Chapter 4 My Pretend Girlfriend

Chapter 4 - my pretend girlfriend

(Anthony's POV)

I sat in my office, staring blankly at the numbers on the screen. The usual satisfaction of seeing profits climb did nothing to settle the storm brewing inside me. Hayley. Her name, her face, the feel of her skin under my fingers-it consumed every thought. I had pushed too far, and yet, I didn't regret a thing. She wanted me. I saw it in her eyes, felt it in the way her body responded. This is not like any other one night stand I've ever had. I need to make something useful out of her before she slips away.

But this was dangerous. Mixing pleasure with business could unravel everything.

A soft knock at the door snapped me out of my thoughts. My secretary, Laura, stepped in, holding her tablet and a concerned look on her face.

"Sir, you have a meeting in thirty minutes with the board," she started, her voice hesitant, "but there's something else you need to know."

I raised an eyebrow. Laura was efficient, meticulous even, but rarely this apprehensive. "What is it?"

"Your parents are coming by. They'll be here in an hour," she said, her voice tight. "And they've mentioned bringing... a guest."

I frowned, the annoyance prickling at the edges of my patience. "A guest? Don't tell me it's who I think it is."

"Sarah," Laura answered, her eyes meeting mine cautiously.

I felt my stomach drop. Sarah! Of course, it was Sarah. The socialite my parents had been shoving at me for years, convinced that she was the perfect match. But she wasn't. Far from it. She was shallow, manipulative, and entirely too comfortable parading herself in front of men like she was some kind of trophy. I couldn't stand her. It's a good thing I called this one from afar. Hayley might actually be put to good use.

"What do they want?" I asked, already knowing the answer but hoping-praying-it was something less disastrous than what I was imagining.

"They're hoping to discuss... a potential engagement," Laura said carefully, gauging my reaction. "They've made arrangements for dinner, and if you refuse, they've said they'll stay for a month."

A month. With Sarah. The idea made my skin crawl.

I rubbed my temple, frustration boiling under the surface. "Of course they did."

Laura shifted awkwardly, knowing this was the last thing I wanted to hear. My parents had been on me for years about finding the "right woman" to settle down with, but their version of the right woman was far from what I wanted. Sarah was everything I despised-fake, superficial, and far too eager to be Mrs. Whitmore.

But a lie might be my only escape.

"I need an out," I said, more to myself than to Laura. "I can't deal with Sarah for a month."

Laura hesitated for a moment before clearing her throat. "You could tell them you're already seeing someone."

My eyes snapped to hers. It was a crazy idea, but maybe crazy was exactly what I needed right now.

"And who exactly am I supposed to be seeing?" I asked, already knowing what she was about to suggest.

She shifted again, pulling up something on her tablet. "Well... you've had quite a few applications for assistant secretary positions. One, in particular, has applied multiple times."

I knew where this was going before she even said it. "Hayley."

"She's qualified, sir," Laura added quickly, "more than capable of handling the job. And if you're looking for a way to get your parents off your back, she could play the part. At least temporarily."

I leaned back in my chair, considering the situation. I had given this a thought but not a deep one. Hayley was smart, driven, and had been working beneath her capabilities for far too long. But asking her to play my girlfriend? It would put us both in a complicated position. I'd already crossed a line with her last night, and now I was considering dragging her into an even messier situation.

Still, it was a better option than enduring Sarah and my parents for a month.

"Fine," I said, surprising myself with how quickly I agreed. "Offer her the assistant secretary position. Effective immediately."

Laura blinked, caught off guard by my decisiveness, but quickly nodded. "I'll take care of it right away."

"And Laura," I added as she turned to leave, "have Hayley report to my office once she accepts the offer. There are... other matters we need to discuss."

"Sure boss." As she was about to leave, she turned and said, "Anyone would kill to become Mrs. Whitmore. Don't let her get off easily."

"Always one step ahead Laura."

She nods and left the office.

(Hayley's POV)

The smell of cleaning chemicals clung to me as I pushed the cart down the hotel hallway. Another long shift, another day of feeling invisible. But just as I was about to turn into another room, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

"Ms. Wright" a voice greeted me when I answered. It was Laura, the CEO's secretary. "Mr. Whitmore has reviewed your numerous applications for the assistant secretary position. We'd like to offer you the job."

My heart stopped. Did I hear that right? After all those applications, the rejection emails, the waiting? Now, just like that, I was being offered the position?

"I... What?" I stammered, trying to process the sudden shift. "Wait, I mean-yes! Yes, I accept!"

"Wonderful," Laura replied smoothly. "Please report to Mr. Whitmore's office immediately. He would like to speak with you about your new role."

I hung up, my mind still spinning. This had to be a joke, right?

But it wasn't.

Minutes later, I found myself outside Anthony's office again, my nerves buzzing. The last time I stood here, everything changed. And now? Now I was his assistant secretary.

I knocked, and the door swung open, revealing Anthony behind his desk. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes tracked my every movement as I stepped inside.

"Hayley," he said, his voice low. "Thank you for accepting the position."

"I-uh, I wasn't expecting it," I admitted, still trying to catch my breath. "But thank you. Really."

He stood, walking around the desk until he was right in front of me. The tension between us crackled in the air, just like last night.

"There's something else I need from you," he said, his eyes locking onto mine. "Something... personal."

I swallowed hard, unsure of where this was going. "Personal?"

"My parents are coming into town, and they've brought someone with them. Someone they want me to marry." His words were cold, calculated. "But I have no interest in her. So, I told them I was already seeing someone."

I blinked, my heart pounding faster. "And you want me to..."

"Yes," he confirmed. "I want you to pretend to be my girlfriend."