Fake Pet

by Jamie Knight

  I pulled up my skirt a few inches, letting more of my legs show. My lips pulled into a snarky smile. I would show Ray what he missed out on.

  I reached up and pulled my pony-tail tight, then pulled my brown hair forward to sit over my shoulder. A quick glace in the reflective wall of the elevator showed that I looked pretty good. By the time it stopped on the top floor, I was holding my head high.

  The doors opened with a ding and I stepped off into the lobby-like area of the executive floor. It featured a small coffee bar with a few tables, one which was occupied by Reese and Kane’s PA Melissa. They both looked up from their cups and watched me walk towards them.

  Reese grinned and waved.

  “Hi Le Le!”

  I crossed my arms over my chest as I walked towards her. “You are so dead for that.”

  “Oh, come on, Eileen.” She grinned wider. “At least it’s cute. It’s not like your family calls you something gross, like Ms. Poopypants or something.”

  “Nope, but that’s going to be your nickname from now on! I’m putting it in Watercooler.”

  I stopped just for a moment to playfully swat at Reese’s blond pony-tail. Melissa was giggling her ass off. Reese stuck her tongue out at me.

  “Where are you off to?” she asked.

  I stood up straight and rolled my shoulders back. “Ray called me to his office,” I said proudly, “for looking at vibrators on work time!” The new, confident me was going to fess up to everything.

  Melissa and Reese went pale for a second and then both of them erupted into laughter. I nodded at them and proudly walked back towards Ray’s office. They didn’t stop cackling until I was half-way down the hall.

  There was a little roof top garden that filled the middle of the executive floor. Reese and Kane had their wedding there a few months ago. Memories from that wonderful night came back to me as I traced my fingers on the glass as I walked down the hall that flanked the garden. It was really beautiful. Those two were lucky to be in love.

  When I finally got to Ray’s office, the door was open. I peeked in before knocking. Ray was sitting in his computer chair; he was staring out his window at the skyline of Manhattan. He really had a nice view out the set of windows in his office’s back wall.

  While his attention was on the view, I took a moment to look around. I had been to Ray’s office once or twice before, but I was always astounded at the lack of personality it had. There were no knickknacks. His desk was always spotless and clutter-less. There were a few plants and two abstract paintings on the walls, but no real reflection of the man himself.

  I admit, I looked for a picture of a new girlfriend, but there wasn’t one, which wasn’t surprising because Ray didn’t have any personal pictures hanging on his walls or sitting on his desk. He never had. From our brief time together, I knew that his parents had passed away when he was a kid and he was raised by his uncle—an uncle he never bothered to introduce me to.

  Ray probably knew from the start that our relationship was going to be brief. That had to be why I never met his uncle. Hell, I had never seen Ray with another girl. He was probably just a love them and leave them kind of guy—a real player. With his looks, he could afford to be. He probably had a new girl every night.

  I pulled up my skirt just slightly, knowing that I was making it dangerously short and then knocked on Ray’s door. I leaned in what I thought was an elegant manner on his doorframe, crossing my long legs and pushing out my right hip.

  Ray turned his chair away from the windows. His blue eyes caught sight of me and his muttered something under his breath.

  I kept my pose and waited for him to formally invite me in.

  “Eileen, come in.” He stood up and leaned on his desk so he could wave his hand at me to come inside. “And shut the door behind you, please.”

  I did as I was told and then glided over to sit down in the leather club chair that sat in front of his large wooden desk. The chair was oddly low to the ground so my legs—with my knees bent—were tall before me and practically pressing into my chest. I crossed them at the ankle and tried to feel confident about the amount of skin I was showing.

  Ray picked up the coffee cup that was sitting on his desk and took a sip. Then he cleared his throat. He looked strained, like this was a meeting he was dreading. To be fair, it was an awkward subject.

  I pulled at my pony-tail, waiting for him to get started, but he never did. He just sat there with his lips pursed and his dark eyebrows scrunched together.

