Amelia's POV
It was him—the same man I had run into earlier!
I blinked, my mind struggling to process everything. "You... you're the CEO?"
"Obviously" He replied,
"Now are you here for the job or you would prefer to continue staring" he scolded, a small smirk playing on his lips.
"Yes, sorry" I replied, still trying to grasp the situation. "I'm very much ready for this job."
He gestured to a chair in front of his desk. "Please, have a seat. I'm Sebastian."
Sebastian..? Why did it feel like I knew someone with that name previously?
I'm probably just imagining things, I concluded by brushing off the weird thoughts. After finishing the signing process, I was given a breakdown of what my job entails so I could start working immediately.
***
In the following weeks, I found myself getting used to my job. Despite Sebastian being strict and cold, it wasn't that difficult working with him. I had learned to adjust to his dos and don'ts.
One day, as I sat in my office going through reports, when the telephone at the side of my desk rang, grabbing my attention.
"Hello," I greeted politely after answering the call.
"To my office" the voice ordered. I was quick to recognize who the voice belonged to… Sebastian.
I quickly gathered my things and made my way to Sebastian's office, my heart pounding. Knocking lightly, I waited for his response before entering.
Sebastian looked up from his desk, his expression unreadable. "Amelia," he began, "I've been reviewing the recent project proposals. Your ideas stand out, but some areas need improvement."
I nodded, trying to maintain eye contact. "I appreciate the feedback. I'll make sure to address those concerns and refine the proposals."
He leaned back in his chair, studying me for a moment. "That isn't why I called you here though" he paused.
"I need you to be my girlfriend," he said.
Huh??
His face was blank and his eyes held no emotion. The words followed from his lips like they weren't unusual.
My heart raced, and for a moment, I thought I had misheard him. "Excuse me?" I asked.
I might have a tiny little crush on Sebastian, I mean I can't help it. Sebastian is fucking hot. But I had no intention of ever getting into a relationship after how badly my last one ended, and frankly, I'm okay with it just being me and my little boy.
Sebastian sighed, running a hand through his dark hair.
"Look, Amelia, it's not what you think. My family is pushing me to settle down. They think I'm too engrossed in my work, and they're concerned about the company's image."
I blinked in disbelief. "And you think that asking an employee to be your girlfriend is the solution?"
He looked stressed, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk. "I need someone I can trust, someone who already knows me. And you fit the bill."
I took a deep breath, trying to process the situation.
"Umm, this is highly inappropriate. I was hired for my skills and qualifications, not to fill some personal void in your life." I muttered.
"Of course I know that. And no, I'm not asking for you to be my girlfriend for real, it's all just a pretense for only a week while you accompany me to visit my father" he explained.
I hesitated, searching his eyes for any sign of playfulness but he looked dead serious.
"Even if I were to consider this—which I'm not—how would this arrangement benefit me?"
Sebastian seemed prepared for the question.
"If you agree to my terms, I'll give you a check of five thousand dollars now and another five thousand dollars once the act is done," he answered.
My mouth dropped in shock on hearing the offer. Ten thousand dollars to just pretend to be the girlfriend of my boss for just a week? Heck yeah!
The money was just too mouth-watering for me to dare turn down. It would surely solve a lot of my financial issues, and being his pretend girlfriend wasn't that hard- I mean it's just for a week. Nothing could go wrong, right?
Taking a moment to weigh the pros and cons, the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a win-win situation.
"Alright," I finally said, meeting Sebastian's surprised gaze. "I'll do it. But on one condition" I proposed.
"Sure, what is it?" He asked.
"I'm allowed to bring my son with me" I replied.
I'm pretty sure he's already aware I had a child since we bumped into each other the other day. I don't think I had it in me to leave my baby boy for an entire week!
Sebastian raised an eyebrow, seeming both impressed and relieved. "Agreed," he responded, reaching into his desk drawer and pulling out a checkbook. He wrote a check and handed it to me.
"Now about my terms…" he said with a smirk.
Huh? What terms?