The Mall

JULIAN

This woman was the most infuriating person I'd ever met in my life.

Maya sat in the passenger seat as I drove, her hair brushed back with a blue headpiece on. The problem was that she was wearing a red shirt and blue trousers.

We had an hour to get to the family dinner, and this was what she'd chosen to wear. The colours were terribly uncoordinated, and even worse, the outfit was too casual.

I took a left turn instead of the right that led to my parents' house, and she looked up from her phone.

"I thought you said you lived in Fifth Avenue?" she asked, confused.

"I do. You're not wearing that to dinner," I declared, not caring about the expression on her face.

She was such a fun person to irritate, but she was getting under my skin, and I really regretted bringing such an uncoordinated person into my house.

"You said it was a casual dinner, nothing new. You're the one who's dressed all in white, looking like the Statue of Liberty!" she proclaimed, but I didn't respond.

My fingers tightened against the wheel before I slowly pressed the brakes, stopping in front of the mall.

"Get out." I pushed my door open and began to step down.

"No."

I turned to look at her.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I said no. I choose to wear this to the dinner, and that's final." She crossed her arms, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

I shut my door and walked around the car to open hers. This might have been my fake fiancée and manager, but she had the effrontery to act like a child, and I didn't like it when people were stubborn.

"What are you doing?"

I pulled her seat belt off and, with a simple swipe, picked her up and tossed her over my left shoulder.

I locked the car and walked into the store, not caring who was staring.

"Put me down, Julian!"

"I asked you nicely."

"'Get out' isn't nice in any way. We're in public, and people are taking pictures of us. Do you realise how bad this looks?" she snapped.

I pulled her forward and shifted her onto my arm.

Her hair scattered all over her face, and my eyes met hers. If she hadn't been getting on my last nerve, I might have considered making her some latte.

And I didn't make that for anyone other than myself, not even my family.

"You will follow me to the dresses section, pick a dress that doesn't require an obscene amount of colours and other accessories to match, and we will leave this place like we never came. Do you understand?"

She didn't respond; she just looked at me.

She unconsciously bit her lips, and I felt blood rush through veins it shouldn't.

Absolutely not!

I dropped her but held onto her shirt so she wouldn't hit the floor. She literally saw her life flash before her eyes.

"Quit being an asshole!" She raised her leg to step on my foot, but I moved.

"Remember? Public eyes?"

She quietly lowered her foot, glaring at me, and I smirked.

I began to walk, and she followed right behind me. We took the elevator upstairs, and after what seemed like an eternity, we finally arrived.

"Mr. Prescott, what a lovely surprise. How may I help you today?" the staff lady asked, but Maya's small figure hid behind me.

"Get her something to wear, along with shoes and the necessary accessories. Nothing too flattering, but enough for a dinner with family."

Maya popped her head out from behind me to look at the woman before tucking her hair behind her ear.

"You have thirty minutes," I declared, and she looked at me like I was absurd.

"That's not enough!"

"Seems enough to me."

She opened her mouth to respond, but the woman interrupted.

"If we have thirty minutes, we better get started." She smiled and pulled Maya towards the women's section.

I pulled out my phone as it continued to buzz uncontrollably. My family group chat was making it very clear that I wasn't there.

Angel: Is Julian bringing home his girlfriend?

Father: Shouldn't you be in school?

Angel: Dad, you know I take days off on the weekends. I'll go back to the treacherous school you and Mother Dearest decided to throw me into.

Mother: It's for your own good. Now, Julian, where are you?

Father: Yes, Julian. I just saw on T****k that you were walking with a girl on your shoulder.

Mother: Julian, this better not be one of your shenanigans.

Angel: Could be his girlfriend.

Mother: No daughter-in-law of mine will be hauled like a sack. Julian, avail yourself!

I left the group, not bothering to look at the rest of the messages. Maya was right; hauling her around wasn't a good idea, but I didn't care.

"Mr. Prescott."

I raised my head.

"This is a one-in-a-million dress, and I know you said nothing of a fuss, but this is all..." Her voice trailed off like background noise as I took a good look at Maya.

The teal dress was sleeveless, revealing a bit of cleavage. It hugged her torso before falling loosely, stopping right above her knees.

She'd settled on daring white heels and some white pearls, with her fluffy hair brushed through.

I pulled out my card, and the staff member collected it immediately.

Taking the elevator down, I found the silence oddly uncomfortable, and the journey seemed to take forever.

My eyes remained fixed on the doors, waiting for them to open.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" she asked.

"Give me the bags," I responded, and she handed me the bag containing the clothes she'd worn earlier and the new one.

I took her hand and walked out of the elevator. Just as I'd expected, cameras seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

I spotted them tucked away in the corners of the store.

I reached the reception and picked up my card before walking out. We got into the car, and I immediately drove off.

The minutes stretched by, and it took all the willpower I had not to trail my fingers against her thighs. They were exposed, and I wanted to cover them up with...

I stopped my thoughts immediately and looked away. I needed to head to the club that night. I couldn't be having such thoughts about my manager, an uncoordinated person, even if she was my fake fiancée.

I drove into the compound before parking in my usual spot.

"Do not answer questions you aren't asked, do not question anything my mother does, and if I tap you, just smile and say you simply don't know or lie."

"I cannot lie."

"Then laugh it off."

We got out of the car, and I took her hand. My palm was sweaty, and I rubbed it against the handle of her bag.

The door flew open before we even reached it, and Angel ran out with heaven knew what in her hand.

"If you touch me with whatever is in your hand, I will obliterate you."

She paused with her hands in the air and glared before looking at Maya.

"You are not touching her either. Go and get your hands washed."

"Don't be harsh on the poor girl."

A voice I knew too well filled the doorway, and if I hadn't been furious before, I was now.

"What are you doing here, Chloe?"