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"You're right. You can be happy again with someone else. I want you to be happy, Son."
"Thank you."
"I would like to meet this beautiful woman you talk so passionately about."
My heart begins to hammer in my chest at his words.
"You want to see her?"
"Of course. Your mother and I would love to meet her."
"I think we can arrange that," I mutter, shifting uncomfortably in my seat.
"Good."
"Yeah," I murmur. "I'd better go now," I say to Father, a second later, hanging up to stare wide-eyed into space.
What had I thought would happen when I told my father I had met someone? Why had I pictured Felicity as that woman?
Well, as I remember the beautiful face of the younger woman, a plan begins to take shape.
Felicity and I can have a fake relationship, one where I just have to pretend to be in love with her. At least, I won't be the only one to have to pretend, Felicity will be doing that with me as well.
A fake relationship with Felicity, one that Father already seems to approve of… If I can pull off the act, Father will make me Managing Director like I have wanted for the past year.
Now, the only thing I must do is convince Felicity that having a fake relationship with me is the right thing to do. I cannot believe that I am even considering this, that I would even think to go through with this. But now that the plan has taken shape in my mind, I find it hard to shake it off because I know that it can work. I only need to convince the beautiful green-eyed woman to be on board with me.
I get on with work, but I'm unable to dislodge the thoughts that have cemented in my brain. The image of Felicity and me, hand in hand, convincing my parents that we are in love.
When the afternoon rolls around, I begin to reason that Felicity could decide that she doesn't want anything to do with my web of lies. She didn't look like the kind of woman who would wholly accept doing that. What will happen then? I would have to find someone else to spin this with, wouldn't I? But it wouldn't hurt to try with her.
I am going to try first with Felicity, if she refuses, I will take it up with someone else. I do not doubt that this will work. Faking a relationship with a woman will get me what I want, the position of Managing Director in my family's real estate business.
Chapter Four
Felicity
Ihadn'tthought,untilthis morning, that I was going to be sharing drinks with Declan Gray, except that I am in fact actually doing that. It feels strange, it's honestly weird that he'd asked me to join him.
"Thank you for agreeing to come out with me," Declan says, relaxing against his chair.
He's in a white dress shirt, tucked into dark trousers that fit him snugly. His hair looks like he ran his fingers through it over and over during the day; it's all messy, giving him an almost adorable look.
"I'm excited to be here," I tell him with a smile.
We had both arrived in our cars after work hours. After Allard had brazenly walked into the building and harassed me, I thought it was no longer safe to stay in the office late. I seriously have been rethinking my typical work habit of staying late, planning to leave when the majority of my colleagues did. It was with unease I remained late tonight, my normal peace and productivity shattered. Honestly, I don't think I would have stayed, except Declan had asked me out for drinks.
Who knows what else he would likely do if he gained access again to the building?
"So, about last night, are you all right?" Declan asks concernedly.
"I am fine," I lie.
I am far from fine. Allard hasn’t stopped spamming me with messages, ranging from threats to outright begging and back to threats. His manic-depressive illness appears to have gotten worse; I'd even wondered whether he had gone off his medications.
When I look up, I find Declan's gaze on me, assessing my form. I pick up my mocktail and take a long sip to hide how self-conscious I have become from his obvious assessments.
"I saw him grab you, it looked painful," Declan says in a low tone of voice.
