Big Deal

"Yeah, a weird note," I told her, pulling it out of my pocket and handing it to her. "Don't you remember? Or were you too drunk?"

Brows furrowed, she smoothed out the wrinkled paper and skimmed over it. I waited for her reaction to the tip amount, but her face didn't change. "I was worried that I didn't leave a tip, but I see that I did."

"What's with the forty-three cents?" I asked because I couldn't help myself.

"I like for a flat dollar amount to be taken out of my bank account."

Well, that kind of made sense. I didn't understand how she wasn't in shock over the total, though. "Yeah, I've been meaning to return it to you."

"Return it to me?"

"You were drunk, you didn't know what you were doing. I haven't spent any of the money." I promised her. "I'll return it to you right now. Let me grab my checkbook."

"I don't want it," she interrupted, shoving the receipt back at me. "Do as I said and take it as an advance."

I paused, staring at her like she was crazy. "An advance? For what?"

"Being my boyfriend, obviously."

Wait, she had been serious about that? It wasn't just a joke? Or part of her drunken stupor? "Sorry?"

"I have your coffee, Ms. Calloway," Arian announced, gaining the attention of the dark-haired woman.

She turned and gave her a handsome smile. "Thank you"

"Woah, wait a second." I turned to Solene who'd taken a seat at one of the wooden tables.

Her head rested against the wall and her hands were folded across her lap as she watched us amusedly.

"Is your friend crazy?" I asked her.

She chuckled a bit and shrugged.

"Maybe."

"I'm not crazy," Georgia said, taking a sip of her coffee. I didn't miss the slight grimace on her face. "I'm only being sensible."

"How is giving me ten thousand dollars and asking me to be your boyfriend sensible?" I demanded.

And like every typical guy being asked out by

strangers I said, "I don't even know you."

Georgia seemed a little unsettled by my response. She pressed her lips into a flat line and tsked. "Well, this isn't what I'd expected."

I really wanted to throw my hands up in the air and tell her she was out of it, but I refrained. "Will you please just take back your money and leave?"

"I won't leave until we have a deal," she told me, walking over to the table Solene was at and taking a seat opposite of her. "Excuse me, Mister? Do you have cheesecake?"

Arian pointed at himself and Georgia nodded. "We do," he responded immediately.

"I'll bring you over two slices. Um, would you like anything?" He directed his question to Solene.

"Please. Hot coffee, regular cream, and extra sugar."

I wanted to tell Arian not to get them anything, but they had become paying customers, so I couldn't. I felt like I was the only one unnerved by the situation. Sighing lightly, I went behind the counter to get their pastries.

"What's going on?" Arian whispered to me as soon as I was close enough.

"No idea," I said.

Her eyes were wide with excitement.

"How are you being so cool about this? If Georgia Calloway asked me out, I would faint."

I wanted to say that there was no way she was just asking me out. There was a reason for it. On the strange note she'd left, she'd said we could help each other out. But with what, I wasn't sure. I decided that would be my first question for her.

After plating two slices of cheesecake and covering them with strawberry, I returned to the two young women, placing the dishes in front of them. Then I dragged a chair from a different table over and took a seat.

"How did you know I work here?" I asked. "Why did you come?"

"I'm here because you haven't called me back and I found you by calling your other job," Georgia answered easily.

She picked up a fork and cut off a little bit of the cheesecake, inspecting it for a moment before putting it into her mouth.

"It's been frozen," she said, making a face.

"We're a coffee shop, not a pastry shop," I told her, a little irritated by her reaction.

Maybe she wasn't used to anything that didn't cost more than twenty dollars a piece. I was going to have to say something to the employees at Michelangelo's though. You weren't supposed to give out information on any employee, and yet they'd given mine to Georgia. Solene tried to take Georgia's plate away, obviously fine with the pre-frozen cheesecake, but the latter pulled it out of reach.

"I'll still eat it. Better to not waste food. Wilson, why didn't you call me?"

"Why would I?"

She gave me a look as if to say who wouldn't?

"We can help each other out. I've been telling you this for the past ten minutes."

"Yeah, but how?" I pressed.

I had no idea what I could do for a man who had everything.

"You said you needed money. I have money. I need a boyfriend. You are a guy," she spelled out, pointing her fork at me. "As I said, we'd make good business partners."

I stared at her. "I don't know what kind of person you are, or how you grew up, but you can't just buy me."

Georgia frowned a little at me. "I'm not buying you. I'm offering you money in exchange for services."

"Like your own prostitute?" I exclaimed, eyes wide.

Was this lady serious? Did she not see what was completely wrong with what she was asking?

"No, not a prostitute, just my boyfriend," she amended. "Just for six months. All you have to do is show up to a few parties with me, snapa few photos, and act the part. No need for any sexual favors."

I stared at her and she stared back at me, unblinking. Her face showed no hint of humor. She was serious about this.

I couldn't believe it. "Why?"

She sat a little straighter in her seat, smoothing out her shirt. "Various reasons, but mainly so I'm not forced to marry a stranger of my mom's choosing."

"So you're going to fake that you have a boyfriend? What good will that do?"

Also, I was pretty sure you couldn't force someone to marry anyone else, but I didn't say anything. Who knew what went on in the Calloway family?

"She's given me six months to find someone I'm interested in. I figure if I find someone, pretend to date them, say I've fallen in love with them, and then have them break up with me, I can claim I'm too heartbroken to move on," she explained in a rush, not even pausing to take a breath.

Her lips curved up a little and I could tell she was proud of her plan. Speechless, I once again turned to Solene to gauge her reaction. Her eyes were lit up with enjoyment-like this was the best thing she'd seen in a long time.

She obviously knew how bizarre her friend was being, but wasn't saying anything to stop her.

"E... okay," I finally said.

Georgia's eyes never left my face and I bit my lip. "So you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend so you don't have to get married?"

She nodded.

"And why me?"

"Right place, right time?" She tried, giving me a hopeful grin. "You caught my interest and I feel slightly responsible for having you suspended from your job. I shouldn't have told you to punch Curtis."

I grimaced at the memory. "No, you did right there. That pig deserved it." Still, the month of suspension was complete bullshit.

I was lucky I had a second job to try and scrape by with. Georgia leaned toward me.

"Let me make it up to you. Be my boyfriend. It'll only be for six months. I'll pay you as I see fit."

While the idea of being paid to date someone made my skin crawl, I was curious to know just how much money was involved. The coffee shop didn't give me many hours. I'd barely be able to make it by, even with my savings.

"Okay, let's say I might do it."

"Perfect! Let's start with the fine details," she cut in, searching for something in her pocket and pulling out her phone.

"Wait, I didn't say I agree yet," I said, holding up my hands. "There's a lot to think about."

She gave me an expressionless look. "Is there? Why? I'm good-looking. I'm successful. I'm wealthy. What more could you need?"

Well, she definitely had the confidence for his looks. "Doesn't it sound weird to you at all? I'd feel cheap."

"Listen, Wilson," she started seriously, her gaze piercing into mine. "It's just for six months. Just think of it as two friends helping each other out."

"But..."

There was no way I could agree to this. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't stoop that low. I had to uphold some kind of dignity.

"I'll pay you ten thousand per month." I blinked.

"Huh?"

"Not bad, right?" She asked cheekily.

Ten thousand for each month? So in six months that was sixty thousand? That was more than I could make in four years! Was she serious? Who was I kidding? He was completely serious. That much money was probably chump change to her.

But to me...

Silently, I bid farewell to whatever pride I'd thought I wanted. "So what are the terms?"

Georgia grinned broadly at my submission. "Let's discuss them, shall we?"