Fake Dating

6 - Blunders

"So, tea!" Plagg clapped his hands suddenly satisfied. "Right away!"

After saying that he left the room not worrying about shocked glances exchanged by Adrien, Marinette and Tikki. The latter jumped to her feet and followed Plagg explaining quickly:

"I forgot to mention that I drink only diet coke!"

Adrien looked uncertain at Marinette who only smiled under her breath. He didn't understand what was so funny for her and that made him confused. He had expected a shy girl, but instead he met a self-confident young woman who – if necessary – knew how to defend her opinion without being afraid of such people like Plagg. And, to be fair, his agent resembled more a godfather than a retired model.

"Do you think they did it on purpose?" he asked quietly, instinctively bend in her direction.

"Oh, I'm sure they did!" she replied in an amused tone. "Tikki hates diet coke."

They both burst out laughing.

"Maybe we should start over." he suggested. "My name is Adrien. Adrien Agreste."

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng." she introduced herself.

"Not LadyBug?"

"That's my pseudonym. In real life I'm just Marinette."

"Nice to meet you. In spite of everything..."

"In spite of everything?" she spotted.

"Well, you can't tell me we met in an ordinary way!" he laughed, finally feeling more comfortable.

"Yeah, you're right." she nodded with a half-smile. "It's worse than meeting on a dating site..."

"You know, they could suggest meeting at the altar..."

"Oh, God! I hope they won't make us get married!" Marinette exclaimed and just after a while she realised he was joking. She laughed nervously. "Sorry..." she whispered.

"I think there will be more such misunderstandings ahead." he noted. "It's quite natural, when people don't know each other too well. We may agree to not taking such blunders personally, OK?"

"Thank you." she smiled with relief. "That would make things easier."

"It will reduce awkwardness for sure."

"I still can't believe I let Tikki talk me into it." she sighed.

"Tell me about it..."

"It wasn't your idea?" she asked surprised, and when she saw his astonished face, she added quickly: "Sorry..."

"We were supposed not to take it personally, so please, don't apologise. And no. It wasn't my idea. Do you really think that I would resort to a mystification to have a girlfriend?"

"How do I know? I know nothing about you. Half an hour ago I was sure you're gay..." she muttered and immediately covered her mouth with her hand, as if it would help in taking back those words. She glanced at him embarrassed. "I'm so sorry!"

But Adrien only laughed.

"Stop apologising! So... You agreed because I was safe?"

She blushed. First of all, she was ashamed that it was so obvious. Secondly, he was right and he knew that. Thirdly, it seemed that he was intelligent. Not good... He was nice, handsome and intelligent... That made the whole situation even more complicated.

"Do you really think that I'd agree to a mystification to have a boyfriend?" she paraphrased his words, despite embarrassment.

"I don't know anything about you either." he replied. "Someone would say that you try to make a career on my name."

She winced. Yes, that was what she was afraid of. She had tried to explain that to Tikki. Now it seemed he thought that way about her.

"Hey, I'm sorry..." he whispered and touched her hand softly. She jumped up. "We were not to take it personally, remember?"

"Unless you bring up my biggest fear..."

"Oh, so this is your biggest fear?" he was surprised. "Good to know. But I don't think about you that way, OK?"

"But people will think that..."

"How do you know that?"

"We're acting like two strangers, and we're going to convince people that we're in love? They will guess quickly that it's fake and I'm making my career on your back."

"Stop worrying for the future." He smiled at her. "I'm sure we'll find a solution. Maybe we'll learn how to act like not strangers. Am I so disgusting?"

She glanced at him embarrassed, but he couldn't help smiling at her. Apparently she wasn't so self-confident as he'd thought at the beginning. Good. He had been afraid that such a popular pop star would turn his head and then break his heart and move on. Meanwhile he learnt that LadyBug who entertained crowds on her concerts, in fact was shy Marinette who had nothing in common with a rapacious celebrity who wanted to make her career by a relationship with a popular model. He could sigh with relief.

Could he?