The Cinderella Promise (Adult Rucas AU)

Chapter 3 - Damage Control

"Now that we've gone through the details what should we do next?" Riley asked trying to calm herself down. They were married and she didn't know if it was a good thing or not, but in the end it was one change in her life after years of the same.

"We haven't gone through every detail but that is going to have to wait," he said looking down at their phones. "Right now we have to do some damage control."

"Do I want to know what that means?"

"I have a very public image," he sighed. "It comes with the territory, with my family name and everything, but I also know that if we don't deal with every detail it's going to blow up in our faces."

"So what do we have to do?" she said wondering about the details and the only one that comes out as a glaring point was how they me. "Does this have something to do with how we got together?"

"Yes," he looked at her and she felt herself being drawn to his green eyes. "We need a story and we have to stick to it."

"Well we could tell them that we met in a bar," she smiled thinking that their actual story would work. "They don't need to know where but it's a start. We started talking and from that moment forward we knew that we were going to be together."

He looked up at her and smiled, "You want to tell them the truth, without telling them the truth."

"Yes," she nodded and smiled back at him. "It's so normal, they don't need the rest of the details."

"I like the way you think, and it's crazy enough to work," he laughed and looked at her eyes. "Now we have to deal with the other part of this."

"I have a feeling this has something to do with my family doesn't it?"

"Yes," he said looking at her. She could feel her heart race just from their eyes meeting. "If your friends and family don't believe that this is real it won't work. Someone could say something to the press and everything would up in the air."

She understood what he was saying but she couldn't truly lie to her own family, but the thought of not having to do what they say was mixed in with that.

"The wedding shouldn't be the first time you meet them," she said but he looked at her confused. "Sorry my best friend is getting married on Sunday and I have to be there of course because I'm the maid of honor."

"You told me about this last night, I just didn't know I would have to go until now," he said to her.

"Yeah, I mean I'm expected to be there, and if I know my family they would want you there too because they would want to know who you were. My best friend is marrying my Uncle, and I know that sounds weird but he's only two years older than me so it's not that weird."

"Okay, but I think I should at least meet your parents before the wedding," he said looking at his hands. She knew that this was a weird conversation. "We'll set up a dinner, we can have it at their house or at the penthouse."

"I can cook dinner, I mean you probably have a cook or something."

"I don't have a cook I'm rarely home because I usually work well into the night. I take my business very seriously."

"I can tell, I can cook dinner since I have to live there."

"That's alright with me, I'll make sure you have whatever you need. I do have a maid that comes in daily to clean the place so you'll meet her, as well as my driver and the security team that works in the building."

"Is that who you were talking to? Your security team is that Zay guy?"

"No that was my childhood friend, he's a lawyer in New York. His firm handles the contracts for the company, he's still a junior associate at the firm but he's hardworking and wants partner by the time he's forty."