Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 44746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
What a stupid fucking plan.
But Cerise seemed to buy it. She was disappointed, but she didn’t press the matter too hard. And when I saw Paige go to the bathroom out of the corner of my eye…
I decided to make my move and cement this fiction for real.
Except as I come back into the room, I’m starting to think maybe that wasn’t such a great idea.
Maxime gestures for me to join him on the couch. Cerise is lingering over near the bar, a glass of wine in her hand, looking bored as she looks out the window at the city skyline.
“Sit, sit,” Maxime says to me. I hesitate but I sit down next to the man. He beams at me with these unnaturally white teeth. “So, are you doing okay? You were gone for a long time.”
His grin suggests that yes, our little act was definitely noticed.
“I’m fine,” I say stiffly.
“Good, good, good.” Maxime laughs but it sounds a little forced. “Cerise tells me you are with your assistant girl. Very pretty, very young. Good for you, I hope?”
“Yes,” I say.
“Good, good.” He beams at me. “She says you turned her down, but do not worry. I understand. You’re with another and you’re faithful. We respect that.”
Cerise makes a scoffing sound from the window. Maxime’s smile falters slightly but he keeps on beaming.
“Thank you,” I manage to say.
“Cerise and I discussed things while you were, ah, indisposed,” he says, “and we want to move forward with our arrangements. We’d like our lawyers to meet, papers to be drawn up. Can you arrange this?”
“Absolutely,” I say, my heart beating quicker in my chest. “I can have it done in the morning.”
“Good, good. But no rush, no rush. We plan on staying in the States for at least another week.”
Just then, Paige slips back into the room. She comes in silently, moving along the far wall, but as we all look over at her, she adjusts her dress ever so slightly. It’s a tiny gesture, but it says so much—that her dress needed adjustment, that something happened to move it out of place. As Maxime looks at me, I catch Paige’s eye and she gives me the slightest smile.
Oh, god. What a clever girl. She did that on purpose, just to sell our little ruse even more.
And she has no clue why she’s even doing it. Damn, the girl earned that ten thousand. Hell, she should’ve asked for more.
“Oh, Paige, Paige,” Maxime says suddenly as Paige moves to escape into the kitchen. She pauses like a mouse caught by a cat. “Come, come, join us over here.”
I turn to look at her, my eyes hard. She looks back at me, panicking. I just give her a sharp nod and she slowly moves over in our direction.
“Can I get you anything?” she asks. “I was just going to check on dessert.”
Maxime scoffs. “You are not working now, yes? We know about you and Leon, it is okay. You don’t have to hide it in front of us.”
She looks even more panicked now but she plasters a smile on her face. “Yes. Right. Sorry.”
“Lucky girl,” Cerise says, drifting over from the window. She cocks her head, looking Paige up and down. The two women couldn’t be more different: Cerise is tall and willow-thin with pale skin and blonde hair while Paige is shorter, curvier, with thick dark hair and almost dark-chocolate-colored eyes.
“Uh, yes,” she says, still forcing a smile.
“Let’s not drag her into this,” I say. “You’re not comfortable talking about this, are you?”
She shakes her head quickly. “Not at all.”
“Come now,” Cerise says. “Just because you are lovers with your boss, it is not a bad thing, no?”
Paige’s eyes go slightly wide but she quickly does the math.
I’m sorry, my gaze says. She glances at me and glances away.
“I didn’t know that was anyone’s business,” she says almost primly.
Cerise laughs. “No, of course not, dear. How old are you, if I may ask?”
“Twenty-two,” Paige answers.
“And is this your first job, out of university?”
“Second,” Paige says. “I worked for a non-profit before.”
“Ah, non-profit. Tell me, did you learn that you have a thing for bosses there?”
Paige’s eyes go wide and Cerise smiles demurely.
“Darling,” Maxime snaps, looking annoyed. “Leave the girl alone. This is a good night, we should be celebrating.”
Cerise looks away from Paige and smiles at her husband. “Of course, darling. To our coming business arrangement.” The woman raises her glass. “And to the money we’ll make.”
Maxime sighs as his wife drains her glass, places it down gently on an end table, and then exits the room.
He stands up, giving me an apologetic look. “She gets like this when she doesn’t get her way,” he explains. “I am very apologetic. Please, draw up the papers, we will speak tomorrow, yes?”
“Of course,” I say and stand. I shake Maxime’s hand as the man looks over at Paige.