Chapter 9 #2
I follow him out into the living room where Matthew and Emily are seated.
Emily has a notebook propped on her lap and she taps her pen against it as she bites down on her lower lip.
A rush of guilt rushes through me. Emily is rarely anxious and waiting to dive into this small, out-of-nowhere meeting is obviously stressing her out.
“Sorry for making everyone wait,” I say as soon as I reach them.
“You’re fine, darling,” Matthew says. “We all needed to sober up a bit, anyway. There’s fresh coffee, cream, and sugar in the kitchen. Help yourself, and then we’ll begin.
As we all sit, sipping our coffees, the air is thick with unease. The anticipation of whatever this is is killing me. Asher, however, looks very comfortable now. Determined, even. Arrogant. More like how he is in the office.
“Emily and Ella, I appreciate both of you being willing to meet here so abruptly,” Asher says, setting down his mug.
“After significant consideration, I have come to the conclusion that none of the candidates proposed by the board or the women I met tonight quite fit the bill for what I need for this project to work. Matthew has proposed something to me that he and I agree is the best solution. It is, however, a bit of an unorthodox situation. We believe the best candidate for this project is Ella.”
Wait, what?
Asher looks directly at me. No shame. No embarrassment.
I swear my heart stops in my chest.
It definitely stutters.
“Me, Ella?”
Asher’s mouth twitches, but he still stares at me with an intensity that makes my stomach stumble over itself. “You, Ella.”
Emily’s brows are in her hairline, and her eyes dart back and forth between Asher and me.
“You are exactly what we’re looking for,” Asher goes on.
“You’re professional, you’re loyal to the company and to this project, you’re not a celebrity or influencer or socialite interested in climbing the social ladder, and if I may say so without being wholly inappropriate since you are my employee, you are very beautiful. You tick all of our necessary boxes.”
“How . . . how would that work with Ella being a member of the team?” Emily asks.
“I think she could stay on the team. It may be helpful, actually. That way she is part of the decision making process of what will be expected at certain events, and the requirements won’t be sprung on her like they would be with someone who was not in the room when those decisions were made.”
“It is a wholly plausible scenario that they met at work and their relationship grew,” Matthew says.
“So, breaking the story to the public should be straightforward. Although, we will need a strong strategy to make sure the relationship is not seen as an imbalance of power between employer and employee. That will take some tinkering, but I think our team can come up with something. And we’ll need a strong angle so that Ella doesn’t look like she’s sleeping with the boss to get ahead, so staying in her same position is vital. ”
My head spins.
Me? The candidate? The fake girlfriend?
“Of course, Ella must be willing and agree to it,” Asher says. He looks at me again, this time deathly serious. “I will not force you to do this. And I don’t want to pressure you. If you say no, it’s no. No questions, no threats to your job or position. This is a request, not a demand.”
“I . . .”
“Don’t answer yet,” Asher says. “I want you to think about it tonight. I don’t want your answer until tomorrow.
” He looks at Emily. “We will need to delay our meeting tomorrow. I don’t want to meet with the team until this decision is finalized.
Matthew moved one of my afternoon meetings, so we will meet at three. ”
Emily scribbles notes, nodding furiously. Then she eyes me, assessing. “I agree with you. It took a minute for the shock to wear off, but now that I think about it, I see what you’re seeing. This could work.”
“I want to reiterate what you’re signing up for if you say yes,” Asher says to me.
“The paparazzi will become a part of your life. Your past will be sifted through. Your family members will be contacted, possibly harassed. Your face will be splashed across magazines, television, social media. Your motives will be questioned. Your looks will be picked apart. My life in the spotlight is sometimes a very difficult one. And as this is an extremely disruptive thing to ask of you, I am willing to compensate, as has been discussed in all of our meetings. But I would like to discuss that part with you in private.”
He stands, and I follow suit, but as I follow him back to his bedroom, adrenaline from the shock of his request pulses through me, and stars wink in the corner of my vision.
“Have a seat,” he says, pointing to a sitting area near the window with two plush chairs and a small table between them.
I sit and pull the blanket tighter around me, then shake my head a little to clear it. I need to focus if I’m going to have this conversation.
Asher taps his forefinger and thumb on the table for a second before speaking.
“As I just mentioned, I am aware of the gravity of what I’m asking you.
I understand all too well what this attention will bring to you.
It can be a positive thing at times, but mostly it is a cross to bear.
And by asking you to bear that cross, I will reward you accordingly.
The number I reached with the board is five million dollars.
That sum will be paid in increments during our ‘dating’ period.
And since you’re also an employee, you would obviously keep your regular salary, however, I will double that because you would be viewed differently by your colleagues. ”
Five million dollars? Five fucking million dollars?
And double my salary? My head spins.
“Are you alright?”
“I think I’m in shock. I don’t think I heard you right. Did you just casually say, ‘five million dollars’?”
He chuckles darkly. “I did.”
“Jesus Fucking Christ,” I hiss under my breath.
“Does that seem like a fair price?”
“Only a billionaire would ask that question. A fair price? That is life-changing, world-changing money. That is . . .I could . . .” A flood of possibility washes over me.
“I could pay Maya’s tuition; I could get her out of that shitty dorm.
I could pay off my mom’s house so she could retire.
” I know I’m muttering to myself, but I can’t help it.
This money would change everything for our little family of three.
“Good. If that’s agreed to, then I’ll warn you of some other stipulations,” Asher says, and I’m brought back to the present.
“You would be expected to wear certain types of clothing.
Designer, high-end labels, that sort of thing.
