An Ally

Ditch the Ex, Date the Billionaire

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Chapter 5: An Ally

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*Isabella*

“Wow, Bella. I didn’t take you for a gold digger.” Alan retorted.

I didn’t have time to respond as handsome stranger - Archibald defended me immediately.

“Watch your tone when speaking to her.”

“She’s my girlfriend, I’ll talk to her how I want.” He shouted back before pausing as he realized what he said.

“Was.” Archibald corrected him pushing me behind him so he could face his nephew directly. “She’s not your girlfriend anymore so I advice you scram away unless you want me to teach you some manners.”

Alan lifts his chin a little, meeting my eye. “I see. Well, I hope you’re enjoying my sloppy seconds, Uncle Archie.”

My face contorted into a surprised expression.

Is he serious?

Archibald huffs quietly, clenching his jaw and squaring up his shoulders.

“I don’t even need to ask to know I am much more enjoyable than you ever were,” Archibald says coolly.

Dumbfounded. That was what my face was giving.

Alan laughs incredulously. "Wow. Seems like you two really are suited for each other."

"We are," I say, now that I’ve regained a little confidence.

The urge to punch him right in the stomach is quite overwhelming. More than anything, though, I’m shocked by how his uncle stepped to help me.

"Nice seeing you," I says dismissively giving him a little wave.

Seeing him was not nice. I just want him to leave.

Alan looks like he wants to say something else, but he just shakes his head a little, disappearing into the crowd.

I wait until he's out of earshot before spinning to face the handsome stranger, my shoulders sagging in relief. "Thank you so much. That was my ex. I mean, you probably guessed that —well, anyway. I seriously can’t thank you enough.”

“Right” He responds coolly. “You should reevaluate your taste in men.”

I sigh going over to sit at an empty booth. I didn’t have the strength to leave anymore.

“It’s a work in progress,” I mumble. “I think I would just have to swear off dating and relationships for a little while.”

“Even a fake relationship?.”

Now that the panic swarming through my brain has died down significantly, I take a moment to actually process Archibald’s appearance.

If i didn’t just swear off dating, I would probably be blushing right now.

Archibald is tall and broad, with sparkling eyes and a bright smile, and his demeanor is completely disarming—I feel strangely comfortable and safe around him, even though we have barely exchanged any words at all.

I realize, then, that I haven’t even told him my name.

“My name is Isabella, by the way. Isabella Norman.” I say. “And I’m sorry you had to come in and save my ass from an embarrassing moment.”

“It’s okay. I don’t think you could have asked me first without blowing your cover.”

“I guess that’s true. But, I mean… are you here with anyone? I don’t want to have stepped on any toes—”

“Well I chose this club because I knew my blind dates wouldn’t be here” Archibald says. He tucks some hair behind his ear. I am astonished to see that his fingers are tattooed. “I’m just with some friends.”

“Let me buy your next drink,” I say. “I mean, as a thank you. For helping me. Not to like, hit on you. I wouldn’t do that. Well, I mean, I would, but—”

“It’s fine,” He says, laughing and waving me off. “I get it. But you don’t have to do that.”

‘“Are you sure? I feel like I owe you.”

“I did it to help you” Archibald says, shrugging.

“Oh. Okay. Well, thank you.”

“It was nice to meet you, Isabella,” He says, turning back towards where he came from and starting to walk away.

I open my mouth to say goodbye, but then it hits me.

This isn’t going to work.

“Archibald! Wait.”

He looks a little unsure, but he takes a couple of steps back towards me, leaning down to hear me better. He smells like chocolate musk. “Yes?”

“If… well. If you’re supposed to be my boyfriend, and we were meeting up here… it’s just—if I leave the club, and you go back to your table…”

Archibald blinks at me.

“It would be obvious I was lying,” I conclude quietly.

I don’t even know what I’m asking of him, exactly.

The only thing I know is that I would never be able to survive the embarrassment of Alan discovering that I had lied.

“Do you want me to stay here and talk to you for a little while longer?” He offers.

“If you don’t mind,” I say feeling apologetic. “I’m sorry, I feel awful about this—”

“It’s fine,” Archibald says. “Alan is an awful person. Someone needs to watch that boy.”

“He is awful. He cheated on me.” I’m not sure why I volunteer this information so readily.

He grimaces. “Oh. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m trying to get over it. But we’re coworkers, so it’s made everything really awkward.”

Archibald raises an eyebrow. “You work at my father’s company?.”

I am cut off by a large hand clamping down on my shoulder. I jump slightly. It’s Dara, her dark, wavy hair sticking out in a million different directions.