  “I’m sorry,” I said to fill the awkward silence. “I know that wasn’t work appropriate and I promise that I never talked to Mandy, much less anyone, about you that way.”

  He blinked at me in a confused manner. “What way?”

  “Your…you know, length.” I found my hands rising up in a gesture to indicate exactly how much length I was talking about, but when I realized what I was doing, I clamped them back into my lap.

  “Oh, that. Yes. No. I mean, that’s fine,” Ray stuttered.

  He looked down and I realized that he was taking glances at my legs. Did he still find me sexy and that was why he was acting so off? Suddenly, part of me wanted to find out.

  I crossed my legs in the other direction and watched as his eyes stayed glued on them, following my every movement.

  Interesting.

  “I didn’t call you in here about that, Eileen.” His eyes were still on my legs. “Although it would be better if you looked at such…things when you are at home. Most of the bosses are not shy about that sort of thing, but all the computers’ browser histories are monitored.”

  He droned on a bit, but I wasn’t really listening. There was something sexy, desirable, about Ray watched my legs. If he still wanted me, why did he stop calling?

  I knew I still wanted him. I had never lost my interest in Ray. Even just sitting here before him alone in his office, when I knew I was going to get in trouble or fired, I still was slightly turned on. The man had such broad shoulders and his face was perfect with his sharp jaw line and defined cheekbones.

  “I mean, we don’t constantly look at what the employees are searching for, but should you get into trouble, your computer’s history would be evaluated,” he droned on. “So anyway, don’t make it a habit.”

  I moved my legs again, just slightly and watched his sky-shaded eyes follow. His forehead was starting to glisten with a slight sweat. Was he getting turned on?

  I wanted him to. Badly.

  Then the bitch inside me did something crazy. The part of me that was not over our breakup and the fact that he just stopped calling; the part of me that wanted to rub his nose in the dirt for leaving me and who wanted to remind him just what he left.

  I gently uncrossed my legs, put both of the heels of my shoes firmly on the ground, and let my knees part just a bit. From the angle that Ray was sitting at, and because he was so tall, I knew he could see my pink panties.

  He stopped talking and his face paled. He glanced up into my eyes, but I kept my face passive and innocent, like I had no idea what he could see.

  “Why did you want to meet with me then?” I asked sweetly.

  “I…ah…I need you to…I mean, I have a proposition for you.”

  He was trying to resist, but he couldn’t. His eyes were sneaking back over to my uncrossed legs and to the little hint of panties I was showing.

  Ray ran a hand through his dark hair and then pulled at his tie to loosen it. He was still stammering incoherent sentences. And I loved every moment of his discomfort. I even found myself more aroused. The panties that he was spying on were slowly getting damp.

  I tried not to smile and keep my serious expression. “You need me to do what, Ray?”

  He pulled at his striped tie again, while opening and closing his mouth. He was practically panting.

  Was he hard under that desk? I wondered and kind of wished I could see.

  “I need you to…I mean…pet!”

  “What?!”

  His h
ands flew up to his face and he rubbed his cheeks that were flushing just slightly. I really had thrown him off.

  Ray spun his chair, stood with his back to me, and walked to the window. He clasped his hands behind his back and took a deep breath.

  “Eileen. I have a proposition for you. It’s very unusual and has nothing to do with work.” His words came easier now that he wasn’t looking at me. “My offer is this: I will pay you a million dollars to pretend to be my…girlfriend this weekend. I know you were before, and I ended that badly. I’m sure you’re mad. You might even hate me. But it’s just for one night this weekend…in Las Vegas. I will pay for the trip and your room. I know it’s a crazy offer, but please. I really need your help.”

  What the hell?!

  I crossed my legs again and sat up in my seat some. I needed a minute to process what Ray said. He would pay me a million dollars for me to pretend to be his girlfriend for one night? Why would he pay me? Why doesn’t he just ask me out again?

