The CEO's Pretend Lover

Nine: "Strip"

When Jéan and Elizabeth got off the elevator and into the apartment, they were surprised to see a female sitting on the couch.

"Courtney! What are you doing here?" Jéan smiled as the female looked their way.

"I just got back and decided to see you. Am I missing something?" The female, who answered the name Courtney, glanced at the wet bodies of the couple who had just entered the room. "Jules told me you went on a date."

Jéan's eyes widened as she waved her hands. "I-"

"Oh my God, I thought you'd be single forever." Courtney laughed and approached Elizabeth. "Hi. I'm Courtney, Jéan's best friend."

Elizabeth had been standing awkwardly since they walked inside the room. She didn't know who the female was. Was she very important so that she could act formally? Or was she a normal friend so she'd be reserved and friendly? All she knows is that she'd seen the female on three different occasions and she didn't know how close Jéan was to the woman.

"I'm Elizabeth." Was all she could say.

"Yeah, Elizabeth is my personal assistant. I guess you've seen her a lot." Jéan spoke up beside her and Elizabeth turned her face to her boss before glancing back at the woman.

Courtney smiled again. "A cliche relationship. You have to give me the tea tomorrow then." She turned to pick up her bags.

"I'd leave you two tonight. Let me not intrude on anything. Have fun!"

She was out the door and Elizabeth let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Why did Jéan have to say that she worked for her?

Elizabeth shook her head. Why was she thinking this way? That's what she was to Jéan and that was the truth. She told herself she only felt this way because she didn't want to be a personal assistant today.

Yes, that's it. It's nothing more than that. Elizabeth chanted in her mind. I'm definitely not falling for my boss.

She couldn't deny that when Jéan called her Beth earlier, it didn't do anything to her inner senses. The name rolled off Jéan's tongue with that accent she got used to and all of a sudden, Italian sounded hotter.

"Follow me." Jéan snapped the woman out her thoughts and she nodded, trailing behind Jéan. She had never spent a night here before, so she was anxious about what to do.

As Jéan led her to a room which Elizabeth could only deduce was Jéan's room, she was taken to the bathroom and asked to strip.

The purse Elizabeth was holding dropped from the shock she received. "I'm sorry, what?"

Jéan walked to the drawer above the mirror and took out an extra towel she had. "I said you should strip. There's nothing to be ashamed of, we're both women."

Jéan sounded sly and Elizabeth felt she was planning something or just pulling her legs. She stood there still unsure of what to do.

"But are you serious?"

Walking slowly towards the woman who still stood by the door, Jéan maintained eye contact with Elizabeth as she unbuttoned her shirt. Elizabeth could only stare, she was perplexed on how Jéan's fingers moved.

"You can use the bathroom first, I'll wait for you." Jéan handed her the towel and spun her body towards the tub, giving her a little push.

Elizabeth stared at Jean's back as she let the shirt fall from her shoulders. She'd never seen Jéan in less clothing until today. Her back looked firm from behind and it was obvious she worked out a lot.

Jéan turned around and Elizabeth quickly shut the door, heart racing, hoping she wasn't caught staring.

"I should just take a bath." She stripped from her dress and entered the tub, soaking in the warm water with a sigh.

Jéan browsed her closet in search of clothes that would suit Elizabeth. She had a lot of shirts that she hadn't worn because she was always in corporate clothes and usually slept half naked each night.

Pulling out shorts and a shirt, she walked towards the bathroom and opened the door.

"I brought some change of clothes." She announced, not mindful of the wide eyes Elizabeth had when she barged into the bathroom like she wasn't there. "I'd place them here."

"T-thanks Jéan."

After she was done in the tub, she dried her body and put on the clothes. She didn't expect the shirt to be that large on her body, but she was smaller compared to Jéan. She was thankful the shorts had rope she could use to keep them in place.

"I'm done." Elizabeth called out when she stepped out of the bathroom, but the room was empty and she frowned.

"Jéan?" She walked out of the room just as Jéan was approaching the room with a cup on a tray.

"Have you been out for long? I made tea mixed with honey." Jéan guided her back to the bed and placed the cup on the bedside drawer. "You should dry your hair immediately to prevent getting a cold."

Elizabeth smiled at how Jéan was so concerned, putting her first before her own interest. "You should take a shower too, Jéan. You're going to get a cold."

Without a word, Jéan walked to the bathroom and shut the door. As she took her own shower, Elizabeth walked around the room as she used a towel on her head.

Jéan's room was filled with paintings on the walls and there wasn't any frame of her family. Despite the wall color being dark, the hue was perfectly balanced and Elizabeth wondered if she could do the same to her room.

As she stood to admire one of the artworks, she felt a presence behind her and the breath was warm on her neck. "My father loved taking my brothers and I to art galleries when we were little."

"He has taste." She didn't turn around until she heard Jéan walk away and open her closet. Glancing to the side, she saw that Jéan was wearing sweatpants and pulling a shirt over her head.

"You haven't drunk your tea. Take it before it gets cold." Jéan's voice was commanding and she nodded, rushing to the bedside and lifting the cup to her lips.

"You'd sleep here. The guest rooms don't have anything in them."

The tea went down the wrong way and Elizabeth broke out in a coughing fit and Jéan rushed to her side, patting her on the back. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." The coughing stopped and Elizabeth had to confirm if she heard well. "Did you say I'd sleep here?"

Jéan looked amused, "You were a mess when I asked you to strip earlier and now you're concerned about sleeping here?"

"It's not that-"

"Either you sleep here or you sleep on the floor, and I won't allow you to sleep on the floor." Jéan dismissed her statement and patted the bed. "We've been around each other for two years, why are you scared?"

Elizabeth only nodded and climbed on the bed under Jéan's watchful eyes. If she told Elena all this, she'd be laughed at for being a scaredy cat.

Why was she bothered by all this? Indeed, she and Jéan have been together for two years, even in the worst situations. And she can't sleep beside her boss?

"Be glad tomorrow is Sunday. There's ample time to rest."

There was silence between them. Jéan was on her phone answering emails that she had left because of the date. Elizabeth couldn't help but keep stealing glances at her boss.

"Thanks for letting me sleep here, even though I didn't have a choice."

"My father won't accept I left you alone after the date. It wasn't my choice either." Jéan didn't look up from her phone and Elizabeth didn't understand what Jéan meant. Did Jéan mean that she was only doing what her father wanted her to do?

"But I wouldn't leave when I know I have the power to do something." Jéan added. "Let's say it's in return for making me have a great day."

Elizabeth smiled and laid on her side so that Jéan wouldn't see the smile threatening to break out on her face. She was definitely going to tell Elena all about today.