Chapter 4

Aniya:

“Why are both of you looking at me in that way?” I gulped hard watching their eyes shift from me to each other..

“You look just like Lucy,” Lawson muttered.

“The same stature, probably the same height and the same hair color. You would...” I didn’t let him finish, I knew what he was going to say.

“What? No.”

“Please Miss Carter.”

“No, no, no… I am a publicist, not an actor. I will not be his fake girlfriend.” I was already on my feet, packing my bag because my time here was over.

“Miss Carter, as you know, we need confidentiality and we need to act quickly. We do not have the time to source someone who looks like Lucy when you are sitting right in front of us.” Lawson explained as he watched me close my tablet and grab my bag.

“No. You pay me to be a publicist, and as much as I am Mr Sterling’s Publicist, I assure you that I do not want to get involved in his personal business.”

The reporters outside were getting loud enough for us to hear. It felt like a protest was happening right at his gate, calls were coming in every second. This wasn’t just an assumption, it was an allegation.

Donovan looked at me like he had a lot to say but he left it to Lawson. His eyebrow creased and his teeth ground.

“We can think of something else.” I breathed calmly.

“This is the fastest way to get rid of this without a legal battle or the rumor spreading even more. You said it yourself.” Lawson stood from the chair too. The very professional manager was gone, and in his place stood a man eager to save his client, just as I was.

“We can think of something else.” I paused.

“I’ll take my leave now..” Both men remained quiet. Like their quietness was a protest.

“My driver will take you.” Donovan finally spoke, picking his phone up from the coffee table.

“I drove here, I can manage,” I said.

“There are countless reporters outside, I’d rather they don’t take pictures of my publicist coming out of my place looking like she just ran out of a crisis meeting, even if you just did.” His voice was steady like he suddenly had everything under control.

I gave it a thought and nodded. Donovan walked me through the living room, into a simple study room with a door at the back that could serve as an escape route.

“Hmm, touché,” I muttered.

The idea of an emergency exit was just wonderful, I knew many celebrities had it but it was the first time I was using it.

Donovan’s grey eyes were soft as he opened the door to the view of his car waiting for me. I didn’t know if it was his height or the rumor but his presence beside me was overwhelming and quite impressive.

“Thank you for coming so urgently.” He stopped right in front of the exit, his voice thick as he spoke.

“I’m only doing my job, Mr Sterling.” It was the truth.

“Let me offer you a proposal, Miss Carter.” My heart pounded at the softness of his voice when he called my name.

“Be my fake girlfriend for as long as this takes to fix. In exchange, my team’s PR contract goes to Lumiére in full, and I’ll invest thirty percent of your firm’s current value into it directly. Consider it a partnership, not a favor.” His words were smooth like he’d thought everything through before speaking.

The offer was the best I’d had since the beginning of Lumiére but I’d be jeopardizing a lot if I accepted it.

“That’s… that’s a beautiful offer, Mr Sterling. However, my answer remains the same. I’ll see you during our next meeting.” I did not wait for his reply because for some reason, standing next to Donovan Sterling was not that easy.

I walked through the exit and the driver pulled open the door.

When I sat, my breath hitched. I took my eyes up to see him.

Hand in the pocket of his slacks, his grey eyes fixed on me, unreadable in a way that made me want to read them.

~~~~

All four meetings had gone by but all that consumed me was the offer Donovan had made. It was good. Perfect even.

It was good but a long line differentiated good from right.

And three days was enough time to think of something else better than my first idea but the end point of all the ideas was too hectic. We either followed a legal process or let the public believe the lie.

My phone rang just as the workday came to an end. It was Donovan.

I hesitated and when I finally took the phone to my ear, his voice was accompanied by an amount of terror one would skip if they hadn’t heard him speak before.

“The Rubens are suing. Their lawyer just sent a filing minutes ago. What’s your plan?”

I sat very still at my desk as I processed the information, I had no idea what I was going to do.

We’ve been too quiet, we needed to speak up, or else it would go the wrong way.

“Aniya..” Donovan called. He never called me by my first name. That was how I knew he was as terrified as I was.

“Mr Sterling, I’ll be at your place in 50 minutes but I need everything ready before I’m there. Have Noir closed for the night. I need everything the same as the picture. The same clothes, not even a detail should be missing.”

“Did you find me a fake girlfriend?”

“No, I’m saying draft up the proposal because I can only be your fake girlfriend when it’s beneficial to me as well.” I finished and quietness lingered.

“Thank you.” The relief in his voice was evident.