“Hi, how are you doing, Mr. Adams?” Her eyes locked on him. Does he just know everyone?
“I’m well, thank you.”
“I don’t think your mom has an appointment today,” she said looking down at the binder; she flipped through it.
“She doesn’t, actually.” Garth stepped towards the counter. “I booked an appointment for Ally, with Sarah.”
The girl glanced over at me, for the first time actually paying attention to me. Her eyes widened.
“Oh. I see.” The girl swallowed dryly. “I’ll go make sure her chair is ready.” She did not sound pleased as she stood and walked away. I glanced at Garth.
“Um, why doesn’t she like me?”
“It’s not that she doesn’t like you.” Garth smiled. “The girls here have been laying it on thick for my mom since she started coming here and mentioned I was her son.”
Oh, so this was some sort of retaliation because I’d come in with him, and they assumed I was his girlfriend. Well, I had fucked him. Did that count for anything? Oh, be good, I told myself, even though I really didn’t want to.
That was the thing about me—if I didn’t like someone or if they looked at me wrong right off the bat, I kind of wanted to be snarky to them. But no one can know you and Garth had sex, I reminded myself.
“So, if they ask me why I’m here, I should just tell them you didn’t like my hair?” I raised an eyebrow. What the hell was I going to tell people?
“I don’t know. Tell them you needed to change, and I offered to hook you up. I don’t like my assistants looking ... plain.”
My eyes widened. “Oh, you think I look plain?” I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I didn’t say that! I just said I don’t like it if my assistants do look plain.”
My eyes narrowed. “Fine, but don’t think I don’t see right through that.”
His cheeks flushed. “Anyways, I have you booked for a cut and color. Let Sarah work her magic, she’s wonderful at her job.” I bit my lip, not saying anything.
Of course, I was going to let her do what she wanted. I’d been reading about this hair salon for ages—wishing I could afford it. I wasn’t going to miss out on this ... but still ... New clothes, a new car ... new hair.
“Oh, and I have you booked in for gel nails while you get your hair done.”
My eyes widened. I’d never gotten my nails done before. A woman cleared her throat.
I turned to see her. She had bright blue hair that transitioned to black. Her red lips curved up into a smile. “Hi, I’m Sarah.”
I reached out and shook her hand. “Ally.” I leaned towards Garth. “Can I get hair like hers?”
“Nothing too crazy. Nothing too bright,” he replied.
“No fun,” I muttered.
Sarah laughed softly. “Don’t worry, we’ll do something cool.” She turned to Garth. “Dull colors are fun?”
“Within reason.” Garth nodded. “She’s my assistant, she’s got to help me sell homes. Please keep that in mind.”
“I will.” Sarah beamed, turning to me. “Come on, let’s go get you settled in.”
Sarah led the way towards the back of the room. “So, you’re Garth’s assistant?”
“Yes,” I said as she motioned for me to take the chair.
“That must be exciting! I do his mom’s hair. She likes to come in a couple times a month and get it touched up and styled. She’s a lovely woman, have you met her?”
“No, not really.” I’d seen her around before. “I um, just recently got promoted.”
“Oh, congrats! So is this like a celebration?”
“Something like that ... I think. Or he just really hated my hair.”
Sarah laughed as she ran her fingers through my hair. “So, you actually have super gorgeous hair. I’d love to layer it a little, maybe do a bit of an ombre feel ... blonde and a soft blackish blue—how does that sound?”
My heart skipped a beat. “That sounds awesome,” I admitted. I couldn’t wait to see what it was like.
I came out of the salon with new hair and new nails, unable to believe how good it made me feel.
Garth opened the car door for me again. He’d come to pick me up just in time and paid for the whole thing.
“Thank you.” I wasn’t sure if I was thanking him for opening the door or for much more, but I slid into the passenger seat, pulled the visor down and stared at myself. I looked like a whole new person—and I liked it.
Garth joined me in the car with a wide grin.
