Jennica stayed at Cameron's house late because they enjoyed talking. He loved the meal she prepared, which boosted her confidence. Unfortunately, this meant she had little time to pack. Ohio was colder than New York, so she needed to pack warm clothes; they had to be at the airport by 8:00 a.m.

The hectic trip, coupled with lack of sleep, wasn't ideal. She couldn't stop worrying about how things would go, particularly whether Cameron would reject her because her family was too unconventional. The uncertainty was stressing her out. What exactly did he plan to do as her fake boyfriend to appease her mother?

They had spent considerable time together, but beyond some flirting, nothing had happened. Jennica wished she knew where she stood with him. She knew he liked her, but that was all.

He was thirty-four years older, owned an apartment (rather than renting), and had a stable career. At his age, he might be looking to settle down.

The thought made her stomach churn. She liked him a lot, but was she ready for a serious commitment? She still had many unfulfilled goals and worried about finding time for them if she got married.

'Stupid! Stop overthinking! You're just bringing a date to meet your family. Nothing is set in stone,' she thought crossly, finally drifting off to sleep.

Jennica scrambled to pack when her 6:00 a.m. alarm went off. Though still groggy, she knew she needed to look presentable; her mother would be upset otherwise. She applied light makeup and braided her hair into an elaborate fishtail. Besides, she didn't want to look like a zombie in front of Cameron.

Her roommates, thankfully, didn't have school (it was the day before Thanksgiving), so she snuck out quietly. They deserved their rest.

"Good morning," she yawned, climbing into Cameron's car.

"Morning! Ready to face your mother?"

"No, but I'm ready to hug my twin and knock him down."

He chuckled. "I might have to film that."

"Go for it."

Jennica wasn't talkative; she often woke earlier for auditions, but she'd never be a morning person.

He didn't mind, which she appreciated. Some men were either too clingy or too distant. Cameron found a good balance.

This made her wonder about his experience with relationships. Such skill wasn't inherent.

The question lingered, and during airport security, she finally asked, "How many girlfriends have you had?"

Cameron raised an eyebrow. "That's random. Why?"

Her face flushed, but it was too late to retract the question. "…because you seem like a good boyfriend. That takes practice."

"Oh good, my act won't be transparent then," he teased, though he seemed flattered. "And to answer your question, three. I was pretty nerdy; nobody dated me until after my MBA and a style upgrade. What about you?"

Only three? At least one must have been long-term, to develop such skill. That wasn't so bad, especially for his age.

"Lots of short-term boyfriends in high school, but only one serious relationship since then. It ended when I moved to New York. He thought my dreams were stupid. Nobody wants to date an aspiring actress," she said lightly.

"His loss," Cameron shrugged.

She frowned. "Are you already in 'fake boyfriend' mode?"

He scrolled through messages, sighing at one from his boss. "Great. Another business trip in two weeks."

"Is this normal?"

"Yes, I travel about once a month, sometimes for a few days, sometimes over a week."

That was a lot of travel. Jennica had visited only a few states. "Where this time?"

"Singapore. Five days. I guess I can get Mom an interesting Christmas present there."

"Why Singapore?" she asked. "Is Hale Investments expanding there?"

"Not exactly. It's for Aaron. I work for Hale Investments, but I was his personal employee first, so I still do side jobs for him."

"Like his butler?"

Cameron laughed on the runway. "No, but don't tell Aiden. He'd never let it go."

Her curiosity intensified. "What do you do? Or can you not tell me?"

"Technically, no NDAs with friends and family, but it's a secret. Don't tell anyone, okay?"

She zipped her lips.

"…I'm his personal gambler."

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