Rumors and Revelations

The next morning, Lulu walked into the office, still feeling a little more confident after her evening with Grayson's parents. As she made her way to her desk, she couldn't help but notice the curious glances from her coworkers. She tried to brush it off, thinking maybe they were just being friendly, but as she sat down at her desk, she overheard a conversation between two of her colleagues. "I saw him pick her up last night," one of them said, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Grayson, I mean. He's been seeing her for a while now, I guess." Lulu's heart sank as she realized that someone must have seen Grayson pick her up from her apartment. She felt a surge of panic as she wondered how this was going to affect her job, and her fake relationship with Grayson. As the day went on, Lulu noticed that more and more people were talking about her and Grayson's supposed relationship. She tried to keep a low profile, but it was hard to avoid the whispers and stares. At lunchtime, Lulu's coworker, Rachel, came over to her desk and said, "Hey, I heard you and Grayson are dating. That's so cool! I had no idea you two were interested in each other." Lulu forced a smile and tried to play it cool. "Yeah, we've been seeing each other for a little while now," she said, trying to sound casual. Rachel nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I'm so happy for you guys. You two are perfect for each other." Lulu felt a twinge of guilt as she realized that she was now officially a topic of office gossip. She wasn't sure how she was going to keep up this charade, but she knew she had to try. As the day went on, Lulu received more and more congratulations from her coworkers. She tried to respond graciously, but inside, she was panicking. How was she going to keep this up? And what would happen if the truth came out? Just as she was starting to feel overwhelmed, Grayson walked into the office, a confident smile on his face. "Hey, beautiful," he said, sauntering over to her desk. "I heard the news. You're officially off the market." Lulu rolled her eyes, trying to play along. "I guess so," she said, trying to sound casual. Grayson leaned in, his voice low and teasing. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to keep up the charade. But just so you know, I'm enjoying the benefits of being your boyfriend." Lulu felt a flutter in her chest as she met his gaze. She wasn't sure what was real and what was fake anymore, but she knew she had to be careful. She was playing with fire, and she didn't want to get burned.