by Tia Wylder
There wasn’t time to get embroiled in his own issues with his parents, however. He opened the door to his office just a bit, peeking inside to see if it was empty.
“...Mr. Wethers?” Svetlana inquired softly, sounding more than a little confused. He threw the door open grandly, gesturing for her to step inside. She squinted at him, seeming to size him up before breathing a sigh and stepping into the office. He followed behind her, closing and latching the door behind him. “I’m beginning to think I was right to be concerned,” the young woman said blandly, and Jackson turned to face her with a deadpan expression.
“I simply want to discuss this manner in private. A little secret between boss and personal assistant, yes?” He rumbled, stepping towards his desk and resting his hip on the edge. Svetlana lingered towards the door, barely breaking out of her apathetic facade to look vaguely nervous.
“Of course. Anything you need to discuss, sir, I’m all ears,” she droned, and he idly wondered if she was always such a stiff. Realizing it would help his case to see his assistant in a positive light, he struggled to swallow his mounting irritation.
“I have a bit of a problem regarding the number one shareholders in the company, and it is an issue I was hoping you could help me resolve. After all, you’ve always been such a good worker,” he smiled, attempting to look charming. She smiled faintly, pulling out a tissue to wipe away sweat that’s about to drip down her cheeks.
“The shareholders? You mean your parents?” She snickered, obviously trying to swallow her laughter. He narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Alright, alright. It can’t be that bad. What seems to be troubling you, Mr. Wethers?” She continued, tapping on her tablet; likely to make sure she could properly schedule what her boss required.
“They want to marry me off. I told them that would be an issue, as I am currently… in love with another woman,” he confessed. The blonde-haired woman tensed, quirking a well-manicured brow at her boss.
“I fail to see how this is any of my concern, or business for that matter. I prefer to keep your private life just that, sir. Private,” she leaned back. “Though I must congratulate you on finding someone who caught those wandering eyes.”
Jackson gritted his teeth, resting his forehead in his palm. He swore the help could be so dense sometimes, but he supposed he owed an actual explanation before getting too cross.
“I’m not actually in love, Selena. I just… needed to get my parents off my back with this whole marriage proposal. I reasoned that the only conceivable way to satisfy them is to fake a relationship,” he sighed. Her eyes widened at the confession, and the realization of what he wanted hit her rather abruptly.
“No. No, no, no. I’m sorry sir, but that’s extremely unprofessional. I can’t… You can’t expect me to pretend to be your girlfriend just for the sake of getting your parents off your back. It’s laughable! There’s no way they would fall for it. You can’t even get my name right!” She blurted furiously. Jackson gritted his teeth, looking entirely unamused by her reaction. He stepped closer to her, and she took a hesitant step back in turn.
“I was afraid you would say that,” the dark-haired man said grimly, and Svetlana’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“You’re willing to fire me over this?” She screeched, quickly losing her cool. Jackson looked taken aback, fervently shaking his head.
“Oh! Oh, no, of course not! I was just going to mention that adequate compensation would be provided in exchange for your services,” he muttered, reaching into his desk and withdrawing his checkbook. He scribbled down a number, and from the looks of it, Svetlana was both intrigued and perturbed. He signed his name, extending the slip of paper to his personal assistant. She hesitated, looking as if she very much did not want to accept the offer. However, it seemed that curiosity overruled her morals in that moment, and she reached out to grasp the check. She looked over it, eyes widening at the number of zeroes on it.
“You’ve got to be joking. Isn’t this illegal? Wouldn’t this be considered prostitution?” Svetlana sputtered helplessly, trying to deny how appealing the check was. Jackson simply smiled, reaching out to rest a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“No sexual favors would be exchanged. I would simply require your company and compliance,” he smiled. She looked up at him, looking perhaps more troubled than he had ever seen her before. “Certainly, there’s something that this money could go towards, something special. A vacation to someplace exotic, or…,” he trailed off, waiting for her to fill in the blanks. She muttered something under her breath, staring morosely at the check. “What was that, dear?” Jackson inquired softly.
