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  "The narrative?"

  He nodded. "You know, in case my father wants to poke around and ask us where our first date was."

  "What? He's going to quiz me or something?"

  "Probably not, but we need to make this authentic as can possibly be."

  "I'm sure you go to all your first dates with stacks of papers for them to read."

  "Well I prefer them to know what their getting into and know what I want, you see."

  I stared at him. "What, you really..."

  "That was a joke, Sage."

  God, he was so supernaturally charming. Like, if he started sparkling like some sort of hacky vampire in front of me, I wouldn't have been remotely surprised.

  He handed the folder over to me, and I took it, sitting it in front of me and starting to read through it. It was mostly legalese. I understood most of it, and it didn't seem like he was trying to pull any wool over my eyes.

  "The agreement is fairly simple. We discussed your compensation, and as we also discussed, you will pay for nothing in the meantime."

  "Pay for nothing? I thought it was just gifts and meals and other things?"

  "It's for the narrative. My father may assume something is astray if I'm not spoiling my beloved."

  "The narrative. Right." I shook my head. "That's what this is all about."

  "So, what, if I want to, I don't know, buy a giant diamond ring, you'll pay for it?"

  "We'll need an engagement and wedding ring at least."

  I took a deep breath. It was a reminder of what I was agreeing to do.

  Like, I hardly viewed marriage as this incorruptible institution. My own parents fates told me that much. Yet I still thought it was better than just throwing a sham of a wedding and not even making it a legal agreement.

  The money though, God. It was so much and would solve a lot of my problems.

  Not to mention the strange feelings I was having looking at him. I wondered...

  "So, um... are there duties expected of me that aren't listed here? For legal reasons?"

  "I tried to be thorough in the document."

  "Yeah, but um, there are things that aren't legal that would be related to are, how you put it, narrative, to list here?"

  "Like what?"

  I nibbled on my lip. "Sex?"

  He laughed. "Are you asking if signing that contract will require you to have sex with me?"

  "Well it does say here that I need to act as if we were truly getting married. And I haven't got the vibe that you're one of those Christian types who has to wait until marriage."

  "Hardly." He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands. "It is not a requirement. It isn't forbidden either. Are you saying there's something you want, Sage? I can have Lauren modify the terms."

  I knew my face had turned beet red at that point. What did I want? Did I really want him to hire me to be a fancy prostitute?

  Why on earth was I suddenly okay with that idea? I wasn't that desperate for money, and nothing listed implied that I needed to do such a thing.

  I hated how looking at him made me so warm between the legs. I needed more than good looks and money to make me fall for someone, and I didn't even know if I could trust the idea that he was into it too.

  The way he was using his eyes to roll up and down my body suggested that yes, he wanted me in quite the carnal fashion. Maybe though that was just part of his act. I remembered that it wasn't unusual for these business types to be psychos who were masters of hiding their true emotions under the facade of a smile.

  Did I consider serial killer on the list of possibilities?

  Hot, sexy, and handsome serial killer?

  Well, I suppose there were worse ways to go.

  "Why, Sage, do you bring it up?" He looked at me, huge shit eating grin on his face.

  "I don't know. I guess I was just trying to cover all the bases here. You know. Just in case."

  "Really, I assure it's all for the sake of the narrative. As I'm doubting my father will want to watch me fuck to prove my relationship, it's not entirely required. This isn't biblical times where we need to publicly consummate our marriage for it to be viewed legitimate. Again, unless, of course, you're into that sort of thing." Another smile, another drip of temptation thrown my way.

  "Oh, then." It wasn't as if I wanted some old man version of Case watching me fuck Case, but then again, it would mean I did get to fuck Case.

  Christ, I was never this much of a horndog before. What was this man doing to me?

  I read through the documents. Everything was on the up and up, just like he said. I didn't really expect him to pull anything askew, but I wanted to be sure.

  Jut six months to a year. As long as it takes for him to get the company.

  The menu came. We ordered. We drank. Not too heavily, just some wine that was probably more expensive than my entire annual income.

  The food was fantastic, of course. It should have been. The menus didn't list prices, but I assumed at this class of joint, they were simultaneously ludicrously expensive and low enough that no one who was eating here would actually care about the costs.

  I had no idea how rich this man actually was.

  Just rich enough.

  If I was the type to settle for being a trophy wife, damn, he would have been quite the catch.

  I wanted more for myself though, and it was easy to see that Case wanted more himself too.

  Soon the meal was done, and all that was left was for me to sign the papers.

  "Any last questions?"

  Did I dare ask the question that was passing my mind? It was awfully presumptuous, thinking that he would go for a woman like me.

  "What if..." I stammered. "What if we want this to be more than what's written down?"

  "As in?"

  "Um... uhh... we need to keep the narrative going on longer, or um... other things come up."

  Like, what happened if I really did fall in love with him?

  What the hell was wrong with me? I wasn't such a hopeless romantic that I would fall in love with some handsome rich guy when I was deliberately told not to.

  "That we will approach when it comes to it, Sage. We can negotiate extensions or extra endeavors, or whatever else we need to make sure all of this works."

