A Billionaire for Christmas

A crazy plan

*Theo*

As I stand in front of the mirror, adjusting my tie, I can't help but chuckle at the irony of it all. After all the subtle and sometimes not so subtle attempts to cross paths with Sawyer again, life had its own plans, placing us on the same cruise ship purely by coincidence.

After the day at the podcast studio I’ve been intrigued by the possibility of reconnecting, and each time I've managed to find myself in the same place as her, she’s been swept away by her commitments. Yet, here we are, both escaping to the Caribbean for the holidays.

I run a hand through my hair, reflecting on our chance meeting in the corridor. At least she had not seemed hostile. This cruise might just be that opportunity for us to finally untangle the knots of our past, maybe even see if I am the only one still feeling the sparks.

With a final nod to my reflection, I grab my jacket and head out to meet my mom. She’s been eagerly anticipating this trip, and I want to make sure she enjoys every moment of it, after all she has always been there supporting me.

As I approach her room, I hear her voice, light-hearted and cheerful, singing to herself, and I can’t help but smile.

"Ah, Theo! Just in time," she greets me with a smile as I step inside. "I have been looking forward to telling you about the lovely young women I met on the sun deck. Such delightful company."

I laugh, shaking my head. "Mom, you know I have a girlfriend," I remind her, offering a playful wink to ease the conversation away from matchmaking. “I am not here to meet women.”

She raises an eyebrow, a skeptical smile playing on her lips. "Yes, yes, the mysterious girlfriend who seems to work on the holiday. I’m starting to wonder if she’s real."

I roll my eyes good-naturedly, knowing my little white lie about having a girlfriend has been my shield against her endless matchmaking attempts. "She’s real, I promise. Just dedicated to her work."

Mom gives me a knowing look, but she doesn’t press further. Instead, she links her arm with mine, ready for dinner. "Well, real or not, I just want you to be happy, Theo. She should be more dedicated to you than her work, at least for Christmas."

As we stroll down the hallway, arm in arm, a sudden realization hits me… my mom is going to see every young, single woman on this cruise as potential match material for me, my make believe MIA girlfriend won’t hold her back. Panic flares up in my chest as I imagine the awkward conversations and her relentless attempts to ‘introduce’ me to someone.

In a moment of desperation, I blurt out, "Actually, Mom, she is on this cruise. It was supposed to be a surprise."

Mom stops in her tracks, eyes wide with delight. "Really? Oh, Theo, that's wonderful! Where is she, then?"

I scramble to maintain the charade, thinking fast. "She's just finishing up a business call in her room. How about you head to the restaurant and grab us a table? I'll go fetch her."

She raises an eyebrow but nods, clearly excited. "Of course, I can manage on my own. I'm not senile yet, you know," she teases, patting my arm.

I lean in to kiss her cheek. "Thanks, Mom. I'll be right back with her."

As soon as she's out of sight, I hurry down the corridor to Sawyer’s cabin, my heart racing. I knock softly, hoping she’s inside and that she’ll find some mercy for the mess I’ve just created.

When the door opens, Sawyer stands there, surprise etched on her face. "Theo? What’s going on?"

I take a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. "Sawyer, I know this is… weird, but I badly need a favor”.

“Okay,” she says. "What favor would that be?”

“Could you maybe like… pretend… just pretend, not for real, just when my mom is there I mean..” I am desperately trying to find the words.

She holds up a hand, “Theo, you are rambling… pretend what?”

“That you are my very busy girlfriend?” I give her what I know is a very sheepish smile.

“What?” She looks at me like I am crazy.

I sigh, “My mom is convinced I have a girlfriend, and I kind of told her that she is here with me… as a surprise."

“And why would your mom be convinced of that?” She asks. “Cause the way you say it makes me convinced there are in reality no girlfriend.”

I shake my head, “my mom very badly wants me to settle, and make her a grandmother and all that… she keeps introducing me to woman, and setting up blind dates for me.”

“I can see how that can be stressful,” she says.

“She means well,” I say. “But let's just say… my mother’s taste in women doesn’t really align with mine.”

She looks thoughtful for a moment, “to be honest Theo, I am not sure I would be able to… you know having to remember to be someone else, reacting to another name and such, probably she would see right through me.”

“Well…” I kinda shuffle my feet, knowing I very much look like a naughty kid. “I kinda used your name and such, so you basically just have to be yourself… and only pretend to like me.”

Her eyes widen in disbelief. "You did what?"

"I panicked!" I admit, running a hand through my hair. "She’s determined to set me up with someone on this cruise, and I didn’t know what else to say. Can you please help me out? I will make it worth your vile of course.”

“How?” She tilts her head slightly.

I know offering to pay her would offend her, it would also feel weird for me to be honest. “I would of course pay all expenses when you are with me and I have read that you are considering doing a podcast, I can get you a studio, so an exchange of favors.”

Sawyer looks at me, amusement and exasperation battling on her face. I hold my breath, hoping she’ll agree to this crazy plan. It would save my ass but also allow me to spend time with her.