Page 48 of Faking it With A Grumpy Billionaire

I blushed slightly as I smiled. “Thank you very much, Lydia!”

“You’re welcome. I have to go now! Trying to settle in. But let me know how things go, okay?”

“Definitely!” I said before putting the phone away with a smile on my face as I continued with the task at hand.

I reflected on Lydia’s statement; she had bluntly given me her permission to date her brother. It wasn’t until this moment that I considered what to do in possible end situations. However, I hadn’t thought about the changes I would need to make if Will and I ended up together. The mere thought of it alone felt like an impossibility.

I shook my head to get the thought out of my head. The last thing I needed was to fill my head with false hopes. The chances of Will and me actually ending up together were very slim. I mean, why would a man like him want to date a woman like me?

But he is in a fake relationship with you, and he said he likes you, my inner voice reminded me. However, I still could not shake the feeling that it was in the spur of the moment.

If Will truly had feelings for me, then I should not be worried or thinking about going over to his place so we could talk. Letting out a breath, I pushed aside thoughts of Will and focused on the tasks at hand.

I reviewed the plans I had set for the day, including attending online meetings with investors Will had contacted on my behalf.

Thankfully, these meetings were virtual, saving me the trouble of commuting.

However, anxiety began creeping in as I realized I wasn’t sure what to expect in the meeting. I checked the time and saw that it had gone by even faster than I expected.

Why does time never stay with you when you need it? I asked myself as I finished breakfast before setting up my workstation and all that I was going to need for the meetings.

The first one was with a huge investor, as Will had put it. If I could pitch myself effectively, there was a chance of securing significant funding for the business.

Oh, God, please help me out on this one.

Putting aside all distracting thoughts, I joined the well-organized meeting with my thoughts in order. However, as soon as the investor and both of our lawyers joined, my nerves started to play tricks on me. Despite this, I managed to compose myself and focus on the meeting as it progressed. Now I understood why Will kept emphasizing the importance of staying calm.

As I spoke, trying to pitch my deck, the only voice I kept hearing in my head was that of Will, telling me to be calm and confident in my words.

“That will be all for now, ma’am,” I said as I intertwined my hands on my lap, looking at their faces on my screen.

“That was a great pitch right there, Miss Elizabeth, or should I say soon-to-be-missus,” the client joked, causing me to laugh as well, even though a part of me felt guilty.

There was a possibility this client was only considering my business because of the relationship I had with Will, and that got me even more worried, especially since our relationship status was still inconclusive.

“Thank you very much for that, ma’am,” I responded as she continued with her words.

“I think I love what you’re trying to build here. I love the narrative and how you want women to feel confident and beautiful. Besides, your pieces speak for themselves. I would love to be a part of this.”

“Oh wow, thank you very much, ma’am.”

“So our lawyers would discuss the terms and rules binding our investment, and of course, I’m sure each of them will communicate to us when that is finalized. Is that okay with you?”

“Yes, it is, ma’am,” I replied.

“Great, you know I like to leave the legalities to the professionals. So far, they know what we want. I think we are good on that.”

I let out a soft laugh as I responded to her, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Oh, please, Regina is fine. Thank you very much, and please send my regards to your husband-to-be. He is a good friend of mine and an old-time investor. Please tell him to visit me soon. We need to talk.”

“I’ll do just that, Regina. Thank you for today,” I responded, not knowing how to feel about the statement she had made.

Of course, she might have meant just business, but my suspicions that she agreed to the meeting because of Will were further confirmed. It made me wonder if my business was truly worth it or if this was just some sort of favor they were doing for Will.

“All right, we’ll jump off now. Have a great day, Miss Elizabeth.”

“And you too, ma’am,” I said. The moment the call ended, I exhaled a long breath that I had not realized I’d been holding for so long.

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