Anntonia
Day One
––––––––
I woke up in a cold sweat, feeling as if I'd made the biggest mistake of my life. There was a massive engagement ring on my ring finger, a stack of engagement announcements on my nightstand, and a flock of paparazzi outside my brownstone.
Today was supposed to be the first of thirty for me and Ms. Dee (Well, "Michelle," now that I was her fiancée), and I wasn't ready to embark on the insane itinerary that Kate planned. She'd updated it multiple times—sometimes within the same hour, and she kept adding things that weren't necessary to land the Watson deal. At least, in my mind.
Sighing, I got out of bed and looked at the last edition of the itinerary I'd printed at my office.
––––––––
Subject: Thirty Day Fiancée (Some Reminders)
To the future "Mrs. Dee,"
I'm including a short itinerary and some things I NEED you both to make sure you do while the press is watching so we can make sure that we: A) Convince Watson that Michelle is a 'family-oriented person'; B) Reform Michelle's image in the press as a former womanizer instead of a current one; C) Secure the million-dollar bonus that was promised to me if we land this deal!
Day 1-3:
Fly to Michelle's hometown and stay in The Four Seasons for a couple nights before staying in the Dee family estate.
Rehearse the "how we fell in love" story (I've sent you both multiple copies).
Do a few interviews with the welcoming press.
If you see cameras, kiss each other. If you don't see cameras, kiss each other.
(Try to look deep into her eyes each time, Anntonia. Oh, and Michelle, try to lightly rest your hand on her ass when you're kissing, so this can seem like a "hot" relationship.)
Days 4-20:
At some point, Mr. Watson will fly in, and he will want to: A) Play golf with Michelle; B) Have dinner with the Dee Family; C) Get a tour of all the Bed & Breakfast villas that Michelle's brother co-owns with Michelle's mother; D) Sign off on this damn deal we've worked on for MONTHS.
Days 21-30: We'll return to New York, get a few more "couple" photos and interviews done for the press (if necessary).
Day 31: Amicable break-up.
Please don't be late for your flight.
Kate
Special Advisor of the CEO of Dee Industries
––––––––
I debated whether I wanted to go through with this or not, if it was too late for me to back out. I'd told my sister I was still on the fence, even though I signed the contract without thinking twice.
I scrolled down to Michelle's name in my phone, but then I heard her voice in my living room.
Opening my bedroom door, I saw her standing on the steps of my brownstone—shaking her head at my sister. She was wearing a white shirt that clung to her body in all the right ways and a pair of dark lounge pants that exposed the perfectly carved "V" below her hips.
"Where's Anntonia?" She asked, impatient.
"I'm Anntonia."
"You're a very good lookalike, Alice."
"We're identical."
"Not to me." She rolled her eyes. "Where is she?"
"In her room." She let her in, betraying me within seconds.
"Where's her luggage?"
"Why don't you ask her?" Her eyes met mine, and she smiled. "Morning, Ann!"
I shook my head and stepped out of my bedroom. "Morning, Alice. Michelle."
"Where's your luggage?" She asked.
I shrugged.
"I know damn well you've packed for our flight, Anntonia," she said. "Where is your luggage?"
"I've decided not to go."
"You really need to get better at reading the terms in the contracts you sign." She looked around the room. "I'm only going to ask about your suitcase one more time."
"I'm not going," I said. "The door is right behind—"
"Did you tell your asshole boss that you changed your mind about the—" Krystal, my sister's best friend, stopped short as she entered the living room. She looked Michelle up and down, her cheeks reddening with every second that passed. "Well, damn. Can I go in your place?"
"You wouldn't want to," I said, hating the way that Michelle was staring at me right now had made me wet. "She's far worse than anything I've ever told you about on the phone."
"You have twenty minutes to get ready," she said to me. Then she extended her hand to Krystal, and then my sister. "I'm the asshole boss, but I prefer to go by Michelle."
"Pleasure to meet you." Alice smiled. "Her suitcase is already packed. It's in the hallway closet."
What the fuck? I looked at her in utter shock, completely taken aback by her betrayal.
I am definitely not standing in for her at that meet and greet next month ...
"Thank you," Michelle said, walking over to the closet. "I'll be waiting for you in the car." She left, and I waited until she'd walked down the steps.
"Why the hell would you do that to me, Alice?"
