‘I hired a stranger to make my ex jealous, but events took an unexpected turn.’
It all started as an impulsive but seemingly ingenious plan, the woman reveals.
Heartbroken after Josh, my ex-boyfriend, left me, I decided I had to show him what he had lost.
The idea came to me in a moment of desperation, just days after the breakup: I wanted to hire someone to pretend to be my boyfriend for a strategically planned holiday.
I wanted to make him jealous and make him regret his decision.
A few days later, I stood at the airport, my insides a complete chaos of conflicting emotions.
Travis, the man who had taken on this crazy mission, was about to show up.
I stared intently at my phone, wondering if he had changed his mind.
‘Hey,’ a quiet voice snapped me out of my musings.
It was Travis.
‘Oh, hi,’ I said, trying to look more relaxed than I actually was.
‘Do you still think this is a good idea?’ – He asked, raising an eyebrow.
‘I’m not sure,’ I admitted.
‘But I think it could work. What do you think?’
‘There’s no downside for me. I’m going on holiday with an attractive woman,’ he replied with a wide smile.
I felt my cheeks redden.
‘If I was attractive, he wouldn’t have left me,’ I muttered.
‘That’s enough. He’s just an idiot,’ Travis replied in a serious tone.
After we went through security, we boarded the plane.
I saw Josh there with his new girlfriend.
His surprised look and arrogant tone when he turned to me almost broke my courage.
‘Ari? What are you doing here?’ – He asked, looking at me as if I were an unexpected apparition.
Travis reacted quickly and put his arm around my waist.
‘I’m on holiday with my boyfriend,’ I said, though my voice trembled slightly.
‘Ah, one of our romantic holidays,’ Travis added with a perfect smile.
Josh remained indifferent, which upset me more than I wanted to admit.
As the plane gained altitude, my thoughts jumbled together.
My plan was going to be flawless.
All I needed to do was make Josh regret his decision to leave me.
When we arrived at the hotel, I was completely exhausted.
I dreamed of sleep, but I was quickly brought back to reality when I opened the door to my room.
‘There’s one bed here,’ I said, trying to contain my irritation.
‘Yeah, I can see that too,’ Travis replied with a smile.
‘It’s a mistake,’ I insisted and immediately rang reception.
After a brief conversation, it was clear that it wasn’t a mistake.
The room had been booked exactly as it was.
‘We can share a bed. It’s no big deal,’ Travis said and shrugged.
‘No way,’ I replied firmly.
‘Come on, Ari. Isn’t this what you wanted? To seem happy with your new boyfriend?’ – He said, teasingly.
With no other options, I decided to stay and avoid conflict.
The following days were a mixture of planned situations to get Josh’s attention.
Travis as the unfaithful boyfriend was more natural than I expected.
We spent the days building a sandbox and competing in childish games.
Things seemed easier with Travis.
He made me forget about Josh, and I laughed more often than I had in years.
One night Travis took me to the beach.
‘Stop worrying,’ he said, picking me up and throwing us both into the waves.
I laughed, scolding him, but I couldn’t stop feeling free.
Our gazes met for a moment, and in that hovering space, time seemed to stop.
Without noticing it, we exchanged a kiss that changed everything.
The next morning Josh came up to me.
‘I can’t see you with someone else. I still love you,’ he said and asked me to come back.
But for the first time, I felt like it didn’t matter anymore.
When I looked at him, it was clear to me that there was no more room in my heart for him.
‘I don’t want this anymore,’ I said firmly.
‘I have someone who appreciates me for who I am.’
I ran to Travis, who was about to leave.
I stopped him and begged him to stay.
‘You’re the only one that matters to me,’ I said, tears dripping down my cheeks.
After a moment that felt like an eternity, he pulled me to him and kissed me again.
This time it was real. We were real.
