The Billionaire's Fake Fiancee - Lauren Wood Page 0,8

a kid and could get you promoted at work. How is that any better than what I did?”

My tongue tied up in knots with a million arguments I wanted to make all at once. I was starting to be too flustered to speak, so I marched off again. As I went, I quickly added over my shoulder, “You have no idea what it’s like to be a single, child-free woman trying to make it in a male-dominated workforce. Just stick to what you actually do understand … Conning women into sleeping with you.”

I had half a mind to flip him a middle finger on my way out, but I realized that might have been a bit too much. And anyway, it wouldn’t help solve my problem of finding a fiancé in less than an hour. I rushed out onto the busy streets in front of Ben’s office and started walking aimlessly, muttering to myself the whole way.

How to find a fake fiancé … Think, think, think. And fast. Would an escort service do that sort of thing? Surely they would. And I could rummage up some pictures of a fake kid from a catalogue. Oh my god, Kate. Now you’re no better than Ben is. Not just lying about a fiancé but a child on top of that!? What is happening to you!?

I was starting to think I might be better off just quitting my job and moving off to a whole new state where I might find a job at a firm that didn’t force me into telling such ridiculous lies just to stand a chance at getting ahead. I felt sick to my stomach over it all and ducked into an ice cream shop, hoping that some chocolate might soothe my nerves.

I sat down with my small cup of fudge brownie ice cream at one of the speckled tables and sulked in the nightmare of the mess I had gotten myself into. The more I thought it all over, the more impossible it seemed to fix. Then I glanced at how little time I had left and sank into an even deeper state of misery.

“Is that helping?”

I jumped up at the sound of the man’s voice, looking up to realize Ben was standing there.

“You followed me?” I scoffed.

“Can I sit?” He motioned to the chair across from me.

“Do whatever you want,” I grumbled. “Nothing matters to me anymore.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a little dramatic?” he quipped.

I stared back at him blankly. “Of course I’m dramatic. I work in advertising, where everything has to be so big and larger than life and beautiful and amazing all the time … or else it doesn’t sell. But even aside from that, I think I’m justified in freaking out this time. I have thirty minutes before I have to go tell my boss that I lied … or just lie some more. Either way, I have this sneaking suspicion that this will result in me being fired.”

“I’d say you could come work for me, but I have a strict ‘no lying employees’ policy.”

“Stoooop,” I whined, rolling my eyes. “Why are you even here!? Did you just come to rub it all in some more!?”

“No, I came to help,” he stated plainly.

I perked up in shock. “Help? How? And what makes you think I’d want your help now? You’re not the charming, nice guy I thought you were at the coffee shop.”

“You don’t think I’m charming anymore?” he fretted. But he changed his tune as he saw me squirming in my seat, getting ready to tell him to leave me alone. “Okay, okay. Sorry. My charm aside, I will still go with you to this dinner tonight if you want me to.”

I considered it for a moment. I didn’t know if I still wanted him to, but I was even more confused about why he was offering.

“Why would you want to help me now?” I puzzled.

“Because of what you said when you were storming off. You’re right. I don’t know what it’s like to be held back at work just because you’re a single woman. But I do know what it’s like to feel left out because you’re not married with kids. All my friends are settled down with families, and it’s a hell of a thing to be a bachelor flying solo at our age. And anyway, I love my job more than anything. It’d suck to be hindered at work just because you’re not paired off and knocked up.”

“It does. It really does,” I nodded.

“So … that’s why