"Kate," I said, dead in my tracks. And I felt it. The feeling of deja vu. It wasn't like this had happened before. It was the chill that swept through my bones that made me feel like that. I felt like I was back at Mr. Trevelyan's office –even though the scenery was different– I felt... intimidated –and I hadn't even seen him yet.
I wasn't scared of what he'll do or say when he sees me. Hell, I wasn't even scared that there was a high –very very high– chance that he'll fire me, for not going to work (when he obviously should have days ago). I was scared of what he came here for. He came for business. To crack a deal, like the businessman that he was. A deal that could change the whole story–
"Huh?"
"Kate, my boss is here," I said, still looking at the Range Rover in front of our apartment. I didn't think, Kate had noticed. Yet.
"Boss? Shit! Do you mean Ivan Trevelyan?" She asked, her voice suddenly pitched higher –possibly an octave higher?–
I nodded and she squealed a high pitched squeal. Damn, my ears. Trust me when I say that this isn't like a romance novel, where the good girls don't squeal/fan-girl like the classic romance bitches.
This is real life.
Right?
"But where is he?" she said looking around and my subconscious palmed her face and said, Look at your bestie!
She stopped looking around and she stared at me, then she followed my eyes and spotted the Range Rover.
"Shut the fuck up! Is that his car?" She asked and I shrugged. "Gosh Belle, he's in our apartment." She squealed again. "How do I look? Sweaty? Flushed? Tired? Worked out?" She ranted while I kept my eyes fixed on the black Range Rover sitting in front of my apartment.
"Let's go," she said pulling me to the apartment.
"Wait." I hesitated. "You wait, I'll go."
"But–"
"No," I said, looking deep into her brown eyes that looked hazel under the street lights. "Kate please."
She furrowed her brows in confusion. "Babe, are you okay? Do I need to get my boxing gloves-?"
I let out a small laugh. "It's fine. I'm fine. Just a few minutes. I'll be back."
"Fine." She took a step back. "But any more than three minutes and I'm bursting into that apartment."
.
I entered the apartment and saw my boss on the couch looking as formal as ever. Wrong. He was in casual outfits –I decided not to linger my gaze on his clothes– and the TV remote was in his hands, as he flicked the TV channels like he was bored.
I pushed the door open a bit too harshly –and I would admit, out of annoyance– The door creaked in response.
"Well, good evening to you, Ms. Greene," he said and turned to me with –as usual– a blank expression. I wanted to him make flinch –or at least have surprise etched on his face– but he didn't.
"Good evening sir, what are you doing here?" I looked at him from head to toe. I preferred him sitting while I stood. It made me feel like I was the boss and whatnot.
As if reading my thoughts, Mr. Trevelyan stood abruptly and hovered above me. "I expected another question like, How did you find out where live? Or How did you get in? But you never cease to surprise me, Ms. Greene." His lips almost pulled to a smirk. "As I believe, if I remember correctly, I told you to come to work today."
"I needed time to think," I said, avoiding his piercing grey eyes.
"I'll let it slip Ms. Greene, considering the situation at hand, but next time you defy me, I fire you, understood?" He asked.
Yeah, right.
"Yes." We were not in the office, I didn't see a need to behave like his PA.
"Our discussion. Have you come to a decision, Ms. Greene?" He asked, his face becoming deadpanned serious
"Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what, Ms. Greene?" He asked and I saw a muscle in his jaw twitch.
Keep it calm...
"Why did you ask me to marry you?"
"I didn't ask or request, Ms. Greene. I ordered and it is your choice if you want to carry out my instructions or defy them. But remember that if you defy them, they shall be consequences." He paused and then continued, "The contract was not awarded to me because I'm still a bachelor. I don't know why they couldn't award it to me, because we had already made the deal. I was informed that the contract is valid for two weeks and that one contract is very important to me," he said. "I hope that answers your questions, Ms. Greene?"
I nodded, "But I don't understand, why me?"
"You're my PA, if I were to explain to anyone they wouldn't get it. If I were to go to some random woman to ask her to marry me, she'd take it as something else and it will lead to another thing. From the looks of it, you are the perfect lady for the job."
My heart skipped a beat. If a random male had told me this I wouldn't have reacted but coming from Ivan Bossy Trevelyan definitely earned a reaction.
"Okay, if I were to agree with this charade marriage-"
"Contract marriage." He cut me off. "It is called contract marriage."
I refrained from rolling my eyes. "Okay then, if I were to agree to this contract marriage, how long will it last?"
"It depends on how long the contractors want to partner with my business. It could be six months, a year, two years, five years, or even ten years. It depends on the contractors."
Ten years?! My subconscious yelled in alarm. In ten years, I'd be thirty-three!
Keep it calm... Don't blow this up. He's still my boss.
I hid surprise from my face and kept my expression blank like his own. I swallowed a huge clump of nerves. "Do we behave like a couple?"
"When we are among people, yes but when we are alone, we are just two separate people." He said so calmly. How is he not freaking out?
Why does he take this matter as a child's play, like he could renew his years if he did the contract marriage? Or did he plan never to marry?
"Okay. There would be terms and conditions, right?"
"Yes, I would lay my terms and you will lay your terms in the contract and we would both sign. Once you've agreed, I'll get my lawyer to start the paperwork."
"While I'm your uh, wife, will I still work for you?"
"No. I don't link my personal life to work. As my wife, you'd have your own job in another company."
"Do I get to tell Kate or anyone?"
"No, you don't. This is our own contract between both of us. And once you sign that contract, any security breach shall be taken legally. In simpler terms, you aren't meant to say a word to anyone."
Oh?
"I don't know how to act."
"That's really none of my business. Go to a drama school or learn using Google. We need to make the contract marriage realistic though."
"What do I gain from this contract marriage?"
"I'll pay your sister's fees, hire the best doctors to take care of your mum, and you yourself will gain personally."
This is it.
I let out a sigh heavily and turned away from him. "Okay, I agree."
"Good, I expected that." He acknowledged. "You don't breach the security terms of the contract. I will tell my lawyer to prepare the paperwork." He said and with that, he left the apartment.
I didn't see how it was possible to say all that without twitching an eyelid. I had never known that things like this happened in real life. I thought contract marriages were only limited to the fictional world.
What the hell had I gotten myself into?
I walked to the window and watched his Range Rover drive off. I raked my hands through my blonde hair as only one thought crossed my mind.
It's official. I'm getting married to a robot.