I cautiously enter his office. I take a chair in front of him, trying to appear confident.
"So, Mr Owen." I began, "what did you want to talk to me about?
There was a brief pause, and the room gets so quiet that I can hear my own heartbeat. His face is stone cold and I hold my breath as I prepare for the blow.
"I need you to be my wife!"
"I'm sorry?" I coughed out, almost falling off my chair.
Surely, this must be a joke. He didn't just ask me to be his fake wife, right?
I keep waiting for him to burst out laughing and yell, “Got ya!” but it doesn't happen so I start to get nervous.
"You want me . . . to be your wife?" I slowly repeated.
"Fake wife," he corrected.
"Right. You're going to have to elaborate on that," I said, folding my arms. Adam sighs like he can't believe he's having this conversation right now.
But how could I understand what's going on in that handsome head of his? One minute ago, I was so sure he was going to fire my ass . . . but instead, he wants me to be his fake wife?!
He crosses his arms and looks at me. "Something happened in Vegas . . ."
"What happened?"
"I got married," he announced.
He got married in Vegas?
"I can't believe you didn't invite me. I was right there. I'm kind of upset, actually," I lamented with a frown.
"You weren't invited because it was a mistake! Apparently, I got very drunk, even though I only remember having two glasses of champagne. Everything about that night is kind of fuzzy . . .but I remember being wed by an ordained fake Elvis in a pink, fluffy suit," he stated. "And now, my new wife is suing me for everything I own," he groaned bitterly.
I gape at him. Regret is plastered all over his face, and I can't help but feel a bit sorry for him. This must have been a huge mistake on his part.
He closes his eyes, sighs and slumps back into his chair.
Realization slowly dawns on me. This has to be the reason why he was so grumpy yesterday.
Hell, if I got married, drunk in Vegas and got sued for everything I owned, I'd probably be in a pissy mood too.
I realize there's still a piece of information he hasn't given me yet. "So, what does this have to do with me?"
"A lot, actually. To make the marriage invalid, I have to prove that I'm already married," he answered.
"Woah, wait a minute!" I stand up and take a step back as I glare at him. "I can't do that! Isn't that illegal?" I cried.
He shrugs like he doesn't have a care in the world.
"I'm serious, Adam."
"I'm serious, too." He places a piece of paper on the desk and slides it over to me. "I have prepared a contract that states that we secretly got married three weeks ago."
"You did WHAT?" I yelled. I look at the at contract and my breath gets caught in my throat.
"It's already signed by people who have agreed to falsify the document. Your signature is the only one missing," he relayed.
"Who signed it?"
"Paul, our best man, and Thea, your maid of honor," he casually replied.
I can't believe him. He got my best friend to sign before asking me?
"This won't affect you much, I promise. We'll just have to keep up this charade for about a week, and then we'll be divorce quietly. It'll be like it never happened." He smiled at me.
I reach for the contract and rip it in two. I smile victoriously at him, but he just rolls his eyes.
"That was only a copy," he confessed and I let out a deep, heavy sigh.
"Of course it was."
"Payton, I know you're upset, but--"
"Damn right I am!" I interjected, cutting him off. "You have no right to do this! Just because I'm your office assistant, it doesn't mean that I'll do whatever you want!" I ranted.
"Payton, sit down, please. I have a proposition for you," he calmly said. I eye him suspiciously.
"A proposition?"
"If you sit down, I will explain it to you. I think you'd be interested in what I have to offer," he said, enticingly.
I think it over for a second before I decide to hear him out. "Fine, I will listen to you. But I'm still very upset!"
"That's fine," he reassured.
I take my seat in front of him again and scrutinized his face. This better be good.
"Payton . . . if you agree to do this for me, I'll promote your from “Office Assistant” to “Music Production Assistant” under my mentorship."
My head shoots up at that.
It usually takes years to get there . . . and even if you play your cards right, there's no guarantee that you'll get the job.
Adam gives me a saccharine smirk, knowing he has me right where he wants me. "Do we have a deal?"
"Wait a minute. I need to think about this," I said in protest.
"There's no time. You have to make your decision now. If you reject my proposal, I'll simply ask someone else," he said nonchalantly.
