Pretend

Chapter One: A Sealed Deal

'riiiing~' Skylar's alarm on her phone had rang for the thousandth time. Her phone had fallen on the floor and she finally grasped being awake and sat up with a yawn. She reached for her phone to turn it off and faced the screen to her. The text above the dismiss button almost made her fall off her bed. She had completely forgotten that she had to be somewhere today. 

 She threw the covers off of her and rushed to the bathroom. Of all the things she could possibly forget, it had to be the meeting. The clock above her TV flashed the time; 7:30 AM. She took off her clothes in a hurry and got in the shower. 

"s**t. s**t s**t shit." she mumbled to herself endlessly as she tried to get things done as fast as she could. About ten minutes later, she had finished a short and rushed shower. She wrapped herself in a towel and immediately went to her closet and rummaged through in an attempt to find an outfit that didn't look like she gave up on life. 

 Skylar Jones is a normal twenty-year-old that works part-time as a coffee shop waitress. She's not famous or anything, not rich either and currently looking for any job she can find that will earn her money without losing the last of her dignity—which sounds ironic, considering the offer she was willing to take from this. 

 She managed to pull a semi-decent outfit. She had put on a simple, black sundress with floral prints that wrapped around her and tied behind her back. The neckline dropped significantly low, showing the smallest hint of cleavage from her. It was almost a fit and flare dress, the torso of it hugging her enough to show her curves while the skirt flowed freely. She paired it with her trusty silver stilettos. 

 She looked over her clock again and found out that she only had less than ten minutes before she was late. She looked back at herself on her body mirror and her eyes gazed over her damp red hair. "Guess you're going with braids, dipshit." she said to herself, feeling disappointed at how she couldn't wake up on time, even just for once. 

 She took her black clutch that she had used not more than twice from her closet and put in all the things she needed inside it. She put in her wallet that had her ID's, cards and money, a pair of sunglasses, her charger, lip balm and pepper spray since, just like how her mom likes to put it, "you can never be too safe." 

 Not bothering to put on make-up since she didn't really find it that necessary for this meeting, she took her keys and bolted out of her apartment. She made sure that her door was locked before going for the stairs since she knew how crowded the elevator can get in the mornings and it also helps her avoid her creepy landlord. 

 She checked the time on her phone as she exited the building and to the street. A car was supposed to pick her up at 8 AM sharp and she was already seven minutes late so she didn't know of it was still there. Not sure what car she was going to be picked up in, she looked around as if it would help her. 

 "Ms. Jones?" she turned around behind her at the mention of her last name and saw a serious-looking man in a suit standing beside a fancy car. "Yeah?" she replied, unsure of what to do but approaching him still. "I'm here to pick you up and bring you to your destination, I'm sure Mr. Davis had informed you about me?" although he looked tough, the driver's facial expressions and the way he talked were soft and friendly. 

Nodding, Skylar hopped to the back of the car and off they went. Back to the company, Ace sat on one of the many office chairs around a big oval tables on one of the rooms on the fourth floor. He spun himself around out of boredom while his team talked among themselves. "What am I doing here again?" he asked for the hundredth time, his brows knitting together as he tried to understand it again. 

 Mr. Davis took a deep breath, turning towards the impatient Ace. "I've told you countless times, we're here to resolve the rumors. We just have to wait for her since it appears that she's running a little behind schedule." he said before turning back around to continue whatever discussion he was having with the others. With another sigh, he stood up from the chair and picked his phone up from the table. "I'm going to the bathroom." and without another word, Ace had heft the room. 

He wasn't actually going to the restroom, he just needed to do something to kill his boredom and walking around aimlessly seemed to be more interesting than just sitting around. 

 Skylar exited the elevator to the floor where she needed to be with a woman who seemed to know just where Skylar needed to be. Although the woman was nice to her, she could feel the woman's eyes pierce through her in a judgmental way through her thick framed glasses. Pushing the door open, she let Skylar enter and said a 'good morning' before leaving. 

Skylar could have sworn she heard the woman mutter something under her breath. She ignored it and entered, greeting the people inside with a smile. "Good morning Miss Jones, take a seat." said Mr. Ace and Skylar took one nearest to her. "What am I exactly doing here again?" she couldn't help but ask, putting her clutch on her lap. 

 "Well, although you've already signed it, it'd best if we start the publicity early, don't you think so?" "I-I guess so." Skylar looked down and twiddled her thumbs. She never really thought she'd take such an offer, especially with someone who she had mutual despise to.

 "But when do we have to do it? I still haven't fully wrapped my head around it so..." she asked just before the frosted glass door was pushed open and Ace let out a "What the f**k?!" while Skylar pointed at the guy and asked Mr. Davis, "What the hell is he doing here today? You told me he won't be here for the next meeting!" 

 Mr. Davis let out a small chuckle and stood up from where he sat. "That's what I was about to explain, Miss Jones. Ace, take a seat." and the curly-headed boy did so, making sure he was chairs away from Skylar. "He wasn't supposed to be here today but that all changed last minute. We had to push the exposure earlier than expected." he gestured to Ace who sat at the end of the table but Skylar didn't even bother looking back. "I hope you can wrap your head around it before 10 AM, Miss Jones." 

Mr Davis said with a small grin. Both Ace and Skylar's eyebrows knitted to the center of their forehead before Skylar let out a shriek. "You mean we have to do those couple things in public now?!" Skylar asked, her tone shaky and a facial expression that practically screamed 'this can't be happening!' while 

Ace's soul seemed to have exited his body for a brief moment. "What the hell is she talking about, John?" his voice fell to a defeated-angry sigh. Steam was practically coming out of his ears. He doesn't know? He doesn't know!? God, Skylar. What have you gotten yourself into?!' the redhead talked to herself mentally. 

This was hectic for the both of them. "Would it have happened if he did?" Mr. Davis rhetorically asked Skylar and she fell silent, a frown casting on her lips. "Ace, she's the solution I told you about. We've made a deal. You and her act like you guys are in a relationship for the public but whatever happens between you privately is all under your choices. This way, we benefit from those rumors while she gets the-" Mr. Davis was cut off by Skylar saying that Ace didn't need to know her reason why she accepted it. 

 "Her?" Ace let out a bitter laugh, pointing at Skylar. "Who would even believe that?" he tried to find a way to not make the deal happen but Mr. Davis seemed to have an answer for everything. "Well, the public seemed to believe that 'intimate' moment between you two just from a photo, didn't they?" Once again, Mr. Davis had managed to render them speechless, whiny frowns both pasted on their faces. 

 "You two better get ready and warm up to each other then. You'll be having a casual lunch date in public, under many paparazzi so I think it's better if we leave all the tension until you guys are out of the eyes of cameras, right?"