Fake Love Rich Boss Series

by Peterson , Sloane

  I believe him. Nothing has proven to me that I should, but I do. Because I know a lot about Oliver. I know that he’s lied to me before, but never to the point of manipulation. He’s never manipulated me to stay with him, to fall for him. He might be a little brash at times, a little strange, but I blame all of that on the way he was raised. I trust this man in this moment and I hate it.

  He continues speaking.

  “I was against the idea as well,” he says. “I too understand his logic, but I love you, Cassidy. I know you don’t want to be with me any longer and I don’t want to force you to do so. That’s not love, that’s a hostage situation.”

  I laugh for the first time all morning. Maybe for the first time in days. With Oliver’s arms tightly around me, I laugh. It feels good. For just a minute, I feel carefree. I feel like nothing is wrong in the world. I know that it’s not true. I know my life is still a train wreck, but I feel okay right now. As I laugh, Oliver laughs too.

  When we stop, I pull away from him and he lets me. He reaches out and brushes a stray piece of hair away from my forehead.

  “So, I guess we’re in this together,” he says, settling back on my couch.

  “I guess so,” I reply.

  “Could be worse?”

  “Guess so.”

  I don’t know if it could be worse. Because I’m still head over heels for this man and I’m doing my best to pull away from him. Now, I have to be with him. I have to force myself to act in public as if nothing has changed between the two of us, when really, everything is different. I have to pretend I didn’t walk away from him and break his heart. I have to pretend that I haven’t seen the demons that lurk behind his grey eyes and gorgeous smile.

  “Should we set ground rules?” he asks. “Things you’re okay with and things you’re not?”

  “I have a press conference tomorrow...”

  “Cassidy, we need to do this. And knowing you, you’ve already prepared plan a, b, and c for the press conference.” I hate that he’s right.

  After my first real press conference for the Windsor family went off the rails, and I learned that Alan’s soon-to-be ex-wife was maybe having an affair, I’ve started to prepare for anything that could go wrong for this family.

  “Fine,” I say. “Rule number one... no dating or sleeping with anyone else while we’re doing this. For either of us.”

  I’m going to ruin everything I have with Gavin, but I have to choose my career, and my future, over a relationship that I’m just settling for. I know if Oliver and I are seeing people on the side, jealousy will become an issue. Or the press could catch on and we’d be wrapped up in a cheating scandal on top of everything else.

  He looks at me for a moment and nods, “So no more seeing Panton for you?”

  I roll my eyes.

  I think I see Oliver grin.

  “Deal,” he says. “Rule number two... nothing you’re uncomfortable with. That includes PDA, staying the night. We don’t do anything you’re not okay with.”

  “I can live with that,” I agree.

  I hadn’t even considered that PDA may be an issue. The paparazzi are going to expect us to be all over each other, and I don’t know if I can do that.

  “We’ll figure that out as we go,” because that’s all I can think of saying. Maybe I’ll be okay with this as I get used to this crazy idea of a fake relationship. I guess we’ll have to see.

  “Great. Any more rules?”

  I wrinkle my nose, trying to think.

  “Rule number three, you come with me to every doctor’s appointment. I don’t care how busy you are, you find the time.”

  “I planned on that anyway.”

  “Without an invitation?”

  Oliver smiles at me.

  “It’s my child too, Cassidy. I want to be involved.”

  On the surface, Oliver looks cool and calm. However, once you know him, it’s clear that he’s freaking out. He looks unsettled about it, his hair just slightly messier than it should be.

  “Good point.”

  I want him to be involved. I couldn’t imagine shutting him out of his child’s life, even if we aren’t on speaking terms. I may not approve of the Windsor ways or how Alan raised Allison and Oliver, but I think Oliver will do better. Actually, I know that he will.

  “Alright. Final rule?” he asks.

  I nod.

  “This is going to sound ridiculous...”

