Chapter 4

• She wasn’t in the bathroom when he found her. She was in a hallway rubbing at her thigh where he had pinched. She was so overdramatic. She dropped her skirt and looked up at him with a glare. Since they were on even, also complicated ground she figured that she could lose the secretary role for just a while.
• “I figured you were always effeminate. Today just proves my theory”.
• “E-excuse me?” he asked with both eyebrows raised. She was doing this on purpose. Trying to irritate him and make him do something that would get him caught. Pained him to admit that she was winning.
• “Are you trying to stereotype me?” there was that stereotype concerning Asians. His mum was Asian and he didn’t really like that she went there.
• “You do that yourself” she stood up straight. “So are you going to break your mum’s heart?”
• To be honest she didn’t care. His mum seemed like a nice woman. She really did, but she wouldn’t forget the fact that the woman just took her off the street. She brought her here and refused to let her leave. Ignored everything to say wanting to know about a non-existent relationship. The only time she actually listened was when she said she could sing. So she wouldn’t care less.
• “I’m thinking”.
• “Because even if all this is fake, I’d still like to be asked to be your fake girlfriend”.
• “What are you suggesting?”
• “I don’t know if you notice or not but your mum is adamant about you and me being together. I don’t know if she’s deliberately ignoring the signs that I don’t know a single thing about you. She doesn’t want to take no for an answer”.
• “She is always like that” this was a very embarrassing position for him.
• “So what about going along for a while then a fake breakup?” she asked immediately.
• He looked her up and down. He looked back at her face then head to toe again. “I’ll pass. You’re not really my type”.
• “Uh yeah? And what’s your type? The ones who come to the office with her bra out of her top?”
• “She has a better personality than you”.
• That stung. So this was what it felt like to be in the receiving end of his verbal assault. She didn’t like it. In the end she was still one of his workers. But they had to get out of this one way or the other. She had told herself yesterday that it was time for a change. She’d help her boss and he would help her in return.
• “Well then, let’s go in and tell your mum it was just a mistake. And then you can invite bra lady over to see your mum. How does that sound?”
• “Like you’re a smartass” he said bluntly with a sneer on his lips.
• She smiled at that. Good to know that they were pissing each other off.
• “Well then if you’re not going to tell her I will then” and she began to walk away. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back to where she was standing. He didn’t let go. He was still squeezing.
• “You’re hurting my hand!” she struggled. “Let go now!”
• He didn’t let go, but he stopped squeezing. “What do you hope to get out of all this?”
• They were always out to get something. And seemed liked she was just the same. They wanted fame, they wanted money. They wanted to be talked about. And she was not better than them. So she couldn’t talk about Stella like how she had done earlier. Stella seemed to be the only different one. She wanted to be with him. He didn’t see any ulterior motives…yet.
• “I learnt it from you Mr Cross” she stepped closer. “You’re a good businessman and you always say capitalize on a golden opportunity. And that is what I’m doing. A business transaction”.
• “Blackmail you mean!” he hissed in her face.
• “Potato, potato”.
• “There’s no difference” he let go of her wrist harshly.
• “I give your mum something to talk about. We play along for a little while. Down the road we decide that we can’t do it anymore because I like my privacy”.
• “Spoken like a true secretary” he said snidely.
• “Do we have a deal or not?” she huffed.
• “Just for a while” he agreed adjusting his suit and then his hair.
• She rubbed her wrist. “Yes. Just keep doing that” she muttered.
• “And what do you get out of this? You said you’re capitalizing on this opportunity. So you better tell me now. Is it money?”
• “No” she replied standing straight and fixing her clothes. “But I would need your assistance with my plans later down the line”.
• “Do we have a deal Darlene?”
• “Yes we do Mr Cross” but they didn’t shake on it. He turned his back on her and made his way back outside to where his mum was waiting for both of them. She wanted to kick and curse in frustration. He was so annoying. Such a smug, egotistical bastard. But she could bear. She could endure. She had been doing it for a long time and she wouldn’t just quit with this fat opportunity on her lap.
• She walked back outside to see mother and son talking.
• “Darlene” the woman called her name like she had been gone for a long time. Like she didn’t just go to the bathroom. “Cross senior will be joining us for brunch. Please have your seat”.
• “Really?” she pulled her chair back and sat beside her ‘boyfriend’. “So unexpected. I wasn’t ready to meet him so soon. Do I look okay?” it was a free question. She was going to be the fake girlfriend of her douchebag boss. She was going to milk it.
• “Wonderful dear” his mum replied. “Don’t you think so Nathan?”
• “She always looks good mum. When will he be here? We still have work?”
• “Oh Nathan. There are people who can fill in for you when you aren’t around. With how much you work I wonder how she came into your life”.
• “It’s a funny story!” Darlene jumped at this opportunity to really sell it.
• “I would like to hear it” she interlaced her fingers. “His father too”.
• “Darlene” Nathan called her name giving her hard eyes. “What are you talking about?”
• “Of how we met dear”.
• XXXXX
• His dad was Marcus. And they had to wait for a while before he showed up. Eleanor said that he loved golf so he would take his precious time. When he came they had quite the enthusiastic introduction. He was quite happy that his son wasn’t gay. He still had to make sure that she was real and not just a mirage. He still couldn’t believe it.
• Nathan didn’t suffer in silence. He voiced his complaints but everyone ignored him. Then Darlene started to tell the story of how they fell in love.
• “The third time I applied to be his secretary again I succeeded” she began narrating her tale with dramatic flair. “And when I went upstairs, just as the elevator doors had opened and I saw Nathan Cross up close for the first time. I swear I could hear careless whisper play in the background”.