“I’ll do it. I’ll pretend to be your girlfriend, dammit,” she sighed. Jackson beamed, feeling his spirits lift at the words. While Svetlana looked none too thrilled to accept the job, he couldn’t contain his own excitement. He drew the check away, tucking it into a drawer in his desk. Her eyes widened, and she reached out with a stricken expression.
“Of course, you’ll be rewarded after my parents are thoroughly convinced, and this Lina Estevez is off my back for good,” he smiled, somewhat amused by the sullen expression on his assistant’s face.
“You’re a right bastard, Mr. Wethers,” she muttered.
“I’m a right bastard, honey. Or baby, or even darling if you prefer,” he teased. She rolled her eyes, moving to edge towards the door. “I’d like to assert that we’ll need to start right away. My parents are already under the impression that I’ve fallen for you, and it would only make sense for you to be madly in love with me as well,” Jackson said, not bothering with a modest act. She grimaced, looking as if she were already rethinking her position.
“Can you at least try to learn my name for the sake of this act?” She inquired, rubbing her arm anxiously. Jackson felt the confusion on his own face, and he hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Of course, Sarah. What makes you think I don’t know your name? I always remember my employees’ names,” he said carefully. She squinted at him, as if to try and gauge if he were joking. However, he was dead serious and tried to convey as much in his expression.
“Alright. Sure, whatever. We’ll get this act started right away, as soon as your parents show up here again,” she sighed, turning to slip towards the door.
“Wait! This will need to be a full-time act. We can’t only pretend to be in love while my parents are here! They’ll ask around, get suspicious when no one is aware of our scandalous affair,” he sputtered out. She hesitated at the door, breathing a weary sigh.
“Yes sir. I mean… yes Jackson. Of course. I look forward to carrying on this facade with you. Now if I may get back to lunch?” She inquired dully, obviously the opposite of excited for the entire act. Jackson considered her for a long moment, resisting the desire to tease her further. He wasn’t one to kick a dog when they were down, however, and his assistant was the very definition of down in that moment. He hummed, sitting down in his office chair and turning his attention to one of the work documents she had emailed him several hours prior.
“Of course. I only ask that you try to be a little more cheerful. At least pretend for the sake of the act. My parents won’t believe I’m dating someone so frigid,” he said absently. She grumbled from her place at the door, unlatching it and slipping out of the room. Jackson belatedly realized how insulting his words must have seemed, and he stared after his assistant as she shuffled down the main hall. His eyes fell upon her rear once more, and he breathed a sigh, propping his chin up as he watched her go. While he had promised there would be no sexual favors attached to the job, he couldn’t help but hope she may be more receptive as their time together went on. He wasn’t interested in a relationship, but he couldn’t deny that his gorgeous assistant fascinated him. For someone with such an icy personality, her body was absolutely on fire.
Smiling to himself, he slipped into his leather office chair, leaning back to get comfortable. He could imagine her thick and lush
thighs spread across his desktop, and the thought was enough to send shivers through his spine. Trusting that no one would be in the office for a while, he closed his eyes, allowing himself to get lost in his thoughts. He would answer her email later. For now, he would bask in the glory of a plan well executed.
Chapter Two
Things started out a bit awkwardly, but Jackson mused that was to be expected for every relationship in the beginning stages. Granted, he hadn’t been in any serious relationships, so he couldn’t speak for how those worked out. The closest he got to a woman was near enough to get in her pants, yet far enough for her not to latch on, so to say. He wasn’t interested in a long-term relationship with anyone, and that bothered his parents the most. They claimed his playboy lifestyle was bad for the company image. He could admit that he wasn’t known for his respect for women, but he didn’t see how getting married would abruptly change that. If he ended up marrying Lina, it wouldn’t stop him from seeking out additional company. He wasn’t the type to be a one-woman man. All the same, he supposed he could fake it long enough to make his plan with Svetlana work out, and that would in turn be enough to convince his parents he had changed. It wasn’t a long-term plan by any means, but once Lina Estevez was out of the picture, he wouldn’t have to worry until his busybody parents found another girl who was ‘just perfect’ for him.
