THE BILLIONAIRE'S FAKE GIRLFRIEND (13 days to the ball)

CHAPTER 2

(MAGGIE’S POV)

As I rounded the corner of a busy street someone walked very fiercely and strongly into me bringing me to an unbalanced position as I cracked my heel and made it to the ground. Just as I thought I had hit the ground, a very strong arm swooped me up and the other held my other side steadying me on the sidewalk. Before I could comprehend what exactly was going on, the person who was currently holding me gave me a shake.

"Stop doing that." I said trying to pushing my body out of his grip and then falling back to him as one of my shoe heels was gone.

"You walked into me." I scolded this stranger who was holding me. It was then I had the opportunity to look more closely at him. He had beautiful grey eyes and as our gazes locked, I felt my heart stop. Even though his face was not too visible with the base ball cap he had bent over and the hoodie over it, I could see he had a cleft and a well-defined jaw line.

And then I noticed he was gritting his teeth at me.

"Well I would not have if you had been on the right side of sidewalk." He said back angrily.

"I was." I protested trying to think of what side I was on and then shaking it out to dismiss the thought.

"You weren’t." He barked and I got a little scared by his tone. ‘You were walking like you were daydreaming. Dawdling all over the place.’

"Well if you had seen me properly how did you walk into me smart guy?" I throw back angry that who over this stranger was he was making me exchange words with him on a busy street. People seemed to be looking towards our direction and to make it worse my heel was gone so walking away was difficult.

This stranger was about to say something back to me when suddenly someone screamed loudly.

"Oh My God! I swear it’s Dave Wayne!" A girl screamed pointing at us and then stood looking transfixed.

The stranger cursed under his breath and then glared at me. ‘Thanks for nothing!’ He told me in a sarcastic tone and then let me go before disappearing into the crowd.

Of course I landed on my bum in my skirt because I was unbalanced. Angry and humiliated I hurriedly flagged a cab home and complained all the way till I was back in my shared apartment.

It was not a good day for me, I had been rejected today.

I felt shattered finding out that I won’t be hired. Earlier on. I sat before him with my lips contemplating on trembling while Mr Sherman kept the sympathetic and apologetic words coming.

"Miss Margret Johnson are obviously a good writer but you do not have enough experience for us to hire you. I do see that you are really talented and I am sure you can find something else….. somewhere else." He said peering at me through his glasses with a raised eyebrow.

I knew what he wanted me to do, to pick up my things and get out of his office but I just remained sitting in the chair numb. I starred back at Mr Sherman and he starred back too.

This meant I had just one interview left and if I was not accepted, I would be officially unemployed.

Mr Sherman cleared his throat and I snapped out of my thoughts. Feeling my eyes hurt as the tears prepared to make their way down my eyes, I gathered my things and left.

This was my third and my final interview of the day and all came with Nos. The job at the new magazine, the job at another magazine and then here a newspaper company. I was fired from my Job a week ago. A small amateur magazine. That was really what it was. I wrote a column on the do you know session. It was not much but it was okay for me and I enjoyed doing it. Our Editor, Jolie who was also our CEO is a spoilt brat who got a fortune after her parents died and decided to try running a magazine. Well as a spoilt brat, Jolie does not like to be told anything other than what she wanted and so when I would not write a piece to spite her only friend who she fought with, she fired me straight.

No one wastes time reading our trashy magazine, probably except Jeanne, my best friend and housemate and my Nana who always tears out my columns and gums them near her bedside cell taped.

But It still did not matter that our magazine was one of the worst in the world, I was not ready to write a horrible piece about someone’s flaws and secrets.

Well, a writer of another column did the piece to save her job I’m sure but still, it was not who I am. Well I did see that they were in need of a writer for An online blog. The interview is tomorrow and unless something drops on my laps out of nowhere then that is the only option I have.

When I got back home Jeanne was home and laid on the couch with her arms and legs spread out. I stopped short holding my broken heel in my hand and complaining when I sighted her all spread out.

I folded my arms pouting. "You are home early today." I said seeing that her fingers were twitching which meant she had not passed out. But she still laid there with her eyes closed.

