Kathryn was the manager at a cute little ice cream shop in a small, charming East Coast town (Washington, DC). Nathan was a no-nonsense, big city hotshot businessman from LA. When Kathryn’s boss brought Nathan in to offer business advice and increase revenues, it was the farthest thing from love at first sight...the LAST thing Kathryn needed was someone from the big city showing up and trying to tell her how to run her store. There was no way he would understand her customers’ small town values!!

She was right. Nathan’s plan? To increase hype around the store by making it appear as if Kathryn had a big Hollywood boyfriend. If she was rumored to be dating a celebrity, he said, people would flock to her store and buy ice cream in the hopes of brushing shoulders with someone famous. Kathryn thought this was ridiculous! And a little out of her comfort zone. She had dedicated her whole life to the ice cream shop and hadn’t really...gotten out much...so she was worried that she wouldn’t be able to keep up a celebrity relationship, fake or not. Nathan assured her that he would be there to coach her through the process, and for the first time since he had stepped foot in the store, Kathryn felt like maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy after all. “So, who’d you have in mind?” she asked him. “Well,” Nathan thought, “we need someone kind and approachable that will appeal to the small town sensibilities of your Washington, DC, customer base...how about Paul Rudd?” Kathryn was sold!

For the next few weeks Nathan put his business degree to work by coaching Kathryn in all things relationship. They practiced flirting, went over the do’s and don’t’s of dates, and even went shopping together to find outfits suitable for a celebrity girlfriend. They regularly acted annoyed with each other, but there was an undeniable chemistry between them. Although they occasionally stole glances at the other, or daydreamed for a moment or two about spending the rest of their lives together, neither of them gave it much consideration. What mattered was the success of the fake celebrity relationship and, ultimately, the success of the ice cream shop.

Soon it was time for the big gala, the opportunity for Kathryn and Paul Rudd to be spotted together as a couple. Nathan had planned to meet up with Kathryn just before to go over some notes of how to behave at the big gala. What he hadn’t planned was to be swept off his feet! Kathryn looked beautiful in her fancy dress, and for a moment, Nathan wished he was in Paul Rudd’s shoes. As she got into the limo, he reminded himself that the Paul Rudd thing wasn’t real, it was just a smart business decision. Maybe he had a chance....

Things were going well at the big gala. Kathryn was doing all the right flirts and Paul Rudd was very impressed. So impressed that he pulled her aside for an important conversation. “Listen,” he told her, “I know my agent said this was just a fake girlfriend-boyfriend arrangement for publicity purposes. But I think we’re a really good fit and I want to be real boyfriend and girlfriend. So, what do you say?” Kathryn was speechless. Paul Rudd was just as kind and approachable and charming as everyone said he was. Being real girlfriend and boyfriend with him could be life-changing, for her *and* her adorable little ice cream shop….so what was holding her back? “Uh...give me just a second!” she said, and she ran to a big and beautiful empty room to sort out her feelings. Just then, Nathan came running into the big gala! He found Paul Rudd smiling to himself in a corner and asked him where Kathryn was. “I asked her to be my real girlfriend and then she went that way, but she’ll be right back” he said. Nathan had no time to waste--he ran off in the direction Paul Rudd had pointed. He was ready to put it all on the line, to tell Kathryn that he had fallen in love, but he slowed down when he heard her monologuing in the big empty room. “This is a new feeling for me, so it's taking a while for me to understand what's going on...but I think I'm in love...ugh, Nathan is going to be so disappointed...” he overheard her saying, and his heart dropped. She was in love with Paul Rudd after just a few hours together at the big gala. Classic Paul Rudd! There was no way he could compete. He shuffled out of the big gala, trying not to cry until he was safely on the sidewalk. Just as he got outside, there was a big boom of thunder and rain began to pour all over Nathan. The thunder startled Kathryn from her monologue, and she went to look out the window at the storm. She was surprised to see Nathan outside, getting drenched and looking completely pathetic. Nathan! Just the person she needed to see. She ran past Paul Rudd and out to the sidewalk. “Nathan!” she cried, “I’m so glad to see you!” “Shouldn’t you be with Paul Rudd?” Nathan asked. “Well, yeah, sorry, I know you told me I had to get a certain number of paparazzi shots with him tonight, but he just asked me to be his real girlfriend…” “...and you said yes,” Nathan finished her sentence. “What makes you think that?” questioned Kathryn. “Well,” Nathan said, holding back tears, “I heard you say that you were in love, and that I would be disappointed...and I *would* be disappointed, because I'm in love with you!” Kathryn hesitated. “Wait, you're in love with me? I'm in love with you too! I was only worried you would be disappointed in me for deviating from the business plan! But I choose you, not Paul Rudd!" Then she gave Nathan a sweet kiss on the cheek as Paul Rudd watched jealously out the window. The rest is history :)