“It looks good. Sarah works wonders, doesn’t she?”
“Yes, she does.” I ran my fingers through my new hair, still trying to come to terms with it. I hadn’t dyed my hair since I was 14 years old and wasn’t used to this feeling.
The car started, and this time, we headed for his place. My stomach turned. I couldn’t get it off my mind. Finally, I opened my mouth. No time like the present to ask.
“Why did you do that? I mean, why did you pay for me to get my hair and nails done?”
“I figured you might like it.” Garth shrugged. “I wanted to treat you to something nice after yesterday ... I mean, not just after yesterday, but I thought after yesterday it would be nice.”
He wanted to treat me to something nice. Why? He had never done that for Alyssa. What made me any different?
Or had he? I mean, I might not know if he’d done something like this for her. My brow furrowed as I looked my boss over, and my head tilted to the left.
“Have you ever done this for Alyssa?”
He glanced at me as he drove. “No, why?”
“I was just wondering.”
“You’re not Alyssa, though. You don’t just want to fuck me for my money.”
My heart skipped a beat. I hadn’t realized he knew she wanted to get him for his money. “You mean ... you knew?”
“Of course, I did.” Garth laughed. “It wasn’t hard to figure out what kind of girl she was. I know those girls when I see them.” He paused as he pulled down his street. “You know why I jumped at the chance for you to help out?” I waited, assuming it was a rhetorical question. “I don’t hear you talk about my ass or my money.”
My jaw dropped and my cheeks flushed. “Um, no that’s because I’ve never done either.”
“I know. But everyone else in that office has. They don’t hide it well. Those girls, Alyssa included, would jump at the chance for me to give them my money. They think that if they dress right and say what I want to hear, I’ll eventually ask them out.”
“What, Alyssa isn’t your type?” I wasn’t sure if I meant it to be snarky or not. “I mean, she does dress the part better than I do.” And she was pretty, there was no denying that.
“She dresses alright. But you’ve got to remember, I know how much you all make, and I can take a good guess at how much those clothes were that she wears. I have much more respect for someone who buys twenty dollar shoes because it’s what they can afford.”
Why was he always going on about my fucking shoes? I opened my mouth to ask, then stopped.
“So, you asked me to be your assistant because you could tell my shoes were cheap?”
“No, well, kinda I guess.” He pulled into the driveway and put the car into park. “I think you’re missing what I’m saying. I asked you to help me out because I knew you’d be the kind of person I want to work for me. I don’t have much respect for people who run themselves into debt trying to look the part. You did the best you could with what you had, and even though it wasn’t enough, you ... well, you rocked it.”
He unbuckled and stepped out of the car. My heart skipped a beat. He thinks I rocked it. I hopped out after him.
“I wasn’t always a billionaire, Ally. I remember what it’s like to struggle, and I remember what it’s like having to work, to fight tooth and nail. You do that, don’t you?”
I froze. My heart racing. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to take that as a compliment or not, but I was. My ch
eeks flushed, and I mentally shook myself.
“I’m just doing the best I can.”
“That is what I like about you.” He led the way into the condo and towards the elevator. “You do the best you can, and you don’t pretend you can do better. You’re you. It’s just that simple.”
The elevator came to a stop on his floor, and we stepped off it, heading for his condo.
I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw the man standing outside his door. Crap. Brent caught sight of us. He just stared.
“So,” I muttered. “What are we going to say?”
“No fucking clue,” Garth muttered back seconds before we came within earshot. “Brent!” He greeted his friend with a smile. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine.” Brent looked from me to Garth. “What about you ... two?”
“Fine. I sent the rest of the girls home and closed up shop for the day. I thought it would be good on everyone if they didn’t have to work after ... what happened.”
“And you guys decided to come back to your place?” He looked me up and down. “New hair?”
“Yes.” My cheeks flushed. “I uh, had an appointment for it today that I had booked a couple months ago. I really didn’t want to miss it.” I felt bad lying but didn’t want to make it seem like Garth was giving me any special treatment—even if he was.