"Asleep Or Dead?" I ask her

"Both!" She says with a groan and then opens an eye to look up at me. "Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes!" She said to me slowly sitting up and leaning back. "What happened to you?"

She asked me concerned. I sunk into an arm chair close to her and took a deep sigh.

"I had a meltdown in the cab to the cab man on my way here." I said tiredly. I did have a melt down. Or a break down. Anyone.

My tears were all over the place about how terrible my life was. And the cab man had been forced to listen to me sob about everything from Jolie firing me to me getting rejected three times todays and then of course to Mr Dave Wayne the famous billionaire walking onto me and making me lose my heel and end on the floor on my bum.

Well I spared the cab man some of the details like I did not tell him that the stranger who walked into Me was my best friend’s boss who was the city of Boston’s Heartthrob that had just recently been served. Neither did I tell him that I fell on my bum.

"What happened to you?" I ask Jeanne who looked like she had rubbed her mascara or whatever all over her face and had dark circles. I peered at her more closely. "Have you been crying too?" I asked her and she put her head in her hands .

"Maybe I don’t know." She said sounding stressed. "How did you think a day with the world’s grumpiest boss would be? Especially with one that begins with a bad Monday morning."

I sighed. Jeanne worked for Dave Wayne and so what most of Boston does not know asides from the fact that he is a handsome sexy billionaire……is that he is a bad tempered man. I hear stories everyday from Jeanne and well I thought he was nasty and proud with his money.

"Well, I do feel for him." Jeanne said after thinking a little.

I roll my eyes!. "You just said he made your day hell!" I told her giving her a look

"Well he got dumped and bankrupt today." She said casually to me like I was supposed to know.

"He did??" I said with widened eyes.

Jeanne looked at me like I had two heads. "I’m sure you’re the only one in the planet who doesn’t know that." She said with a mocking laugh.

I didn’t answer her, I was thinking of her grumpy boss I had bumped into a few hours ago. "So what happened to him. Was he heartbroken?"

Even though I’m usually uninterested in things like this, I was suddenly curious about Dave Wayne.

"Well his girlfriend is engaged to his accountant and one of his best friends who just duped him." She said and her face crumpled. "It must be a lot to take in. They must have been lying and cheating him. And now his annual ball is just around the corner." ;She ended with a very sympathethic voice.

I suddenly felt bad for him.

"Well I bumped into your boss today." I told her not longer able to hold it in. She sat up confused.

"How? Where?"

"Well HE bumped into me, broke my heel." I raised up the broken heel to her for better clearance. ‘And dumped me on my bum. Right on the sidewalk." I said

"Well you don’t look too angry about it." Jeanne said and I could see that she was confused.

"Well I do feel for him now. And to think I thought he was just being rude."

I sighed at the thought that we were both having a bad day. His much worse to be truthful and I was mean to him.

I narrated what happened to Jeanne and she scooted over to me and put a comforting arm around my shoulder.

"Aww I’m so sorry Maggie." She said and I rested my head on her shoulder briefly. ‘Don’t worry. You are a brilliant writer and I am sure you will get something soon.’

‘Well I do hope so because I do not want to start living on the streets with a cardboard paper and a small plate to eat fish with.’ I said sadly and Jeanne chucked and gave me a light push on the head.

"Oh stop that!" She said. "That is never going to happen." She said and I sighed.

Then she told me about how her day with her boss went.

"I have to do a lot of fishing and snooping and whatever to find someone quick. The ball is just two weeks away." She said throwing her hands frustrated at her dilemma.

"Didn’t you say he is bankrupt." I said confused as to how he still wanted to plan a ball instead of picking up his broken pieces and seeing if he could still keep his company going.

Jeanne shrugged at me. "Well he did say that he has a plan. That he will deal with it." She said. "And I trust Mr Wayne when it comes to managing his finances, I know he will get it all back together." She said hopefully.

"Yeah right." I said

‘But it has been so impossible to find some one Maggie. Especially someone discreet. Where would I find someone who would not be recognized by the paparazzi and would be a hot sexy classy girlfriend to him. Just to act and get paid and be gone.’ She said frustrated and sighing.

I laughed and she squeezed her face at me.

