Page 5 of It's Not All Fake

“I can get you a dry paper towel,” she offers, smoothing her skirt down and trying to regain her composure. The blush hasn’t left her face, and she is truly gorgeous.

I notice she has a matching wet patch on one side of her white blouse. The wet material is translucent now and I can clearly see her lacy white bra over her full breast. I swallow hard, my gaze lingering too long.

“Um…” I start to say, but Chloe realizes where my eyes are and looks down at her chest.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” she crosses her arms over her chest. “Come on in.” She darts inside her office and grabs a sweater off the back of her desk chair.

I follow her, noticing the contrast between the fluorescent hall lights and the warm, dim lamp lighting in here. Mood lighting, I suppose. The office is small and cozy with soft, neutral colors. I can see why my mom likes it here, but I suddenly feel more on edge.

“Have a seat.” Chloe motions to an overstuffed couch with pillows as she finishes buttoning up her sweater.

I glance at my watch, only a few minutes past the hour. Time seems to have slowed down. I reluctantly sit, sinking into the couch.

“Well, you get points for chivalry.” She smiles at me sweetly as she closes the office door and takes a seat in an armchair across from the couch.

“So, how does this go? I tell you my sob story and you give me five steps to success?” I stare at her with skepticism.

Chloe smiles nervously. She looks even younger somehow. Maybe early twenties. She is undeniably beautiful. Her green eyes search mine and I’m afraid she has the ability to see all my secrets.

“Well,” she says, taking a deep breath. She smooths her hands along her thighs, straightening her skirt. As she does, the V-neck of her sweater dips, revealing a glimpse of her creamy cleavage. She quickly adjusts, clearing her throat. “I’d like to know more about your history in relationships and where you feel you struggle.”

My phone buzzes in my pocket. “Excuse me.” I grab it and answer. It’s an important call for work. “Barry, how’s it going?”

Chloe raises her eyebrows at me, clearly displeased. I watch her shift uncomfortably in her seat while I get an update on our newest media launch and give instructions to my team. As the call drags on, she presses her lips together and crosses her arms.

I laugh at a crude joke Barry makes before hanging up the call. “Got good news,” I tell her, smiling.

“Glad to hear it, but?—”

A text message dings. “Oh, hold on, sorry.” I check my phone and proceed to type out a few text messages. The texts are from some buddies about our fantasy sports league, not work, but Chloe doesn’t need to know that.

“Liam, did you read the agreement you signed?” Chloe asks flatly.

“My lawyers were fine with it.” I shrug, glancing back up at her. I click the phone off for now.

“You agreed to no electronics in session unless there’s an emergency.” Her tone is light but doesn’t mask her annoyance. “It’s hard to make progress if you’re distracted.”

I relent. “Alright, what would you like to know?” I fold my arms over my chest. She really thinks she’s going to do something phenomenal in my life, but this feels like an intrusion.

“Tell me about your most serious relationship.” Chloe attempts to smile at me.

“We were college sweethearts. Went our separate ways afterwards.” I shrug. “What about you? You don’t have a ring.”

I glance at her bare finger, and she stiffens.

“Let’s focus on you,” she says softly. “What happened with your college sweetheart?”

I narrow my eyes at her. “Why do you get to evade questions, but I can’t?”

She chuckles. “I think you have been evading my questions pretty successfully.”

I wait, silently studying her until she sighs.

“This isn’t about me. We’re here to talk about you,” she explains. “What went wrong in your college relationship?”

I swallow back a lump in my throat. She’s prodding at memories I buried long ago, and I need her to back off.

“What went wrong in your relationships that you’re single?” I retort, my voice sharp.

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