Falling in Love & Other Diasters

Bodhi

I feel right at home when I step off the elevator. The sixty-second floor of the Bateman Building in downtown has been the home of Knox Industries executive offices for fifty years. Which means that before Brenton even began working for the family business, the two of us would come here to visit his father, pressing our faces against the glass as we stared in fascination at how everything on the streets below seemed so miniscule.

Everything seemed so simple when we were kids. But now I'm walking into his office as his (fake) fiancé, wearing his grandmother's engagement ring, a few days after getting the seal of approval from his parents. All of it is still a bit surreal, and to be honest, I'm not sure I'm emotionally mature enough to handle any of it.

The dinner at the Knox mansion went surprisingly well. Harrison and Colleen were perfectly lovely, gushing about how they'd always considered me a daughter anyway, and they couldn't wait for it to be official. It was all very warm and fuzzy, but I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt as we kissed Brenton's parents goodbye for the night. If everything went according to Brenton's plan, a year from now, the engagement would be over. I guess it hadn't occurred to me before that it's more than just the two of us that are affected by all of this.

"Good morning, Raina," Tana, Brenton's assistant calls out with a warm smile as I approach her desk.

"Good morning, Tana," I match the brightness of her smile. "How's that kitten of yours?"

The last time I came to meet Brenton for lunch, she had told me all about the Scottish Fold she was a few days away from adopting.

"Mischievous but adorable," she sighs happily, her entire face brightening instantly at the mention of her kitten.

"Perfect," I reply, glancing up towards the dark wooden doors that closed off Brenton's office from the rest of the executive suite. He had protested when his father first gave him the office, pointing out that it wasn't fair that a worker with no experience get such a nice setup, but Harrison insisted, saying that as the Head of Operations, no one would respect Brenton if his office wasn't the same as all of the other executives. "Is he in his office?"

She shook her head. "He's in a meeting, but go on in and I'll let him know you're here."

"Okay, thanks," I flash her another smile, pausing when I notice a strange expression cross her face. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, sorry," she assures me. "I was just admiring your ring. It's gorgeous."

"It was his grandmother's," I say automatically, because for some reason, that's become my default response to people commenting on it. It's what I said to the barista at the coffee shop this morning as well as the woman who rode the elevator with me.

Tana is practically cooing. "That's so sweet."

"It is, isn't it?" I scrunch up my nose, thinking I would enjoy the looks of envy a lot more if any of this situation were remotely real. "Thanks, Tana."

With one more nod, I walk around her desk, pushing open the heavy wooden door and closing it again behind me once I'm inside Brenton's empty office. Normally, when I'm alone in someone else's room, I'd probably snoop through their stuff. But seeing as I know pretty much everything there is to know about Brenton, I know I'm not going to find anything remotely interesting.

So, I settle for the next best option: taking a nap. Kicking off my shoes, I lay down across the entire length of the dark green leather couch on the side of the room, sighing contently as I close my eyes and wait for my fake fiancé to return. I'm not sure how much time has passed when I hear the door open, but the shut eye definitely left me feeling perkier, so I'm all smiles as I keep my eyes closed and say, "I'm pretty sure this is the world's most comfortable couch and I one hundred percent plan on stealing it."