Fake Dating My Billionaire Boss

2: A Business Proposition

Thea

For a moment, I remained frozen on a spot as I locked eyes with Aiden Volkov.

He must have heard what just happened. Was he judging me? Was that an unruly behavior? Was it going to affect my job?

Thoughts like that swam in my head before I allowed myself to calm down. I was just one of the many workers in Empire Group. I didn't work with him directly. Of course, he wouldn't recognize me.

With that conclusion, I forced myself to move and finally walk out of the restuarant. I exhaled when I entered the lift and I finally allowed what just happened to dawn on me.

My 4th serious boyfriend just broke up with me in a public place.

I used the word serious because I've had other talking stages that didn't last because they were turned off by my body after a while. It was the same excuse my ex-boyfriends had used to break up with me. But Jake was different.

He was supposed to be different.

Our relationship had lasted longer than all of my former relationships combined. We were good together. He loved me and even on days with social prejudice got to me and made me hate my body, he'd console me and tell me that I was beautiful and not fat.

But then, he changed a couple of weeks ago and I knew it was caused by an external factor. There was another girl in the picture and that was why he dumped me like I was nothing.

I fleetingly wondered what and who the girl was. She must be skinny, like a size 6 or 8 and definitely not a size 16 like I was. She must be pretty too: tall and slender with tanned skin and full golden hair.

I was sure she wasn't anything like me, average height, big size, and shoulder length hair. My earlier boyfriends were attracted to me just because of my ass and boobs and they always disappear on me after we've had s*x a couple of times.

But I genuinely thought I had a future with Jake.

My eyes caught my reflection in the mirror and for a minute, I lost myself as I observed my body.

Just look at that. Why would anyone like you?

I shook my head at that ugly thought. I wasn't going to allow it to get to me. This wasn't high school. This wasn't mean girls, ugly pranks, and locked lockers. This was real life and I was an adult who deserved love no matter what.

But it didn't stop tears from rolling down my cheeks and it didn't stop me from breaking down completely the minute I entered my apartment.

Jake still didn't call me. For two days after our breakup, I woke up hoping and waiting for his call. I kept my phone on the highest volume so I'd hear it no matter where I was in the house as soon as it rang. I would pick my phone and stare at the screen just silently waiting and hoping that he'd call and apologize and ask for a second chance.

Deep down, I knew it was wrong but I knew I'd forgive him if he should ask for forgiveness. I just wanted, no I needed love.

But Jake neither called nor did he text.

Until he did.

I was watching Girls Trip for the umpteenth time when my phone pinged from where I was charging it. I leapt up with so much speed that I hit my big toe against the table but I didn't care. Especially not after I saw that it was a text message from Jake.

A text message. He must be tensed about calling me.

Hope bloomed in my chest but it deflated just as quickly when I opened the text message.

Hey. Left some of my things in your apartment. Could you please waybill them to me? I'll cover the delivery cost.

No apology. No guilt. Just a casual message as if we didn't spend the last seven months loving each other, making love, and planning our futures together.

And he wanted to cover the delivery cost but he made no mention of reimbursing me on the thousand of dollars I lent him to clear his loans.

I packed the things he left in my house quite alright but instead of dispatching them, I threw them in the trash and then I blocked his number.

I thought that'd end everything and get him out of my mind but I was wrong. He still crept into my mind at intervals. I still found myself glancing at my phone while at work with the hope of him reaching out to me with another phone number.

He didn't.

And even though I spent the nights crying and occasionally had breakdowns in the shower, I showed up to work looking my best self and I dedicated so much energy to work that my team leader constantly singled me out to praise me.

So when she called me to her desk that Monday afternoon, I thought it was to praise me again but I was shocked when she asked:

“What business do you have with the CEO, Miss Castle?”

“What?” I asked, stupefied and shocked because I didn't know where that was coming from at all, “I don't understand.”

“Do you know him on a personal level?”

“Of course not,” I was quick to reply and my mind flashed to our encounter two weeks ago. That was hardly even an encounter and I was 100% certain that he'd never recognize him as part of his employees. I was just one out of over a thousand workers at Empire Group and I worked at the administrative department. That was a far cry from working anywhere near him.

“So why has he sent for you?”

“He sent for me?” I asked in shock, my mind all muddled up. If he had sent for me, then this must be because of two weeks ago. But how? Was it going to affect my job? Was I going to be fired?

Calm down, Thea. Having a public breakup can't affect your job.

“Yeah, his secretary just called that the CEO has requested for your presence in his office immediately.”

“Wow,” my mouth dropped open as I tried to think of all likely reasons. I couldn't come up with any. “Did she mention my name specifically?”

“Of course, Thea. I'm not dumb.”

“I'm sorry. I'm just surprised about this whole thing.”

“I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. He probably saw your performance and wants to personally commend and poach you to another department with a better pay. Would have loved for you to say no but I'm all for getting a salary increment.”

I smiled and thanked my manager before making my way to the CEO’s office. All through the elevator ride, my mind tried to come up with all the likely reasons for him to want me in his office and I couldn't come up with anything reasonable.

I also didn't buy my manager’s opinion because Aiden wasn't the HR and I wasn't that much of an extraordinary employee to be noticed by him.

By the time the elevator door opened on the last floor, I was a bundle of nerves. His secretary smiled politely at me before ushering me in.

It was the first time I'd enter his office and I was stupefied at its sheer beauty but despite the fact that his office was the most beautiful place I've ever entered, it paled in comparison to the man sitting behind the gray mahogany desk.

Aiden Volkov was hands down the most breathtaking man I've ever met. He always looked like he just stepped out of a fashion magazine in his impeccably tailored suits, his killer smile that he reserved for conferences and business meetings, his sharp jaw, high cheek bones and ocean blue eyes. He was the definition of seduction and years ago, even before I joined the company, he was someone I used to fantasize about.

It was also his name that I moaned whenever I used my fingers or dildo.

That happened so many times that…

“Miss Castle, thank you for joining me,” he rose from his seat and walked towards the sofa. He didn't sit at the head and he gestured for me to sit opposite him.

I complied, hands trembling slightly. I couldn't believe I was this close to him.

“Tea, coffee, or water?”

“I'm okay. I just… I’d rather like to know why I've been summoned here. I'm a bit nervous, you know.”

“Oh no, it's nothing to worry about. I just have a business proposition for you. That's all.”

I was even more confused.

“What business?”

“Hmmm, it's a rather unique one and would require you to be on site everyday for three weeks. The pay would be 200k. Half of it would be paid upfront and the other half at the end of the three weeks. The only criterium is that you don't talk about the job to anyone.”

He said casually, his blue eyes not leaving mine as if he didn't just say I'd get paid TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS for a three weeks job. That was more than my three years salary before tax. That was impossible except the job was illegal or morally wrong.

“That's a lot of money for a three weeks job. It has to be shady and I'm not…”

“You are just going to pretend to be my girlfriend for three weeks.”

He interrupted me, shocking me completely because that was the last thing I could ever expect.