  This entire thing is ridiculous. Nothing could feel more ridiculous than this damned plan his father has us involved in.

  “I want you to be open about your feelings throughout this entire process, especially if you find yourself falling in love with me again.”

  I stare at him, wide-eyed after that.

  “Oliver...”

  “Cassidy,” he stops me from finishing that thought. “I know it’s silly and ridiculous. I don’t expect you to fall for me again, but I hope you will. You know my feelings for you have never vanished and I’ve been happy to do whatever you needed me to to help you move on from our relationship.”

  I sigh. I somehow knew this was going to get complicated between us. Maybe I just didn’t want it to. I wanted to pretend that I could handle this new step in our relationship without old feelings getting in the way, but I think deep down I knew that that was going to be impossible.

  I look at this man and I don’t know if I can tell him to his face that I never fell out of love with him. That my feelings for him have been the same since the minute I fell, up until now. At times, I found myself disgusted with him, realized that I didn’t know him as well as I thought I did, but I never stopped loving him.

  I decide that it’s better if I don’t tell him.

  “I promise I’ll tell you if that occurs,” I finally say, thinking that should be the end of the conversation. I don’t want to sit here and talk about my feelings, knowing they’re only going to make things between us more complicated.

  To make sure the subject is over, I change it.

  “So, where do we start?” I ask.

  It’s not like I’ve ever faked a relationship before. I don’t know what I’m doing. From the way Oliver’s eyebrows are wrinkled in the center, I can tell that he doesn’t know either.

  “I guess the press needs to know that we’re still in a relationship?”

  Our relationship was never quite press-worthy, and was quickly overshadowed by Alan’s trial and then his acquittal. The press wasn’t focused on who Oliver was, or wasn’t, dating then. I think I can count on one hand how many articles were written about my and Oliver’s relationship. When we parted, I don’t think anyone noticed.

  “I don’t want to stand in the middle of Times Square and make out with you,” I say, leaning back on the couch.

  He shakes his head, making a show of rolling his eyes at my suggestion.

  “Cassidy, you have to know that I’m much more subtle than that. We can start with me taking you to dinner.”

  “I can do dinner,” I decide without much thought. Dinner is simple. Friends can go out to dinner. It’ll be a nice refresher for us to get to know one another again. A reintroduction if you will.

  “Great,” Oliver smiles at me. It’s soft and gentle, his bright white teeth showing. A rarity from him, but something I enjoy each and every time. “Tonight? Your choice as to where we go.”

  I shake my head.

  “Anywhere but Italian.”

  “I can do that. I’ll pick you up around seven.” He stands from the couch and stretches. I have to force myself to tear my eyes off of his body - he’s still so damn gorgeous.

  I nod in agreement. It’ll give me time to get home and change into something other than my work clothes. That just leaves me with one problem... I’m still currently dating someone, right? I should probably let Gavin know that things between him and I are over, but it feels so harsh to do so over text.

  I shake it off, getting off the couch and going over to my desk. I need to actually get some work done
today. I’m sure tonight will be fine without letting Gavin know. It’s just dinner.

  It’s slightly alarming how quickly I adjust to the idea of ‘fake dating’ Oliver. It’s like something in my head just clicked after our conversation and I figured it would all be okay. It’s nothing real. It’s not like we actually hate one another. Who knows, maybe it’ll be a fun few months before we ultimately ‘break up’ again.

  I get through my day of work before I head home, take a quick shower, and change. I make a mental note to talk to Noelle tomorrow about what’s going on. She should at least know what’s happening. She’s been there for me more than anybody else has.

  At six-fifty, Oliver knocks on my door and walks me down to his car.

  “You look amazing, Cassidy,” he tells me as he opens the passenger door for me, and I realize that a lot of this isn’t fake on his end any longer.

  “As do you,” I say.

  Oliver had changed out of his work clothes, and was now wearing a white button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms and his black slacks. I don’t have to force myself to compliment him. He’s a God among men and Oliver Windsor knows that.

