It's Just Pretend

Lala Land

"On Cloud 9, I've found the perfect spot between reality and dreams. Here, life is a beautiful daydream. 💭✨"

-

The morning after my date, I could hardly believe how light I felt. My feet barely touched the ground as I walked to work, my heart still racing from the memories of last night. Every step I took seemed to come with a little skip. I couldn't stop smiling. It wasn't a big, silly grin, but the kind of content, peaceful smile that you get when you're secretly floating on cloud nine.

When I walked through the lobby doors of the hotel, the usual hustle and bustle didn't faze me. The front desk was busier than usual—guests checking in, calls coming in nonstop—but instead of feeling like the world was pressing down on me, I felt like I was in perfect rhythm with it.

I greeted the first guest with an unusually bright "Good morning!" and found myself asking about their stay in a way that made them laugh. I noticed how pleasant it was to be in this space, to be with people, even if I was just behind a desk. I could tell it made a difference. The smiles I got in return were more than just polite; they were genuine. It felt so nice, so effortless, to be nice.

I moved through the morning in a daze of pleasantness. Each time the phone rang, I answered with enthusiasm. Every guest that walked up to the counter was treated with an extra dose of warmth. I didn't even feel like I was faking it. I really was happy. My coworkers kept giving me odd looks—probably because I was smiling too much—but I didn't care. They were just jealous that I felt like I was glowing.

The clock ticked by as if the day was in slow motion, but I didn't mind. I was too busy basking in the afterglow of my date. The way he'd looked at me when he said goodnight, his hand lightly grazing mine as he pulled away—it had been like something out of a movie. And the way he'd asked to see me again... I couldn't help but replay it in my mind. There was no way that was just a casual goodbye. He meant it. I knew it.

When lunchtime rolled around, I was almost sad to leave the front desk behind. But I had plans, and the thought of catching up with my friends had me nearly skipping out the door. We'd all graduated together—me, Carla, Ben, and Denise—and despite our different career paths, we made sure to meet up at least once a week for lunch. Today, it was Jake's Diner. The greasy, divey little place was our spot, and no matter what our schedules looked like, we always found time to gather there.

Jake's was the kind of place where the neon lights flickered half the time, the booths were vinyl and slightly sticky, and the waitress was always the same—quick, with a no-nonsense attitude. It was the kind of place where you could talk freely, no judgment, just the comfort of old friends and a good meal.

I pushed open the door, and the bell above it jingled, signaling my arrival. Carla, Ben, and Denise were already sitting at our usual corner booth, all of them looking up with smiles that made me feel like I'd just won some sort of award.

"Oh my God, you're glowing!" Carla exclaimed, waving me over. She was the first to speak, always. "What happened? Spill it!"

I slid into the booth with a grin that I couldn't shake off. "Nothing much," I said, trying to play it cool. But my heart was pounding. I could already feel the warmth creeping up my neck, betraying me. "Just had a great date last night, that's all."

"A great date?" Ben smirked from across the table. "A great date? Tell us everything."

Denise, always the quiet one, just raised an eyebrow, her hands folded in front of her as she leaned forward. "I need details, too," she said, her voice casual but with a hint of curiosity.