"What?" She asked and I shrugged.

"Well I think it is funny that your boss is looking for a fake girlfriend. That you both are looking for a fake girlfriend."

I laughed again and Jeanne gave me a little push.

"We all have something we are looking for." I said to myself sighing. "You need a girl, Your boss needs a girl, I need a job, Jolie needs a whooping for making me unemployed ."

Everywhere is Silent, and I turn to see that Jeanne is starring at me with wide eys and a huge smile.

"What?" I ask her confused.

"Maggie." She squealed rushing to me. "You can be the girl! You!"

"What?"

"You can pretend to be Mr Wayne’s girlfriend."

I burst into laughter. "You are kidding." I told her.

"No I am not!" She jumped around clapping her hands widely. "You are perfect Maggie! You are beautiful, really introverted and so not many know you and you do need a job. You would get paid!"

"No Jeanne!" I cut her out of her happy place faster than she expected and she sobered up. ‘ I can’t do that. Your boss is rude and a womanizer and proud. I’m sorry about what happened to him but it just doesn’t go.Also I have horrible fashion sense, ugly hair no sense of style or poise. I am not for all that and you know it.

"Well that is exactly what I am saying.’"She said and I gave her a light tap. "First of all, I have told you it is pretend so you do not get to have anything with him. Also he has a sweet side to him once you get to know him."

I snort at her . "Yeah you have said so much about his wonderful sweet side." I said sarcastically.

"Also, you do not have ugly hair. It just needs more attention. You leave lying limp on your shoulders all day only washing conditioning and blow drying. I have told you that if you give yourself more hair days then it would look so much better."

I snort again. I have plain brown hair. Nana always says I should stop when I say that but to be honest not fair to my hair, I might just hate it and that is all.

"And with your horrible sense of fashion. No offense intended."

"None taken." I reply.

"No one would recognize you when we do you a proper make over. Like a major transformation Maggie. Then after it all you could just come back to your normal self."

I thought a little and then I shook my head.

"I would not know how to do all that I am supposed to do. You know how I am Jeanne." I said standing up and she slumped her shoulders in resignation. "I am going to cook dinner while preparing for my interview tomorrow." I told her going in.

"And I am going to look for a fake girlfriend to hire for my boss.’ I heard her say and I laughed.

Later that night, I was laying on the bed trying to fall asleep while thinking of my job search when my phone rang.

It was 11.00 pm and people rarely called me at times like this.

"Hello." I said into the receiver.

"Hello, Maggie dear."

It was my Nana’s voice. I jerked to a start worried to my bone suddenly.

"Nana, are you okay? Why are you calling so late. Is everything alright?"

"Calm down honey, Everything is fine. The doctor just wants to talk to you is all."

"The doctor?" Panic rushed to my chest.

"Hy Miss Johnson."

"Hy Doctor Randy." I greeted. He was my Nana’s doctor. "What’s wrong?"

In a very short moment or maybe it just seemed like everything happened so fast. Doctor Randy explained to me that it was time to start preparing towards an operation for Nana because she had a fibroid.

I was not sure of what exactly I started thinking of first. The fear that something could happen to my dear Nana or the fact that I had no money at all.

My lips began to quiver and tears flowed from my eyes freely.

I told the doctor I would pay him a visit tomorrow. Then I ended the call telling my Nana that I loved her and I would see her tomorrow.

She told me she loved me too and could not wait to see me. She did sound chirpy like someone who was not having an operation soon. We’ll that’s my grandma for you, happy always.

After the phone call with Nana I kept starring into the ceiling unable to sleep, I kept hearing Jeanne’s slow and peaceful breathing.

It was then that the thought snapped at me and without thinking I shook Jeanne to wake up.

She starred at me with Confused sleepy eyes and when she saw how my face was wet with tears she looked alarmed.

"What’s wrong, Maggie?" She asked concerned

"Grandma needs to be operated on soon. The doctor just called and here I am broke.’

Jeanne sat up. "Oh my God Maggie. I’m so sorry about that." She said

"Well there’s a way you can help." I told her

"Anything."

I paused with a sigh and then looked up at her.

"I need you to make me your boss’s fake girlfriend."