  As we drive toward his restaurant of choice, Oliver tells me about his day, how he didn’t do too much after our conversation. We talk about the press conference tomorrow, what’s to be expected. The conversation between us flows naturally and I’m unbelievably thankful for that. It’s so nice not to have to force it.

  “I chose a restaurant where I was sure we’d be seen together,” he says as the car starts to slow down. “It’ll be enough to get people talking, which is what we need.”

  He puts the car in park by the curb. Without saying anything else or giving me time to respond, he gets out of the car.

  I watch out the window as Oliver hands the valet the keys and comes to open the door for me. My heart is pounding, nerves rising within me, as I step out with him.

  It’s not like a scene in a movie. There’s no paparazzi waiting to surprise us as we step outside, cameras aren’t flashing in our direction. The valet just nods to us as Oliver takes my hand and leads me inside.

  As soon as we step inside, we’re seated almost immediately. The restaurant is relatively dark, with candles and flowers on the table. The décor is all just as dark as the lighting, except for the occasional splash of bright red. We sit across from each other and our conversation from the car resumes.

  When the waiter appears, Oliver orders waters for both of us after cocking an eyebrow in my direction to make sure that’s fine. As much as wine would hit the spot right now, at least make me feel a little bit more relaxed, I know those days are behind me. At least for now.

  The waiter returns with our waters and we order an appetizer to share. While we wait, Oliver reaches across the table and takes my hand in his. Our fingers intertwine with ease and I remember how much I’ve missed this sensation; how natural it all feels.

  “Cassidy,” he says my name in a hushed tone. “It’s so good to be here with you tonight.”

  I know immediately that he’s not acting. There’s no one around to hear us, I don’t think anyone is even watching us.

  “It is nice,” I agree. And I know I’m not acting either.

  I hate how easy this all feels. I don’t have to force anything. I don’t have to pretend. Everything is coming naturally. There are sparks, little fires igniting underneath my skin, in my soul. This is what this is all supposed to feel like. I can’t believe I let myself feel anything but.

  We keep talking over dinner, catching up in a sense. It’s not like that much time has passed since we were last together, but life moves fast. Oliver talks about the authors he had meetings with, his eyes lighting up when he does so.

  “Trust me. He’s going to be a real money maker if father decides to make an offer,” he says. “I read his sample in one night.”

  I’m staring wide-eyed at Oliver, my mind completely blown. I have never pegged Oliver as much of a reader. I’m sure that’s just making assumptions, but it feels out of character. I think he catches onto my shock because amusement flickers over his face. He brings my hand up to his lips and kisses the back of it.

  “What?” he asks, grinning as he drops my hand back to the table. “Didn’t think I knew how to read?”

  I laugh.

  “No, I knew that you knew how to read. I just never considered you much of a reader,” I admit, using my free hand to sip from my water.

  “Guess I’m still full of surprises,” he grins. “I will admit that I’m not a huge reader, but when a book catches my attention as this one did, I absolutely devour it. I loved everything about this book. The characters, the plot. You should read the sample.”

  “Am I allowed to?”

  He shrugs.

  “As long as you don’t plan on leaking it, I don’t see why not. I’ll bring it over next time we go out.”

  “I’d like that.”

  I haven’t been reading as much as I used to. I used to love to curl up on the couch with a good book, but life has been such a whirlwind lately. It’s felt impossible to take the time to unwind and just read. Maybe I’ll try to make more time for that with a baby on the way. It’ll be a nice way to unwind from all the stress I know I’ll be feeling.

  He smiles at me.

  “Then I’ll make sure to do that.”

  I have a flash in my mind. One of Oliver and our future child, sitting in a chair together while Oliver reads from a book. The image makes my heart melt, makes me feel like this is all going to work out. Because God, do I want to see that.

