinner, choosing to instead go and have dinner with her.

"Marissa, what's going on?" The older man repeated.

"Chase has sweetly brought my daughter to dinner with him. Looks like you're going to get to meet Sage after all."

"So... what? Huh?" Case babbled. "Someone tell me what's going on here. I'm confused as my father is and I really don't like being that confused."

I was the silent one. The pressure was leaning on me to open my mouth and actually say something. "I... uhh.... Hi, Mom." That was what my brilliant self managed to spit out.

"Hi, Mom?" Case echoed. He looked at me. Then at my mother. Then repeated it a few times. "I... should have noticed the resemblance sooner."

"Uh huh," I meekly added.

"Case," the man who I presumed was Case's father said, "Is... is this the woman you're bringing me to show is your new fiancé?"

My future fake husband didn't really know what to say on the matter. His mouth was gaping open. "Um, well, uh..."

"So, Sage," my mother said, suddenly very much not pleased to see me. "You blew off meeting my fiancé so you could go to meet your boyfriend's parents?"

I nodded. "Huh. Wait, did you say fiancé?"

Old Man Williams ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, I guess that cat is out of the bag now."

Briefly, I was overjoyed for my mother. She truly did deserve to find someone who would treat her right.

My joy though was kneecapped when I started to draw connections that would soon be in place.

If my mother was marrying Case's father, then...

Slowly, I craned my head over to Case . He was suddenly experiencing a whole lot of the same doubts I was.

"Case, um, son, didn't you say you were bringing your fiancée to meet me and my woman?"

"Uh," The younger Williams replied, "Uhm, yes?"

I hadn't mentioned the f-word to mother. Just kept it at boyfriend. Now, of course, that cat had escaped the bag.

"Hello, Welcome to Santienzos!" A waiter stepped in, holding his pad. He paused and looked around at all of us and the weird shocked look that we shared.

"So," Case said, "How about you just start off with some water as we gather and discuss what we want to do for dinner?"

"Right. Sorry Sirs and Madams." He saw himself out of the situation as quickly as he had entered it.

"Why doesn't everyone take a seat then?" Case suggested, pulling out a chair for me. It was the oddest of times to be chivalrous yet there he went.

Everyone sat down.

Yet it didn't do a whole lot to lower the tensions of it all.

It was so damn awkward all of a sudden. Should I run away? Call this whole deal off?

No. I couldn't do that now. I wasn't about to throw Case under the bus with his goals in front of his father.

"So. Sage." My mother said, still trying to process this. "How long have you been seeing your fiancé, and when were you going to tell me?"

"Um... uhh... a few months," I stammered. I couldn't tell the truth that it'd been less than two weeks because then it would seem we were rushing way too fast into this whole marriage thing.

"Really. I didn't think you were seeing anyone. Never mentioned him or anything."

"Well, Mom, it wasn't like you told me you were getting married, either."

"I was about to tell you tonight, sweetie. Then you blew me off to go out with your boyfriend. Who happens to be my future step-son."

The step-bomb was finally dropped. Everyone was thinking it and no one wanted to say it.

Was it legal to marry your step-brother? It wasn't a question I ever thought I would have to consider.