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“Good to know. Nice to meet you, Jeffrey.” I turn back to Damien. “Now back to the important stuff. What did I tell you about sweet pea?”
“You are scary.” Jeffrey pulls my attention back to him.
“Excuse me?”
“Damien said you have a death glare that could kill someone in their sleep,” he replies.
I shoot a glare over at Damien. “You don’t have to be asleep in order for it to work.”
“You don’t scare me, woman,” Damien says without looking up at me.
“Is that so?” I take a step toward him. “You know, I agreed to this, but you never know what may come out of my mouth, Damien. You might want to watch what you’re telling people about me.”
That catches his attention. He lifts his eyes up to mine but then he drops them down my entire body with a slow speed that makes me feel frozen in place. And I hate that the way he’s looking at me makes me wish Jeffrey wasn’t in the room right now. I don’t know what would happen, but in my mind, it’s definitely not rated PG and it involves me on top of his desk.
Jesus, it really has been too long.
“I’m aware, which is why we need to meet up one night this week to go over our story.”
“What?”
“Dinner. My place. We need to be on the same page, know the details of our relationship like the back of our hands so our story adds up. Like the fact that I don’t drink coffee, but rather, tea.” What the fuck? Is he British now? He glances at the cup I brought him then back to me. “The last thing I want to do is make a slip in front of Dave and make him suspicious.”
“What kind of monster doesn’t drink coffee?”
Jeffrey snickers as Damien rolls his eyes. “The kind that doesn’t like the taste of it. I tried to, but it’s just not for me.”
“Well, that’s unfortunate. Coffee is amazing. I can’t function without it.”
“It is unfortunate but particular to me. And that’s something that my girlfriend should know. So, like I said, we need to coordinate our story. I’m sure there are details about you that I should be aware of as well.”
“What if I’m busy?”
He sighs, standing to full height. “Then move some things around. This was part of the agreement, Charlotte. You do this for me, and I’ll keep your mom off your back, and play my part in Hawaii. Come on…don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
The part of me that is used to fighting Damien about everything wants to continue the battle for control. But the rational part of my brain knows that he’s right. We need to be on the same page.
“Fine. I can fit you in Thursday night. Tomorrow I have a hair appointment, and Wednesday night I have other plans.” Damien doesn’t need to know about my waxing appointment, I’m sure.
“Thursday will work.”
“What about our plans to work on the pitch?” Jeffrey interjects, almost heartbrokenly.
“We’ll work on it a bit before Charlotte comes over. Once she gets there, I’ll just kick you out,” Damien replies.
Jeffrey scoffs. “I see how it is. You get a fake girlfriend and I’m already the second choice.” He fans his face dramatically. “I thought it was bros before hoes forever, man?”
“Don’t worry, Jeffrey. Damien will not be getting any hoe treatment from me, so if you two are into that sort of thing, he’s still your man.”
Damien shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. Clearly, he’s irritated right now, and apparently, Jeffrey and I aren’t making the situation any better. “I swear, this all better be worth it.”
“It will be. Just think about the perks, the raise, the bigger office that will all come out of this if we win.” Jeffrey walks over to Damien, slapping a hand on his shoulder.
But Damien just stares across the room at me, a furrow on his brow and a hint of embarrassment on his face too. “There’s a lot to gain, but a lot to lose too.”
Feeling flustered and annoyed at the same time, I take Damien’s vague words as my cue to leave. “Well, I have work to do as well, gentleman, so I’d better be going.” Turning on my heel, I head for the door, but Damien calls out after me.
“Charlotte, wait.” I spin around to see him stalk toward me, the command in his posture overbearing and intimidating as he approaches me. When he arrives just a few inches from where I’m standing, I have to crane my neck back to stare up into his light blue eyes, eyes that seem to be hiding so many feelings behind them. Perhaps this little ruse is putting even more pressure on him than he thought.
“Thank you for stopping by. I know it made an impression with Dave and will help with Friday night.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’ll see you Thursday then, right?”
I simply nod before turning around and opening the door. “See you later, beautiful,” he calls after me, causing me to turn around to see his face. And for a moment I wonder if he really meant those words, or he just said them aloud because other people might hear him.
It shouldn’t matter either way, but on my walk back to my office, uneasiness rests in my stomach when I realize that I truly wanted to know the answer.