  The remainder of our dinner flows as well as the first half. We keep the conversation light, laughing and smiling and avoiding any of the heavy subjects that stand between us. Oliver pays for our meal without letting me even see the check and when it’s all over, he pulls my chair out for me and helps me stand up.

  Hand-in-hand we walk out of the restaurant where the car is waiting. Just as Oliver helps me inside the car, I think I see the flash of a camera. I put that in the back of my mind, knowing that that is exactly what we need to happen. People need to see us, even if it makes me uncomfortable. The whole idea of being watched, being seen, is strange.

  Oliver drives me back home, the radio playing softly as the conversation between us dies down. Not in an uncomfortable sense, in fact, I’m more comfortable sitting in this silence with him than I would be with anybody else. I don’t fight him when he pulls into the parking garage to walk me up, I just let him, knowing he’d do it anyway.

  He doesn’t hold my hand as we enter my apartment building, he doesn’t do anything to make me uncomfortable. We just walk to the elevator and then to my apartment door. He waits for me to fish my key out of my purse and unlock the door before the silence between us breaks.

  “Thank you for letting me take you out tonight, Cassidy,” he says, hands stuffed in the front pockets of his slacks.

  I want to respond that we had to start creating the image that we’re together, but that wasn’t what this was all about. In a way, it felt like a new beginning. One I can’t quite explain or really put together, which I’m okay with. At least for now.

  “Thank you for a wonderful night,” I say, smiling up at him.

  Every fiber in my being is screaming at me to kiss him. The moment is perfect. I know Oliver wouldn’t hesitate to kiss me back, so that’s not why I don’t do it. I don’t kiss him because, because I know that I shouldn’t. I need to keep things like I think they ought to be – at arm’s length, no relationship between the two of us other than this fake one, this tentative friendship.

  Despite the moment being entirely perfect, despite how much I want a kiss to happen, I don’t allow it. Instead, I reach out and take Oliver’s hand in my own. I give it a squeeze, and he squeezes back.

  “Goodnight,” he says as he lets go of my hand.

  “Goodnight Oliver,” I say before stepping into my apartment and closing the door behind me.

  Chapter Six<
br />
  I’m in my element today. Today, in fact, is the first time since I found out that I was pregnant that I feel back to normal. Today is the press conference to officially announce Alan’s divorce.

  The one thing I’ve never found myself doubting is my ability to do my job. It was a source of comfort for me after my split with Oliver, because I know it’s something I won’t mess up. I realize just how cocky I come off, but it’s because I’m damn good at what I do. My client just went through the murder trial of the century, and so far, I’m turning the public opinion in his favor.

  I’m standing inside the lobby of Windsor Publishing. Alan and Oliver are standing with me. The rest of the lobby is empty, the building closed until after the conference.

  “Remember, keep your statement short and precise,” I tell Alan as I look over my papers a final time. “The less you talk, the less they can twist your words.”

  “I’ve been doing this longer than you’ve been alive, Cassidy. I think I know how to handle it,” Alan doesn’t say it matter-of-factly. He says it in a rare playful tone. It’s something strange coming from him, and every time I hear it, I feel strangely uncomfortable.

  “Uh-huh,” I don’t look up to acknowledge him. “Just be careful. This should hopefully close this chapter in your lives, and we can move on and not deal with any more scandals.”

  God, I hope. Get me through the rest of my contract without another scandal from this family.

  I look out at the crowd gathering in front of the building. It must mean it’s almost show time. I stand up from the chair I had planted myself in, making sure my papers are in order. I look at Oliver and Alan.

  “Let’s go,” I say as I take a final deep breath, preparing myself to take the stage as we walk out of the building and to the makeshift platform.

  Oliver pauses by the stairs and offers his hand to me. I stare at it for longer than I should before I realize he’s offering to help me up. I take a deep breath, questioning whether I should or shouldn’t take it. Finally, I go with the former. I take his hand and let him lead me up the few stairs of the platform. I take my place by the podium and begin immediately.