“Bella! There you are. Riven said he sighted you and I came on a search and rescue mission. What are you…” She trails off, glancing down and noticing Archie’s arm around my waist.

Her eyebrows furrow.

“Sorry. I ran into Alan while I was trying to leave” I inform her.

“I don’t care about him,” Dara says. “I am actually more interested in hearing about...” She wildly gesticulates in Archie’s direction, nearly whacking me in the face as he does it.

“I’m her fake boyfriend,” Archie says but it doesn’t really serves as an explanation.

“Huh?”

“He acted like he was my boyfriend so that Alan would leave me alone.” I explain.

“Oh,” Dara says, nodding in understanding. “So now you’re committing to the bit?”

We both nod.

“Why are you helping him?” Dara asks Archibald, her eyes narrowing. “What’s in it for you? I won’t allow Isabella date again. And she doesn’t do one night stands. So if you think you’re going to get in her—”

Archibald’s cheeks turn a little pink and he rushes to cut Dara off. “No, I, um—that’s not why. I’m not interested in that right now, actually. I just felt kind of bad for her because my nephew was really rude.”

“Oh, good. I love being pitied. Thank you,” I say flatly.

Dara bursts out laughing.

“Oh, no, no, I didn’t mean—” Archibald stammers. “I don’t pity you. Not at all. I just meant I—I wanted to help.”

“I’m just messing with you,” I gave him a little smile.

Archie’s shoulders immediately relax.

“If Alan is your nephew then you must be the CEO’s who’s known as a rebelled kid.” Dara says piecing together the family tree in a second.

“Is that what I’m being called now?.”

Dara shrugged. “So you’re going to hang out with Bella for the rest of the evening? Because that’s what you’ll have to do. Otherwise, Alan will know you’re faking.”

I start to feel a little guilty. Archibald certainly didn’t fully think this through.

And I can’t ask this complete stranger to ditch his friends for the night and hang out with me instead?

I can’t.

“I’ll be watching you,” Dara says to Archie ominously.

Then she makes her way back to the bar, leaving us alone again.

I glanced towards Alan’s direction and see him glaring down on me and his uncle.

Oh jeez.

I gulped turning to face Archibald.

“I want to dance,” I say all of a sudden to ease the tension. “And since you are my fake boyfriend, it feels appropriate for you to dance with me.”

“Do you just want to dance, or do you want to put on a show?” He asks, his eyes twinkling.

Okay, are all the Bancroft’s usually this sneaky and up to no good?

My eyes flicker over to the dance floor behind Archie again.

Now I can see Alan near the far edge, now minus his flannel jacket, and some scrawny little girl is grinding on him, arms looped around his neck—his date, presumably.

“Let’s put on a show,” I say, grabbing Archie’s hand and tugging him onto the dance floor.

I necessarily am not expecting Archie to be a very good dancer, but he takes the lead easily, his hands low on my hips, pulling me in close.

It’s easy and effortless, and more than anything, it’s fun—the DJ is playing song after song after song, but I don’t feel like much time has passed at all.

I’m losing myself to the music, just perfectly drunk enough to feel warm and buzzy and careless, and I all but forget about the unpleasant situation that’s led me to dance with Archie in the first place.

My world has narrowed down to the heavy thrum of the bass, the flashing lights above them, and the feeling of Archie’s warm, solid body against mine.

Archie seems like he’s having fun, too. He’s all bright smiles and laughter and gentle touches, eyes solely focused on me as we move perfectly in sync.

Any outsider who glanced at the two of us would definitely assume that we were in love.

And I can’t believe i stumbled upon such an excellent fake boyfriend.

“Is he looking?” Archibald murmurs into my ear after a while, pulling me in so close that our bodies are pressed together, front to front.

I tilt my head, gazing over his shoulder lazily.

Alan meets my eye from across the dance floor.

“He’s staring,” I reply, winding my arms around Archie’s neck.

“Mmm. Should we give him something to stare at, then?”

I smile up at him, playful and catlike.

“Do you think he’s convinced now?.” I ask first, cocking my head. “That you’re my boyfriend?”

“That depends,” Archibald says. “How convinced do you want him to be?”

I could notice Archie’s gaze flickers down to my lips.

“Very,” I murmur back quietly.

Archie’s thumb roams further down, gently tracing over my bottom lip. He pushes against it. My mouth falls open a little, my breath catching in my throat.

“Good?” He asks, breath hot against my cheek.

“Kiss me,” I dared to whisper.

Archibald smiles a small, knowing smile.

“Only if it’s pretend,” He says, searching for answer in my eyes.

I nod—perhaps a little too enthusiastically.

Yes, pretend. For now.

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TBC

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