be a fake girlfriend? I can do more than that

Jonathan's face flushed red herring Weni's blunt remarks. "Alright, fine, I'll train you for one month. After that, I'll consider your performance!"

This was the first time he had interviewed a potential employee and ended up losing, going along with the candidate's wishes.

"Are you serious? I promise you won't be disappointed with my work," she stated confidently.

"Your psychometric test results and skills are fine, but your issue lies with emotions; it seems like you need to work on your emotional intelligence. Dealing with exes can be frustrating," Jonathan teased.

Hearing his mocking, she became annoyed.

"Seems like you've never had an ex before, sir. If you did, you wouldn't say what you just did," She retorted.

Jonathan was taken aback. "What! How do you know I don't have an ex?"

Spot on. "See!" She mocked back. "Sir, if we're done here, I'll excuse myself. You seem busy." she wanted to escape from Jonathan's intimidating gaze.

He glanced at her with a sly smile. If she became his secretary, things could get lively. He, leading a monotonous life, felt challenged to have such a unique employee.

Amid Jonathan's scrutinizing gaze that made Weni uncomfortable, the HRD appeared like an oasis in the desert. She leaped at the HRD, eager to exit the room.

"We've completed the interview session; it seems it's time for me to leave this room," she stated, signaling her readiness to depart.

"Yes. Go back to the first room; I will take care of you," the HRD said to Weni.

Jonathan interrupted. "Wait, let me handle her first. You can continue working," Jonathan said firmly.

Weni rolled her eyes. What, he said they were done.

The HRD left the room, leaving Weni and Jonathan.

"Sir, aren't we finished?" she asked.

"Not yet!"

"Why not?"

"Our business is just beginning!" Jonathan stood up from his desk, sitting in front of her, on the desk.

Weni's eyes widened. What was he up to now?

"Sir, let's not play games; I was just joking!" she crossed her arms, on alert. Who was fishing earlier but now was as shriveled as a wet noodle?

"Don't act innocent; you're not cut out for it. Since our conversation has been all over the place, I'll get straight to the point with you."

"No way, sir. I don't want to hear it. I just want to go to HR–," Weni objected, pushing her wheelchair back, distancing herself from Jonathan, who filled her vision. With his large, tall stature, all she could see was his… (you knew that)

"I'm serious! Listen to me!" He pulled her chair back with his foot, trying to bring their positions closer.

"I won't use a training system; I'll hire you as long as you're willing to help me," Jonathan stated.

Weni raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to intimidate me, sir?"

"You could say that. Because I would never speak like this to the opposite sex unless they were someone like you."

"What do you mean?"

Jonathan scratched his temple. "I see you're honest, straightforward, thick-skinned, and easygoing."

"You're an expert in reading expressions? We just met; how can you say that about me?" she eyed him suspiciously.

"But am I right in what I said?" He needed confirmation.

She shook her head. "Nope, that's not right; I'm shy and introverted!"

Jonathan shook his head. "This shy model of yours? Let's get straight to the point. I need a personal secretary, a personal assistant, but it's difficult to find someone who clicks and fits. Luckily, you seem to fit, so I–"

"Sir!" She cut off Jonathan's long speech. "You said you'd get straight to the point!"

"Oh, that's the point, but it's a bit long."

"Fine." She resigned herself to listen to him.

"So, I have family issues and I need a woman to accompany me. So, I want you to accompany me to a family event tonight."

Now, both of Weni's eyebrows shot up. "Sir, do you need a secretary at the office or a personal assistant for your life? In other words, are you looking for a partner?" She tried to decipher Jonathan's words carefully.

"Basically, yes. Someone special, maybe a wifey!"

Weni burst into laughter at the conclusion that came out of his mouth. "Sir, I know I'm not young anymore, but if I were to marry, I'd still choose carefully. At least a top-notch graduate, handsome, good for joking around, can endure hardships in life, so my life will be happy." She spoke casually.

