1 Act for the interview

"Are you ready for the evening interview?" Julien stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel around his waist.

Monica took a thorough look at his muscular body, her desire for him excruciating, "Yes, I'm done with the preparation for the act," her voice slow and quiet.

The wet strands of her hair grazes over her shoulder as she dries them by sitting in front of the mirror.

Julien doesn't look her way. He goes through some files and then returns to his black tuxedo to wear. His bicep curls and twitches as he gets dressed and glances at her. Monica's face burns up as he stands behind her. They make eye contact for a whole minute when he turns back and suddenly says, "Hurry up, we don't have the whole day." He marches out of the room leaving her.

Monica hears the growling of the crowds gathering on the first floor. The clicking sound of the cameras made her ears filled with the idea of the number of questions they are going to ask them. A gentle knock on the door made her flinch as she stepped to open them for her.

Marcus stands pasting a smile on his face. 

"Master, ordered to have you in ten minutes out at the balcony." He tells her as he turns back to go down.

Monica's heart races with the thought of how things are going so fast. They will have an interview where they will act as a successful couple with a high career. 

Monica gets to the balcony noticing Julien standing while his hands are busy with the cigarette he is holding. He inhales and exhales the smoke out of his lungs as she get there and his attention is down on Monica. She glances at the crowd down the hall when a reporter notices them and he pulls his camera to his eyes to click pictures of both of them.

Julien takes her hand and shoves her to his arms. His arms coiling around her waist as he crushes the cigarette and commands her to smile. She does. Her eyes flicker to his as they give them the best of the shots they can.

As they are done he takes Monica down to the ground floor where they will interact with a hundred stupid questions. Monica's cinnamon hair gets caught into her engagement ring. As she yanks her hand and she stares for a minute at it. It shines and dims in the colour of the ceiling light of the lift. 

Her eyes tracking his face, as he loosens his tie and sniffs for the second time. Julien gives her a long look "if you are uncomfortable then we can call it off. But I know that it's important for me. You are just playing a part." He breaks the silence as Monica shakes her head. "It is not." They  reach to the ground floor with a click of the lift as all the reporters rush towards them like a fish. The bodyguards make a way to the table and the single sofas sitting just behind them. 

They sit as the crowd calms down and all the reporters continue asking Julien about his business and upcoming projects he is planning on launching in future. Monica barely pays any attention as all the reporters keep on asking useless questions to get attention for his fair skin and handsome face. The spotlight on them was making her dizzy as she ordered Marcus to get her a glass of wine. She wanted to be sober and get things done as quickly as possible. 

Her drink gets served within minutes. Her smiles widens. Atleast she got something to drink to refresh her mood. As she was going to take a sip of her glass one of the reporters threw a question to Julien. "What does your marriage holds to both of you?" Julien looks at Monica as he takes her hand keeping it on the table. He turns his faces to the reporter flashing him the best smile he can give and says "it's a miracle to have a wife like her. Monica is my strength and I believe that you will be looking at her just like a supporting role to me and not just my beautiful wife." The reporters claps their hands. 

Monica's drink was forgotten when her eyes glittered with the way he said that she is his supporting system and not just his fake wife. His eyes go wide when all the reporters take a few pictures of them and take their way to the free food centre. He takes his hands off her as Marcus runs towards Monica with  her coat and slings it on her way. She wraps the coat around her as the reporters are back on them. They stand up as Julien extends his hand to her for taking support to stand. 

The reporters go on chit-chatting about them in the background as some of them click pictures from different angles. Julien crushes Monica with his broad shoulders and muscular body. "It hurts." She mumbled so that only he could listen but he didn't pay any attention to her words. He twists and turns when he tries to set himself in a good posture for the pictures. She knew these pictures were going to come out on paper. 

The reporters leave as the schedule gets over. All the bodyguards make their way to secure the gates and the other private gates to ensure that nobody is hiding anywhere. The mansion he owns has twenty five bodyguards. It doesn't seem like anybody will dare to do anything like smuggling or rather killing someone. Monica was tired too. Her heels hurt with all the standing and walking around the ground floor. As they step into the lift he pales away. 

He starts laughing. Great, uproarious laughter that draws the attention of many of the people around them. She looks up to him as he plays with his tie and says "you are sleeping on the floor today." 

She stares at him with rapidly widening eyes. He doesn't try to hide the guilty expression on his face, the shit.

"You have got to me fucking kidding me."  He makes a placating gesture. "Now, Monica….."

"Oh, no," Monica snarls, as the lift opens for them and she steps out of the lift. The breath in there was suffocating. It's like she was holding her breath until he said those words to her like some unworthy woman she is.