In the meantime, he was determined to make things work with Svetlana. Work on a farcical level, but work all the same. By the time the next day rolled around, she seemed to have forgotten about the arrangement until he joined her for lunch. He had greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, and it was obvious it had taken all her willpower not to shriek out loud. She simply narrowed her eyes upon him for a moment, but managed to school her face into one of adoration after a few painfully awkward moments.
“I’ve not seen you all day, love. You must be extraordinarily busy,” she said loudly enough for anyone nearby to hear, reaching out to rest her hand on top of his. He smiled at her apparent willingness to go all in, turning his hand so that he could properly lace their fingers. Jackson couldn’t fight the smirk that worked its way onto his face as she began to blush, staring intently at her work.
“Oh, you know how it is. You keep up with my schedule, you’ll have to block in some ‘us’ time, I suppose,” he teased. She snickered softly, glancing to him from the corner of her eye.
“I hadn’t thought of that. But if I had my way, your entire work day would be ‘us’ time,” she grinned. He stroked his thumb along the back of her hand, lifting it off the table and drawing it towards his lips. She stiffened in his grip, not expecting the romance routine. He was almost offended; did she not think he could charm a woman?
“Well, I do have to get work done. This company is mine, at least, until we have a baby together,” he smirked. Her eyes widened, and he bit back a grunt as she kicked him harshly in the shin. She lowered her voice, leaning across the table with a rather cross look.
“Just how far into this fake relationship are we, Jackson?” She whispered icily. He might have been concerned about blowing their cover, but the other workers lingering in the cafeteria were giving the two a rather wide berth.
“We have to be convincing. Why isn’t anyone sitting near us to hear all the sweet talk?” He wondered aloud.
“They were until it got to the point of being nauseating. Tone it down. We’re still in the workplace,” she said coolly, drawing away from him and beginning to dig into her lunch. Jackson couldn’t help but feel vaguely wounded, unlacing their fingers and taking the opportunity to dig into his own meal. The cafeteria food was awful, and he idly mused that he should have sent Svetlana to fetch him something more appetizing to eat. Was that something a boss would do, while dating his assistant? He certainly couldn’t have her slacking on her duties for the sake of playing a part. Surely, she could juggle both roles.
“Honey, perhaps you could go to the cafe on the corner and get me a bowl of their potato soup? This cafeteria food just… isn’t hitting the spot today,” he inquired, trying to keep his saccharine sweet tone. If he expected her to be angry, he was surprised by the look of relief on her face. She rose to her feet, grabbing her tablet and tapping some buttons on the screen.
“Of course, Jackson. I’ve already placed the order and it will be ready when I get there,” she smiled, looking all too eager to get away from him. He hesitated, rising to his feet and moving to draw her into his arms. She stiffened in his grip, and he could feel her quake in embarrassment as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“You’re a dear. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he smiled. She returned the expression awkwardly, turning away from him and shuffling towards the elevators. Jackson settled back in his seat, prepared to await her return.
“Damn boss, that’s cold,” one of the cafeteria workers muttered as she stepped over to grab the box of salad that Svetlana had neglected to dispose of. He supposed she really was in a hurry to get away. He shook off the thought, turning to the plump older woman with a quirked brow.
“How do you mean, cold?” He inquired softly, crossing his arms over his broad chest. The woman looked surprised, as if she had not expected him to hear. Then, her expression shifted to one of fear.
“Oh, nothing! Nothing, Mr. Wethers, I was just thinking out loud,” she rambled, cleaning up the mess on the rest of the table. Jackson considered her for a long moment, realizing she must have been afraid of being fired.