"Oh, I graduated from Halvard, just look at my face, perfectly handsome! Plus, you've been joking around with me since earlier; I connected the dots, didn't I? Riding the train today was due to my poverty." Jonathan met her criteria. exactly!

Weni fell silent for a moment. She looked at Jonathan's position plaque; surely, this guy was smart, his face was extremely handsome. But being a joke buddy? Although strange, this guy seemed suitable for chatting with her. Endure hardships in life? It seemed like she would be the one facing hardships from him because of his size.

Weni shook her head. "That's not what I meant, sir. I want to marry someone who clicks. You should find another woman. I'm not compatible with you, it's like the sun and Pluto, sir. You're the sun, and I'm a microbe living on Pluto, far away..."

Jonathan didn't respond but stared at her with a serious expression.

She felt awkward. "Sir, I'm serious." She scratched her hot neck.

"I've been single until almost 40 because no woman can handle my family."

"Hehehe..." Weni's forced laughter sounded, mentally strong? She felt even more scared. She wanted to take a thousand steps back, but Jonathan's hands restraining her made her silent, her body stiff, sitting like a shrimp on the chair.

"I'll give you 50.000 if you accompany me tonight."

"What! 50.000!" Weni yelled, kicking her legs.

Jonathan instinctively pushed her chair. The chair slid into the corner of the room, luckily without tipping over.

Weni left the chair, returning to Jonathan. They stood, with a vast height difference. 167 centimeters and 190 centimeters.

"Sir, why don't you sit down, and I'll stand. So, are you seriously offering me 50 thousand dollars to accompany you to your family event?" she asked suspiciously, afraid this might be a scam disguised as pretending to be a girlfriend.

"Yes! If you want to marry me, I'll give you 100,000."

"I'd rather just be your girlfriend. Two days and it's already 100.000; being a wife is a lifelong commitment, and the down payment would be gone in no time." They were negotiating.

"A fake girlfriend gets 50 for the contract, while a wife gets 100. 000 for the duration of the contract, excluding personal needs and such," Jonathan explained.

"Tempting, sir. But I'm not materialistic, By the way! if I become your wife, what facilities do I get?" she asked politely but with a hint of greed in her eyes, clearly interested in the money.

"Everything I have."

"Heh!" Weni's eyes lit up, imagining large sums of money and– “ brain's as dirty as a pigpen.”

Jonathan quickly crossed his legs so nobody got a peek at the 'honey pot’ with documents. "That's not what I meant! But what I have, the house, car, villa, all living facilities!"

"Oh!" she exclaimed, perhaps disappointed. "I need time to think about it, sir."

Weni's face was serious as she considered Jonathan's offer, but three seconds later, "Sir, I'll try being your girlfriend first, and if it works out, can I level up to being your wife?" Greedy girls don't want to lose out.

"It's possible if you can handle my family's mental strength. Because all the women I've brought so far have failed; they couldn't handle the first test."

"It's a bit scary, but I'll give it a try, sir! For the money! I mean, to help you!" she grinned, imagining 50,000, 50,000.

"Okay, then. You wait here for a while; I'll finish my work first."

"Can't I just go home, sir?" Weni tried to negotiate.

Jonathan returned to his seat. "No, you need a stylist to stand beside me properly, and you also need to learn some manners. Wait here for a while; I need to work first!" he got busy with work, ignoring her sulking.

"Hang in there, Wen, for the sake of 50,000 dollars..." she muttered while watching Jonathan's serious face working.

"Oh, I forgot to ask. Have you ever kissed anyone?" Jonathan's question made her gape.

"Sir, it feels like a heavy price to pay for 50 000."

"I'm asking, have you ever done it?"

"W-Well, yes, sir, but it's been a while. I've been single for a long time!"

"Alright, then, I'll work first, and after that, we'll learn how to kiss!"

Weni froze. "Do we have to?” Then she started talking to herself, muttering under her breath. “We're not a bunch of 12-year-olds learning how to peek. Seriously, we're capable of way more than that."