  I nodded. "Of course."

  A moment longer I waited, then I found the pen that was pinned to the paper stack. To the dotted line I scribbled my name. The job was agreed to. I would pretend to be his fiancée for the indefinite future. Be in constant close proximity to him.

  Constant close proximity to temptation.

  "Our first important event will be introducing you to my father and future step-mother."

  "Step-mother?"

  "My biological mother passed some years ago. But this new woman makes my father very happy, so I'm not going to complain about her coming into my life. If you win her over, I'm sure you'll do well in winning my father over, and making all of this come together."

  "When is this?"

  "Next Friday. Six PM. "

  Damn. That was exactly when my mother was calling on me to show up and meet some stuffy old guy she'd been dating. I wasn't really looking forward to that beyond a good meal, but it seemed like I'd get a good meal going with Case. "Fine, fine. I'll be there." Mom would understand. Or she would reschedule.

  What was I going to tell her about all of this?

  Did I have to tell her anything?

  Do I invite her to my fake wedding?

  My head hurt thinking about all of that, so I pushed the thoughts away. I'd figure something out.

  "Good, good. I'll be sure to have Lauren set you up with some pampering before hand."

  "Hmm?"

  "I need to make you look like a million bucks. You know, more so than you do now." He grinned.

  "Oh really?"

  "You'll enjoy it. Lauren knows how to make it fun."

  I was still slightly confused by his relationship with her, but I reminded myself it wasn't my busine
ss anyway. I wasn't really his wife or anything like that.

  Letting out a sigh, I stood up. "That's all for the night then, I presume?"

  He stood right along with me, dwarfing me with his height. "If that's all you need."

  "Right then." I was more than prepared to run away. The tension between us was so potent and strong that I was really quite confused on how exactly I was supposed to not act so awkward around him. That'd make for a damn poor performance for someone who is about to marry him.

  He offered his hand. I reached out and took it. It was firm, it was business like. "I have a feeling we're going to get along just fine, Sage."

  I smiled his way.

  Our hands released, and I turned to walk away.

  "Sage."

  Back around I turned, an eyebrow raised.

  Then he kissed me.

  Lip to lips, full on kiss. No brief peck, but his lips on mine, tongue invading my mouth.

  I was terrified.

  I was enticed.

  It only took a moment before I was kissing him back. God, he was good. My heart was rushing, my hands going down his back and feeling how firm and strong he was beneath my fingertips.

  Almost in a base, primal need, I wanted more of him. To see what he was hiding underneath that three piece suit of his.

  Reality had a nasty way of catching up with me, though.

  All too suddenly, our embrace broke.

  He stepped back, the guilt on his face as clear as day. "I apologize," he said, taking a deep breath. "I couldn't control myself there."

  "It's fine. Really." I was trying to think of what it all meant, trying to make any sense of it.

  Yet I was left their stammering, unable to say anything substantial.

  "We'll be in touch, Sage. I won't let anything get in the way of us keeping this professional."

  Eating my face with a sudden make out session seemed like the furthest thing possible from professional.

  He walked past me, heading for the door.

  Thing is, I was super on board with a whole lot more unprofessionalism.

  Case

  It was incredibly hard not to spend every waking moment thinking about Sage and that kiss.

  A few days had passed and I'd thought maybe my fascination with her would fade.

  No such luck.

  I remembered what Lauren had told me. I didn't go to that dinner to directly defy her wishes.

  I couldn't let Sage walk away without a hint of how I really felt either.

  "Are you going to do any work or are you just going to wistfully stare out the window all day?" Lauren said, entering my office, and slamming the door behind her.

  "It's a nice day to spend wistfully staring, don't you think?"

  "You know you can also make a case for your father giving you the company through hard work and diligence. Just a reminder."

  "Sorry. I'm just distracted."

  "Distracted?" She sighed. She knew me all too well. "Do I need to remind you; you need to do your damnedest to keep yourself professional around that girl?"

  I shrugged. "I'm trying. Can't hate a guy for dreaming, though."

  "Your dreams can turn into nightmares really fast, you know."

  I peered into the office hallways through a glass wall. Mike was running through the hallways carrying a brown bag, likely containing a lunch from one of the nearby restaurants. My father was making his rounds, encountered Mike, and gladly accepted the bag he was handed.

  God, that guy's head was so far up my Dad's ass that I'm pretty sure he could give my Dad his prostate exam while he was up there.

  "Christ, I don't think my Dad falls for brown nosing that's that hard."

  "Michael's a brown-noser, yes, but he's reliable and stable. That's what you need to prove yourself to be." She crossed her arms, staring at me sternly.

  "What? I'm reliable. You know I told him he's going to meet my fiance when I go to meet his. A big happy family gathering. I act mature and loving, not sloppily in puppy love, his concerns are calmed down, everyone ends up happy."

  "Yes. You aren't in puppy love. You're just staring out the window and daydreaming about something that isn't romantic."

  "Exactly. Now you hear me."

  She shook her head, smirking.

  "Lauren, when we met that night without you there. I got all the feeling in the world that she wanted me. Then she went and confirmed it."

