Husband For Hire

CHAPTER 3:THE ADVERT

Tom opened the door and walked Lilian inside.

"This is your office, it was your father's office before he passed on, and now it's yours,” he declared.

Lilian looked around the office, it was large and airy, but the esthetics was awful.

Well what did she expect, her father had a rather bland taste of life.

"If I am to use this office, it needs to be remodeled,” Lilian blurted out.

"Sure, just tell me what you need to do,” he assured.

The walls were painted with a dull shade of gray, there was a mahogany table with two chairs on either side of it and a bookshelf.

"Well first, it needs to be repainted with something more natural, more down to earth, beige perhaps. I'll keep the furniture but I'll need a sofa too," I stated.

As she kept talking and pointing out places that would need to be changed, Tom was eagerly taking notes and nodding his head.

"That all?" He asked when she didn't speak again.

"Yes, for now though, I might think of something later on, but that will do for now," I replied and sat down on the chair and swiveled from side to side.

"Sit down Tom, I hope I can trust you," I asked eagerly.

"well I worked for your father for a very long time, I think we established something peculiar to trust, and I am sure we can do the same," he replied.

"Ok good because I need someone to brainstorm with right now or else, I'm afraid I

might go crazy," Lilian retorted with a frown.

Tom nodded and she continued, "I need to find a husband before next week runs out Tom,

if I don't do that, I risk letting this company fall into the hands of another person. I mean the company is already on the verge of collapse but I can't just fold my hands and do nothing. You saw what happened in there, I am sure many people deserve this position more than I do, especially people who have worked in this company for years. They are watching me. I can't fail Tom, I just can't," Lilian reasoned out, pouting.

"I understand that Lilian, surely by now a prospective suitor should have come forward," Tom replied.

"They have Tom but the problem is I don't want to marry any of them on their terms. I want someone who will understand that it is a contract based on mutual interests. I pay him to be my husband but only temporarily and then we live together for a while to make it seem real, then we get a divorce," I blurted out, shamelessly.

"This issue seems complex; how do you plan on finding someone who will be willing to do something like that without a plan of blackmailing you at the end," Tom stated with worry.

"I guess when we get to that bridge we'll cross it, but it needs to be done with the utmost discretion, I cannot risk this information getting to the lawyer and the board, it will ruin my chances,” Lilian warned.

They discussed for a while, sharing ideas that proved to be futile, until Tom finally had an

Idea.

"Why don't we send out advertisements, that way anyone interested can come forward and you get to interview them one by one," Tom suggested.

"That's a good idea, but it's supposed to be done discreetly, if it's out there, everyone will know what I did," Lilian opposed.

Tom thought for a while, "Don't worry let me take care of that, I'll use an alias instead of your real name and I'll cook up some other intention for it," Tom assured with a smile.

Lilian breathed a sigh of relief and nodded her head.

Tom put a call through the telephone in the office, " me Pierce," he commanded into the phone.

After some time, there was a knock on the door and a young man walked in.

"You sent for me sir," he answered.

Tom turned to Lilian.

"This is Pierce you remember him, right? He's in charge of the social media and press department, he knows how to work magic and get information across to the right audience," Tom introduced.

"What do you need me to do Miss Burns?" he asked.

"I think you need a system for this," Tom said and Pierce walked out of the office and returned holding a system.

"I want you to place an advertisement for me on the company's website," Lilian announced.

Lilian looked at Tom and he nodded and took over.

"Write that one of the secretaries is terminally ill and needs a husband who will take care of her during her last days, he will be handsomely paid after her death," Tom stated.

Pierce stopped typing and he looked up confused, none of the secretaries in the hospital were terminally ill, and as far as he was aware none of them were in dire need of a husband.

Lilian noticed the confusion on his face and spoke up.

"Pierce, I just need to interview some men for my friend, she has been dating blokes for a while now and she needs someone more serious, it's nothing important," Lilian corrected and giggled.

Pierce shrugged his shoulders, it was none of his business, if the new manager decided to use the company's website for personal fun so be it.

He started typing the message on the computer, "There should be a way to contact whoever is going to do the interviews, right?" Pierce asked.

"Yes, I'll put my mobile number on there," Tom offered and called out his number for Pierce.

"Done, it's out there now, interested persons will be calling your mobile number any time soon," Pierce said and stood up to leave.

"Wait," Lilian called and he stopped and turned around.

"Take it down by midnight, I only need a few people not the whole male population in Los Angeles," Lilian protested.

"Yes ma'am" Pierce nodded and left the office.

******************************************************

"So Vincent what's your plan now?" Chase asked.

"I don't know yet, his daughter is back in town Chase. It will be difficult to buy out the company from under her if she doesn't agree and I can't force her to," Vincent responded.

"The business is almost on the verge of collapse, it is only a matter of time before they start looking for prospective buyers and then you can take the swoop," Chase advised.

Vincent leaned back in his chair and thought for a while.

"I can't wait that long," Vincent declined.

"I don't understand you Vincent, you have everything you need already, you own hundreds of companies and businesses already, what do you need this one for?" Chase asked in disagreement.

Vincent's face darkened, he had warned Chase to stay out of this many times but the stubborn man wouldn't listen. It was his fault though, he enabled his actions, but Chase was different, he was the closest thing he had to family.

"Robert Burns is one man I will never forgive, I need revenge and I will not rest until I get it," Vincent retorted in fury.

Chase stared at him for a while, confused about the right thing to say.

"I thought we moved on from this Vincent, it is not worth it," Chase consoled.

Vincent banged his fists on the table, "Yeah damn right it is, it is worth every bit of my sweat and blood, I've watched him for a long time, watched his progress and success in building that darned company and I'm going to watch it being taken away from them, they're all going to pay for what he did," Vincent cursed.

"Okay, okay calm down Vincent no need to get all riled up, I hear you, I'm behind you, whatever you need" Chase responded and Vincent nodded slowly.

"I'm still wondering why you decided to attend his funeral and the diner afterward if you hated him that much," Chase teased.

"I wanted to see my new rival for myself," Vincent retorted.

Chase laughed, "You mean his daughter? Word on the street says she is a real beauty," Chase stated.

Vincent scoffed "I have no business with her beauty".

"I thought you already knew her, like you have files on every single one of them, why go in person?" Chase asked confused.

"It's not important Chase," Vincent argued.

"But you got to meet her, right?" Chase asked again.

"I did, fleetingly but that was all I needed. She doesn't seem to be a stumbling block, I just needed an entry point, Chase," Vincent explained.

Chase shook his head at him, he was a lost cause already, he knew Vincent Martin and he understood that he would not stop until he got whatever he wanted.

Chase's eyes caught something on his phone.

"Check this out, the Burns real estate company is advertising for a husband for a sick secretary, how funny is that?" Chase stated, laughing.

"Let me see that," Chase handed the phone to him and he went through the information, handed it back, and shook his head.

"It's pathetic, is this what they now put on a formal website?" He asked, looking at Chase for a while but he was silently trying to recall something.

"Last week I heard some information that Robert Burns’ daughter would not be allowed to take over the company if she is not married," Chase blurted out, prompting Vincent to raise his brows, ogling at him, he was not aware of that piece of information.

"And why am I just hearing of this now Chase?" Vincent asked, dissatisfied.

"Maybe I forgot to mention it, you know… I think she's the one that sent out this ad, using the company as camouflage," Chase reasoned.

Vincent smiled slowly.

"Then she's just gotten herself a husband.”