"One, you've wanted to get out of your employment contract since the day you signed it, and you're going to get five million for doing this," she said. "Two, it's only thirty days. And three, I think deep down you want to fuck her, and what better way to get that done than this?"
"You're delusional." I headed into the bathroom. "I really don't want to go anymore."
"Oh, please! You were grandstanding," she said, following me. "That's why you bought a second plane ticket for later this morning. You just wanted her to think you weren't going because I personally think both of you have control issues." She put her hands on my shoulders. "Anntonia Porsild, this is only for thirty days. If anyone can handle this, it's you."
__________________________________________
Michelle
Day One
––––––––
Subject: Our flight
Have you somehow forgotten how to find your way back from the restroom? Our flight is boarding in an hour.
Also, did you remember to bring the Wallace files?
—Michelle
––––––––
Subject: Re: Our flight
I'm in the bookstore and will come back to the gate when I feel like it. I know it's been a while since you've flown with us "regular people," but you don't have to wait at the gate for an hour if you don't want to. (I don't want to.)
How could I forget them? You sent me TWENTY emails about them this week.
—Anntonia
––––––––
I groaned and placed my phone into my pocket.
The second Anntonia signed that contract, something shifted between us and the sexual tension was higher than ever. We couldn't get through a single conversation without arguing, and we'd resorted to sending each other emails about the simplest things.
"Why are we not taking my private jet for this trip, Kate?" I looked up at her. "We could have landed by now."
"It's because Mr. Watson isn't a fan of exorbitant displays of wealth, and you want to come off like a woman who hasn't forgotten where she came from." She set down her magazine. "You'll survive the first-class cabin, I promise. Where's Mrs. Dee?"
"Don't call her that." I rolled my eyes. "She's in the bookstore."
"Well, I hope you two were all smiles on the way here." She lowered her voice. "I'm pretty sure a few lifestyle editors from Page Six caught wind of this trip, and they're tailing you. That now means we have Town & Country, The Wall Street Journal, and Market Watch who will be in and out while you two are there. So, that means you and Anntonia are good, right?"
I didn't answer her. "Good" was a far cry from the word I would use to describe us right now.
When I picked her up this morning—after she'd finally come down to my car, she put a goddamn dog onto my backseat. Something I never fucking agreed to, and when I told her that she needed to leave it, she refused to come unless I changed my mind.
On the way to the airport, she became visibly upset when I told her she was still responsible for completing her work while we were "engaged." She blatantly ignored me when I offered to stop and buy her breakfast. And when we arrived at the departures level, she damn near screamed when she saw me tossing her bag onto the security belt.
I honestly forgot her damn dog was in that bag ...
"Good morning, Kate." She sat down in the chair across from us, holding the brown-eyed puppy in her lap. "How's your morning?"
"It's pretty good thus far. I'm just a little behind on my—" She stopped and looked at us. "Okay, no. No, no, no." She shook her head and faced me. "What did you do to her?"
"I haven't done anything to her." Yet.
"Look, Michelle. In addition to the Page Six people, there are two feature editors from Market Watch on this flight." She lowered her voice. "On. This. Flight. Now, granted, they'll be sitting several rows behind the two of you, but the last thing we need is for them to see the two of you arguing on your first day. I don't want that clouding their story. Please just apologize for whatever you said to Ann. Hell, try to use an endearment with it, so you can get used to saying it whenever you're around other people."
I cleared my throat and looked at Anntonia. "I apologize for whatever you think I did to upset you, sweetheart."
"You almost killed my dog." She narrowed her eyes at me. "Apology not accepted, sweetheart."
The damn dog hissed, as if it understood what we were talking about.
"Anntonia ..." Kate let out a breath. "She's apologized in her own terrible way, so let's ignore her for the next few seconds. There are editors from Market Watch on this flight, and I know you, of all people, know what that means. Can you pretend that you're letting this go and just be the bigger person?"
"Seeing as though I am always the bigger person, that's fine."
"Great." She stood to her feet. "I'm going to grab a cinnamon bun from the coffee shop. Can I trust you two not to kill each other while I'm gone?"
We didn't answer.
"Okay, well ..." She sighed. "Just don't talk to each other at all until I get back."
"No problem," we said in unison.
She stepped away, and I glared at Anntonia as she glared right back at me. Then I slowly realized that these thirty days were going to be a lot harder than I'd originally thought.