One Night Stand with My Husband's Brother

CHAPTER 7

It seemed like a good thing to have been approved as Giovanni's girlfriend, but it caused all the men interested in me to disappear. I know I should be grateful for it, but being Giovanni Cordopatri's girlfriend scared everyone, EVERYONE away, including Peter, the Greek god of the Personnel department. He had the most beautiful brown hair I had ever seen, that ebony skin, and that smile. However, as soon as he and everyone else found out that I was Giovanni Cordopatri's "girlfriend," I didn't even get a single glance anymore.

"I'm telling you, girlfriend, it's official: you've turned into a man," Susan said, munching on her extra-cheese-double-burger-that-makes-me-happy as soon as I told her what was happening.

"Well, I'm not actually dating him," I explained to Susan. "We're just good friends."

"Friends with benefits, you mean..." Susan retorted, taking a big sip of her soda.

"What do you mean?" I asked, not understanding. After all, the only colorful thing was Giovanni.

"You know... you may not be dating, but everyone knows something is going on between you two," Susan replied, wiping her lips. "All the magazines talk about it. All the pictures give you away. Some even talk about engagement... that the wedding is coming soon..."

The worst part was that Susan was right. I was constantly surrounded by paparazzi, and whenever I went out with Giovanni, the situation got worse. But I could handle it all very well. After all, it was just gossip, what harm could it do?

***

I took a deep breath before entering Ricardo's office, my boss at O AMANHÃ newspaper.

He had called me into his office right after my lunch break. I was suspicious, but I thought it was just one of his dirty jokes. However, Ricardo seemed quite upset.

There was something about his serious expression that made me uneasy, and I couldn't help but think that something was wrong. As soon as I entered the office, he greeted me with a nod, and I nervously sat down in the chair across from him.

"Mia, I need to clarify something," he said, looking directly at me.

"Sure, Ricardo. Go ahead and ask."

"Are you engaged to Giovanni Cordopatri?" The question caught me by surprise, and a shiver ran down my spine.

"What? No, of course not," I quickly replied, trying to understand where that question was leading.

"Are you sure? Are you sure you're not hiding anything from me?" Ricardo shouted, leaving me even more confused.

"Sorry, but why are you so concerned about my relationship? If it's about the scoop involving me and Giovanni, know that I won't put my personal life in the gossip column just because you want to sell more," I spoke sincerely.

"How stupid you are, Mia. You have no idea who the Cordopatri family is and the implications it can have for us," he explained, looking worried.

I knew I had gotten myself into a complicated situation by accepting to be Giovanni's "girlfriend," but I never imagined it could bring problems for the newspaper I worked for.

"Ricardo, what exactly is at stake here? I want to be sure I understand the seriousness of the situation," I asked, trying to gather more information.

Ricardo sighed and stared at me for a moment before responding, "Mia, the Cordopatri family is extremely influential and dangerous in the city. Any kind of connection with them can attract unwanted attention, and that can be bad for the newspaper and for you. They have resources and contacts that can affect us in various ways," he explained, with a serious look.

My mind filled with worries, thinking about all the possible negative consequences that lie behind that lie for my life and for the newspaper.

"I understand, but I assure you we're just going out. It's just casual dates," I replied, feeling the weight of responsibility on my shoulders.

"If things get more serious between you two, I want to be the first to know. We need to handle this carefully and strategically," he said, with a serious tone.

"You can count on me, Ricardo. You'll be the first to know if things change. But I promise you it's nothing serious. Soon, I'll just be one more conquest of Giovanni Cordopatri," I affirmed, determined to keep my promise.

Ricardo nodded, seeming satisfied with my response, and I left his office with a heavy heart. I knew I was entering dangerous territory and that I would have to be extremely careful to protect myself and the newspaper. But I also knew that I couldn't go back. My decision to be Giovanni's fake girlfriend had already been made, and now I had to deal with the consequences.