• “So he still hasn’t changed his ringtone” Marcus said like he wasn’t there.
• “I’m right here dad”.
• “That’s his favourite song? I never knew” she looked to him with a merciless teasing smile.
• “And you’ve been dating for how long?”
• Okay time to make it believable. “His phone never rings when we finally have time for each other. It’s always work” she waved it off dismissing it.
• “We got together months later” Nathan wanted to take the lead on this. “We weren’t expecting for it to become public. Ever”.
• “Yes” Darlene agreed. “We weren’t expecting to meet you guys like this. But things happen for a reason”.
• “Oh!” Eleanor said with a low tone. “So I guess he must have met your parents then”.
• Nathan was always ready for everything. In every situation, every meeting he had something to say. But as his mum dropped that question he swallowed his pride and looked to Darlene for help.
• “It’s complicated. He has accompanied me on visits to see my mum where she stays”.
• “Where does she stay?” Marcus didn’t seem to take hint of the grave mood of the room. He still sounded enthusiastic.
• “A special home. I’m not really sure she knows that Nathan is my boyfriend”.
• The man didn’t say anything more.
• “What about your dad and the rest of your family?” Eleanor tried to make it better.
• “Mum” Nathan called trying to stop it.
• “Heck if I know where they are. For as far as I can remember it’s just been me”. She didn’t have any recollection of her dad. And her mum had always had problems. She remembered that she had a lot of pills and then one day her mum just became a shell. If she had family they didn’t bother to reach out. It’s will always be better her than them.
• “No”.
• She almost gasped when Nathan held her hand. And she wondered how his parents would have reacted if she did that. That is not how a couple acts. “You have me” he said looking into her eyes.
• He was a good actor.
• “Well I think we’ve gotten to know each other well” Eleanor jumped at the chance to change the conversation easily. “I hope you two are still hungry”.
• XXXXX
• They spent the entire day with their parents. They couldn’t get back to work even if they tried. And they both did try to leave, but his mum was having none of it. Today marked the beginning of their relationship and he was sure that the two of them knew everything about each other. Well the two of them were able to be convincing enough that the two of them were able to leave.
• “We will be having dinner again soon won’t we? Nathan? Darlene?” she looked to two of them for the affirmative answer.
• Darlene looked to him. She wouldn’t be the one to answer. This was his mum and truthfully she didn’t know her way back here. The entire ride here she had been trying to convince herself that she wasn’t being kidnapped.
• “Yes mum” Nathan answered defeated.
• Darlene didn’t hide her smile. So there were things that the perfect Nathan Cross couldn’t win. And that was his parents. Now she had a secret weapon. Not that she wanted to blackmail him, but that was what the situation was.
• “Thank you for having me” she thanked the woman. She wanted to say she didn’t like the woman practically kidnapping her but she could understand. She was desperate for her only child to marry.
• Nathan placed his hand on her waist and she tried not to recoil from that. “We’ll be leaving now”.
• The two of them walked at a sedate pace to the door. He was such a gentleman who opened the door for her and also opened the car door. Once they were inside his face changed from blank to angry. She was beaming like the moon. What happened inside was unforgettable.
• “Have your fun?”
• “Not quite” she replied coyly. “I’ll save that for the next dinner”.
• “What next dinner? You won’t be going because it’s over!” he got out through gritted teeth.
• “Already? What did I do?” she said with mock sadness. Pouting and reaching out both hands to hold him but he batted her hands away.
• “Enough!” he barked seriously.
• “Seems too soon. That’s all I’m saying” she shrugged. “You might want to end this, but what about your mum?”
• “Are you trying to use my mum against me?!” he said coolly. He sounded threatening.
• She gave him a dry look.
• He got his phone out of his pocket. He removed it from silent and his phone wouldn’t stop beeping. One would think it was from work. And yes some were. There was also his friends asking questions. Then there was Stella. She had called. She hadn’t stopped calling. The notification showed seventy-two missed calls. Forty texts. She must have heard the news. She wasn’t happy at all.
• He would call her later. He didn’t know why she was so frazzled. She knew for a long time that she wasn’t the only one. It seemed she wanted to be the one. Too bad.
• He ignored the texts and looked to the woman before him.
• “Is all this for your mum?” he asked softly. He understood if that was why she suggested this. Unexpected, but he understood.
• “No” Darlene replied looking out the window. “I can take care of her”.
• “So this entirely for you?”
• “A business transaction” she reminded him smartly as she gathered her stuff. They were close to her apartment.
• “So how long will this last?” he asked resting his back.
• “I haven’t worked for you for that long. And just because we came out public we just break up. It will be so unbelievable”.
• “Did you take acting classes?”
• “No” she said when the car pulled to a stop. “Singing classes” and she opened the door. “Goodnight babe” she leaned forward pouting her lips with her eyes open like she wanted a kiss.
• “If you wanted me my office wasn’t so far” he pointed out with a smirk.
• “I don’t date douchebags like yourself sir” and she slid on the chair out the door and slammed it shut. “Goodnight babe. I’ll see you tomorrow bright and early”.
• The car drove off quite quick. She laughed to herself. Her laughter died down until it was less. Her situation wasn’t funny. But she didn’t feel any regret.
• Nathan was seething. Who did that girl think she was? His fake girlfriend, his mind supplied. Calling him a douchebag. Well she was an opportunistic blackmailer. So she had no right to insult him. His phone pinged again and in his anger he tossed it on the floor of the car.
• It was already too late to fire her.
• Was it bad thinking now that he should have let her fall?