Four

Alex

I settled into my chair, looking out the window of my penthouse suite. The view was stunning, there were no other words to describe the sight of the surf crashing against the white sands of the beach below, but my mind was elsewhere.

It had been weeks since I'd arrived, and while I made quite a few deals and we had increased profits from our retail lines the past month, I had noticed a trend every time we tried to bid for a deal. I was well aware that as the CEO, I was in the spotlight because I would be the first indicator of how my company will relate with others, and I thought I had at least been doing well on that count. Most of my investors didn't seem to take me seriously, or see me as a stable person to invest in because I'd never had a girlfriend or woman around me.

Quite frankly, I thought having any relationships, serious or otherwise, would be too distracting for me, seeing as I had a quota to meet. It was a personal thing, a short term goal to keep my mind sharp, and I felt that it was a very admirable thing to do. It also meant no scandals, and my name was squeaky clean.

So being told for the third time that I didn’t look like a stable man was really starting to make me see red. It was frustrating, to say the least. I'd worked hard to get where I was, and I knew I was capable of delivering results. But apparently, that wasn't enough.

No, I had to have a woman by my side to prove my worth. It was ridiculous, and wrong. So very wrong, and borderline stupid.

But what was I going to do about it?

I wouldn’t have given it even a second thought if it wasn’t for my company.

But as I thought about it more, I realized that maybe they had a point. I didn't exactly have a reputation for being stable or reliable yet. I was new in the business, even though most of these people had heard of my parents at least once. I could be hot-headed, impulsive, and reckless for all they knew.

For most of my life, I had been that way too – arrogant, impulsive and reckless. It didn’t show all the time when I worked or studied, and it wasn't that I didn't care about my work, but sometimes, I just got carried away.

That's when the idea hit me. If I wanted to be taken seriously, I needed a fake girlfriend to attend important events with me. Someone who could help me appear more stable and reliable to my investors.

I needed someone classy, someone smart.

Someone I wouldn’t get the ick by just being in the same space with her.

I groaned and let myself fall into my king sized bed, letting the sheets swallow me whole.

There was only one person in my life currently that could be what I wanted her to be. She was the only one who was smart enough, the only one who had a knack for business regardless of what department she worked in currently: I had seen her in action during several meetings, and it was no wonder the company valued her as much as they did.

The only woman I could even be close to was also the person who hated me the most, and with good reason.

Miss ‘I would eat your head off if you look at me wrong’ herself. Brie Larson.

I could only imagine what she would do to me if I talked to her about it. It could be anything really, she could rant, or she could remain silent and look at me with her eyes blazing. I didn't relish the idea of asking her, but I knew it was necessary. I had no other choice.

No matter how much I hate her, and the depth of her disdain for me, she was the best choice.

The only choice.

So I thought about it all night, tossing and turning in bed, and by morning I was absolutely certain I had no other choice. After a slightly busy schedule the next day, I called her into my office later that afternoon.

She walked in, her confident stride in heels that tapped as she moved hiding the nervousness in her eyes. I could tell she was surprised to be summoned by me. I didn't blame her. I wasn't exactly known for my friendliness around the office, and she had firsthand knowledge of how petty I could get.

She was looking beautiful, as usual; her hair pulled into a ponytail, her glasses resting easily on top of her hair, with the sleeves of her crisp baby blue shirt rolled up to her elbows.

She still wears glasses I thought, smiling internally.

She must have been working seriously when I asked for her, because apart from her nerves, her eyes held a hint off annoyance.

“You called for me, boss?” she asked, standing in front of my dark wooden desk.

“Yes, I did. Sit.” I gestured to a matching wooden chair with black leather seats and she sat as directed.

Knowing Brie, she would storm out the second I say something that gets on her nerves of she suspects I’m wasting her time, so I decided to just rip the Band-Aid off before I got second thoughts.

I stood up from my chair, walking over to her. She lounged with her back resting on the chair, her hands in her laps, but I knew that despite her seemingly relaxed pose her mind was working in overdrive. I leaned against the edge of my desk, looming over her. I knew it was an intimidating pose, but I couldn't help it. I needed her to understand how serious this was.

"Brie," I said, my voice low and steady. "I need a favor."

Her eyes widened a little, but she didn't say anything. I could see the twitch of her leg in her pants though, and I knew that one wrong move would make her slam it into any body part she could find. Her eyes were wary, and filled with barely concealed hatred.

To my surprise, it stung a little. Still, I didn’t let it distract me. She could think of me anyway she wanted, but I needed her.

"I need you to be my fake girlfriend," I continued, watching her carefully. "Just for a little while. It's important for my work, and I need someone I can trust."

Her face and body went stiff, and I could almost see the gears moving in her mind. To my surprise, though, all she did was throw her head back in laughter. I leaned back and watched her, feeling wronged.

“You’re kidding, right?” she asked as the last of her chuckles faded and my neck was still hot as I answered.

“Nope, I’m serious.”

She looked at me like I had grown two heads. “Alex, you’re talking to Brie. Me, the girl you’ve been tormenting for as long as you’ve known her. You can’t possibly be serious. This is another one of your jokes, right?”

I pushed myself off the desk and paced the length of my office. “I’m not, honestly. I wish I was trying to prank you, but I’m not. If I don’t get a girlfriend soon, there would be serious issues with the company.” I ran a hand through my hair. “As much as it baffles me that I have to ask you of all people…”

“Right back at you,” she muttered, crossing her arms and watching me.

“… You’re unfortunately the only person I can stand.”

“Why? Did everyone else get tired of your pompous ass so you decided to meet the one person in the world who would like to set it on fire?” she retorted, rolling her eyes. “Smart, real smart.”

I wanted to hit her back with an even harder retort, but I took a deep breath. Just words weren’t enough to sway her, obviously. “I'll pay you, of course," I said, trying to sweeten the deal. "And you'll get to experience the luxury lifestyle you've never had before.”

That seemed to catch her attention. I could see her eyes light up a little at the thought of all the fancy parties and events we'd be attending. I knew she had a thing for aesthetics, and I was willing to do anything to make sure she would help me, even if it meant paying her higher than her usual salary, which was quite high already. But then she spoke, and her words cut through my thoughts.

"The only reason I'm agreeing to this is for the taste of your lifestyle," she said bluntly. "I only want to know what it feels like to have unlimited resources, to be able to get anything you want, so don't delude yourself into thinking I might like you or anything."

Her words stung, more than I was willing to admit. But I pushed the feeling aside, focusing on the task at hand.

"That's fine," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "As long as you can pretend to be my girlfriend for a little while, that's all that matters."

Brie nodded, looking a little relieved, almost as relieved as I was. "Okay," she said. "When do we start?"

“I’ll get a contract drawn up first. Then we can talk.”

Brie nodded again, standing up from her chair. "Okay," she said, getting up and brushing imaginary dust off her shoulders, her voice hard once again. "Tell me when and where, and I'll be there."

As she left my office, I couldn't help but feel a little relieved. The hardest part was over. But at the same time, I knew that this was just the beginning. There was still so much that could go wrong.

I still had a lot to do.