  I, nervously, ran my fingers over my hair and tightened my pony-tail again. Part of me was angry and part of me was intrigued, but mostly I was confused. Did Ray want me or not? But hell, even if he didn’t, a million dollars was a lot of money. It would take years here for me to make that much.

  I shifted in my seat, not sure what to say.

  “Are you still here?” Ray asked after the silence stretched for at least five minutes.

  I laughed a little. It dispelled some of the tension in the room.

  “Did you hear the door slam?” I asked him with a laugh.

  Ray turned slightly. His eyes caught mine and he smiled. We both relaxed. I turned in my chair, so that nothing was showing, and leaned on his desk. I found his pen holder, plucked one out of it and started turning it in my fingers. Ray sat back in his desk chair and leaned forward. There was just a few inches between our arms. I could practically feel the softness of his shirt and the warmth of his skin.

  “Eileen,” he said. “I’m sorry. I should have told you what happened. It’s just that I thought that we weren’t compatible, and I still really like you, so I just couldn’t find the words.”

  I nodded. I was glad he was finally talking about this, even if he didn’t want to be with me, it was nice to have some sort of closure.

  He traced a design on his desk with one of his fingers. “I just need your help and I know it’s a lot to ask, especially after I was an asshole to you.”

  “What kind of event would you need me to pretend to be your girlfriend for?”

  He blinked and looked down. “It’s for a ball.”

  My breath caught and I imagined myself in a princess gown dancing in front of a full orchestra. In my little daydream I was even wearing a diamond tiara.

  “Oh God! A ball, Ray?!” I clasped my hands to my chest, grinning from ear to ear. “I would love to go to a ball! How fun! I’ll have to buy a new dress!”

  Ray’s lips twisted awkwardly. He reached out and grabbed my hands in his own. The unexpectedness of his touch shocked me. It was like electricity ran through me. He tightened his grip and looked into my eyes.

  “I have something for you to wear,” he whispered. “Can you come by my apartment tonight, Eileen? So, we can work out the details. If you are really up for this, we would need to leave in the morning. And there is so much I need to tell you about the…details.”

  I found my body shaking slightly with my hands in Ray’s warm grasp and his beautiful blue eyes on mine. I just nodded yes. Ray dropped my hands.

  “Come by about seven PM,” he said, then turned to his computer. It was a dismissal.

  I found my feet and walked out the door, not quite sure what I had just said yes to.

  Chapter Ten

  Eileen

  Ray’s apartment wasn’t that far from mine, so after Jake dropped Pugsly off around six-thirty, I decided that we would walk. The vet had recommended lots of walking for Pugsly, no matter how much he hobbled.

  It was a pleasant evening just at the start of spring. I found myself happier that I had been in a while. Sure, adopting Mr. Pugsly had brought me a ton of joy, but this evening had a strange excitement attached to it. I couldn’t stop thinking about how Ray had looked and stuttered this afternoon. And this strange proposition he had given me: one million dollars to just go to a ball with him? It seemed too good to be true.

  Would I even have to work once I was a millionaire? Or could Pugsly and I just travel? What would my family think of my instant riches? How could I tell them that I got all that money for one night? It seemed crazy.

  And maybe it is, I thought, as we stopped so Mr. Pugsly could sniff a honeysuckle bush. Maybe it was too crazy, and Ray doesn’t really mean it. Perhaps this was just a way for him to win me back. But why would he go to so much trouble, when he could just ask me out to lunch or something?

  Pugsly pulled on the leash, ready to move on, but I was stuck in my tracks thinking. Ray had said that we weren’t compatible. That was his excuse as to why he stopped calling. If he knew that, then this wasn’t a complex way to win me back. I sighed to myself and dropped my shoulders a bit. Oh well, at least I was getting a Friday off and a free trip to Las Vegas. I would have that even if he was lying about the money.

  My pug and I made it to Ray’s building. I had always liked the look of the place: red brick, ten stories, green vines of ivy clinging to the sides. It had class, which was probably why Ray chose it. He was a classy guy.

