THE STAND IN DATE

The Stand-In Date

She was just the stand-in. Until she heard them say she was never enough.

Lena has spent her whole life being second choice. The backup friend. The almost girlfriend. The reliable one who shows up and never stays. So when her best friend needs a fake date to her ex's wedding, Lena says yes. Of course she does. That's what stand-ins do.

The plan is simple. Smile. Eat free cake. Disappear.

But then the groom's new wife sits across the table. Jordan is tall, devastating, and way too perceptive for someone who just said "I do." She has dark curly hair, a crooked smile, and a habit of looking at Lena like she's the only person in a room full of strangers.

One dance. One conversation. One moment outside where the fairy lights catch her face just right. And Lena is in trouble.

Then she overhears them. The whispers. The laughter. The cruel words that confirm every fear she's ever had about being a placeholder. She's just here because nobody else would come. She's desperate. She's nothing.

Lena does what she always does. She leaves.

But Jordan follows.

Three hours. That's how far she drives to apologize. Twelve days. That's how long she waits to prove she's serious. And one question that changes everything: What if you're not the stand-in? What if you were always the one I was looking for?

The Stand-In Date is a 45,000-word angsty lesbian romance packed with fake dating, an overheard confession, and a full-contact grovel that delivers. No cliffhanger. No third-act breakup. Just two women figuring out what it means to be someone's first choice.

Perfect for readers who love slow-burn fake relationships with emotional payoffs and happily ever afters that feel earned.