Emily's pov
"So what do you think about my offer?" My boss, Mr Williams asked with his legs casually outstretched beneath his desk and his hands on his lap while I was struggling to steady my breathing.
Slowly but progressively I carried my eyes until they met him with uncertainty coating them.
"Are you serious about this, Mr Williams? You're not just pulling my leg?"
"Yes, I've thought about it and I believe that it will be mutually beneficial for both of us. So what do you say?"
I took a deep breath pushing myself up to my feet and pacing around the rough is mumbling under my breath.
"B-b-but Mr Williams…me…and you…engaged? Nobody's going to buy it! They are going to see right through it and know that we are just faking the whole thing!" I said my voice rising with emotion, Mr Williams had offered what seemed on the surface the solution to all of my current problems or at least a good portion of them.
A contractual marriage. He needed it so his mother would stop bugging him to go on blind date and messing with his business schedule and I needed it because of my current predicament, one of which was being painfully homeless.
It didn't look like my father was going to call me back home anytime soon and I will sooner jump into a lake than apologize to my step family.
But…
"Why are you picking me?" I asked him to walk back to his table and plant my palms on it.
"I'm sure that there are dozens of women that would leap at this opportunity, so why me–"
"That's because you're not them–" he said without missing a beat and stood up, I had to tilt my chin to look him in the eye.
"What do you mean?" he gave me this intense look that sent goosebumps all over my body.
"Miss Brown, do you know that before I met you every other secretary I've had has hardly lasted in this office?"
I knew. I'd heard that he had a track record of dropping secretaries and changing them like how he changed his tailored suits. Personally I was surprised why he kept me around for so long but my monthly check kept me from asking too many nosy questions.
"All my other secretaries have fallen in love with me or at least wanted to sleep with me at one point or another," he sounded almost melancholic when he said this.
"But you are different… Miss Brown, I know that even if we pretend to be in a relationship you won't develop feelings for me,"
I paused deeply contemplating his words, it wasn't as I found him unattractive physically but as a boss he could be so demanding and fixated on perfectionism.
"I guess I can expect the same from you then," I meant to say it as a joke, but his face suddenly hardened and his eyes were dark.
"Yes, of course. He reaffirmed. I want you to draft the contract, the only thing I need from you is for you to play the role of a loving partner in front of my mother and the public. Whatever request that you have I'll grant it as long as I can get this,"
My heart thumped, was I really agreeing to this? Deep down I had a bad feeling wiggling around in my mind, but beggars couldn't be choosers.
From the corner of my eye, look at Mr Williams, really look at him. His graceful magnificent figure leaning forward as his suit stretched against his built frame in the most enticing manner, he was hardly a beggar's choice if I was going to be honest.
"I'll have the contract on your table by noon latest," I told him reassuringly and he nodded, still avoiding my gaze and dropping on his chair.
"So tell me about my schedule for today," he said finally meet in my eyes, some of the tension seem to clear off from the air but it was promptly replaced by some awkwardness mostly from my side.
One minute we were discussing a relationship and the next I was telling him about his ten o'clock meeting with the head of the HR department.
It was a little weird, one minute he was practically proposing and the next it was brushed over like nothing but small talk.
He acted perfectly like himself without the slightest inkling to show that we had discussed something of such gravity until his meeting with the HR concluded and he turned to me as we headed towards the elevator.
"Where do you want to have lunch?"
I looked up at him as if he switched into another language mid conversation.
"Lunch?" I repeated stupidly like it was the first time I heard the word.
"Yes, lunch. You were worried about people buying our story earlier. So I thought we could get to know each other and also spend some time out of the office,"
The elevator ride seems to last for a millennium or so. I wished the dumb box would just ding and release me.
Finally the doors started sliding open, "I'm fine with wherever you want to go!" I said dashing out of the elevator, he remained inside as the doors closed back and suddenly it felt like I could breathe again.
"Were you running a marathon just now?"
I looked up and saw my favorite person in the office, Wendy Dylan. A coworker and my best friend, if not for the bundle of photocopies she cradled in her arms I would have thrown myself there for a hug.
"Oh, Wendy, you finally came back from your vacation!"
I said relief, catching hold of me.
"What happened to you?" she asked, growing genuinely concerned. I froze in deep contemplation, eventually everyone in the office with no about my 'relationship' with Mr Williams.
I didn't want my best friend to think that I had kept her out of the loop all that time.
So I walked over, managing a smile and said.
"Can we talk somewhere more private?"