“It looks nice.”
Garth cleared his throat. “So, we’re going to order some pizza and get some new listings up on the website, do you want to help us out?”
“No. No, I’ll let you two have some alone time. I ...” He paused. “It doesn’t matter.” He gave his friend a smile and stepped past us.
Garth and I both turned, watching him come to a stop at the elevator.
Garth glanced at me, reached into his pocket and pulled out a key chain. “Here. It’s the gold key; let yourself in and make yourself at home. I have to go talk to him, something seems wrong.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“No ... just ...” He handed me his work bag. “Can you take that in?”
“Of course.” I took it from him quickly and watched him rush after his friend, jumping into the elevator just before it closed.
I was left staring at the doors close before I turned back to his door, heading towards it. I dropped my purse and his work bag before I unlocked the door and stepped inside.
It felt strange unlocking his door and ‘making myself at home’ like he had told me to, but in a way, it felt right. I could get used to this. A big fancy condo. If only I’d ever be able to afford one.
That was a dream I would be dreaming for a few years before I could even think about making it a reality. I left my purse and Garth’s work bag on the couch and padded over to the bookshelf. There were so many books. The Secret. 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. Think And Grow Rich. A few dozen I didn’t recognize. I was pretty sure I’d had to read 7 Habits in high school. Of course, I didn’t remember anything that was in it. I reached out, pulling a book off the shelf. It was thick and green with a clock on it. I flipped the book open, skimming over the contents.
“Looks like I’ve been busted,” Garth spoke from my left. I turned to see him standing there, a smile spread across his lips. “Make fun of me if you like, I love the genre.”
“Self-help?”
“Yes.” He padded towards the bookshelf. “Well, I love books. I like books that help me learn even more, though.” His eyes traced over the shelf, taking everything in. “I know a lot of people make fun of me for it.” He shrugged. “But whatever.”
“Do they all own a business that makes them billions of dollars a year?” I asked.
He laughed softly. “No, most of them don’t,” he admitted.
“Did you ... get a chance to talk to Brent?”
“Yes.” His body tensed. “He’s not pleased with you being here. He says it’s unprofessional for us to ... well, anyways, I saw the way he looked at you. When I mentioned it, he shut up pretty quickly.”
The way he looked at me? My brow furrowed. Normally, I noticed if men were hitting on me. I hadn’t noticed him trying to.
“I’m sorry.” And I was. “I didn’t mean to cause conflict between you two.”
Garth shrugged. “It’s bound to happen every now and then, and he’s right. What we’re doing ... it isn’t right.” My heart skipped a beat. “But I don’t care.” He turned to me, and a soft smile touched his lips.
“Are you sure? It’s not too late to end things.”
“I don’t want to end things. I don’t want to stop seeing you.” He crossed over to his work bag and opened it, dropping down onto the couch. “Now come on, I want to see how well you can sell a house verbally.”
My heart skipped a beat as I went over to the couch and sat down with him. I’d never been good with words—at least, I didn’t think I was. I took the folders out of my purse and fumbled through one of them, taking everything in for a couple seconds before glancing at Garth. He looked far too excited—I felt like I might puke right then and there.
Chapter Eight
An hour later, we had gotten all the new listings up and Garth had ordered us a meal. I jumped at the knock on the door. Garth got up, padded over to the door and opened it.
“Oh, hello officer.”
My heart skipped a beat.
“Mr. Adams,” she spoke softly. My heart skipped another beat. It was the woman who had been at the crime scene the other day. “I was hoping I could speak to you real quick.”
“Of course, come on in.” I heard her footsteps, and the door closed. “Can I offer you a drink?”
“No, thank you.” She strode into the living room and stopped; her eyes locked on me. “Oh, I didn’t realize I was interrupting.”
“Oh, you’re not,” Garth said. “I thought it would be in good taste to close the office down today but still had a little work I wanted to get done, so I had Ally come over.”
