Doing well in her career used to mean having her own office and working for a big company, but Emily was embracing a new kind of idea. She put up ads online and in her neighborhood, and soon she was teaching painting to several students. It felt liberating to be in charge of her own schedule and be her own boss.She was still not making quite enough money to afford the whole apartment, but she had more faith now that she would figure something out.Emily knew she should not be walking home alone after dark, but one of her classes took longer than usual. Once she left the student's house, she considered calling a cab but then decided she couldn't afford it. Josh had not shown his face all this time. Maybe he was finally happy with Delsie. Emily could not help looking around suspiciously out of habit. The streets were busy with cars, cyclists, and pedestrians, so even if the stalker was around, she felt fairly safe. As she crossed a busy intersection, Emily had the feeling she was
She stalked outside into the chilly night air, and Byron called out for her to wait. He got delayed while untying Rupert's leash, and Emily made quite good distance down the emptying street, but soon Byron caught up to her again, driving slowly behind her in a sleek BMW. Rupert sat majestically in the passenger seat while Byron drove slowly with his windows rolled down. Other drivers were honking their horns at him to go faster, but he ignored them."Emily, I'm sorry," he said, trying to catch her eye through the passenger window, "I won't do it anymore. Just let me drive you home, and then I'll go.""You're making a scene," she said, "just go away.""No," he shouted, "It was your own best friend who told you never to walk alone at night, and you're breaking the pact."Damn, why did he have to be so caring? He really took it over the top, but Emily found it hard to be angry with him after the main explosion of rage subsided and she recognized that he did it all to help her.She
The next day, Emily did not have to wait long for a call from her friend and soon to be fake boyfriend.She meant to call him as soon as she finished breakfast, but her phone rang at 9 am. "Have you forgiven me yet?" Byron's smooth voice caressed her ear."Yes," she replied, "and I want to do the fake dating.""You do?" his voice suddenly lost some of its professional lustre, and he sounded vulnerable for a moment. "Let's talk it over. I'll pick you up for lunch at Mangiamo."The Italian restaurant was bustling with glamorous couples and smartly dressed professionals. Amadeo, the same middle-aged man who had served them the last time they were here, appeared even happier to see Byron. Once again he had a hug for his employer and a warm greeting for Emily.She was bewildered by how close Byron was to his staff, despite all the articles she had read about his ruthlessness and how he crushed all companies that stood in his way. Maybe he truly cared about the people who worked for h
Another server arrived, bringing their pizzas. After chatting with him politely, Emily tried to take a bite of the steaming melted cheese, but she did not let the delicate flavors distract her too much. "You wanted to make it up to me... What do you have in mind?" she asked."It's a surprise," Byron said, "I'd like to show you something. We can go there after lunch, if you're not busy.""I'm not busy at all," she said. Fortunately she didn't have to teach any classes this day, and it would have been otherwise another boring, rainy afternoon. But as they left the restaurant the rain cleared up, and a shy ray of sunshine peeked through the low, grey blanket of clouds. They walked along the busy downtown street, and Emily couldn't help noticing all the women checking out her fake boyfriend. It provided a certain superficial enjoyment, even if it wasn't a real relationship. In a way, she liked being friends with him better than a love relationship. Friendship had a certain stabilit
Emily told Byron about her friend's relationship problem. It was a good partnership overall, but Pam and her boyfriend Mike had fallen into the boredom of routine, where nothing exciting happened."So how do I fit into the picture?" Byron asked, raising one dark eyebrow."Originally, I was going to talk to Mike," Emily explained, "but it just occurred to me, maybe he should get another guy's perspective. And you're really good at keeping things exciting with your handwritten letters and champagne in the middle of the afternoon. You could give him some advice.""But he doesn't even know me," Byron objected, "Why would he take advice from someone who's practically a stranger?""It'll be okay, I'll introduce you."Maybe it was the champagne talking, but Emily felt blissfully happy, and she wanted her best friend to be happy too. "I know it might not be easy," she said decisively, "but we have to try."Emily arranged to meet Mike after work the next day at a downtown cafe with a
A few of days later, Emily got a phone call from an excited Pam who told her Mike had received a job offer from one of Byron's subsidiary companies. Not only was the atmosphere more relaxed at his new job, but he was also paid double the salary of his previous position."This new boyfriend of yours is a real sweetie," Pam said, "hang onto him.""Wait a minute," Emily said, "Mike promised not to tell!""He didn't," Pam stated, "but I had my suspicions. I traced the ownership of the company, and then I made him confess everything.""I hope you didn't use any naughty methods to extract the confession," Emily hinted."Let's just say there was a break in the routine," Pam replied. "And I owe it all to you. Seriously, you're the best friend ever!"Emily was still glowing as she set off for lunch with Byron later that day. Not only was she happy for her friend, but she was proud of herself and of Byron for having arranged the intervention and pulled it off with such spectacular results.
When her family arrived on the scene, the restaurant got a new infusion of energy. Their excitement to see Emily and take in the beautiful views was palpable. It was not only Emily's parents but her younger brother Nick who had made the trip. "Hi pooky," her mom exclaimed, embarrassing her from the get-go with the childish nickname. Then she went over to Byron. "I'm Chiara, Emily's mom, as you probably know.""Uh... mom, this is my boyfriend Byron," Emily said. They had agreed to maintain the fake relationship with everyone to ensure the perfect secrecy of their plan. "In the old country they call me Giovanni," her dad jumped in, "but here everyone calls me Johnny."Everyone was talking at once, hugging, and ordering lots of coffee."Emily didn't tell us about you," her dad said as they sat down at the table. "She did mention she was seeing someone," he mom corrected, "but it was very vague. Emily can be so secretive!""It's hard to judge the timing in a relationship," Byro
Emily's life developed a pleasant rhythm over the next few days. She often had dinner with Byron at his place. She even felt comfortable enough to sleep over at the penthouse in one of the guest bedrooms. The bed was so soft and comfy, Emily couldn't resist coming back night after night. She even had her own bathroom there so no awkwardness could occur. She felt completely spoiled.In the mornings and afternoons she saw her family and showed them around the city, and in the evenings she taught painting.It all came literally crashing down one day when Emily was getting ready for work after spending the night in Byron's suite. She was brushing her hair in her private bathroom when a loud crashing noise startled her. Then she heard Byron yelling out a curse, his voice filled with frustration. Rupert barked from somewhere in the living room, just as alarmed as she was.Emily rushed over to the room that served as Byron's home office. When she opened the door and found shards of plaster