"Life in the Spotlight"

As the days went by, Lulu found herself getting more and more comfortable in her fake role as Grayson's girlfriend. She had even started to enjoy the perks that came with it, like the way her coworkers looked up to her with a newfound respect, and the way Grayson treated her like a queen. But with the benefits came the drawbacks. Like when Grayson's assistant, Emily, called her to discuss the upcoming social calendar. Lulu had been dreading this moment, knowing that as Grayson's girlfriend, she would be expected to attend various events and functions. "Okay, so I have the details for the upcoming gala," Emily said, her voice cheerful. "It's going to be a black-tie event, and Grayson would like you to be his plus-one." Lulu's heart sank. A gala? She had never been to anything like that before. She didn't know how to dance, or what to wear, or how to behave in front of all those people. She felt like she was going to be sick. "Uh, okay," she stammered. "When is it?" "It's next Saturday," Emily replied. "Grayson will be sending you the details, but I just wanted to give you a heads up. You'll need to make sure you have a dress and everything." Lulu felt like she was in way over her head. She had been pretending to be Grayson's girlfriend for a few weeks now, but this was taking it to a whole new level. She didn't know if she was ready for this. As she hung up the phone, Lulu couldn't help but feel a sense of panic. What was she going to do? She couldn't just go to a gala with Grayson and pretend to be his girlfriend all night. That would be disaster. She decided to call Grayson and confront him about it. "Hey, I just got a call from your assistant," she said, trying to sound calm. "She said I have to go to a gala with you next Saturday." Grayson chuckled on the other end of the line. "That's right," he said. "You'll be my date. I'll make sure to send you the details, but trust me, you'll be fine. Just be yourself, and people will love you." Lulu wasn't so sure. She had a feeling that being herself wasn't going to be enough. She was going to have to put on a show, and she wasn't sure she was ready for that. As she waited for Grayson to send her the details, Lulu couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation. She was in way over her head, and she wasn't sure how she was going to get out of it. The rest of the day flew by in a blur as Lulu tried to focus on her work. But her mind kept wandering back to the gala and what she was going to wear, and how she was going to behave, and what she was going to say to all those people. She felt like she was trapped in a nightmare, and she didn't know how to wake up.