The cop shrugged. “Look, I’m not here to judge you two.” She gave me a smile then turned to Garth. “I just wanted to ask you about the body, that’s it, that’s all.”
My heart raced. The body. I’d almost convinced myself I’d forgotten it. Of course, that wasn’t the case.
“What did you come to ask?” His voice sounded strained.
“We’ve ID’d the woman ...” The cop reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “Do you know her?”
Garth’s brow furrowed. “I ... no ... I don’t think so.” The cop raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t think so?”
“No, sorry. Would you like me to show it to the girls I work with? Or my partner? Maybe they’ve seen her before.”
The cop’s brow creased. She stared at Garth for a couple of seconds. “No. It’s alright; I’ll speak to them when I’m ready.” She tilted her head. “You two have a good day.” She glanced at me, and for a fraction of a second, I could have sworn she looked worried.
My heart skipped a beat. I closed my eyes, trying to force myself not to get freaked out over things that weren’t there.
“Have a good day,” she said before turning around and heading back towards the door. Garth joined her.
“If there is anything you need from myself or my staff, please let us know. We want to help you get this wrapped up.”
“I’ll be sure to do that, Mr. Adams.”
The door closed behind her, and Garth returned to the couch. He dropped down onto it, letting out a deep breath. “I can’t believe this is happening. I mean, a dead body at one of my houses.” His fingers ran through his hair. “This could ruin me.”
I reached out and touched his knee. “It’s going to be okay. They are going to catch the person who did this. They’re going to send them to jail and then you—we—will be able to move on.”
Garth gave me a soft smile. “Thanks, I hope you’re right and hope it happens soon.”
So did I. But I didn’t say that out loud. Instead, I moved my purse down on
to the floor and slid closer to Garth, resting my head on his shoulder.
His arm wrapped around me, pulled me closer to him, and his lips touched my cheek. “You’re right,” he whispered. “This is going to work out. This is all going to go away.”
“That’s the spirit.” I gave him a smile. “We’ve got this. Together.” I pulled away just enough to give him a quick kiss. “We’re going to get through it.”
I wasn’t sure if I believed the words myself, but I knew it made Garth smile, and that was what mattered right now.
We spent the rest of the day sitting on the couch watching TV—until the news came on.
My heart leapt as I saw a picture of myself and the house I’d been to yesterday. Right. He said it would be all over the news today. I tried to tell myself it didn’t bother me, but it did. As if realizing how much it bothered me, Garth reached out and turned the TV off. He turned to me and gave me a smile.
“It will blow over in a couple of days,” he promised.
“Are you sure?”
“No,” he admitted. “It might take a couple weeks, but there will be something else for everyone to obsess over. In no time at all, everyone will have forgotten about this, and they will have moved on.”
Easy for them. They hadn’t seen the dead body. I didn’t say it out loud, I knew if I did, I would sound bitter, and I didn’t want that. I knew it wasn’t Garth’s fault that I’d seen the body—it’s not like he’d placed the body there. My heart skipped a beat at the thought.
I bit my lip. “I’m going to go get something from my place.” I pushed myself up. The idea of being home alone all night freaked me out, but I hadn’t brought clothes to sleep in or change into tomorrow.
“Would you like me to drive?” Garth jumped to his feet.
“Oh, no, it’s fine. I can take a cab.” I wanted the time alone, to be honest.
“Why don’t you at least take my car?” Garth stood.
“No, I don’t want to run into anyone in your car. No offense ... It would just be ...”
“I understand.” But he sounded disappointed. I couldn’t blame him. I’d love to have used his car, but if someone caught me driving it ... if Brent or one of the girls from the office realized that we were more than just working together ... Well, Brent already knows. Maybe we could count on him to keep it quiet, but if one of the girls found out, the whole world would know—or we would be blackmailed. Neither was really a good option here.
The Billionaire's Fake Marriage: A Single Dad Next Door Romance Page 52