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The last thing I was going to do was dance to a goddamn song for the entire world to see.
Laura crossed her hands. “The most important part of this arrangement is that in everyone’s eyes—and I’m talking the media, your family, friends, colleagues—this will look like a real, honest, love-filled relationship.”
“You’re asking me to lie.”
Jovana’s words and tone were as cold as the water sitting in front of me.
“We understand our request isn’t easy, and you’ll be well compensated for that.” Laura pushed the folder toward her. “The top page summarizes the financial aspects of this deal.”
Jovana didn’t open the folder.
She took several deep breaths. “Why me?”
“The idea came to me at the bar last night. If I could have physically chosen a perfect partner for Grayson, it would be you, and that thought was only confirmed when I researched you. You’re kind, Jovana, and that’s the first thing I saw when I viewed your social media. You’re also sweet. Humble. Wholesome. The media will love you—they already do, by the looks of your accounts and how much interaction you get.” Laura took a drink of her coffee. “The moment you start hinting that you’ve fallen in love, you’re going to get so much support from your following. They’ll eat it up. Think of what that’ll do to help build your influencer status. Women thrive off a beautiful love story, and I assure you, it’s going to look like a fairy tale to anyone watching.”
Where Laura had apparently spent the whole night googling Jovana, I’d drunk myself completely stupid until I barely remembered my name.
“So, you’re an influencer?” I grabbed my water, swishing it around in my mouth, hoping it would help dull my hangover. “And a server?”
Jovana’s stare slowly moved over to me. She leaned forward, her arms resting on the table. “You don’t know anything about me, do you? Like, for starters, my last name.”
“Let’s not address Grayson’s lack of—”
“No, she’s right,” I replied, cutting Laura off, not needing her to lie on my behalf and fill Jovana with bullshit that wasn’t true. “I don’t know your last name. I don’t know where you live. I don’t know—”
“Anything besides what I taste like,” Jovana whispered. She was quiet for a moment before she addressed Laura and said, “I would like to talk to Grayson. Alone.”
“Now?” Laura asked.
Jovana nodded. “Yes. Now.”
“We still have so much to discuss,” Laura said. “The terms of the contract, the responsibilities. I’d like to go over the legalities and make sure all your questions are answered.”
“We’ll have time for all that,” Jovana said, pleading with the crisis manager. “It’s important I talk to him before we discuss anything further.”
Laura looked at Hooked’s in-house counsel, like she needed her approval, which she ended up getting when the attorney nodded at her.
“We’ll be right outside,” Laura told us, and she left the room with the attorney.
Once we were alone, Jovana pushed a few inches away from the table and crossed her legs. “Did you know about this last night?”
“Yes.”
She sighed. “And you didn’t think it was important to say something to me about it when we were alone?”
I laughed.
And while I did, she looked at me as if she didn’t recognize me.
“Listen, for one, I had to keep that shit under wraps or Laura and my partners would fucking kill me. Two, I couldn’t say anything to you about it until you signed an NDA. Because what if I discussed it with you and then you went and gossiped to your friend behind the bar. That would defeat the whole purpose of us doing this. Get me?”
“Get you?” She held the edge of the table with both hands. “You made me follow you to the back door last night. You basically caged me in with your arms. You rubbed your lips across mine. For what, Grayson? To see if I would make a move? To test me? To decide if you wanted me to be your fake wife?”
Wife.
Goddamn it, that word made me fucking shudder.
“The team said we had chemistry. I wanted to know if they were right.”
