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(“Girlfriend”)
Leopold Arthur Callahan
(“Boyfriend”)
My gaze jumped off the page to find Leo staring at me earnestly. “You know,” I said, forcing the words out as casually as I could, “if this fake relationship happens to lead to fake children, I’m telling you now we will not be letting your parents anywhere near their names.”
Leo rolled his eyes. “Mara,” he groaned.
I smiled, satisfied, before I looked back at the paper and willed myself not to break into a nervous sweat.
The Agreement is set forth for a period of ten days, beginning on the date it is signed and therefore rendered active. Both Girlfriend and Boyfriend hereby agree to the following provisions as conditions to the Relationship set forth herein:
1. EXCLUSIVITY. Each partner agrees to be physically faithful during the term of the Relationship. No other sexual partners are allowed for either party.
“I’m sorry”—the words came out in a high-pitched squeal despite my best attempts at calmcoolcollected—“are you contracting me to have sex with you?”
Leo’s eyes bulged wide. “No!” he exclaimed. “There is no obligation to . . .” He cleared his throat as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair. “It’s merely stating that we can’t sleep with other people. But that certainly does not require any sort of physical relationship between us, Mara, nor is there an expectation of one—I assure you.”
I watched him with mild suspicion, unconvinced why that point would be necessary in the agreement. “I wouldn’t be your real girlfriend, Leo. Do we really need an exclusivity clause?”
He sighed. “I’m fully aware of the fact that you wouldn’t be my real girlfriend. But during this . . . agreement . . . we have to maintain the image of being together for real. My father is ruthless and has been known to poke holes in my . . . affairs. If we aren’t careful, he’ll sniff out the lie.” His eyes again fell to my legs, to the stockings that left little to the imagination. “Neither of us can be caught in a compromising situation.”
I smiled. “Okay, so no more fucking customers in the bathroom during my shifts?”
Leo’s eyes darkened and then blazed, coming alive with anger at the joke. His jaw clamped shut as he pulled at his shirt collar, working to collect himself. It was a long moment before he spoke. “No. Certainly not.”
Nodding, I forced my attention back to this ridiculous contract. “Noted.”
2. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS. Girlfriend agrees to live with Boyfriend at his place of residence.
I leveled him with a look. “Why can’t we stay at my place?” As if I would ever let Leo near my apartment. It was my safe haven—I rarely let anyone through my front door. But I didn’t like his audacity to assume I would just move in with him for a whole week.
He arched a brow. “My parents are staying with me, and it would be wise to allow them to see us in our . . . everyday life.”
“You mean you want to show off our fake love,” I countered. “Our mecca of romantic bliss.”
“Well, that is the point of all this. If we’re going to do it, we need to do it right.”
“Hm,” I grumbled, continuing on.
3. NON-DISCLOSURE. Neither partner shall, in the proper course of their duties during the continuance of the Agreement, nor after its natural termination, disclose to any other person, or make use of for their own benefit, any personal information relating to the Relationship or to the other partner that may be discovered during the term set forth for this Agreement.
4. RECIPROCITY. If each of the above outlined terms are met for the duration of the Agreement to complete satisfaction, Mr. Callahan will yield to Ms. Roberts an active ownership percentage of Larkspur (nightclub) that is equal to seventy-five (75) percent of its current appraised value. Furthermore, Mr. Callahan will transition into a silent partner role, actively available to support the business only if and when Ms. Roberts signals for such need.
At the bottom of the page sat two lines, side by side. My name was printed beneath the one on the left, and Leo’s was printed under the one on the right. I looked back up at him, finding a molten heat of what could only be irritation still set in his gaze. “I thought you said your parents were coming here for a week.”
His head dipped once in acknowledgement. “That’s right.”
I held up the piece of paper. “This agreement is for ten days.”
His eyes snapped to the page in my hand before landing on me. “It’s just a safety net. If my father deems it necessary to dig himself further into my life, he’ll extend their trip here without thinking twice.”
I considered his words. It seemed like there might be more to it than that—but quite honestly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know anything else. If I was really going to agree to something like this, what was an extra three days? And if his parents did leave after a week, then we could just cut the agreement short.
My heart began a wild rhythm in my chest as I stood in front of Leo. Was I really ready to do this? Could I give myself to him—or at least pretend to—for an entire week? Could I go back to that penthouse, back to his bed, and maintain control over my heart? I felt myself pause at that—it had been so damn hard to leave him the first time.
Would I be able to stay anchored to reality amid this whole facade?
