The words hit Jada like a slap. They were meant to be comforting, she assumed, but the fact that she was considering something which required having those words spoken was pure insanity.
“Okay.”
Chapter Five
Jada couldn’t go home. It felt too stuffy and hot indoors. For a while, she just drove with the windows open and tried not to think. In the end, she ended up where she always did when she didn’t want to go home and needed to think long and hard on something.
After parking in one of the many available spots, Jada got out of her car and walked to the sand that edged the San Francisco Bay. The water was active, and tiny waves danced like bits of lace and then disappeared into the deep blue of the bay. Jada reached down and took off her flats. The sand felt cool and rough beneath her feet, and the breeze lifted her dark hair to float around her shoulders. In any other moment, it would have been beautiful.
“What on earth am I thinking?”
Jada’s heart hadn’t come with her to the water. In fact, it hadn’t left the building with her when she’d left Hays’ office. She imagined it was somewhere on the floor of his huge suite, being crumpled as he paced around, entertaining important businessmen on the phone.
A broken heart was nothing new to her, though. Jada had never had much luck with men, and now here she was being asked to marry someone for the absolute worst reason possible. Not that she wanted Hays to propose in the first place. She didn’t even know the man, aside from the fact that his parents were apparently Greek gods.
When Jada had been a small child, she’d dreamed of being proposed to. Nowhere in any of her fantasies was the clause that it would be purely for business and would end as soon as the ink dried on the guy’s business license. Hell, for that matter, nowhere in her wildest dreams had she imagined marrying a billionaire. Nope, not on her list. Jada had never been interested in money, and she’d always pictured the rich as being rude, arrogant assholes. So far, she’d been right.
And yet, none of that seemed to matter when she took her father’s health into account. She would do anything to help him. That was what she’d always said, and here she was with the opportunity right at her fingertips. What would he say about it all, though? Jada imagined he would be less than thrilled to know she’d essentially sold herself to pay for his medical bills. But at least he’d be alive to complain about it.
How the hell had this happened? Jada looked down at the henna on her arm and scratched at it.
“Stupid ink! I’m never getting henna again.”
The whole situation seemed so shady. Who was Jackson Hays to challenge an age-old law just because he wanted to make a bunch of money? It was just money! But no, that guy was going to break the law to land a deal. How selfish could you get? He was already a billionaire; why did he need to add more to his collection of presidents?
Unfortunately, all this internal debating had brought Jada no closer to an answer. She still needed the money, and her dad was still sick. Sometimes the world really sucked, and sometimes it picked a particular person to be a jerk to. This time it was her.
In her pocket, her cell beeped, and she reached inside to take a peek.
It was a text. From her mother.
“Honey, everything’s fine, but Dad’s in the hospital again. The dialysis doesn’t seem to be working anymore. He’ll need the transplant. Doc’s got him on the list. Just waiting for a match. Aunt Ida says she can help pay for hospital stay and surgery. Not sure what. Just keeping you in the loop. Love you.”
Jada fell to her knees in the sand and stared out at the churning bay. For the first time in a long while, she let the tears come, and what began as a slow trickle turned into raking sobs in minutes. Her father didn’t have much time. He’d never see her get married, or have kids, or sell a painting. Jada felt like she’d done nothing for him to be proud of. All she did was marketing for tech companies that just wanted to make money. She hadn’t made the world a better place like he had said she would. She hadn’t done anything.
But she could now.
Jada wiped away the tears and walked back to her car. She turned over the engine and drove back to the small apartment she called home. In the morning, she would meet with Mr. Hays. In the morning, she would tell him her answer.
Chapter Six
“You have a deal.”
Jada watched the excitement pass over the CEO’s face, and it was as scary as it was fascinating. When the man wasn’t glowering over people like the proverbial Grim Reaper, he was actually quite beautiful. Sure, he had the classic tall, dark and handsome thing going most of the time, but seeing him smile was a whole other thing. The blue in his eyes became less stormy and looked more like clean water. Jada wondered how many people had seen him genuinely happy.
“Amazing! I really appreciate this. You’ve truly saved this deal, Jada.” His voice was less gruff now.
“Well, you’re welcome, but I do have a few things I want to go over first.”
“Of course. Whatever you need to know.”
“As you mentioned yesterday, this is to be 100% business. No sexual favors, and no personal expectations. We’re not friends, I’m not your assistant, and you’re not my sugar daddy.”
“Well, that was blunt, but yes.”
Jada nodded and walked up to Hays to shake on it.
“Also, I have a few suggestions.”
Of course he does.
“Okay.”
“We shouldn’t tell anyone about this arrangement; not family, not friends, nor anyone here. I can’t risk anyone telling the Qaresman authorities that this is not a genuine marriage. Agreed?” At this, he extended his hand.
“Agreed.” Jada took the CEO’s hand in hers and shook it, meeting his firm grip with her own. They were meant to be equals in this after all.
“Great. The ceremony will take place in two weeks’ time. If you’d like to meet after work, we can begin planning.”
Jada half-ripped her hand out of his, taking a step back in surprise. “Two weeks! How do you expect to get everything ready in time?”