Why didn't he just do that in the first place instead of trying to entice me??
The wheels start spinning in my head. I really want that position and Adam said this fake marriage wouldn't affect me that much, didn't he?
"I will accept," I answered.
"Great," he grinned.
"But don't think that I'm okay with what you did. I'm still very upset with you," I scowled at him.
He shrugs. "That's fine. And now, on to other matters," he cleared his throat, "you'll have the day off to find something nice to wear."
"What?" I say, dumbfounded.
"Since I'm such a big shot in the music industry, we need to make a public appearance tonight. I'm sure the media wants to know all about the woman who made me settle down."
"Woah, hold your horses," I interjected, my lips turned in a frown. "You never said anything about making a public appearance."
"I just did. Here's my card, buy whatever you want." He hands a shiny metal credit card over to me, and I reach out to take it.
I glance at it, and my jaw drops. I'm literally having a platinum credit card in my hands!
"Buy a dress, shoes, a matching bag, whatever it is you like to wear. Then meet me here in two hours," he instructed.
"Okay, sure."
I stand up and walk toward the door, his platinum card now safely tucked in my bag.
I can't believe that I'm doing this. I just got fake married to my boss.
I glance at Adam one last time before I leave through the doorway. He smirks.
Why do I feel like I just sold my soul to the devil?
I call Thea and ask her to meet me at the mall. As soon as I see her, I scowl."Thea, how could you not tell me about the document?" I cried. "You could have at least warned me!"She blinks a few times. "What document?""Oh, I don't know. The one you signed this morning, maybe?" I replied sassily."I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, confusion eminent on her face. She looks sincere but I still can't let it go."Does the name Adam Owens ring any bells?""Oh! Yea, he showed up on my doorstep this morning and asked for my autograph," she beamed. "He looked amazing, I'll tell you! I don't know why he was wanted it, now that I think about it . . . Damn it, I should have asked him for his!" She exclaimed."Did he get mad because I didn't?"It doesn't take me long to realize what actually happened. "So you just signed a document without knowing what it was about?" I deadpanned."To be fair, it was really early, and he looked like a god," she remarked."Jesus, Thea! You signe
"We dated for about four months before we got married," Adam lied."How did you two meet?" He questioned."She used to deliver pizza for a living, and the first time she knocked on my door, I couldn't take my eyes off her. I found myself ordering pizza almost everyday which really wasn't good for my figure," he answered.Some journalists chuckle."So instead, I offered her a job, thinking it'd pass. It only made it worse. Until one day, I finally talked myself into asking her out . . .and she said yes." Adam turns his head and looks at me.His eyes burn with passion and desire as he takes me in. "She's the most beautiful woman woman I've ever laid my eyes on." His gaze dips to my lips, and my heart starts to beat faster.Did he really mean that? If not, he's one hell of an actor! Right at that moment, a journalist yells, ‘Give us a kiss!’" My eyes go wide, unsure what Adam is going to do. He accepts the challenge.He places his hand around my waist, and he gently pulls me closer to h
A few hours later;Adam is pacing the floor with his hands behind his head. His best friend, Paul, is sitting in one of the arm chairs, while I'm standing and looking at them while leaning against the wall. The air is tense."This is such a mess. I can't believe she's doing this to me!" Adam fumed, his tone slightly aggravated."Calm down. I'm the best lawyer in town. We'll fix this," Paul reassured."I don't understand what's happening right now. Can someone please explain?" I begged."My wife is suing me for half of my fortune, that's what's happening!!" Adam bellowed."I knew that. But why was she so certain that I wasn't your real wife?" I queried."God, my head is killing me," he groaned, stopping his pacing and rubbed a hand down his face to his chin."Let's focus for a while, alright? I won't let her screw you over," Paul voiced out."And how are you going to stop her?" Adam sneered.Paul strokes his chin and addresses us. "Well, first if all, you two need to move in together,
