3

(THIRD PERSON’S POV)

When Lana came home, she was definitely not expecting to find Ruby sitting amidst a sea of crumpled tissues, her eyes red and swollen from crying. Nor was she prepared to hear that Ruby had lost her job within two hours, all thanks to some rude, arrogant customer.

To further complicate matters, their roommate, Tracy, arrived home much earlier than usual, with an air of gloom.

“He’s the absolute worst!” Tracy wailed, dabbing at her nose with a tissue collected from Ruby’s dwindling supply. “I might as well tender my resignation now.” Her sigh was heavy with defeat.

“That’s…ironic,” Ruby managed to mutter, her voice thick with unshed tears.

“I’m so sorry, Ruby. You desperately need a job, and I utterly loathe mine.” Tracy offered a weak, sympathetic smile.

“Please, I need you both to cheer up,” Lana interjected, entering the apartment with a large, enticingly aromatic pizza. “At the rate you’re both going, I’m seriously considering staying a student forever!”

“You’re writing your finals, Lana. Savor this brief enjoyment while it lasts,” Tracy said.

“Yeah,” Ruby agreed listlessly, leaning back against the couch, the delicious scent of pizza failing to penetrate her sad mood. “I don’t even know what to do. Where to even begin looking?”

Lana gently caressed her knee. “You’re going to find an even better job, you just wait and see.” She offered her friend an encouraging smile before turning to Tracy. “And you won’t lose yours. You’ll find this wonderful fake girlfriend for Damian Loft soon. I just know it.”

“Well, wherever she is, she better reveal herself now!” Tracy said with a dry, humorless chuckle. “Beautiful, intelligent, completely off the grid, no social media presence, utterly removed from the public eye. Where does one even begin to find such a woman?!”

A brief silence descended upon the apartment, broken only by the gentle crackle of the pizza box. Then, Lana gasped, her eyes widening with sudden inspiration.

“I know the perfect person!” she exclaimed, dropping the pizza box onto the coffee table in her excitement.

Tracy’s eyes also lit up, and she sat up straighter, a flicker of hope in her gaze. “Lana Thompson, don’t you dare play with me!” she warned, a hint of desperation in her voice.

“Ruby Mae! You are the perfect person for the job.” Lana declared, her voice ringing with conviction.

A tense silence followed as Tracy’s head snapped towards Ruby, her eyes assessing.

“Yesss! Yesss! How could I have been so blind?” Tracy said, practically bouncing with renewed energy.

Ruby, utterly bewildered, looked back and forth between the two women. “Um…wait a minute? What are you both talking about?” she asked, a nervous chuckle escaping her lips.

“You’re intelligent, beautiful, and exceptionally well-mannered,” Lana began, ticking off the requirements.

“And, the most impossible trait of all, you are completely off the grid!” Tracy added, her voice filled with triumph. “You have absolutely no ties or interest in social media.”

“Are you both crazy?” Ruby exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief. “I can’t be the fake girlfriend for your famous, arrogant boss. My pictures will be plastered everywhere. Remember, I’m trying to hide from Don Julio!”

“He won’t recognize you after we give you a little makeover! We’ll have you transformed in a minute!” Tracy pleaded, her eyes shining with urgency.

“No, I can’t,” Ruby insisted, her head shaking emphatically. “I can’t do it. I’ve never even had a boyfriend before. I can’t play pretend with someone who you’ve described as a womanizer and a meanie!”

“It’s going to be a formal contract. It’s all about pretending. You won’t have to do any…real things. Maybe just a little kissing or making out…”

Ruby gasped, her head shaking even more vigorously. “The last time I kissed someone was six years ago. I can’t do this. I am definitely not the one.”

Lana scooted closer to Ruby, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Come on, Ruby Mae. You’re so patient and kind; you’ll be able to handle this.” She said softly. “Also, the pay is really, really good. You can use the money to save your father and finally start the new lives you both deserve.”

That was the only thing that truly resonated with Ruby. That was the sole reason she had come to New York in the first place: to earn enough money while simultaneously evading Don Julio’s grasp. She would gather the necessary funds, liberate her father from Don Julio’s clutches, and then they would both disappear, starting anew somewhere far away.

“The pay isn’t just good; it’s spectacular. It’s absolutely huge, to be precise.” Tracy corrected, her voice filled with persuasive enthusiasm. Ruby’s gaze sharpened.

“How much?” Ruby asked, a sigh escaping her lips. The thought of the two thousand dollars she desperately needed sent a shiver of anxiety through her.

“Ten thousand dollars, plus benefits.” Tracy stated, her voice carefully measured.

Ruby froze, a strange lightness washing over her. Ten thousand dollars was more than enough. It would secure her father’s freedom, provide them with passports, fund their journey to a new country, and allow them to rebuild their shattered lives.

Ten thousand dollars was a lifeline. It was a genuine, viable solution to her desperate situation.

“What if I can’t do it?” she asked, her voice tight with apprehension.

“You can do it only if you want to do it, Ruby.” Lana said firmly. “This is a saving grace, Ruby. It’s precisely what you need. I know that you never imagined doing some thing like this but I need you to think of it very well.”

Ruby was quiet as she thought about it again. She thought of her father and as usual, fear pulled her down. She wondered what he would be going through now.

Lana was right, this was precisely what she needed, irrespective of what she had to do.

“There’s a formal contract, right? A legally binding agreement?” She confirmed, seeking reassurance. Tracy nodded.

Ruby sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

Tracy squealed with delight, engulfing Ruby in a hug so tight she could barely breathe. Then, she immediately dialed her boss, arranging an urgent meeting.

“So soon?” Ruby asked nervously as Lana gently brushed her curls and applied a touch of lip gloss.

“Yes, Ruby,” Tracy answered, her voice buzzing with excitement. “It’s incredibly urgent. The sooner we begin, the better. Plus, I need a final go-ahead from my boss.”

Swallowing the knot of nervousness in her stomach, Ruby followed Tracy out to her car, repeating the words "Everything will be fine" like a mantra.

They arrived at the towering company building, and due to their hurried pace, Ruby had no time to marvel at its size and grandeur.

They entered the elevator, and Tracy pressed the button for the top floor.

“Here we go,” Tracy said with a bright, encouraging smile as the elevator doors slid open.

Damian was on the phone, his back to them, swirling the wine in his glass.

Summoning every ounce of confidence she possessed, Ruby stepped into the office, smoothing her palms against the fabric of the pretty green sundress Lana had insisted she wear.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Loft,” Tracy greeted.

Damian turned around.

The moment his cold blue eyes locked with Ruby's wide green ones, a spark of immediate, undeniable attraction ignited, followed by a simultaneous jolt of shock and recognition for both of them.