Pretending To Be His

Six : Anything Else

Grayson and William left after making an appointment for her to meet at his office once her workday was finished.

As the door clicked shut behind them, the tension in the room lingered, the weight of their conversation pressing down on Aria’s chest. She slumped back in her chair, running a hand through her hair as she tried to gather her thoughts. How am I supposed to concentrate on work after all that? She thought, glancing at the pile of paperwork and emails that had been waiting for her attention all morning.

But as much as she tried, her mind kept circling back to the deal she’d just agreed to. Fake dating Grayson Stone was surreal—like something out of a bad movie plot—but here she was, caught up in the middle of it. Her eyes flicked to her phone, thumb hovering over her best friends contact. She could already hear Sara’s voice in her head, brimming with disbelief, shock and no doubt a lot of excitement. Should I tell her? Something held her back. She wasn’t sure if it was the sheer absurdity of it all or the fact that admitting it out loud would make it all too real, but she couldn’t bring herself to so much as pick up her phone. How was she even supposed to explain this? ‘Hey, Sara, guess what? I’m pretending to date a billionaire for the sake of my career.’

Yeah, no. That wasn’t a conversation she was ready to have.

The hours crawled by as Aria tried to focus on her work. Emails blurred together and the words on the documents she was reviewing seemed to swim before her eyes. No matter how hard she tried, her mind kept drifting back to Grayson—his sharp gaze, his infuriating confidence and the way he seemed completely unfazed by everything. Then there was the deal itself, always lingering at the back of her mind as she grappled with the fact she’d agreed to such an arrangement.

When lunchtime rolled around she decided to take a break, hoping a change of scenery would help clear her head. She made her way to the break room but as soon as she stepped inside, the subtle shift in the atmosphere was impossible to ignore. The whispers. The glances. At first, she thought she was just being paranoid, but as she grabbed her sandwich and sat down at one of the tables she realized that people were definitely talking about her. She kept her head down, trying to ignore the murmurs, but a fragment of conversation from a nearby table caught her attention.

“Did you hear? Grayson Stone came to see her this morning.” A woman said, voice hushed.

“That must mean the rumours are true, right? No one gets a personal visit from him unless it’s serious.”

“Maybe they’re just working together. Didn’t she pitch him an idea?”

“I heard he rejected it.”

Aria’s stomach twisted. She kept her gaze fixed on her lunch, ears burning as she listened to the gossip swirling around her.

“Well, if he rejected her pitch what’s going on between them now? Why would he come here if they aren’t working together?”

“Maybe she convinced him to change his mind.” One of them suggested, voice dropping conspiratorially. “Or maybe... There’s something more going on.”

Aria could practically hear the raised eyebrows in the room and her face flushed as the realization hit her—Grayson’s visit had only fuelled the rumours. Now it wasn’t just a viral image of them together; it was the fact that Grayson had come to her office, in person, and in their minds that could only mean one thing: They all think we’re together. She ripped her sandwich apart, the appetite she’d had moments ago gone. A week ago, she’d been pitching to Grayson Stone, desperate to be seen as a serious professional and now the entire office thought they were... Dating. The irony of it all made her want to laugh.

Is this how it’s going to be from now on? She wondered. Would she be forever tied to him, regardless of what was actually happening between them?

Tossing her uneaten lunch into the trash, she stood up and headed back to her office and sank back into her chair. She had agreed to this fake relationship for a reason—to salvage her career and regain some control, but now that she was in the middle of it, she wasn’t so sure. The line between her professional and personal life had already blurred and she feared that it was going to get worse before it got better. But the worst part? She wasn’t sure if she could trust herself to keep her emotions out of it.

The rest of the day dragged painfully, each minute stretching longer than the last. Aria spent most of it distracted, her mind constantly drifting back to the whispers in the break room and the bizarre arrangement she’d agreed to. By the time the clock finally ticked toward 5pm her nerves were frayed and all she wanted was to escape the confines of her office and the prying eyes of her coworkers. She packed her things quickly, shoving her laptop into her bag and grabbing her coat.

With her head down, she rushed out of the building, doing her best to avoid the curious glances thrown her way. The journey to Grayson’s building felt like it passed in a blur, her mind occupied by thoughts of how this meeting would go and before she knew it, she was standing in front of the sleek, modern skyscraper that housed Stone Enterprises. Aria took a deep breath as she stepped inside. The lobby of Grayson’s building was as immaculate as she remembered—polished marble floors and sleek, minimalist décor. She approached the main desk but before she could even announce herself, the receptionist looked up and greeted her with a knowing smile.

“Ms. Hart, Mr. Stone is expecting you.” The woman said smoothly, tone professional but with a slight undercurrent of curiosity. “You can take the private elevator to the top floor.”

Aria nodded, managing a tight smile in return. “Thank you.”

The elevator doors slid shut with a soft hum and as it ascended, she found herself lost in thought again. This wasn’t her first time riding that private elevator, but last time she’d been here it had been with high hopes, her carefully crafted proposal in hand believing she could land the biggest contract of her career. That was all before she knew the real Grayson Stone—before his rejection, before the viral photo, before all of this. Now stood in same place she had been in not even a week ago, it felt different.

