How to get a man in 30 days - PJM

'Perfect'

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Perfect...

Noelle Hartman's life was seemingly perfect, from her perfect job as a travel agent, to her perfectly handsome and loving boyfriend...if only he was real.

When out mingling at a party she had no right to be at in New York, she met three of the most stylish and fabulous people she'd ever seen.

Her English accent was what had them intrigued but when asked about her dating life, she mentioned she was single, everyone turned their noses up at her so she laughed obnoxiously and said that she was joking.
Noelle had been too busy with her head in the clouds to date so she had conjured up a fantasy boyfriend, plucked out of the deep depths of fiction.

Her Sir Lancelot. Her knight in shining armour.

Her new friends Prudence, Jaq and Toni with an 'I' always told her how jealous they were of how her boyfriend spoiled her with gifts and flowers every time they met up, yes she felt guilty every time she lied to them, but this way no one bothered her about being a quote 'single lonely saddo in her late twenties' end quote and the better she felt about herself as they praised her.

They didn't meet up much, just for brunches here and there but whenever they did, she would take a package or wear a new expensive necklace to show them, of course whatever lavishly expensive item she purchased would always immediately go back the next day.

Due to her job she got to travel the world with discounts and benefits. An annual familiarisation trip on the dime of the company was a great way to upkeep her image and Instagram in front of her new friends.
She knew it was ridiculous, but she couldn't stop now, not when everything in her life was 'perfect'

Before brunch she dabbed her wrists with a dior sampler that had seen better days and rolled the depths of her collarbones with a smidgen of men's cologne to keep up the pretence that her neck was his favourite place to kiss when she didn't want to ruin her lipstick, which was her staple look, Yves saint laurent 59 Melon.

Using samples was a way to cut costs on the designer clothes had to purchase to keep up the speed with her new fashionista friends, she adopted a lounged style, never the one to look bold or chic but the brand name was enough for her friends not to bat an eye and they label it her personal preference on clothes. She always kept a low profile but in the end she was running out of ways to wear them, to look different, so much so Prudence had told her that the sweatshirt she was wearing was so last season.

"You know me, I don't like to throw clothes away, even though my closet is bursting at the seams" She lied, all she had left was a white shirt, a black Dior pinafore and a black beret she was saving for the next time they went to brunch.

"I wonder what Sir Lancelot has put in the bag this time?" She eyed the parcel in your rather well made fake handbag.

"Dibs if there's chocolates" Yelled Toni.

"He doesn't gift to me everyday, this is probably the sunglasses I ordered" Noelle smiles under the facade of lies, while looking in the chic little bag not big enough for much and faux gasps at a little box containing the keys for an apartment with the words soon written on the key chain. "It's just a set of keys to his apartment"

"Ellie he's so sweet, I bet he wants you to move in" Jaq smiles weakly, lifting her tea cup to her lips.

"He'll probably pop the question when you go over there tonight" says Toni showing off her new engagement ring and Noelle throws the chocolates that she had boxed up knowingly inside at her. "Truffles.. nice"

"I still don't see why you won't tell us who he is Ellie" Prudence pouts but then a grin paints her Rococotte lips "Is he married?" She leans in further "Or is he royalty?" She whispers and Noelle shakes her head.

"No, he's just the private type" She excuses.

"Penthouse, plane chartering, private?" Prudence lifts her well defined brow and Noelle just shrugs. "Oh come on Ellie, tell us"

"You're not getting anything out of me but if you need to know something, we're off to the new Baha Mar resort next week in the Bahamas" Technically it was not a lie but she was being sent for work, testing out the place, it was the best work perk she could ask for.

"How romantic, he's totally going to ask you to marry him" Toni mumbles through a mouth full of chocolates.

"My parents haven't even met him yet" Hell, she hadn't even met him yet. "But I'm sure it won't be long until I take him back home to London"

London was once her home but the Royal borough her friends expected was not the type of home life she grew up in, she was raised in a quaint neighbourly cul-de-sac in Salt Hill drive, Slough. She could still remember the way the west runway of Heathrow airport would open, acting as her alarm clock every morning before school, airplanes coming back and forth from various destinations, it made her want to see the world.

Though it was her dream to be a flight attendant, neither her height nor weight made her application considerable but at least she was seeing some of the world, mostly through the eyes of others whilst they booked their all inclusive resorts, bachelor and bachelorette weekends and around worldwide trips through the travel agency she worked at now in Williamsburg, NY.

It was exhausting pretending to be perfect but it was her life, day to day she was cardigan wearing, glasses bridge pushing Noelle, but to her new friends she was Ellie, a designer wearing, frappé drinking bestie.

"That means you're not going to make it to my wedding?" Toni moped, but Noelle knew it, it was all part of her plan, she couldn't afford the gift nor a dress to attend anyway so being jet set off to a romantic destination with a romantic fake hubby was a great way to bow out gracefully.

"I'm really sorry Toni" Noelle gave her a genuine pout, she wished she could go and be the person they believed she was, but at the end of the day, she wasn't.

She was a fraud.

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(A/N: No.. I'm not.. not yet.. not until I've finished my ongoings.. but this and the devil inside is what I'll be working on when I've completed Unexpected & Magic)