Since my lifestyle and status are what they are, that expectation would naturally extend to you.
Your wardrobe would be provided for you.
You would obviously have a say in that clothing, but you would not be financially responsible to purchase any of it, and a stylist would be provided.
“Any transportation needed would be provided by my personal staff. You would no longer be able to ride the subway or public buses; those would be out of the question as a matter of safety. I have three town cars, and I would hire another driver to meet your needs if necessary. A rotation of security guards would be provided to protect you twenty-four seven.”
Whoa. My heart hammers in my chest. Is this really happening?
“Again, I don’t want you to answer tonight.
I want you to go home and think it through.
This will change your life, irrevocably.
Even after the end of the ‘relationship,’ you will have lived a public enough life that complete anonymity may no longer be possible.
However, hopefully with time, it would settle to a manageable place.
And any further security needs would be provided until they were no longer needed.
“If you do choose to go through with this, I promise you that I will do everything I can to make the experience as good as it can be.
We will need to blur some professional lines at events and in public.
But outside of that, I would not expect anything of you.
I think it would be best to keep the lines clear and keep romantic feelings out of it.
We will just need to put on a good show and act in love when the world is watching.
Otherwise, we will go on with our lives as normal.
“And last thing, obviously you wouldn’t be able to be involved with anyone else until this is over. There can be no secret, real boyfriend. You’ll have to settle for the fake relationship, and the fake relationship only, until it’s all over.”
I nod, trying to process everything he said.
“Is all of this in writing? It’s a lot to take in at the moment.”
“Of, course. The contract was finished up this morning. The only amendment I would make to it is your salary.”
He sets the contract onto the small table between us.
“Read it over tonight. Let me know tomorrow by lunch. I know it’s a lot to decide in one night, but the board is breathing down my neck.
They refused Matthew’s request for an extension.
They want everything finalized by Friday, and that includes the full strategy, which we will have to adjust if you accept since you are also an employee. ”
I lift the contract and start to read it.
“I had Matthew hire an outside lawyer who is not affiliated with Langford Holdings to look over the contract with you. He doesn’t know who has hired him so that it won’t sway his judgment.
Matthew emailed him the copy just a few minutes ago, and he will comb through it tonight and be in contact with you in the morning.
I want you to know that you’re protected on your end. ”
Holy shit, he really has thought of everything. Which doesn’t surprise me. I know he’s brilliant at business. The success he’s brought to Langford Holdings is remarkable.
“I’ll look it over. But I should do it at home,” I say, suddenly feeling the need for privacy. There’s no way I can process all of this while I’m around Asher. He’s like a sun that pulls everything into its orbit. If I’m going to make a clear decision, I need to be away from that orbit.
“Andrew will drive you home.”
I read through the contract for the third time.
I don’t know what half of the legal jargon means, but I understand the gist of it.
It’s quite generous. The only demands or requirements of me are things I’ve really already agreed to: sign an NDA that prohibits me from ever speaking or exposing the truth, to keep up the charade until the given end date—which is yet to be determined—and fulfill all duties as required by Asher, Langford Holdings, aka the board, and the PR team.
Basically, be a good actress, be a good fake girlfriend, and don’t expose the truth.
And in exchange, I’ll receive five million dollars, double my current salary, and a whole new wardrobe.
It’s tempting. So, so tempting.
But then I think through what Asher said.
He didn’t mince words or hold back when he described the frenzy of life in the public domain.
Asher and his family attract as much, if not more, attention than even the most famous celebrities.
Their family was always famous because of their status and wealth, but when Harrington married Catherine, a relative of the British monarchy, it seemed to solidify a sort of pseudo royalty moniker for the Langford family.
Catherine’s fame is literally a global spectacle, and that fame very much extends to her three Langford sons, especially when it comes to their love lives.
Asher’s, Declan’s, and Sterling’s dating lives have made the covers of tabloids and magazines since they were teens.
It’s like they’re three princes, and all of America, and the world, is salivating over who will be crowned as their princesses.
They’re American royalty billionaires who could double as supermodels, so I get it.
But the question is, do I want to be a part of it?
Could I handle having my face splashed all over the media?
Having people I don’t know recognize me?
Having people take pictures and videos of me without my consent?
Do I want to live with a security guard and a driver?
My life as I know it would change. Maybe not forever, but certainly for the foreseeable future.
Is that worth five million dollars?
Zahra and Alec get home around two, both of them tired and worn from a long night of work, but Zahra perks up when she sees me still in my clubbing outfit.
“How did it go?” she squeals.
“It didn’t go as expected, that’s for sure.”
“What happened?”
I slide the contract back into the fancy envelope it came in and set it down on the table.
“I . . .” Shit, I don’t know what to say.
I can’t explain this to her with the NDA.
But if I’m going to do this, I need to start planting some seeds, right?
I can’t just start dating Asher out of literally nowhere.
“I spent a lot of time with Mr. Langford.” Good, at least it’s not a lie.
“And it’s the weirdest thing, I think we have .
. . something there. Like a really strong chemistry. ”
“What?” she shrieks. “Billionaire, the Lion of New York, Asher Langford?”
“Yes.”
“What does ‘spending time’ with him entail?”
“I rode in his car to and from the club, and sat next to him at the table, and then a few of us had a small meeting at his penthouse afterward.”
“A small meeting at his penthouse? After clubbing?”
I laugh. “I know, it sounds ridiculous. But there was definitely heat between us. And he told me to call him Asher, not Mr. Langford.”
Zahra squeals again and practically throws herself onto the sofa next to me. “Tell me everything.”