When the doors opened she was met with same receptionist as last time, her demeanour just as calm and poised. She looked up and offered a polite nod.

“Ms. Hart.” The woman greeted, voice crisp. “Mr. Stone is ready for you. You can go right in.”

Aria nodded in acknowledgment, her heart picking up as she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The office was as impeccably arranged as ever, the massive windows behind Grayson’s desk bathing the room in golden light from the setting sun. And there he was—Grayson Stone—sitting behind his desk, as composed and intimidating as always. His sharp features remained unreadable, though his eyes flickered with the slightest hint of something—calculation, amusement—Aria wasn’t sure.

“Ms. Hart.” He greeted, tone smooth as he gestured for her to take a seat across from him.

Aria took a breath and moved forward, sitting down stiffly and placed her bag on the floor beside her, fingers grazing the cool faux leather as if it might ground her. Grayson studied her for a moment, dark eyes assessing, and Aria fought the urge to shift in her seat. Instead, she kept her chin high and met his gaze directly.

“Let’s get right to it, then.” Grayson said, breaking the silence. He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the desk, his fingers steepled in front of him. “We’ve already established the main terms but there are a few details we still need to discuss.”

She nodded, though her heart was still hammering in her chest. “Where is Mr Hargrove?”

“He’s working on the main contract. This element… I was hoping it wouldn’t need to be notarised. If you’d prefer, though…”

“No. It’s fine.” She assured quickly. “Tell me what the conditions are.”

“We can adjust them as time goes on as and when is needed, but the main thing is that we’ll need to make public appearances together—dinners, events, the occasional press sighting to keep up the image. I’ll make sure our schedules are coordinated so that we’re both prepared.”

“Fine. But let’s be clear—I don’t want anything getting in the way of my work.”

Grayson’s lips curved ever so slightly, a ghost of a smirk that made Aria’s pulse quicken. “Agreed. Now there’s one condition I must insist on and that is avoiding rumours of infidelity. That means no dating anyone else during this arrangement. The media will latch onto anything and I’m not interested in cleaning up that kind of mess.”

Aria bit the inside of her cheek. “Then I assume that goes both ways?”

“I have no interest in distractions.” Grayson’s eyes gleamed. “But if it makes you feel better, I’ll agree, too.”

She bristled at his tone but kept her expression neutral.

His gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before he finally spoke again. “I’ll have my assistant send you a list of upcoming events. We’ll begin making appearances as early as next week.”

Her stomach soured at the thought of navigating public functions with Grayson by her side. But she had agreed to this.

“Anything else?” She asked, eager to wrap this up.

“Is there anything you’d like to add?”

Aria hesitated, her mind racing. Public appearances, interviews, parties filled with high-profile people—she could handle that. But there was one thing she wasn’t willing to do, no matter how realistic this relationship was supposed to seem…

“I want a no-kissing clause.”

Grayson’s eyes narrowed slightly and for the first time, a hint of surprise flickered across his face. “A no-kissing clause?” He repeated, tone almost incredulous.

She straightened her shoulders. “Yes. We’re pretending to date, but that doesn’t mean there has to be any... Physical intimacy.”

For a brief moment, silence stretched between them and then Grayson let out a short, dry laugh. “Did you think I was planning to get intimate with you?”

Aria’s cheeks flushed. “Dating usually involves that sort of thing.” She shot back, annoyed by his mocking tone.

“Well, let me ease your mind, Miss Hart, I have no interest in engaging in displays of affection with you that go beyond handholding.” His eyes flickered over her briefly, his tone growing more deliberate. “Though I must say, you really thought highly of yourself to assume I’d be all over you in public.”

To her horror, a strange flicker of insult crept into her chest. He’s really stressing that, isn’t he? It stung in a way she hadn’t expected. She’d thought she would feel relief, maybe even gratitude, knowing that she wouldn’t have to deal with any uncomfortable moments of forced intimacy with him. But the way Grayson emphasized his disinterest, as though the very idea of her being attractive enough for him to want to kiss was absurd, pricked at her pride in ways she didn’t want to acknowledge.

Her eyes flashed with irritation, but she forced herself to stay composed. “I assumed nothing, that I can assure you.” She said icily, her voice sharp. “I just wanted to set boundaries. This is a business arrangement, after all, and I’d prefer it to stay that way.”

“Then we’re on the same page.”

“Good.” She stood up. “Then if there’s nothing else, I’ll see myself out.”

She turned sharply on her heel and strode toward the door, forcing herself not to look back. But even as she reached for the handle, his words echoed in her mind—'you really thought highly of yourself to assume I’d be all over you in public.’ The sting of that comment stayed with her, and she hated that it did. As the door clicked shut behind her, she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and muttered under her breath.

“Bastard!”

“Ms Hart…?” The secretary gave her a knowing smile. “Is everything okay?”

Was it? Aria sighed. She’d gotten what she wanted—no physical affection, no blurred lines—but somehow, walking out of that room, it felt more like a loss than a win.