The offer

Zara 

No one has ever asked me that kind question before, not in a setting like this. Not in an office or boardroom. Not across a desk. 

This kind of question usually belongs somewhere more private. More complicated. And for a second I hated how quickly my mind noticed that difference. I shift slightly in my seat, forcing myself to stay composed. 

“This is not what I came here for.” I responded 

My voice doesn’t sound as steady as I want it to. The silence the followed was awkward to me but not for him because he was still looking at me like he knew I was not done talking. 

I inhale slowly, trying to steady myself 

“I need an investor,” I say finally. “ My company is falling apart. We are out of funds, out of time and out of options.”

I pause and continue anyway 

“I just need to keep it alive. The company is very important to me and I don’t want to lose it.” 

I placed the folder on the desk. It felt ridiculous the moment I did it. He doesn’t even look at it, not even once, he just keeps staring at me. That should have been my first warning.  But I still continue regardless. 

“I’ve structured everything,” I say. “Repayment plans, projections, small reductions in prices. If someone invests just a small amount of capital, we can stabilize.” 

I pause and look at him now. He just looks at me like he is amazed with what I have been saying. 

“I don’t need much…just five thousand dollars would help us breathe again.”

“Just five thousand dollars?” He asked 

I nod, unsure of why he said the five thousand dollars like that. My throat suddenly felt tight. “Yes.”

Then he exhales, almost like I’ve said something interesting but completely wrong at the same time. 

“I’ll give you ten million dollars.” 

My body stills. For a moment, I genuinely think I misheard him. 

“What did you say?” I asked quietly 

He doesn’t repeat it in a hurry. He just watches me. 

“Ten million dollars.” He says again 

I heard it correctly now. If this man was  offering to give me Ten million dollars what could I possibly do for him? I haven’t still recovered from that old man telling me to spend the night with him for just ten thousand dollars which I wasn’t even sure about. 

“Why would you give me ten million dollars?” 

He stands up from his chair and walks closer to me. Not enough to touch me 

“I’ll give you the money, but you will have to do something for me in return.” 

Of course I would have to do something. There it is. It always has to end like this. Maybe he would want me to kill someone for him now. 

“What kind of something?” I asked. 

My fingers tighten slightly around the edge of my bag, like it can anchor me to something normal. 

He doesn’t answer. He turns slightly away from me, walking back towards his desk like the question I just asked isn’t urgent enough to rush. That alone irritates me because I hate waiting and being kept silent for a long time. 

“You will enter into a six month contract,” he says. 

“An agreement?” I repeated slowly. 

“Yes.” 

He sits down now, like he is explaining something simple.

“You will date my best friend," he continued 

“That’s the contract?” I asked 

He isn’t surprised by my disbelief 

“It’s structured,” he adds. “Nothing special, you will just accompany him for public appearances. And to make his life more interesting, he lives a very boring life for the kind of person that he is.”

I shift in my seat. “And the person I’m supposed to date…who is he?” 

“That is not relevant.” 

I stared at him letting out a small laugh. 

“That’s not an answer.” I say 

“That’s the only answer you need. I can’t give you any other information. Whatever questions you have will be by him.” 

“So I’m supposed to agree to date someone I don’t know for…for six months…without even knowing who he is?” Is he even aware of this conversation we are having? 

He leans on his chair and with his expression I knew he was the only one planning this and the so-called best friend doesn’t have any idea of what is happening.

I shake my head slightly. “This is insane.” 

He doesn’t say anything. 

“Why me?” I asked 

His expression changed. 

“Because he has refused to date anyone. I have tried every means to hook him up with someone and it just fails.”

“So what makes you feel that me and him would work?” 

“You are different. You are not like the other girls I have introduced to him. There is something about you.” 

There’s something about me?? Those words sat deep. I’m not even in his class. I’m just a girl trying to stand on her feet. I have nothing in my name. 

“What exactly am I supposed to do? Just date him?” I ask 

“Yes.” 

“That’s it?” 

“That’s it.”

“And I’m supposed to just  make him fall in love with me?” 

“No.” He says. “Just make him come out of his shell.”

I sit back properly now, staring at him. If I was his best friend I would skin him alive for doing this. 

The offer is not a bad idea. I just have to date him for six months and I get paid. I’ve never heard something like this before, but what is the worst that could happen? My best friend would kill me when she hears this. But I have just today to come up with the money or I lose my company. 

“I’ll do it.” I say. “But you have to give me more information about this person. So that I know if I’m getting out alive or dead.”

He laughs loudly like a just cracked a joke 

“You are not going to die…just yet.” 

What does that even mean 

He slides a document over to me. Clean. Already prepared. 

My hand hesitates over it just for a second, then I take the pen, because survival has never been about comfort. It’s been about choice. And I signed. 

Immediately I do that my phone vibrates, it was a text message from my best friend 

How did it go????

“You will be given five million dollars upfront and the rest will be given to you after 6 months.” 

He collects the document and lifts his hands to shake me 

Before I could stretch my hand, a transfer notification appeared on my screen. 

How did he get my account details???

What the hell did I sign up for? 

“That should be all. I will communicate with you when I need you.” 

I picked up my folder and my bag and got up to leave. I was already at the door when he called out to me. 

“Zara…there’s one more thing.” 

Something about the way he said made my stomach tighten.