"I'm fine, I want to get married to you." She said noticing it was less sunny now than it was."You don't look convincing enough about that.""It's my first time getting married, I'm allowed to look as unconvincing and nervous as I can be." She said going back inside. When he came in, he saw that she was signing the paper. "Good, now I need you both to go out and take some pictures, there should be a photographer there. I want one of you both separately and one with you two together." He said computing some things into the computer in front of her."He should have just asked you guys to take those photos before starting the signing process." Amber said when they headed outside. "Where did he take you when you both left?""We just talked outside the door, nothing romantic Amber.""So he just tapped your shoulder and you went with him?""There's nothing romantic about that, is there?""Well...""O godddd." Victoria rolled her eyes.Jake was the first to take his picture, with his hands
The drive was quiet as the car went on a casual speed. Victoria looked out through the window and watched the city to try and act like he wasn't there, seating on the other side of the car with her. She had tried so long through their drive to overcome the temptation of looking in his direction to know if he was looking at her or looking outside the window just like her but it didn't look like the car was stopping soon.They had been driving for more than an hour now and it looked darker outside. She checked the time on her phone and it was thirty eight minutes past six. She finally didn't care and turned to look at him. He was sitting still with his eyes closed, she couldn't tell if he was sleeping because he wasn't making a noise but she was glad he couldn't see her stare at him. His lips were pressed tightly against each other as he stayed in that position with his head resting on the car's headrest. Victoria thought he looked tired but handsome still and his jaws and chin were nea
There was a painting of a horse in black and white, hanging at the head of the bed, it added a classic touch to the room because it matched the white bottom sheet and black duvet which was spread on the bed .Opening one of the doors there, she was happy to discover that it was a bathroom, but it was so spacious she stood there looking around for a moment. The tall tiled walls were shiny and light reflective, there was a round giant bathtub enough for two persons to fit in it comfortably situated in the middle of the bathroom from where she stood.There was also a shower cubicle at the left corner of the bathroom, far from the bathtub, with a translucent glass around it. She hoped there was a towel waiting on the towel rack like the hotel because she wanted to have a shower and her bag which she packed back at the hotel wasn't here yet. After she checked around she couldn't sight a rack so she looked through few of the cabinets which she could reach, she finally saw one with folded w
She checked around the bed for her phone like she usually did evey morning then remembered it was still in her purse. She looked at the table where she kept it yesterday and it was still there. She got off the bed quietly, took her purse and went to open the door, she wanted to leave, she had told Amber that nothing romantic was going to happen when she came here and she wasn't planning on taking a chance with Jake looking like underwear super model; Mike Petra, walking around the same room with her.Turning the door knob, it didn't open easily like yesterday. She sighed, trying it again, she really wanted to leave before he came back even though she didn't know her way around the castle-like house. Her thought was that hopefully she would meet Felix and ask him to show her room to her."Let me help you." She heard Jake and turned from the door, looking like a teenager that was caught sneaking out. He was fully dressed now in his usual suit. She gave way for him to open the door.Wi
"Do you need me to call Brown and let him know you won't be at the studio today?" He said and she thought he carried himself with such pride.'He sounds so sure, like a phonecall can just decide everything. Does he realize that it's not just Brown but the advert team involved?' She thought in her mind but nodded anyway to see if he could actually do it. He took out his phone and placed a call to Brown immediately, putting the call on loudspeaker."Mr Topher, good morning." Brown took his legs off his desk where he sat in his office when he picked Jake's call at the first ring. Jake was not there with him but he thought he still should be in a proper sitting posture while on the phone with him."Victoria won't be coming to the studio today. She wants to be sure you are okay with it." Jake went directly to why he called."Of course, I'm okay with it." Brown immediately replied knowing there was just one Victoria registered as a model under him, the Victoria he was asked to travel and re
"Evan is here?" He asked. "Why isn't he with you, let him in." Jake said and Drew left to return with him.When Evan came in and Drew left, Jake closed his laptop to give his attention to him because he knew whenever he wanted to meet with him in person and not call, it was usually for a good reason."What is it?" Jake asked when he( Evan) was not saying anything yet. Evans didn't bother sitting down, he knew he couldn't with what he was about to tell Jake."Uhm..." He cleared his throat. "I really don't know how it happened, I made sure the area was free of any journalist yesterday..." He inhaled before he said his next words. " There are photos of you and the Mrs trending on all of social media.""What?" Jake's asked in what sounded like a whisper instead of an outburst like Evan expected but he feared this less louder expression Jake was giving."I've had my team try to curb it but it's not just blogs and media houses, individual accounts are also involved, we can't really do anyth
