7

Andy's POV

I watched Tiffany march off unsteadily. I knew my words had pissed her off. The old me would have been pleased. By this me wasn’t. Maybe because I could see she was distressed about something, or maybe because she no longer looked like the tough looking tomboy I remembered in high school. Instead she looked vulnerable and very sexy.

I frowned. Where the hell had that thought come from?

Whatever, I felt I should make sure she got to a cab safely. So I followed from a distance, and was surprised to see she planned to drive. Was she insane? When she’d proved stubborn as I tried to take the keys, and I’d pressed her against the car, that contact with her body had sent my blood rushing south. Even now, as I took a cab back to the club to retrieve my car, I kept thinking what it would be like if she’d invited me inside and led me to her bedroom.

I shook my head to clear it of my crazy thoughts.

If there was one person who hated me more than my step mum and Justin, it was Tiffany Baxter.

And she had every reason to. I was constantly picking on her in high school. I had no idea why, but something about her then brought out the jerk in me, I guess it was because she was so smart and my dad would always compare me to her, just before moaning about what a disappointment I was. Well that had changed. I may not have been a genius in high school, but I was a wiz in the business world. Harrisco's shares has gone up by fifty percent since I joined the company, and I’d finally won my dad’s praise, and was on my way to becoming company CEO. Then six months ago disaster struck!

It was at a dinner I was hosting for some investors to close a million dollar deal. As I was leaving, I suddenly felt dizzy. Next I remember I woke up behind the wheel of my car, feeling hungover, with a cop standing in front of me, accusing me of drunk driving.

“Officer I’m not drunk. I swear.” I insisted.

“So you want to tell me you haven’t has any alcohol at all?”

“I had a little, but.. “

The officer arrested me before I finished my sentence. Luckily, my dad was influential enough to keep the whole incident from turning into a huge scandal. But behind closed doors, he gave me an earful.

“I thought you’d left your days of irresponsibility behind you!” He thundered.

"I wasn't drunk dad. Believe me."

I couldn’t blame him for not believing me. Not long ago, drinking and partying was all I’d been doing. But I’d changed now.

“Dad I swear, I wasn’t drunk.” I protested.

“You can admit the truth Andy, let’s get you the help you need.” Justin added.

I glared at him, not fooled by his false sympathy.

“I don’t think you can be CEO with this kind of behavior.” Dad declared.

My heart sank. Not being part of the company was the worst thing that could happen to me.

It took a lot of pleading before dad changed his mind, but there was a condition.

“ I want you married by your thirtieth birthday. If you can demonstrate that you can settle down and take responsibility for your personal life, I will make you CEO of Harrisco.”

Now It was two weeks to my birthday and I didn’t even have a fake girlfriend.

I got to my condo and went straight to bed. But I couldn’t sleep. My problems kept me awake, so did thoughts of Tiffany. She really did look good, and from what I heard, was still single.

So? Don’t you have more pressing problems to deal with? I asked myself in annoyance.

I finally fell asleep, my problems still on my mind. When I woke up I was an hour late for work.

Shit! We had an important meeting this morning. My dad would roast me.

I got ready and raced to work without bothering to have breakfast. All I could think of was the roasting I’d receive.

“Mr. Harris asked to see you the moment you got in.” My secretary told me as I hurried to my office.

Fuck! Dad never asked to see me that early unless I was really in trouble. Perhaps he was going to fired me. Heart pounding, I went to his office.

He was behind his desk as usual, and looked up as I came in. I froze. Something was wrong, instead of his usual scowl, my dad was smiling.

“You did it Andy, she’s beautiful and her dad is influential too. Baxgroup is the biggest name in the cosmetics industry. Why haven’t you brought her home all this time? I….”

As he talked I gaped at him, having no idea what the fuck he was talking about.

“You should bring her by this evening.” Dad continued.

“Sure Dad. Who are we talking about again?”

“Tiffany Baxter of course. Your fiancee. Your photos are all over social media.”

I felt myself lose color. Tiffany Baxter and 'your fiancee' in the same sentence?

“Emm…dad…I.... think there's some misunderstan-“

“Don’t worry I’m not mad. I approve of her.”

“Yeah, thanks dad. But we aren’t –“

“I’m happy you took my warning seriously. It shows this CEO position means a lot to you. So after your birthday, it’s yours. What were you going to say?”

I bit my tongue. My Dad had shown his approval of something I’d done and was promising to make me CEO, I wasn’t crazy enough to spoil it with something as inconvenient as the truth.

“I said thanks Dad. I’m happy you approve, Tiffany and I have been dating for a while and we’re engaged. We’ve been keeping things low key, but no need for that now.” I lied easily.

“Bring her by for dinner this evening.”

I nodded and ran to my office. Inside I logging onto social media. Pictures of us at the Coastal Bar were everywhere. One in particular, of her leaning against me caught my eye.

Looking at it, anyone could think we were about to kiss, ironically , she was trying to slap me!

Damn it! Of all the women to mistake for my fiancée, it had to be the one woman who hated my guts.

But I had to make it real. Too much was at stake, and I had little time left.

I nibbled on my pen, thinking, until I came up with a plan. Then I got onto social media to see what I could learn about her. Nothing much, except she owned a dental clinic across town. I grabbed my car keys and drove to her office.

I was going to make Tiffany Baxter my fiancée even if it killed me.