“Well, I do have quite a bit of money. It tends to make people move quickly.”
Jada rolled her eyes at him. “That’s not always a great thing, you know. You’re just buying the time for now. You haven’t earned anyone’s loyalty.”
He seemed a bit startled by her comment, but regained his composure in moments.
“Well for this, that’s all I need.”
“I guess I’ll see you after work, then.” Jada turned to leave, and as she reached the door, she looked back and said, “Mr. Hays.”
“Please, call me Jackson. We’re engaged, after all.”
The smile he offered was more devilish than she would have liked, but its appearance burrowed into her.
“See you this evening…Jackson.”
“Jada.”
Chapter Seven
Jada’s day was boring and long. By the time her shift was over, she was almost excited to meet with Jackson, because at least it would be a change of pace. He’d called earlier to say she should come up to his office once everyone had left for the day, and when that time finally came, Jada gathered up her purse and jacket and trekked to the top floor. Evelyn sat at her desk, looking as thrilled to see her as she had the first time. Someday, Jada would figure out what was up that woman’s ass, but tonight she was busy.
She entered Jackson’s office, shut the door behind her, and took a seat in her usual spot. Jackson was on the phone, speaking yet another language that she didn’t know. Finally, he noticed her and drew the conversation to a close.
“All right, so the 14th. Yes. Great. Talk to you soon. Goodbye.”
As Jackson hung up, he smiled over at her and released a breath.
“Hostile takeover?” she asked.
“What?” he said. Jada had again managed to surprise the boss and leave him a little off balance. “No. I was confirming the location and date for the ceremony.”
“Well
, you never can be sure with you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?’ Jackson sat up straighter in his chair and adjusted his tie.
“Never mind.”
“No. What it is?”
“You honestly aren’t aware of your own reputation? I mean, you’re hardly seen as a fluffy bunny around here.”
“Oh.” If she didn’t know better, Jada would have thought Jackson was actually a bit hurt. “Well, as I said, I was confirming the venue has our date set. I’ll be doing most of the wedding planning. That way you can focus on your own job.”
Wow, quite the way with words. It was Jada’s turn to sit up straighter.
“So, why’d you want me to come up here?”
“Well, I wanted to let you know the schedule for the next few days. As I said, I’ll take care of most of the planning, but I’ve scheduled a cake tasting, flower approval visit, and a chance for you to get fitted for a dress. You’ll need to be present for these events, and there may be a few more along the way.”
“All right. When’s the cake tasting?” Jada asked, not even attempting to conceal the annoyance in her voice.
“Tomorrow. After work.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”
Before Jackson could say anything more, Jada got up and went straight out the door.
Day one: total disaster.
The next day, Jada continued to work as if she had nothing to hide, nothing going on just beneath the surface. But every time she stepped out of her office, including her lunch period, she was bombarded with questions about what had happened with the boss. To the best of her ability, she told the truth: how this was her first infraction and she’d been given a verbal warning, how she was off the Ka account and instead working on a project for Mr. Hays in addition to her regular duties.
No one seemed suspicious, and many had said that her situation “totally blew.” She had to agree. Jackson proved to be as cold as ever, calling her fifteen times a day. He was so brash, and as far as she could tell, enjoyed putting people in their place. Every word out of his mouth was condescending and verged on rude. In all honesty, Jada wasn’t sure if she could go through with the “marriage,” but her father’s declining health and the ever-shortening two-week time period was keeping her on course.
Tonight was the cake tasting, and at least that would be tasty. Jada had never been particularly fond of cake, but she imagined Jackson would have only the best possible options brought to them. As thoughts of cake toppers and wedding colors popped into her head, a pang hit her in the chest. She’d always imagined she’d be discussing this type of stuff with her mother.
That was a total no-go, of course. Telling family was strictly off-limits. Some wedding this was going to be. The guest list was the wedding party, and the wedding party consisted of two people.
Just as Jada was starting to feel really sorry for herself, Matheson poked his head into her office.
“So, what’s this I hear about you working on a special project for Hays?” His eyebrows were drawn down, and he frowned hard.
“Don’t get your boxers in a bunch. I’m going through old campaign documents and organizing them. I’d rather be eating lead paint.”
That seemed to satisfy him, and he left her office with a small chortle. What an asshole.
The remainder of the day went by without issue or excitement, and as she shut down her computer and grabbed her bag, Jada realized she was getting sort of familiar with the long walk to Jackson’s office.
Evelyn was in her normal spot and mood, and instead of stopping to have her inform the boss she was there, Jada just walked straight to his office and went inside. She wasn’t in the mood to play nice either.
Inside, Jackson was adjusting his tie at a mirror in a pop-out wall panel.
“It looks fine.” Jada’s voice seemed to shoot Jackson out of his thoughts like a bullet.
“You’ve got to stop doing that,” Jackson huffed, giving up playing with his tie.
“Doing what? Coming into my fiancé’s office?”
“Without knocking or anything, yes.”
Jada shrugged and plopped down in the chair. She folded her arms across her chest and waited expectantly.