Max Topher sat in his room, his legs crossed over a footstool as he smoked his tobacco like he did more often recently. The room was dimly lit, just as he preferred it.He watched the entertainment news on the television quietly, they were analyzing Jake's story, two parties having a friendly argument whether Jake was really gay or not and whether or not his marriage to the unknown new Mrs Topher was something legitimate and genuine.He wasn't watching it because he loved Jake too much, he just asked his butler, Albert, to turn it on so he could see what direction the netizens had taken the whole matter in.His plan had backfired. Releasing those pictures, he thought they would affect Jake's reputation. He(Jake) had gone and gotten married secretly, people were doing the opposite of what he(Max) expected, they were congratulating him on social media and though some critics were being judgemental about it, Max thought there should be more displeased masses than they were.Everyone was
"Wait, what really happened?" Amber asked seriously now.She told her best friend what just happened, how she was honest and told Jake that she thought he could have leaked the pictures."And that's what turning your mood sour? I mean, you just said your mind and you asked him and he said he didn't do it, there's nothing generally wrong with that? But you still shouldn't have, he couldn't have done it.""I know, I just...." Victoria trailed in her words."Yeah I understand. You should have told me you were having that thought.""I should have." Victoria admitted. "I want to hug you right now but you are at the hotel and I'm here.""Don't make me start to miss you all over again, I beg you." Victoria chuckled when she said that."Did you invite Kim over yesterday? How did you sleep?""No I didn't, turns out it's not that hard to sleep alone, I'm just addicted to been around you and that's got to change, I mean pretty soon someone else would be getting addicted to you.""Oh please." Vic
"Do you think you can use any of these?" Felix asked when she came to where he stood and looked into the pan full of vegetables."Is there any reason I can't use them?" She asked still peering into the pan because they all looked fresh and okay."Not really, it's just that we don't use these things after they become a day old, the chefs get new and fresh vegetables every day.""Every day? It doesn't look bad?" Victoria took one of the red and round tomatoes, looking at it."Maybe I could ask someone to go get you fresh ones...""No," She refused immediately."they look pretty fresh to me. Thanks." She said and Felix smiled, happy that he had tried his best to please her before he left.When he walked out of the kitchen he saw Jake arrive downstairs. Jake was about to retire to bed after his extra time spent at his home office when he noticed that the kitchen lights were on and someone had to be there, it was the only place with bright light downstairs."Why are you still awake?" Jake a
"Dinner is ready, Mrs Topher." He said to her."Is Jake downstairs?" "Yes, Mrs Topher.""He is, huh?" Felix nodded to the second question."He was the one who had me come get you, after the helper I sent returned without you.""I see," She said, her mind thinking of what to do, she needed to show Jake that she was angry about what happened so he didn't repeat it."I'll be there soon."Going down the stairs, she saw Jake seated at the head of the table and as usual, she went all the way to the other end and took a seat, his eyes on her the whole time. He saw that she wasn't all smiley with the helpers when her dinner was brought, it was obvious she was displeased with what he did earlier, she wasn't even looking at him.Don't look, Tori. Don't look. She told herself as she forked some salad into her mouth, she suddenly didn't want to be angry anymore now that she was here seated at the same table with him. She was avoiding looking at him, hoping she could pull it off; pretending like
Taking her lower lip first, he kissed her, pecking her chin region right below her lips before kissing her full lips again. He had closed his eyes the moment his lips touched hers and so couldn't see the bewilderment on Victoria's face. She wouldn't admit it to herself but it felt good, maybe it was because she hadn't kissed someone for a long time but she had kissed him before and she was feeling like she felt back then. He was a good kisser, he took his time to explore every part of her lips and his tongue wasn't rough in her mouth, he was so gentle that she didn't know when she had her eyes closed too. She wasn't kissing back but she let him continue. He would have stopped but when he noticed that she wasn't stopping him, he continued, stealing her breath as he kissed her more. When he finally separated his lips from hers, he met her eyes again they still looked confused. "Am I gay?" He asked her in his usual low deep voice and she shook her head slowly. She was lookin