“No, no. Miss… Labelle, please. Tell me what you mean,” he inquired gently, standing and helping her gather the garbage. She hesitated, looking as if she suspected that he was trying to catch her in some sort of trap.
“Well… sending your girlfriend to the cafe on the corner to get your lunch? I know she’s your assistant, but couldn’t you have gotten someone else to do it?” The cafeteria worker said uncertainly, slipping towards the large waste bins. Jackson trailed behind her, his expression pensive.
“I hadn’t thought about it. She seemed all too happy to do the work, so…,” he trailed off, glancing in the direction Svetlana had gone. One day in, and people were already beginning to question the validity of their relationship. He would have to step up his game past sweet talk and gentle touches. “You know, you’re right. I’m going to meet her at the cafe and arrange that we have lunch together,” he announced with a broad smile. The woman returned the expression uncertainly, but he paid her little mind, gathering his things and slipping towards the elevators as well.
He kept his pace brisk, hoping for once that the cafe was as slow as usual with his order. He pushed the door open, looking around for his fake girlfriend. She lingered near the counter, laughing and blatantly flirting with a tall and handsome man. Inexplicable fury welled up inside of the handsome businessman, and he stalked towards the counter to catch Svetlana’s attention. She noticed him all too late, reeling in surprise as he swung a punch at the man she’d been talking to.
“Jackson, what the hell?” She demanded. He turned to face her, eyes narrowed critically.
“Can we go outside and talk?” He asked, though it seemed more of an order than a request. She hesitated, looking towards the man she’d been chatting with. She heaved a sigh, taking Jackson by the arm and pulling him outside.
“What was that all about!?”
The two of them shouted the words simultaneously, and it might have been amusing if not for the mutual fury in their eyes.
“I was just making small talk with some guy! It’s not like we’re at work, it’s not like anyone in the cafe is supposed to know we’re ‘together’,” she exclaimed. Jackson found her use of air quotes rather obnoxious, but swallowed that thought, instead sputtering his defense.
“Anyone from our job could be at this cafe! For that matter, my parents could be here! What would they think if they saw my floozy of a girlfriend flirting with every guy she happened to meet?!” He shouted. She drew away, looking briefly wounded. He felt a small measure of victory at h
er hurt expression, but his moment was short-lived. She reared back, slapping him across the face as hard as she could manage. He cried out in a mix of pain and anger, reeling from the force of the blow.
“First of all, floozy? If I’m going to be your girlfriend, pretend or otherwise, you better show me a little more respect. I was just making conversation, not flirting. What am I supposed to do when you send me to the corner cafe to get your damn lunch? Sit meekly and not speak to anyone!?” She spat.
“That’s what you do at work! You just shuffle around the office, not talking to anyone. You hardly even speak to me, and I’m your boss! What does that guy have that I don’t?” Jackson retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. Svetlana considered him with an expression that looked a mix of righteous anger and condescending amusement.
“He has a personality. He has respect for women. He asked my name and actually remembers what it is! Most of all, you know why I talk to him and not you? Because you’re my asshole of a boss. You think you own me because I work for you, and you think that you’re entitled to stare at my body. Why does it even matter? We’re not even in a real relationship,” she began in a mutter, before rising in pitch and volume. Jackson tensed his hands into fists at his sides, and he was tempted to fire her on the spot. The audacity! The nerve! With the gratuitous check he was offering her, at the very least she could pretend to like him.
“I have plenty of respect for women,” he managed weakly, feeling wounded by her words despite himself.
“The only reason you’re having me pretend to date you is because you don’t want to stop using women for their bodies. That’s not respect, Jackson. Now, I’m going to go inside and get your damn soup. I’m going to try and smooth things over with that man so you don’t end up with a lawsuit. Then we’ll go back to work and carry on with this mockery of a relationship,” she said with a calmness that he couldn’t begin to comprehend. Then, she turned her back on him and slipped back into the restaurant. He slumped slightly, shoving his hands in his pockets as he waited for her to return.