“You agreed and there’s no backing out. My father’s birthday party is next week. Before then, I need you to play the part of a doting girlfriend.”
“And you’re going to need to learn more about me than my name. I hate doing this.”
“I know.”
“I don’t agree to it.”
“Again, I know.”
“And you’re sure this is what he wants? For you to be happy or to be appearing happy for him.”
He paused. The lies were just mounting up. “Yes.”
She removed her jacket and bag and placed them on the peg beside the door. Then she rubbed at her temple as she removed her sneakers before returning to him. “Right, so what do you want me to do?”
“First, I’ve got a tailor coming. He’ll take your measurements and your wardrobe has got to go.”
She looked down at her jeans and large checkered shirt. She’d purchased them a couple of years ago. They’d gone through stages of being tight and loose. She loved them. “Not going to happen.”
“This is my family. I know what they can take and what they’ll believe.”
“It’s not up to me to get them to believe anything. That’s all on you.”
“Don’t be a bitch,” he said.
“I’m not.”
“Let me do this my way. You’re helping me and you can write your own check once it’s all done. Remember that.”
“And if I demand a ten-million-dollar payment?”
“If that’s the check you want to write, go for it.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Just be sure to have the correct number of zeros.”
“I’m not stupid.”
He laughed. “I’m teasing. We need a backstory.”
“How about we just stick to being as close as we are now? I’m your cleaner. I keep everything in your world in order.”
“I don’t think they’d go for it.” He smirked.
“So you think they’d go for a completely different one. Let me guess, I’m a rich socialite, who you happened to meet in a short space of time before your father’s birthday, especially after I saw the last scandal story in the papers about you yesterday. Do you take drugs?”
“No, never touched them. Never will. Have you?”
“Nope.”
“Good. We’re on the same page then. Something we finally have in common.”
“Do you think you’re an asshole?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Make it two.”
“Fine. No drugs and I’m an asshole. Check both boxes. If you’re going to be like this, they’re never going to believe I fell for you.”
“You’re used to women giggling, pretending everything you say is funny and you’re the best guy in bed?”
“Yes.”
“Then it will probably be a good idea that I don’t act like them, wouldn’t it? It would make me stand out in the crowd. I’m not going to be the socialite. I’ll be me. Your cleaner and the reason we never came out about our romance was that I was afraid.”
“What could you possibly have to be afraid of?” he asked.
“Being marked with the label gold digger.”
“Oh.”
“In fact, we could make that work. It’s why you ended up at your last party, maybe. We got into a huge fight so in anger, you went out and partied but was so ashamed and upset, you made it up to me. You wanted me to meet your family as well.”
“Do you write?”
“No.”
“I’m thinking you could.”
“Not a chance,” she said. “I have way too much to do.”
“Like what?”
“Stuff.”
“I’m going to be your intimate boyfriend who’s going to know a great deal about you. Come on, Lauren, spit it out.”
She took a deep breath and still couldn’t believe she was doing this. “Fine. You want to know stuff about me? Why don’t you ask me questions and rather than be a pain in the ass, I’ll answer them.” She sat down on his pristine white sofa. She didn’t feel the least bit comfortable while he sat down, one leg underneath him.
“What do you do when you’re not here?”
“I like to go for long walks. I want to have a dog one day but the building I live in doesn’t allow pets. I know some people break the rules and I would never report them.” She sighed.
“Why don’t you move?”
“It’s a really great apartment and it has some security at least. I don’t want to move somewhere that isn’t going to make me feel safe.”
“I’ve never had to worry about my life like that.” He was blunt. They came from two different worlds.
“It must be nice.”
“I guess it is.”
“So, moving on. What else do you want to know?” She wasn’t going to get too intimate. All she needed to do was pretend to be his girlfriend and let everything else fall into place.
“What movies do you like?” he asked.
“Romance of any kind.”
“I like horror.”
She joined in the last part. “I know. I have to dust all your horror DVDs.”
“Wait, they’re locked away.”
“I was told when I came to work for you that you’re very particular. You complained about every other cleaner because they missed so much stuff. I wasn’t going to be the same.”
“You never fail to surprise me.”
“No, I guess I don’t.” She ran her fingers through her hair.
“I don’t want you to cut your hair.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a request. No hair cutting.”
“Fine. I won’t cut my hair.” There was no reason to tell him she hadn’t cut her hair in years. She liked her hair long. Sure, she had a trim to remove dead ends, but that was it.
He suddenly pulled out his wallet. “I’ll tell you about my parents,” he said.
She covered his hand. “Don’t tell me about your parents or your family.”
“Why not?”
“Because that way I can just focus on you. Not knowing about your family could give us the edge. If I’m asked about who we are and what we’re doing together, you can say I had no interest in knowing about your family. I only cared about you.”
“Sounds reasonable.”
“It will also mean that they can spend more time during this birthday talking about themselves than about us.”
“Oh, they’re going to want to know what’s going on with us.”
“We can deal with it as well. It’ll be why we can focus on the here and now.” She offered him a smile.
If she knew more about his family, she’d have to turn him down and refuse to do this. She didn’t like lying but while she didn’t know his family, it might make it easier. She hated to think of his father suffering, though and if it gave him some peace, she’d do it, even if it made her so uncomfortable.
This was so crazy.
She was a cleaner and she enjoyed her job. Once all of this was over, she’d have to quit, probably move, and find something else to do.