Attached Strings √

Chapter 20 - The Offer

There is no commitment or promise that the relationship will develop into something more. Therefore, there are to be no attached strings between the two parties.

Looks like we wouldn't be needing those rules afterall.

This was the perfect solution to my problem. I didn't want to fall for Paul and this clause would help to ensure that I really didn't. With that out of the way, I was ready to sign. However, there was still one question I couldn't find an answer to and so I decided to voice it out.

"Paul, how did you manage to have a contract so fast and, above all, how did you know that I wouldn't get the scholarship?"

He froze.

"You did not sabotage my application, did you?" I asked, hoping that he would say he had nothing to do with it. "What, no! What do you take me for? Chloe, I'd never betray you like that." I gave him an I-still-don't-believe-you look. "Chloe, I didn't mess with your application, I swear. I didn't even know you had applied." I believed that part because I never told anyone about my application.

"And what about the contract?"

"Ever since I heard you and Amber speaking about your need for financial support, I took it upon myself to give you that support but I knew you wouldn't just take the money from me because you hate being pitied," he explained, "so when I received a call from my parents, saying that they'd be here for the holidays, I saw that as the perfect opportunity to help you."

Paul heard my conversation with Amber?

I still couldn't see why he'd need a fake girlfriend though. I mean, he could just stay away from girls for the duration of the summer break and his parents would believe that he really was a changed man. "But, why do you need a fake girlfriend? Why don't you just abstain from girls while your parents are here?"

"I can't," I waited for his explanation, "I kind of told them that I have a girlfriend." He winced.

"You did what? Why on earth would you tell them that?"

"And I told them that we live together," he added, totally ignoring my questions. "What did you say your girlfriend's name was?"

"Chloe."

I let out a humorless laughter. How dare he make decisions for me without even consulting me? How could he? So this means that he was already certain that I would agree to this offer of his. As much as I was mad about the entire thing, I still needed the money and Paul was my only ticket to becoming an accountant. I decided to take the offer - I signed the contract - but I made a mental note to make him pay for this.

"Now, baby girl, you are officially my girlfriend." He beamed at me. "Paul, there's one thing I'd like us to get out of the way." He gestured for me to speak. "Never," I began slowly, "never," I repeated for dramatic effect, "never call me 'baby girl' again."

My ex boyfriend, Calvin, used to call me that and I loved it. I loved how he would call me his baby girl but I guess I failed to notice that he only called me that when he had done something wrong or when he wanted to sleep with me. I also failed to notice that he called every other bitch his baby girl and ever since I found that out, I never wanted anyone to call me that again. "But I like it," Paul pouted. Did I mention how cute he looked when pouting? His cuteness was not enough to make me detest that name any lesser. "And I don't like it," I stated with a straight face. "Fine," he said and I heard him mutter something that sounded like 'baby girl' under his breath. I knew he wouldn't let it go.

We chatted some more and Paul cooked dinner, as usual. I never cooked and Paul knew it. Everything that had to do with cooking was his responsibility and mine was to keep the house and our clothes clean. I had no problem with that, I didn't mind doing laundry for him.

Because you always sniff his clothes.

That and because I was too lazy to cook, so keeping things clean sounded better that being burnt on the stove. We only encountered one problem though - we both hated washing dishes. Whenever we finished eating we'd bicker about who would wash the dishes and so we made a timetable for the both of us. Paul would wash and I would dry them and when I would be washing them on the following day, he would dry them.

We finished eating and Paul did the dishes - it was his turn and I was drying them. We spent the rest of the night watching movies on Netflix and we eventually dozed off.

And that was how my first day of being Paul's girlfriend ended. Fake girlfriend, Chloe. Yeah, his fake girlfriend.

A/N: Boring, right? I know. I've just been so busy lately and I just wanted to update so badly but I promise the next chapter will be better.

-Nikita