Page 50 of Knocked Up by My Fake Fiancé
"Of course. My father and mother have their spies everywhere. I know for a fact that Kane reports to my mother's chief of staff."
"Of course they do," she mutters. "But this is a business meeting in front of our professional colleagues. Don't you think it would be weird for us to start being lovey-dovey all of a sudden when we haven't done any such thing before?"
"Not really. You forget, they've almost never actually seen us interact before, so they'll assume we've always been like this, but we just kept it a secret."
"And now we decided to stop keeping it a secret?"
"Bingo." Because we're getting married. I take her hand, ignoring the softness of her skin, and lift it high enough that the sunlight glitters on the diamond of the engagement ring. "Has anyone asked you about this yet?"
She glances at it and shakes her head.
"That's because they probably didn't even notice, or they assumed you were wearing it to ward off suitors. Why? Because you don't act like an engaged woman. You don't have that happy glow, and you're only focused on work. You're not being affectionate and giggling and poring over bridal magazines."
She snorts. "You think that's how engaged women act?"
"No, but I think it's how you should act. We're already working at a disadvantage here. If we want them to buy it, we have to sell it."
She exhales. "So what? I'm supposed to start calling you pet names out of the blue."
"You can try."
She sighs. "I think I'd almost rather gouge my eyes out, unless ‘asshole' is what you have in mind?"
I smile, choosing to ignore her unfunny attempt at yet another insult. "I guess we're leaving the pet names to me, then, sweetie pie."
"Jesus. You carry on like that and you'll make me throw up." She rolls her eyes, and I chuckle.
"Alright," I say. "I'll tone it down a little, and I'll not object to every idea you come up with, okay? But in return, you've got to play the game a little too. Remember, my mother has spies everywhere—so can you please wipe that angry look off your face and stop acting like you want to bite my head off and use it as a football, agreed?"
She nods sullenly, and we go back in to rejoin the meeting and meet our employees' curious glances.
In truth, it suits me to be a little less flamboyant. It's not really my style and I've never been one for pet names, though with Jenna it's more fun just because I'm annoying her.
The meeting drags on for another forty-five minutes or so, and I hold up my side of the deal. I stop arguing every single point, reserving my criticisms for specific things that really do need challenging. By the end of the meeting, we have agreed on the venue and the general stylistic themes for the event, and Jenna looks both pleased and relieved.
I'm perhaps halfway to my office in the back of the limo when my father calls me.
"Yes?"
"I've called a board meeting tomorrow," he announces in a flat tone. "It's important, so don't be late."
CHAPTER 15
Jenna
Yet again, I'm exhausted as I make my weary way "home."
Sorry—not home. Grayson's condo.
I was so tempted to go back to my own apartment after work. Today has been draining, and it wasn't even a particularly full day. It's the combination of everything that happened before work, plus the work itself, and then, on top of it all, having to deal with Grayson during that last meeting. He said he'd turn down the argumentativeness after our "little talk," but he still pushed back against nearly all my suggestions.
It feels like he does it just to get under my skin. Honestly, I think it's in his nature. Half the time I'm not even sure he knows he's doing it. That's the problem with these billionaire types who live in their isolated bubbles of wealth and privilege—mature beyond their years in some ways, complete babies in others. It can't be good for them.
If he was trying to annoy me, it worked. He's definitely under my skin now, and what makes it worse is how he embarrassed me in front of all those execs and my employees, too.
I know what it looks like to them. His employees think I slept with the bastard just to get my contract back, and the worstpart is there's not much I can do to stop them from thinking it, because the real reason is under our NDA.
My own employees are probably wondering what the hell is happening. Iris practically tackled me on the way back to the office to ask what's going on between Grayson and me. I told her we'd been having a secret relationship since the start and, now that we're engaged, we're going public. She didn't buy it at first—not until I flashed the ring. Then her eyes went wide as saucers and she screamed for a full minute.
