“And where have you seen this in action?”
“Pretty often in the books.”Now, this is ridiculous.“Lennie Woods’s latest novel was a fake engagement story where both characters got what they wanted in the end.”
I blink twice, my disbelief knowing no bounds.
“Think about how many celebrities get into PR relationships for the sake of appearances. It really isn’t as uncommon as you think.”
The tapping of my finger grows faster, the gears in my head turning in a direction I don’t want them to go in. As absurd as it sounds, Melanie’s book thing may not be so far off. Fiction does usually stem from some aspects of real life, so…
Fuck, why am I considering this?
I’m desperate, not crazy.
I’m desperate, not crazy.
I’ll have to repeat that to myself a lot more because I’m not sure how much I believe it.
“Let’s say we go along with this plan. Why would Vivienne ever agree to such a thing?”
Something mischievous crosses her expression. “Very good question. I can easily find that out.”
They’re her last words spoken before the assault on her laptop begins. The clicks and clacks of her keys increase at an exponential rate before she falls back with a satisfied smile.
“Oh, this will get her for sure.”
I’m uncertain of what she could have found in those short three minutes, but she doesn’t divulge the information. She stays put and quiet.
“What is it?” I ask, curiosity eating away at me when she doesn’t fess up on her own.
Melanie rolls her eyes in annoyance. “You’re not going to ask how I found this engagement-worthy information?”
My gaze wanders around the room in genuine confusion.Am I supposed to?By the nudging of her hand, she’s expecting it.
“Please, Melanie, enlighten me on how you got this engagement-worthy information?” I ask with deep reluctance.
“Crush-stalking skills finally put to good use!” Melanie slams her fist on the table, causing everything on it to shake. “Instagram. LinkedIn. Their mom’s Facebook.The works.Who knew it would come in so handy?” She sighs, falling back into her seat with a satisfied smile. “Tell me I deserve a pat on the back.”
“You deserve to be checked into a mental asylum.”
Melanie quirks a brow like none of what I said actually offends her. And when she tells me the reason Vivienne might accept this deal, I realize I’ll be walking right behind her at check-in.
No person in their right mind should genuinely consider this, yet here I am, already plotting how to convince her otherwise.
CHAPTER 5
VIVIENNE
I snap my laptop shut, push away from the desk, and rub my eyes hard.
The lashes I may or may not be missing from the tug of my fingers? I couldn't care less about them.
If what I saw is true, my world isofficiallycrumbling, and a few bald spots are a price I’m willing to pay for momentary relief.
After a few long seconds, I pry my eyes open, the cubicles of the graduate offices blurry before coming back into focus. Gray walls. Endless wooden rows of desks arranged in facing pairs. The bright fluorescent lights that easily make you forget the time of day. Everything is crystal clear—just as I initiallythought.
In theory, this should make me happy. My vision is perfect. The optometrist can officially quit calling me about her overpriced checkups. But deep down, I wanted to be proven wrong, because now, there’s no refuting the words in Dr. Anderson’s email.
The resources I needed to keep busting my ass in this lab and finish my PhD are gone.