  The doorman at the front door, in his dapper gray uniform, tipped his cap as he looked up at me, but when his eyes fell onto Pugsly, he grimaced.

  “I’m sorry, miss. No dogs allowed. It’s a rule for the whole building.”

  I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest. “You have got to be kidding me. We are just here for a visit. I’m seeing Ray Silver. He’s in the penthouse.”

  He thought about that for a moment, obviously insulting Ray could cost him his job. I remembered the amount of clout Ray held with his building co-op the few times I had been here before. Hell, Ray probably had enough money to buy the building if he wanted to. He wasn’t as rich as Kane or Ashton, but I knew he was a millionaire.

  I watched the doorman’s face as he thought over the situation. I could tell that he didn’t have anything against dogs personally, but he also didn’t want to get into trouble with any of the other tenants. I sure as hell was not going to walk home and back just to drop of Pugsly. No dogs was a stupid rule.

  The doorman’s shoulders straightened, and I could tell he was about to say no and stick to his guns. So, I pulled out my cell phone.

  “Lets just give Mr. Silver a call, shall we?” I said as I flipped through my contacts for Ray’s number and punched call.

  The doorman went silent; his lips pulled down in a frown.

  “Eileen?” Ray answered quickly, he sounded a little breathless and worried. “Did you change your mind? Please, I know it’s an odd thing to ask, but please hear me out.”

  “I can’t get into your building.”

  “What?!”

  “The doorman says that I can’t come in because of Mr. Pugsly.”

  Mr. who? Oh! Right, you’re new companion. Of course, I’m sorry Eileen. Had the phone to Daniel for me please.”

  I did as instructed. The doorman took the phone in his hand, talked to Ray for a few minutes—mostly saying “Yes, Sir”—and then handed the phone back to me. He had an odd look on his face, and I started to feel bad for getting him in trouble.

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  He nodded. “You can go right in miss,” he said opening the glass pained door for me. “Apparently it is very important to Mr. Silver to see you this evening. He just offered me ten grand to let you in.”

  My breath caught in my throat. Ray was not kidding around. What was so important that he was throwing money around like this?

  I nodded to the man as Pugsly and I passed into the pristine lobby. Luckily there was no one coming in or out and we rode the elevator u
p to the penthouse alone.

  My feelings of excitement had turned. Now I was worried. This whole situation was so weird. Ray was usually very good with money. Hell, he was a CFA and tracked money for a living. The only things I saw him spend a lot of money on were suits and cufflinks. Otherwise, his spending habits were tame. Too know he bribed the door man…something was off.

  The elevator dinged and opened to the hallway for the penthouse. Ray was the only one who lived up here. He had told me before that he liked to have quiet at home and preferred that his apartments not share walls with others.

  When I knocked on his apartment door, he answered immediately.

  “Come in Eileen,” he said with a big smile. “I’m so happy you are here. Would you like a drink? Can I get Mr. Pugsly a bowl of water?”

  I found myself looking up into his model-like face and smiling back. There was a familiarity that was sneaking back into our mannerisms. It wasn’t completely erasing the awkwardness of what happened before, but it was helping and honestly, I was glad to be spending time with the man again. Maybe after this ball, we could be friends.

  “Thanks, Ray,” I said as I lead Mr. Pugsly inside and into Ray’s very clean kitchen. “We will both have water.”

  Ray went to one of his top cabinets and pulled out a glass bowl. He filled it from the tap and put it on the floor in front of my pug. Pugsly found it and started slurping away, getting drops of water and drool everywhere. I looked over at Ray to see if he minded, but he wasn’t even looking at the dog. He was staring at my face.

  “Can I interest you in something more than water?” he asked. “Scotch? Can I make you a martini?”

  I nodded and looked around the room. “I’ll have a gin and tonic, lemon not lime.”

  Ray nodded and got to work on my drink.

  “Nothing is different,” I told him.

  “Excuse me?” he looked up at me with his blue eyes wide.

  “Your kitchen. You haven’t changed a thing since I was last here.”