Faking it Till They Make It

The first "romantic" dinner ended up being horrible in a carefully directed orchestration of awkward silences and gales of laughter. Ethan, bless his ambitious head, had managed to book them a table in a Michelin-star restaurant, greeted by a sommelier who seemed more interested in judging their wine choices than in assisting them.

On that score, Ava, having her feet firmly planted on the ground, imagined something more down-to-earth: a quiet Italian trattoria serving great pasta, with even better conversation. Instead, they found themselves in an overpriced, white tablecloth prison, walking the fine line of faking love while toiling through the complexities of a seven-course tasting menu. The rare conversations consisted almost exclusively of forced compliments on the food and artfully constructed anecdotes about themselves as an "item." The second try was easier.

Armed with all the lessons from their first foray into culinary theatrics, they decided on a little bistro with a few good conversations. Their voices could barely reach anywhere above the cacophony of a bevy of eclectic conversations during the sharing of a casual meal in a relaxed lounge setting that roped some virtue back into their communication. This time, the conversation was freer, meandering through common interests, shared experiences, and even some well-placed vulnerabilities. The flickering candlelight and one surprisingly good bottle of Merlot finally helped bring down their artificial walls just a notch.

Usually a master of keeping his cool, Ethan found himself transfixed by the laugh of Ava-a real laugh that struck him only now, and one he was quite addicted to. Ava herself was surprised by that side of Ethan when he waxed candid about his mix of promising ambition with a touch of insecurity and a marked incapacity to express a scintilla of those hapless ambitions in vivid detail concerning himself, so typical of his character as she had found in boardrooms.

They shared more than a few moments-almost as if waiting for a train, sharing real-life stories far removed from the polished ones that most people tell family members to impress them-a story or two about their lives, hopes, and fears. There was laughter and comfortable silences, with fingers brushing as they reached for the same bread basket! It was amidst these seemingly innocent happenings that the boundary between their invented relationship and real feelings began to crumble. Some pizza and a bad movie were no Michelin-star affair, they would be at Ava's Apartment for their third date.

The setting was distinctly incredulous from their prior staged dinners. Pizza was eaten from just before the evening really began, sliced from its box as they sprawled on the sofa to watch a bad movie. The very act of just being themselves together in front of each other with all dignity cast aside was the greatest revelation of all. For hours they talked about everything under the sun and yet nothing at all, from light-hearted reminiscing to gut-wrenching confessions.

This time around told them no lines needed rehearsing, nor no need to pretend they were on stage. Two people out at dinner! The comfortable intimacy that would soon follow was to fade a little, especially about these romantic dinners. By trying out offbeat cuisines and arrangements, each date felt less of a well-rehearsed trip and more of a genuine cozy-time together. They bonded over favorite things: old black-and-white films and obscure historical events. There were mutual vulnerabilities, the insecurities of one touched upon, their dreams aired out.

The pairing giggled in embarrassment over an expressed fondness for cheesy reality television, among other admissions. Suddenly, they found themselves, on one memorable occasion, cooking together - a complete bombsite! Ethan, with that typically polished exterior, proved to be a terrible cook, utterly disaster-bound.

In the kitchen, Ava, usually the personification of neatness, expression, and orderliness, couldn't help but burst into laughter when she saw flour dusting his hair, and pasta sauce had found its way onto his shirt. Not the perfect romantic dinner, but certainly real, just two people finding a real connection through chaos and laughter. Clumsy moments, shared aggravation, and finally the victorious-if-burnt meal created an unbreakable bond stronger than any errant romantic play could. Their staged dinners could no longer be the same as their relationship dynamics.

The sham would develop into a more profound deception. Now, with each meal, they created a connection when their projected personas melted, and each exposed the real person to the other. They found intertwined vulnerabilities, shared appreciation for good moments of silence, and comfort in each other's presence beyond just the pretense they began with. But the pressure to maintain their charade was an added layer. The trick was to make sure that the real connection felt natural while at the same keeping something convincing in front of their families. The slight intensity from having to maintain their facade constituted a peculiar intimacy of its own - a secret that increased the bond between the two. Their thrill of the deception would give their bond a strange yet intoxicating charge.

Hence, there were their new buzzwords, jokes that echoed with inside meanings, and fading cues - their little language devised out of their shared charade. This weight of deceit also became a burden. The very fear of being exposed and the consequences of it added a constant tension to their fledgling relationship. They were aware that their smokescreen would come crashing down any moment. And every gesture and every whisper had a weight to it:

The risks that bore with conversation were as great as revealing their secret. The families were sharp, keen in their observations, and so it lived constantly in the air of dread that someone would unravel their painstakingly woven tapestry of lies. The relentless pressures produced a peculiar intimacy. The strange bond that lay between their shared secret, exposed during the secret dealings, should have added weight to maintain their union with the burden of their deception.

Strangely, the more they worked on appearing intimate, the more real feelings became. Every successfully staged dinner, every perfectly polished Instagram post, they all began to feel like more steps into something real. But could real feelings handle family scrutiny or the fallout from this carefully considered charade? Would the masquerade endure, or would it unravel and expose the truth behind the improbable romantic dinners? They both knew that was very much up in the air. Each shared glance, each stolen moment, held within it the promise of happiness so grand that heartbreak was rendered mundane by contrast. Their budding "fake" relationship turned increasingly real-exhibiting a fine blend of performance and authenticity.

A strange transition was taking place, from awkwardness in their early staged dates to one of comfort between two who had transcended performance to find genuine connection. Since this was no longer for appearances, they engaged in one another's company for the simple joy of it all. On a simple night, a dinner of pasta and salad lent itself to a discussion about the future. It was tentative, laced with every unspoken fear and kindness. They talked about their ambitions, their dreams, and how those dreams intertwined with their newfound feelings towards one another other It was a tender, raw moment that confirmed their situation was by no means simple. Add that carefree ambiance, the medium-type food, and the quiet aura of their talk – combined, all made for an incredibly intimate moment.

What next, the almost unvoiced question that hung in the air? At first, the charade had merely appeared as a means for solving a mishap, though it was always intended as a fix to quell the families' dissatisfaction. But now, their emotions had staged a mutiny against the order of dependence and taken to their own marching mode. It was now real emotions, real ties. And hence the stakes could not have been raised higher at such point in time. Their ruse had grown more complicated than they had imagined, one that could be classified as exciting yet terrifying at the same time. In the next round of "romantic" dinners, they swung back and forth during the time.

There happened the pure joy, and genuine, laughing times, always shared in togetherness. But there were also agonizing times for doubt, whispered fears, and ceaseless dread of discovery. Each passing day added a little more weight to their deception, and stuck in the constant dilemma of the growing thoughts between them, it only served to build an increasing wall over their budding attachment to break. They continued along the agonizing, precarious line of their ruse, trying hard to balance actualizing the deception and contending with uncrushable hearts.

Every dinner felt like every secret meeting was a balancing act where one mistake falls them to the ground shattering their very beings. But it was worth the risk, considering what goodness lay at the end of the trial. For within their handcrafted charade, they found truth in each other, a truth good enough to fight over. But could they, find enough courage to balance the risky dance with this apparent heart-bond of pretend? They found the answer not only within dating plans on diners, but in the courage to face the truth, and the willingness to risk everything for a love that had blossomed unexpectedly in the most unlikely of circumstances.