Victoria watched Amber smile weirdly when she saw Jake. She hoped her friend didn't say anything embarrassing as they walked towards where he stood.Jake left the garden before they could get to him, he didn't want to be close to Amber by any means so he left. He came back early, he planned to still return to the office but he thought to get some rest first. He could do that at the office but he most importantly wanted to see Victoria, that was his primary reason for returning home not to rest. When he asked of Victoria, Felix informed him that she was in the garden with a friend and he knew it was Amber, her blonde-haired friend, it had to be her, she was the only person he knew Victoria trusted with their secret marriage.Victoria didn't see him when she walked out of the garden with Amber, it was like he disappeared because he just left when they were about to get to where he was so they should have seen him when they left the garden. ‘he must have gone inside.’ Victoria thought
"I'm Max, your brother-in-law.""I figured," Victoria said."You both have look alike.""Let me apologize for what I said during the meeting, it's just that I couldn't find it true that this union between you two is genuine, I mean there hasn't been a woman with a romantic interest in his life before now and suddenly he is married, I hope you understand." Max went on despite the dangerous eyes Jake had on him while he spoke."We were actually in a...uhm, a quiet relationship before we decided to go ahead and get married," Victoria said hoping she was doing a good job at defending their sudden secret marriage but thinking about it after she spoke, it occurred to her that if what she said was actually true then he(Max) would know about her."Really, Jake didn't even bother to introduce me to the love of his life." Max sounded like he knew she just lied and he did but was only giving a snide reply."I didn't bother introducing my wife to you because I figured you already knew about her,"
Gemma smiled after the man spoke, she understood that he had just been calculative at that point, he was in support of her stepping down and Jake taking over. He was one of the oldest members of the board, he was there when Jack Topher was still in charge and just like every other person seated at that table he was after the position Gemma held but he was smarter than most of them were. He had long realized that trying to overrun Gemma off her position was impossible and it would be harder with Jake so he lowered his ambition, he knew that once Gemma wasn't the head anymore, Jake would become the member with the highest share and he had a chance to buy more shares to become the second highest.Gregory's plan was different, he mostly didn't care at this point, he knew Gemma didn't trust him and Jake didn't either so he was direct like Max whenever he wanted to oppose any decisions made by them(Jake and his mother).He(Gregory) has been after the position of president since Jake's fath
Drew knocked on the door before he came in, he quickly analyzed Jake's glare the moment he entered, noticing Jake was not as much in a sour mood as earlier but decided to go on with what he came to tell him to avoid bringing it back "Sir, the president is here and is on her way to your office."As soon as he finished that sentence of his, he opened the door when he heard footsteps approaching the office. Gemma walked in with Edward; her assistant holding her bag for her. Victoria saw her in a different look for the first time. She wasn't in one of her usual and similar white apparel, she looked more bossy than Victoria had seen before in the white suit she had on. T"Is she here yet?" Gemma asked Jake who still sat comfortably in his chair."Mhmnn." Jake nodded looking in Victoria's direction.Victoria stood with everyone in the office looking at her. Gemma smiled but she(Victoria) couldn't tell if she was smiling at her or just smiling after knowing she was there already."We can s
Evan walked into the mansion and after a whispered chat with Felix, he went outside and stood waiting while Felix came up to let her know that Evan was going to be the one driving her."Mr Topher wants him to drive you." Felix said approaching the table after Victoria was done eating.Cora immediately stood up when she heard him, thinking she was in trouble for sitting with Victoria and so did Emily but Felix knew Victoria must have asked them to."Oh okay." She said getting up and waving at both helpers while she left but only Emily waved back.Sitting in the back of the car, she watched Evan drive, he caught her staring when he looked at the rear view mirror. "Any problem ma'am?" He thought he should asked because of how she was staring."No." She lied at first not really wanting to tell him that she thought he took a wrong turn but after some seconds she said her mind. "This is not the road to the studio." She told him because even if she didn't know her way around, she knew what
"Was your day shitty too?" "Yes, but I think I'm used to it, unlike you, it's obviously affecting your mood so maybe you could tell me, maybe I can help?" He started on the road."No, you can't help." She shook her head."What are you going to do, I mean she already said it, others are also going to say what they want to say, you can't stop people from saying what they want.""Who said what?""Never mind." She said not finding the need to tell him about the things Brie said."Tell me, if you do so, I'm sure you'll not think much about it anymore." She didn't say anything more concerning how her day was till after a while she asked him something she just thought about."Must we stay together?" He paused the car at the red light and turned his attention to her when she asked that, she was staring outside the window, something she did often while in the car with him. "Must we? It's a fake marriage isn't it? I don't have to stay at the mansion, I could stay at the hotel till you want me t