"Adam?" I breathlessly called out."Yeah?" He hummed in response.I take a step back and turn my head away, averting my eyes from his handsome face and tempting lips."It's probably best if I leave. I need to start packing my stuff since I'm moving in with you," I announced."Yeah, right. You do that.""I'll see you later." I start to walk towards the door. I flip my hair and add a little sway to my hips as I make my way to the door. Once I reach it, I turn around and see him smirking.I bet he liked the show. ***I look at all my stuff, now neatly packed in boxes and suitcases. It's been three days since the red carpet rendezvous and I still can't believe I'm doing this.Marriage was one thing, but living together?Just then, my phone pings and I see it's a message from Adam.Adam- Are you getting here soon?Payton- I'm still waiting for the moversAdam- Well, hurry upPayton- Oh . . .Payton- Hey, it's not up to me.Payton- I'm doing my best.Adam- I know, I know. The thing is, I h
I must be seeing things. There's no way there's a pair of handcuffs on his bedpost!I close my eyes and open them again.Nope, the handcuffs are still there. Who is this man, really? He's proving to be much more interesting than I imagined.I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around and give Adam my most sheepish smile knowing I'd been caught."I thought I told you not to enter my room?""I was just...""You were just what?""See, the thing is..." He arches an eyebrow and I sigh. I can't wiggle my way out of this. "The door stood ajar, and I got a little curious... So I peeked inside. I'm really sorry. I promise to stay out of your bedroom from now on."I move to walk past him but he takes a step to stand in front of me. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked."Since you don't want me in here, I thought I'd leave as soon as possible," I explained."I won't let you off the hook that easy, Payton.""Is that so?" He tilts his head to the side and smirks. "I never expected I'd get suc
I can't stop staring at the box of condoms in his drawer. He bought them today, that much was clear. And he obviously had someone on his mind when he bought the box.Is he sleeping with someone else? Maybe someone from the office?Most girls would be more than willing to jump his bones if they had the chance. Or...Maybe he's expecting to sleep with ME?I leave the office feeling confused and worried.***I arrive quicker than I thought and Adam meets me in the hallway."Did you find the contract?" He asked expectantly."Yes." I hand him the contract without making eye contact."Thank you for bringing me this," he said."Whatever." I turn to leave, but he grabs my arm and spins me around."Hey, wait a minute. Are you in a hurry or something?" He inquired."Something like that," I replied.His eyebrows pinch together and he looks me deep in the eyes. "Is everything okay?""Of course. Why wouldn't it be?" I answered with a fake smile plastered on my face."I don't believe you," he frown
"What?" I cried out, my heart pumps loudly in my chest. A honeymoon?Adam smirks and grabs my waist to pull me closer. "You heard me, Payton.""Yeah, but I just don't understand." My brows furrowed."What don't you understand?""Why would we go on a honeymoon when we're not even actually married?" I queried."There are two good reasons for that," he answered. "One, we both desperately need a vacation." Can't argue with that. "Two, it would be weird if we didn't go now that everyone knows that we're married," he finished."Oh, really? And you don't have a secret motive at all? Like getting me alone without any distractions?" I inquired, arms folded across my white night top.He smirks. "Well, I guess you'll have to find out tomorrow.""Why, what's happening tomorrow?""That's when we're leaving." He presses a lingering kiss on my cheek, and then strides out of the kitchen.God, what have I gotten myself into?***Later in the day, I quickly text Thea to tell her of my current status.
When I go to brush my teeth, the next day, I find Adam stretching in the living room."Good morning," he greeted, rewarding me with a smile."Morning," I hummed, knotting the rope of my robe lightly."How did you sleep?""Perfectly. This hotel isn't kidding around–that bed is heavenly. And waking up next to you was even better," I praised."I'm happy to hear that," he grinned. "What would you like to do today?"I put my hand in my chin, pretending to think. "How about we go to the beach?" I suggested, eyes shiny brightly."You want to hit that wave?" He asked, giving me a look of disbelief."We're at the Bahamas," I huffed, "of course, I do!"Adam laughs as I run to pick out my bathing suit. I choose a gorgeous red bikini that ties in front. Just as I put it on, Adam enters, already in his beach attire; just some smug shirts that didn't leave much to my imagination.His eyes rove over my body as they drink me in. I see his Adams apple bob up and down as he tries hard to hide how attra