Secrets and Scandals

My heart beat fast against my chest as he studied me with blue eyes. I pondered on his request over and over again and doubted the reality of it. “So, what do you say?" he asked, gently. I glanced over at Julie who was staring at me with wide eyes and a smile creeping at the corner of her lips. "I–I..” My finger pushed back my glasses against my nose. "Can you give me some time to think about this?” The duo exchanged looks and then turned back at me. "Sadly, we don't have a lot of time to spare,” Mr. Wilson said, sounding even more gentle than before. Mr. Wilson was asking me to do the strangest thing I have ever been asked to do; pretending to be his girlfriend on a family trip. It was hard. Mr. Wilson was my boss and I had just worked in this firm for two months. I didn't want to get mixed up with anything complicated and the idea of it made me a little too uncomfortable. “Alyssa." a voice called out, but I continued my train of thought. I want things to remain simple. If at all, I want to fall in love. I want to be an architect. I want to pay off my college debt. “Alyssa." I need to pay off my college debt. My heart squeezed in my chest and my eyes stung. How am I going to do that when I have so many other responsibilities? I drew in a deep breath to calm myself down as I noticed how hard my heart beat against my chest. “Alyssa!" I turned to Julie then and smiled, and she returned the gesture. Mr. Wilson began with a stern look on his face, “I know how this sounds." Do you? He continued, "I would not be asking this of you if it wasn't of the utmost importance. So, like I said earlier, I am willing to pay you a handsome amount of money for your…services.” Services? “It is temporary," Julie said firmly as she gave me a reassuring look. A sigh escaped my lips. He sounded sincere, but it was not enough. A thousand thoughts ran through my mind within seconds. I looked up at their expectant faces with a racing heart. No. “Y-y-yes, I agree," I said, regretting it instantly. For a moment, relief softened his handsome features, but it vanished in an instant. He shook my hand with a warm smile on his face. A smile that made me flutter inside. He was gorgeous, no doubt about that. Julie took my hand and led me out of his gigantic office, the sound of her heels clicking on the floor. “Oh my God!” I whispered, standing in the hallway now. “Shh!" she giggled, still holding my hand, “Not here." She led me to her office and shut the door behind her. She turned around and put her hand on her hips, smiling widely. “What was that? What just happened?" “An opportunity," she said, walking to me. My eyes widened at her. “An opportunity? You're so calm about this…how? Doesn't this seem strange to you?” "It is temporary.” "It can also be life-changing.” "Yeah, of course,” she said, studying herself in a mirror now, "In the best way imaginable.” "Why me?” I asked, still dazed. "Why not you?” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I crossed my arms instead and tilted my head to the side, which made her laugh softly. “He wanted you,” she continued, flipping her full brown hair to the side, “He asked for you. He needed someone gentle, pretty, and smart. You are the perfect fit! By the way, this is not going to last long at all. You should be back to your normal life in two weeks.” When she looked at me, my eyes were wide. I could not believe it. I would have thought he would go for someone like Julie herself. Sophisticated, rich, and beautiful. She was the perfect fit. “I think he admires your simplicity. He mentioned he needed that. Despite the recognition and fame, he kinda has a complicated family background which is why, for some reason, he needs to go on this trip with a ‘partner’” She raised her hands and made air quotes. I would have laughed at the gesture, but her words echoed in my mind. I fell onto the sofa behind me and studied the ceiling. “This was a mistake,” I whispered. The day went by in a flash. I could barely recall the activities of the day and I walked around with a heavy weight on my chest. In a perfect world, I would never consider the offer he gave. The thought of it alone would make me cringe. But this is not a perfect world and a little discomfort would not hurt. Plus he gave a very generous offer in exchange for my…services. Walking back to my apartment now, there was no weight anymore. I was going home. Maybe I will wake up tomorrow only to discover that none of it was real. It felt unreal. I waved the thought of Mr Wilson away as I walked into my apartment. “Hi Dad,” I said, walking into my dad’s room now. He smiled at me and waved from where he lay. “How are you, sweetie?” he coughed, as he got up to embrace me. “No no no..lay back, okay? I am fine, how are you feeling today?” “Same old, darling.” He made a sound and gestured with his hand. I knew exactly what that meant. “Rest. Dinner will be ready soon.” A wave of sadness enveloped my already weary heart, but I pushed back the tears that were slowly gathering in my eyes and got dinner ready. After we ate, I kissed him goodnight and headed to my room to study some building structures I was fascinated by. By 9 pm, my phone beeped, and I answered without checking who it was. “Hello,” I said, still viewing the paperwork in my hands. “Hey,” the unfamiliar voice said, “I am currently outside your apartment. Could you meet me downstairs?” That was when I checked my phone for the caller’s identity, but it was an unsaved contact. “Uhm, who am I speaking with, please?”