  "She told you she had a thing for you?"

  She had a thing for me all right, even if she didn't flat out say it to me. She didn't exactly push me off on that kiss. She was surprised, and then was kissing me back.

  I couldn't tell Lauren that, though. Maybe I needed to play with the truth a little.

  Just a little.

  "She didn't say anything to me. But she did go and kiss me."

  "Excuse me?" Her face was askew from the shock.

  "She kissed me. She planted one right there on the lips." I made some kissy gestured.

  "Sage kissed you. On the lips."

  I nodded.

  "You still want to go forward with her? There's still time to swap out for someone else. Your father doesn't know her name yet and you can still change it up."

  "Why on earth would I want to do that?"

  "If she's kissing you out of nowhere, Case, that makes it seem like she's mentally unbalanced."

  "It's not like that, Lauren. Not like that at all."

  "She's kissing you out of nowhere and you're pretending that's normal?"

  "Maybe I was giving her the wrong vibes, okay? I can't just act like I didn't look at her suggestively or whatever."

  "Looking at her suggestively?"

  "You know." I looked her way, giving an example of what I meant. "Fuck me eyes."

  Lauren blushed at my suggestion.

  "Hear me out. You're supposed to take her for a nice day out. Get her some clothes from some European designer. Take her to the spa. Clean her up. Since you're so concerned about my chastity all of a sudden, how about you go try to gauge her? See how crazy into me she really is. Tell me if she seems too immature, or lacking too much control of herself to make this work."

  My assistant grunted. "I'm not supposed to be vetting your dates." She paused. "Well, your sort of dates. But I'm sure I'll talk with her and try to get a better read on the whole situation."

  "Thanks, Lauren."

  She looked my way a little uneasily. Did she buy the lie I had just fed her? She knew me too well.

  Maybe enough to know that I was quite the lecherous one.

  I hated playing games like this. With Lauren, with Sage, with whoever else.

  I hated having to throw my roots down just to impress my father.

  If it was another time and I just by happenstance ran into Sage?

  That girl would be mine without a second thought.

  Sage

  "Do – do I have to go and do that mud thing? Because I never understood how that's a beauty treatment."

  I walked along with Lauren. I was being taken to a fancy spa, for maximum pampering.

  "Do you have arthritis?" She asked.

  "No. I don't think so."

  "Then you don't need a mud bath. I don't even know if they offer them here anyway."

  She seemed more distant than our last encounter. I caught her staring at me a few times, almost as if she were surprised I did something.

  Did she disapprove of this agreement? Maybe some unrequited love for Case or something?

  I wasn't a mind reader, so I had no earthly idea.

  "Manicure, pedicure, hair done, Case wants me to run you through the gauntlet. Massage is optional if you think that'd help, although I can't be terribly impressed here after visiting Switzerland."

  "Why do I have to go through all this? Does he think I'm not good enough for his father as is?"

  "Perish the thought, Sage. Trust me, as someone who thinks Case can be shallow as hell sometimes, me taking you here has nothing to do with any imperfections yo
u have now. Case ordered this because he thought you would enjoy it, and being the best you could possibly be when meeting someone new."

  "What if I think I'm the best I can possibly be now?" I crossed my arms looking her way.

  "Do you honestly believe that?" Her gaze was quite disarming. The woman had a fine tuned bullshit detector if I ever saw one.

  "Um... uh... given I get my haircut done at SuperCuts down by the mall, I'm guessing not."

  "Let yourself be pampered, honey. Reservations here cost thousands of dollars, so enjoy every cent of it for him."

  "Right," I nodded her way. "So yeah. Give me the full treatment. Make me beautiful, give me that makeover you think I need."

  She laughed, and shook her head. "Trust me. You don't need a makeover. You're gorgeous as is, we're just softening the rough edges."

  "What do you mean by rough edges?"

  "Trimming your hair, making sure you got the absolute best makeup combination available. Most women work with such a limited palette. Here, though? They have all the colors of the wind. Or Rainbow. Or whatever cheesy metaphor you want to put on this."

  I smirked, and went along with her.

  The gauntlet was a good way to put it. It started with a simple haircut where my hair was soaked twice, shampooed, conditioned, then the process was repeated. The hairdresser was going on about how good my hair was, but I was an alien to this world. I didn't know if she was just feeding me crap or if she really did like my hair.

  My nails were done, fingers and toes. They put this solution on to make sure they didn't get damaged or something. I'd never gone beyond painting them red or purple, or some other vibrant color. Just like Lauren said though, they brought out something subdued, a color I would have never thought of using. They told me it it reflected off of the color of my hair and my eyes, hoping to bring out the feel of it, and give me a bit of an aura.

  I take it they went to college for this particular thing so I didn't disagree.

  A little bit after that, I had cucumbers on my eyes.

  I asked what they were for.

  I think she was about to tell me that I asked too many questions but instead I got an answer about vitamins and minerals and all of that.

  "So, am I expected to go through this regularly?" I was leaning back on a long chair, my face covered in some sort of cream. I felt like a salad.