Threads of Love

Chapter 4

Lea's POV

I found myself seated across from Aga in a quaint coffee shop, our chosen rendezvous for a strategic planning session, where everything started as well. I couldn't help but wear a mischievous smirk, ready to play my part in this rom-com charade.

"My favorite leading lady, anong nasa isip mo?" Aga eyed me cautiously. "Lea, I hope you're not planning to break up with me in the middle of this coffee shop. It's bad for my reputation."

I chuckled, taking a sip of my coffee. "Relax, Aga. We're not breaking up. At least hindi pa. We've got a fake relationship to maintain, diba? I just thought we could discuss our game plan for facing your parents and, you know, surviving this ridiculous scenario."

Aga let out a sigh of relief, his eyes widening in mock horror. "Thank goodness. I was starting to worry about my eligibility as the lead in our fake love story. So, anong plano?"

I leaned back in my chair, adopting a theatrical tone. "Step one: we need to establish some ground rules. No impromptu weddings, no sudden declarations of undying love, and definitely no matching outfits. We need to keep this believable, Aga."

He nodded in agreement. Aga leaned back, studying my face. "You're taking this seriously, huh?Fair enough. But what about the romance? We can't have a love story without a little spark, diba?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please. We're not starring in a Nicholas Sparks movie. This is a rom-com, Aga. We need witty banter, funny situations, and a healthy dose of sarcasm. Leave the romance to the professionals."

Aga smirked. "So, I'm the comedic relief in this story?"

I grinned. "Exactly. Ngayon, pag-usapan natin ang parents mo. We need to convince them that we're madly in love, but not too madly. We don't want them planning a real wedding."

Aga leaned forward, his expression serious. "Kaya ko yan."

I leaned in, a glint of mischief in my eyes. "We need to be the picture-perfect couple in their eyes. You know, the ones they'll brag about at family gatherings."

Aga leaned in, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Okay, pero dagdagan natin ng twist. Magiging sweet lang tayo kapag nandiyan sila. You know, a sudden burst of affection that takes everyone by surprise."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Aga's suggestion. "I like that twist. Adds a bit of drama to our performance. But here's the next rule: no social media PDA. We want to convince your parents, not the entire internet. So, no lovey-dovey posts, no couple selfies, none of that."

Aga nodded in agreement. "Tama. We keep the lovey stuff offline. It's our little secret weapon."

I smirked. "Exactly. Now, let's talk about public appearances. We need to be seen together, but not too much. A casual dinner here and there, maybe a movie premiere or a friend's party. Enough to make it seem like we're a real couple, but not so much that people start questioning our sudden omnipresence."

Aga leaned back, crossing his arms. "Ang galing mo rito, huh. Para bang nagawa mo na 'to dati."

I winked. "Let's just say I've had my fair share of rom-com binges. I know the drill. Now, the final rule for today: we keep our personal lives separate. No meddling in each other's business, no real emotional involvement. We're business partners in this fake relationship, wala ng iba."

Aga chuckled. "Got it. Fake relationship, real professionalism."

I grinned, satisfied with the progress of our planning. "Now that we have our rules in place, let's talk about how we handle unexpected situations. We need to be quick on our feet, Aga. If someone questions our relationship, we need to respond in a way that keeps our story intact."