Chapter 4 – Waverly #2
He shakes his head slowly, though his blue eyes turn a touch darker, and he does a quick scan of my body before returning to my face.
He clears his throat and reclaims his abandoned drink. “No. I’m not asking you for sex. This isn’t that sort of indecent proposal. This arrangement would be strictly business.”
There go my Robert Redford and Richard Gere fantasies. I snicker. I’m losing my mind.
“You’d rather saddle yourself with a sexless, all-business agreement than be set up with women, who I’m sure are everything lovely and beautiful?
I don’t understand how it’s more appealing for you to bring your employee, who you don’t particularly like, to your family’s house over the holidays and pawn her off as your girlfriend? ”
I’m incredulous. Actually, that’s not a strong enough word for what I am.
“My family is not simply trying to get me a holiday date. They’re trying to land me a future wife and woo me back to Paris.
My mother already has at least three women lined up, and they’re just the start.
They’re hoping for a love match or simply just a match.
They want me to settle down and marry one of them, and that will be their primary focus since I’m the only child and the only heir of the Ouest family. ”
“So tell them you don’t want it,” I emphasize.
“I did. It doesn’t matter. My ex-wife is proof of that, and if she hadn’t been dumb enough to publicly cheat on me and shame me and my family, they would have pushed us to stay together, and I likely would have for the sake of my family name.
I can’t do that again, Waverly. I’m being very honest with you now.
I can’t do that again. Bringing you along gives me breathing room and the option to escape and get work done.
I can tell them Brax and I are showing you around Paris when, in reality, we’ll be working. ”
“Where will I sleep?”
He grins. I have no clue why or how he is right now, but he’s definitely grinning. It’s as if he finds my questions cute or something.
“In one of the many guest rooms, I assume, since my family is very traditional. In fact, Braxton and I will be staying in my flat, which is one floor down. You won’t have to share a bed with me.”
I snort. “No, I’ll just have to pretend to like you. I can’t believe this.” I cover my mouth with hands. Maybe I should have that second shot. What a freaking week it’s been.
“Yes,” he says dryly. “You will have to do that. Maybe even smile at me and hold my hand. But that’s it.”
“No. Noh. Nein. Nai. Nyet.”
He stares me down, those blue eyes trying to work some magic on me. “How much money do you owe, Waverly? How much debt are you in?”
I shake my head. “Please stop asking me that.”
“I said I’d double it. Plus whatever your grandmother needs.”
I glare with enmity at him. “I hate you. I hope you know that.”
He grins. “You’ve already told me that once today, and I believed you then. But you’ve worked for me for two years, and as much as I hate to admit, for the most part, you do a good job.”
“I do an excellent job, you ass.” I just called him an ass. To his face. He’s going to fire me. Especially if I say no to his crazy scheme. If I say no. You have to say no, Waverly. You have to. Remember your pride, it’s all you have left. Your mother didn’t raise a whore.
She also didn’t raise a na?ve moron who would allow herself to get dragged in and duped by a man, but here we are.
“Fine.” He holds up a consolatory hand. “You do an excellent job. And we will give you a raise when you start working for Braxton too. If you say no, I fully understand and won’t ever hold it against you.
I realize it’s not a small thing. But this is why I also trust you when I don’t trust many.
You’re honest with me when no one else but Brax is.
I’m offering to get you out of debt in return for a Paris holiday.
Did I mention we own a hotel? Several, in fact.
My family lives in the residence of one and resides on the top three floors.
There is an onsite spa that I’ve been told is one of the best in the world. ”
I narrow my eyes accusingly. “You’re placating me.”
“I want you to say yes. And I don’t want you to go to HR and report me if you don’t. The red tape will be a nightmare with that.”
“Are you making a joke?”
“Trying to. It’s not my strong suit. Like so many other things you enjoy pointing out.”
I shake my head. I’m at a loss. He’s making jokes while I’m losing my mind.
“Tell me how to help you and I will,” he cajoles. “Come on. Try me.”
He thinks it’s going to be some cute and cuddly number like twenty grand.
I smirk tauntingly as I lean back, cross my legs at the knee, and fold my arms over my chest. “Two hundred grand. My grandmother had early-onset dementia and was home alone more than she should have been because she was lucid enough to tell me to enjoy my college life and not come home. I didn’t as much as I should have, because I was young and didn’t see the warning signs.
She spent her days shopping online and through the TV using the five credit cards she had in her name over and over again.
Anything she saw, she bought. Plus, she took out loans to get me through college because she didn’t want me to have a dime of debt to my name.
Irony at its best. The minimum payments on all of that are a lovely five grand a month, and then there’s all the interest that’s been accruing for years.
Her nursing home is another three grand a month because she gets partial Medicaid reimbursement. ”
He does a slow rolling blink thing. Yep, I shocked him. Go me. Pat on the back and gold star for effort.
“You’ve been trying to pay that off all on your own?” His jaw clenches along with his fist around his glass.
“Yep.”
“Jesus, Waverly. The fuck?” He drags his free hand through his hair and turns away from me, almost as if he can’t bear to look at me anymore, and I’m officially done here.
“So, you see, this was a lot more than you bargained for and certainly not worth the price of admission for your holiday scheme.” I stand.
“Best of luck with your family problem. I’m sure you’ll find someone else who is more suitable than I am.
Don’t worry about HR. As you now know, I need this job, so we’ll forget this conversation ever happened. ”
I head to the door when he stops me again. “I’ll give you five hundred thousand dollars. Half when we land in Paris Sunday morning to pay off your debts, and the other half on January first when we return home and you start working for both Braxton and me.”
Now it’s my turn to ask, “The fuck?! Who pays that kind of money for a goddamn fake girlfriend?”
He ignores my outburst. “I’ll also pay off all of your grandmother’s expenses until she no longer requires them.
You will sign a contract that requires you to pay everything back in full if you don’t hold up your end of the bargain, and you also have to continue here as our employee for another three years minimum.
After that, you’re free to leave on your own and will obviously continue to receive your salary with merit increases and bonuses as you always have. ”
My forehead meets the door, and my eyes shut.
“Tristan…”
“I need a fake girlfriend, Waverly, and you’re the one I want for the job.
Take the deal. Please take the deal.” He almost sounds desperate as he says that.
“It’s a genuine offer with no sordid details other than having to do some lying and pretending.
Think about it. You’ve got twenty-four hours to decide because we fly out Saturday night. ”
“And if I say no?” I can’t look at him. I can’t. It’s like I’m hanging over a lava pit, and he’s offering me a way up to safety before I fall.
“I just said it won’t impact your job. I’m not that much of an asshole. I need this for me, but I also want to help you, believe it or not. And you’re too valuable to lose as my assistant.”
I’d feel guilty for calling him an asshole if I could think past the five hundred grand and nursing care for my grandmother until her death.
“I’ll think about it.”
“You can’t talk to anyone about this, Waverly. This has to stay between us.” His voice is stern, not allowing any room for negotiation on this.
I give a weak nod and flee, my OuestHicks Pharmaceuticals heels clicking and clacking as I scoop up my purse—complete with anti-asshole spray and hot pink vibrator—and fly toward the elevator. I can’t say yes. But how on earth can I say no?