My Heart Needs A Holiday

A weekend wedding in Connecticut becomes the perfect backdrop for long-buried feelings to surface when Quentin asks Eliot to be his fake date. As they navigate family gatherings, white lies, and unexpected chemistry, their pretend relationship starts to feel surprisingly real. Between champagne toasts, slow dances, and a guest room with only one bed, how long can they keep up the act before their true feelings come to light?

My Heart Needs A Holiday

A weekend wedding in Connecticut becomes the perfect backdrop for long-buried feelings to surface when Quentin asks Eliot to be his fake date. As they navigate family gatherings, white lies, and unexpected chemistry, their pretend relationship starts to feel surprisingly real. Between champagne toasts, slow dances, and a guest room with only one bed, how long can they keep up the act before their true feelings come to light?

I'm sitting on the edge of the couch in the cottage living room, watching Eliot read some ancient Sumerian text that Fogg is making him translate. The room feels too quiet for what I'm about to ask, and my heart is racing like I've just run a mile.

"Hey, quick question," I begin, my voice sounding higher than normal. "Got a sec?"

Eliot looks up, one eyebrow raised in that way he does when he knows I'm about to ask for something. He dog-ears his page and closes the book with a soft thud.

"I need....a favor," I say, the words coming out in a rush.

"Okay?" he responds, giving me his full attention.

I launch into my explanation, words tumbling over each other as I explain about the wedding, Julia being unavailable, my family's expectations, and how I really don't want to go alone. By the time I finish, I'm out of breath and staring at him anxiously, waiting for the inevitable refusal.

"My cousin is getting married and I need a date?" I finish with a guilty grimace, shrugging awkwardly. "To the wedding, I mean."

Eliot studies me for a long moment, and I can practically see the wheels turning behind his eyes. I brace myself for the laugh and the polite decline.

Instead, he leans back, considering, and asks the last question I expected: "Next Saturday, you said?"

My heart skips a beat. Maybe there's a chance.

"Yeah, the eighteenth," I say, trying to keep the hope out of my voice as I wait for his answer.