The room was quiet as the two of them stared at each other. Apparently having given up, Jackson took the tie off, tossed it on the desk, and gestured toward the office’s back corner. There was an elevator there that Jada hadn’t seen before, and she assumed it was for his private use.
“Shall we?”
“You look better without the tie anyway.” Jada got up and headed for the elevator, clicking the button and hopping inside without another word.
Jackson hesitated at the desk, and Jada thought she might have seen a small smile sneak across his face as she’d walked by. He did his best to hide it, however, and as soon as she questioned its appearance, it was gone.
In moments, the CEO was in the private elevator with her, and the small space was eaten up by the sheer size of him. Jada hadn’t realized how tall and bulky he was until now. Now that he was mere inches from her, it was near impossible to ignore the muscles straining inside his button-down shirt.
“The bakery isn’t far. Jacques should have us there in a few minutes.”
“Jacques?” Jada raised an eyebrow at him.
The elevator dinged, and the door opened onto the street, revealing a beautiful limo waiting by the sidewalk. Jackson held his hand out in front of Jada and said, “My driver.”
Once they were inside the car, Jada couldn’t hold in the fresh questions that bloomed inside her skull.
“Do you always get driven around by a Frenchman?”
“Usually, yes.”
“How much does this thing cost?” Jada’s eyes scanned the limo’s interior amenities, all the bells and whistles. “You could give everyone a hell of a bonus with the cash from this thing.”
Jackson didn’t say anything. Jada wasn’t surprised that the idea of giving away some of his billions hadn’t occurred to him.
The remainder of the drive was quiet. Jada simply watched the buildings pass outside her window and waited for the only fun she believed she’d have during the wedding planning process. After all, eating cake could never be viewed as a bad thing—even if pie would have been better.
The limo pulled up to the rear of a large bakery with a famous name. The door was opened for Jackson and he exited, then turned to help her out of the car.
“I got it, boss,” Jada said. “How about you just lead the way to the cake?” Jada hitched her purse up on her shoulder and gestured for him to start walking.
Jackson composed himself and led the way into the building. For a bakery, it looked more like a museum. The floors were marble and the walls were a creamy blond color that made the light bounce off every surface. When they entered, a small man in a waiter’s uniform stepped out and welcomed them, falling over himself to exclaim how wonderful it was to see Mr. Hays again. Jada was introduced, and Jackson confirmed the discretion of the entire staff, she assumed for the 15th time.
They were led to a small table set up with a bottle of champagne, two glasses, and two small place settings. Jackson pulled Jada’s chair out for her, and she obliged by sitting down. It was a hard move to get out of, after all.
The chivalrous behavior was only making Jada furious. They weren’t dating, they weren’t friends, and neither of them really wanted to be there. Why he felt the need to go above and beyond with the politeness was beyond her.
“We have arranged the samples you requested, sir. Would you like them brought out one at a time, or would you like to see them all?”
Jackson said, “One at a time will be—”
“That seems like such a hassle. Just bring it all out at once and we’ll go nuts.” Jada smiled at the waiter. He seemed surprised but eventually nodded and walked off to the back.
“Jada.”
“What? There’s no reason for all this fuss. It’s not like this is some sweet, specia
l moment, right? It’s just business.”
Jackson frowned and shifted in his seat, but he kept his mouth shut.
Soon, a glistening tray of cake pairs was set before them, and Jada had to admit that they looked amazing.
“First we have the red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. This is dark chocolate butter cake with a coffee-chocolate frosting dusted with ground coffee. Next is white chocolate butter with fresh raspberry filling and a white chocolate frosting. Here we have lemon poppy seed cake with a lemon buttercream frosting. This is the classic vanilla with a unique vanilla-hazelnut frosting. And lastly, we have the pink champagne cake, which is made with vintage champagne, filled with a rum-based custard and paired with Bavarian whipped cream frosting.”
Jada’s eyes were wide, and her brain was still trying to process everything the man had said. Something about chocolate and raspberries and rum and cream. Oh Lord, this was overwhelming.
Jackson simply nodded in his usual fashion, and the waiter left him to serve the two of them the cakes. He went in order and put a piece, each on its own plate, atop the other plates that were already laid out in front of them.
Jackson took a bite of the Red Velvet and chewed. After a moment, he made judging noises and shook his head. Jada had not yet taken her first bite.
“Is there something wrong?” Jackson rested his fork on the edge of his plate and gazed at her.
“No. There’s just so much.” Jada’s eyes roamed all over the little confection on the cart next to them. “I don’t even know what to think. I’m not really a cake person,” she murmured.
“Sorry?” Jackson dabbed at his mouth with the folded napkin he had put in his lap.
“Never mind.”
Jada went through the motions and tried the pieces of cake that were presented to her. While they were definitely not bad, they all tasted so rich, and the textures made the little lumps of sugar sit in her stomach like rocks. Jackson kept nodding or shaking his head, making mental notes about the pros and cons of each piece. When he’d finished doling out each of the flavors, Jada felt like she was going to burst, or puke, whichever came first.
Fake It For Me - A Fake Wife Billionaire Romance Page 41