The Proposal
1567 Words
Ginevra's Pov
I blinked hard, swung my leg out of the bed, and glanced at the luxurious room like I was lost.
I looked at him again, who was this man? he stood at the door, his broad shoulders filling the door frame as he leaned against it like he didn't just insult me.
“Excuse you?” I rasped, trying to sound tough but my voice came out shaky and confused.
“You heard me”
“You wish something happened” he let out another wicked smile that made my blood boil.
“Who are you and why am I here”
“You should be happy I saved you last night” he responded.
“You're in my house”
“Your house?” I repeatedly blinked “How did I…”
“You don't remember passing out on the floor of the bar?”
he cut me off before I could finish
“You were pretty out of it last night, such a sight to marvel at”
My cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and I recalled I was at the bar the night before, but I couldn't remember much.
I slowly sat down on the bed and lowered my head while biting my lower lip hard, but couldn't recall much.
“I was not out of it!” I snapped unexpectedly and suddenly
“And you changed my clothes?”
He smirked, walked inside, and sat on the chair beside the bed, crossing his legs with both arms crossed.
“What are you hiding that I haven't seen?” he smirked, what a jerk.
“I’m going to sue you if that is true”
“Sue me?”
“Yes! You kidn*pped me from wherever you saw me, and brought me to your house!” I shouted
“kidn*pped?...you?”
“Yes! How else do you want to explain how I ended up in a strange house”
“What an ungrateful brat” he muttered
“What did you just say?”
I walked closer to him, holding my waist like a warrior.
“Whoa whoa, hold on princess, you've got a temper”
“Maybe I should've let you sleep on the bare floor, bar-floor-chic”
“A thank you should do, rather than run wild in your thoughts”
“Pearl changed your clothes anyways,” he said. I heaved a sigh of relief. Pearl is his nanny.
I fell silent, trying to understand what the hell was happening, I felt a shock in my head and I wobbled holding my head, he quickly stood up catching my arm.
But I yanked my arm back off and sat back on the bed.
My mouth suddenly fell open.
The memories of last night came flashing before me.
I remembered I was with a man, and he could be the one.
I remember his voice and I remember how I ordered the bartender “Another one!”
I lowered my head in shame.
I must've embarrassed myself in front of this man, how do I face him now?
“Remember now?” he asked, lowering to my level, with his arm crossed behind him, I quickly raised my head but our gaze met, he was looking at my face like he lost something there.
I lowered my face again and lazily replied
“I…I didn't ask for your help”
“Where are my clothes?”
He gestured towards the wardrobe, and I quickly went to the wardrobe where my pink suede gown hung in one corner of the wardrobe.
“You sure you're ready to go home now? You're not still drunk?”
“I need to go home, my mum would be…..”
I suddenly realized I’d been discussing with a stranger. I quickly left the closet to get changed.
“You can change in front of me, I don't mind” he bellowed
“You wish” I responded
Knock knock
The nanny entered with a tray of food, I swallowed hard and my stomach rumbled.
“have breakfast before you go, and make sure you finish the tea, it helps with hangovers”
I slowly sat down, I can't remember the last time I had such a breakfast with a variety of dishes. I finished the meals without minding his gaze on me the whole time.
I drank the glass of water and cleared my throat.
“So what's your story” he asked
“I mean I got your name but I still need to know more”
“My name is Ginevra”
“I know, and I'm Elio”
“my story is like that of a hopeless person” I looked around the luxurious room again
“A rich man like you can't relate”
He got lost in thought for long, tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair.
“So it's money, you need money”
“Yes” the question was unexpected but I had to reply as this could be my only chance to save my mother, he looked like he would help me since he brought me to his house safely out of care. Well, I thought.
“I can help you, but it wouldn't be for free you know”
Of course, did I expect any help from you to be free?
“How much do you need to solve whatever problem you're going through right now?”
“Uhm uhm, a hundred thousand pounds”
He let out an ugly chuckle
“Just that?” He stood up from his seat, walked to the window by the chair, and turned his back at me.
“I'll give you five million pounds, but…”
“Five million?!” I exclaimed
“Are you serious?” Five million is more than enough for me and my mother. It'll help us get a new home, and keep us comfortable for a very long time, and I wouldn't have to worry about all that. Why not, I can't let this opportunity pass me by.
“You just need to do one thing”
“Pretend to be my girlfriend in front of my mum for 1 month and I'll pay you extra for a job well done”
“What! I should...pretend to be your girlfriend? In other words, I should be your fake girlfriend for one whole month!?”
“Hell no, I can't do that”
But hold on, that's five million dollars. My head started to swell, that's a huge amount of money. But I can't deceive his mother and everyone because of money.
“I know you can do it”
“think about it baby girl, it's just for a month, and all that money will be yours, plus all the billionaire lifestyle you're going to enjoy”
“So many girls would die to be in your position right now, for free!”
I tried to find words to say, but I couldn't find the right words, I bit my lip too hard and lost in thought.
“My mum would be coming back from the States in a week time, and she wouldn't stay for long… just a month or less ..maybe more” he continued
“Huh” my mouth opened, my eyes widened.
“a month or more?”
“Yes, or less” he nodded
“So you see, I'm as desperate as you are, I'll keep the reasons to myself for now”
“You need money, I want someone desperate to do the job, even though…. your class is beyond my Caliber of girlfriends” he looked at me up and down.
“You know desperation makes people do crazy things” he's starting to sound like an ass, but this was better than what I passed through in front of Maria and my father.
“You don't expect me to deceive your mother for a whole month” I asked, sounding tough but deep down I was asking questions to clarify my thoughts and know my decision.
“Pretend, real, it doesn't matter, the point is, just do your job well and you get what you want.
“And after that? What would you tell them after that?, what if they find out "I couldn't stop asking too many questions, I even stood up from my chair pacing around the room.
“you think a lot, I'm a man of little words, just think about the deal and give an answer”
“I'm just making sure”
I quietly sat back on my chair
I couldn't care about all that anyways, all I needed was the money.
“You can take the whole day to think about it” He stood up from the chair.
“think about it, but don't take too long, time isn't exactly on your side, there are others on the line” he walked towards the door with a smirk on his face
Just as I rested my back on the chair, my phone buzzed on the glass side table. I glanced at the screen, my mum was calling, I thought. For no reason, I felt a pit of dread forming in my stomach.
“Ginevra!” Janet’s voice came shaky through the line.
“Anita?, why are…”
“You need to come to the hospital right away!”
- Writer
