17. The Talk

Talk?

I can only imagine what he wants to talk about with me? How much he hates me? All the reasons I shouldn't be working for him? Maybe he'll give me a list of all the ways he hates my guts. Or maybe he's found out that I'm still messaging his little brother. It could be any of them, and they all involve topics that I'd rather not discuss. But he's the boss and if he wants to talk, who am I to say no?

I take a few more steps into the room, feeling too on the outskirts still situated at the door. He watches me with precision, like a hawk eyeing its next prey. His dark eyes darken with each step I take, and I almost think he's about to get up and pounce until he looks away, back down at his papers he had been scanning earlier.

It makes me feel a little better when he's not looking at me. He makes me feel like I'm doing everything wrong—even breathing.

I smoothe down my skirt, making sure there are no stains or sweat patches. Because I feel like I'm sweating up an ocean. I run my hand through my hair, checking there's nothing stuck in it, or any stray hairs. I seem well enough, but Leon will be the judge of that.

"Take a seat," he commands.

"No please?" I mumble under my breath, regretting it instantly as I notice him harden his stare at me.

"What was that?"

I shake my head, and look down at the floor. "Nothing."

I sheepishly shuffle over to the chair he points at and pull it out, the awkward grating of the legs on the floor making the silence even more unbearable. Once I'm seated, I feel a little more confident, at least we are on the same level, and he isn't standing above me.

"I appreciate your promptness," he says. Wow. Is he...Is he complimenting me? I was not expecting that at all. Did he fall and hit his head? It would make sense considering how big his head is. "For future reference, however, you must arrive half an hour early." There he is.

"Will I be paid for that extra half hour?" I ask. It's a completely valid question, and I shouldn't be scared to ask it, but I am.

Leon narrows his eyes at me, probably peeved that I asked. "If you require financial aid all you need to do is ask."

It takes everything in me to stop myself from gaping at his words. I think I hate this man more than the second sequel star wars movie. How dare he speak to me like that. I can put up with a lot of his shit, but I refuse to put up with that. "I'm sorry?"

"If you require to be paid for an extra half hour, then I can assume you are struggling to support yourself? Unless there is a reason other than that, please enlighten me." He leans back in his chair, stretching out. His lips are slightly quirked into a smirk, like the little prick he is.

"I assume it's standard to pay your employees for the time they work. If you expect me to arrive half an hour early without being paid to do so, then you'd be mistaken."

Leon raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms across his chest. "Fine."

Ha. I won.

"But what do I get in return?"

My brows furrow.

"What?"

"I asked what do I get in return."

"What do you get in return for having to pay me because you want me to arrive half an hour early in the morning everyday?"

He remains silent.

"A happy worker?"

"I don't appreciate this attitude you have with me. Especially after I just provided you with a job with much more accommodations than any other employer would give you. I asked you for a completely decent thing, to arrive half an hour early and yet you are throwing a tantrum and demanding that I pay you. Do you do this with all your employers?"

I can't believe he's completely trying to make me look like the bad guy in this situation. In what way am I being unreasonable?

"And so you want something in return?" I question, ignoring the question he asked me. Maybe it's just better if i play into his games, maybe that way he won't get so antsy. He nods his head. "What do you want?"

"I want you."

Okay, this time I actually do gape.

"You want me? What the hell does that mean?" I shift uncomfortably in my chair, ready to bolt out of this room and forget about the job altogether if need be.

"The other night when you went on your little date with my brother," he says with disgust, "there were photos taken of us. Photos which have been plastered all over the media, insinuating that I am in some sort of relationship. Now this normally isn't problematic, however I cannot have the media thinking I'm some irresponsible bachelor that whores himself around the city, not when I'm about to merge with one of the biggest conglomerates in the state. I will not those photos fuck things up."

I'd completely forgotten about those photos. I'd barely thought anymore of them after seeing them. I thought maybe Holland would get mad at me as worst case, but never did I think a silly photo like that would threaten the strong and mighty Leon Camdon.

It clearly rattled him.

But I'm still confused. "Where do I come into this?"

Until I've merged my business and have secured the company, you will act as my... partner."

"Your partner? What do you mean, partner?"

"My girlfriend."

I laugh.

Me? His girlfriend? Oh this is rich, this is definitely something.

"Because you are now my personal assistant, it will make sense that this is our cover story of how we met. An office romance." He says.

My laughter dies down until the room is engulfed in silence once more. He's being serious.

Leon Camdon, the billionaire, the most attractive man in New York, wants me to pretend to be his girlfriend? "But, you can barely see me in the photo, there's no way anyone would be able to tell it's me. You could get someone else to play the part, someone way more willing. I think that would be best actually."

"No." He shakes his head. "Now that you're my personal assistant, the media will begin seeing much more of you. It only makes sense that it's you."

I don't even know what to say. This is absolutely ridiculous.

"I can't pretend to be your girlfriend." I state. "I have my own life, I'm in college and go out all the time, I don't want to limit myself because of you. I'm already in a relationship—"

"With my brother?" He questions as if it's hilarious. "You're not in a relationship. You're too young to even know what a proper relationship is." He scoffs.

"That's irrelevant. I don't want to do it, so I won't."

"No."

"What do you mean no? Stop saying no."

"Unless you want me to fire you and make sure you're never hired by a reputable company ever again, then you will be doing this."

"You're threatening me." I say shocked.

"I'm simply telling you how it is."

"You're a horrible person."

"I never said I wasn't."

Never in a million years did I think this was how my day would go. I can feel a pit forming in the bottom of my stomach. A sickness rising to the surface. I glance down at my fidgeting hands, trying to calm my sporadic breathing. You're going to be fine.

"How long must I do this?"

"There's a ball in three months' time, to host a celebration of the merge. Until then."

Okay, that's not too bad. I can do three months, surely. "What does this 'relationship' entail?" I need to know what I'm getting into, even though I have no choice in the matter.

"Public outings that allow the media to see us together. Public displays of affection and other things alike."

Public displays of affection? My head is spinning. What will this media attention get me? Oh gosh, I didn't even think of the repercussions of the media attention. What if the photos are seen by people who I am trying to avoid? People I'm trying to forget.

I can't do this, I can't risk myself like this. But if I don't, I'll never be able to pursue a career or be truly free. I'll never be able to—

A finger lifts my chin and I find myself staring up at Leon. His gaze is softer than normal, and those dark eyes look down on me with... concern? When did he stand and come over here? I didn't hear or even notice. Was I that caught up in myself?

He wipes at my cheek gently and it's only then that I realise I've started crying.

I try to move to wipe my tears away, but he cups my cheeks in his palms, stopping me. "Don't cry," he coos. Almost condescendingly.

I blink and it's almost as if he becomes a different person entirely. That softness disappears and is replaced by a cold unfeeling demon.

"I've barely done anything yet."