Permanently.
Chapter 10
?
This isn’t a romcom, and we arenotfake dating in it.
Mirabelle
It’s actually way too early for this.
After everything that has happened in the past twenty-four hours, I am not managing my expressions well, so when Damion Anders says somethingvery stupidto me while I’m serving him breakfast, there is a chance I say somethingvery impoliteback.
Something like:
“Are you out of your gourd?”
His fork freezes above his serving of oven pancakes, topped with fruit and homemade cream, with extra eggs on the side.
I continue, “You want us tofake date?”
He sets his fork down and has the decency to meet my eyes. “Well… I wouldn’t call it—”
“You said to me, three seconds ago,I’ve given this situation with the media some thought, and I think it would be a good idea for us to pretend to date for a little while. How is thatnotcalling itfake dating?”
“I just…didn’t use those words.”
Yeah, or your brain.
Crossing my arms, I take advantage of the fact I am standing and he is sitting. It gives me approximately four inches of superiority. “I’m going to let you explain yourself. Because there simplymustbe a good reason for you to have come out here and told me that you’d like to take the lie we had nothing to do with and begin a career as liars together.”
He winces. “If we push back against the accusations, the media will make a bigger story out of it. If we peacefully have a boring relationship then amicably break up in public at some holiday event I’ll no doubt be invited to over the next few months, the media won’t have much reason to spend their energy on us.”
My nostrils flare when I inhale, and I take a moment to find my aptitude for empathy. He’s given thisthought. He’s made aplan.
It’s just stupid.
And he’s stupid.
And I think it’s very clear that I really do not much care for him.
I bite my cheek before I get the impulse to say such a thing out loud to my boss who pays me well and creates a very calm work environment, all things considered.
All things considered, he could be treating me like a moron right now. He could be looking me dead in the eyes and asking where I missed the fact he’s abillionaire. Overnight, security and a whole entire brick wall showed up around this place. Scandals should have been calculated into my decision to take this position. And he could be telling me that.
But he isn’t.
So, he’s not a bad person.
I just don’t like him.
Lifting my chin, I say, “I am not interested in perpetuating these falsehoods, and I will not become your accomplice in the matter.”
“There’s a good chance you’ll be approached in public by someone wanting a story.”
“I will tell them the truth. About how there isn’t a story.”
“The truth doesn’t exactly imply you have my protection.”
