Page 39 of Red Queen
I open the door for her, locking it as she steps inside. “Just don’t want any intruders,” I reassure her.
“So, what was so important? I hope you want to apologize.” I burst out laughing as I plop on the couch, but stop when I see she’s serious.
Uh oh. I think I’m in trouble.
“No. If anyone should be apologizing, it’s you. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about.”
“Then it seems like there’s no reason for me to be here. Give me the key.” She holds out her hand, but I don’t move.
“No. Sit down. I want you to hear me out.” When I see she’s not coming closer, I add, “Please.”
She sighs, but she moves and sits down next to me. I reach for the zipper of my suit and slip out of it so it’s hanging around my waist. It’s much hotter in here than I thought. Puto calor.
I suddenly realize that Rosa watched me pull the suit down, and she’s staring at my body, which the compression shirt makes look more sculpted. Working out five times a week does have its perks, it seems. I shake my head with a smirk, then clear my throat when I see she’s still daydreaming.
“So, as you know, Mona tried to sabotage my career, and my bosses want me to solve this without having to involve official investigators. Last week I had a meeting with my private team, and they proposed something.”
“Okay. And what does this have to do with me?” Her eyebrows furrowed, looking at me confused.
“That’s what I’m trying to say. At first, this might sound outrageous, but please just think about it before you answer. This is my only chance.” She nods and motions for me to continue with her hands. “They said… We should date. Officially.”
Her eyes widen so much I fear they’re going to pop out. But there are no words coming from her. Only her hand moved, and before she could slap me again, I grabbed her wrist.
“You had a meeting with your team, and they suggested you should date the woman you humiliated? You have a goddamn nerve to even ask me this, Mateo.” She doesn’t raise her voice, but it sounds dangerous.
“Look, it’s not real dating, okay? Just faking it. You’d be paid. You’d have a contract, and you can withdraw at any time.” She still looks shocked, so I continue. “They said after the pictures from our date in Canada went viral, my numbers have gone up. People saw me more positively. Then they went down again after Mona, but this would be a chance to redeem me.” I look at her with pleading eyes, and as much as I still despise this whole thing, I need her for this. I’m mad, but I can pretend not to be in front of cameras, hopefully.
“Why don’t you just find another woman? A model, like most drivers have,” she asks, as if the answer isn’t obvious.
“And risk having another scandal? Por supuesto que no. They saw me with you. And you’d be paid, you’d have a contract, and not to mention, you could build your connection list. I heard you don’t have many events nowadays.” Her eyes widen again, and she growls in anger.
“This is how you want to convince me? Dissing my work?” she almost screams, and I sigh.
“I’m sorry, okay? I just really need this. And I know it would come in handy to you, too. It’s just a couple months until things get back to normal.”
“You would need to make a lot of things right for me to agree to this. I advise you to choose someone else,” she spits out, sounding like nothing but anger.
“You want me to grovel? I will. But sign the fucking contract.” I reach into the cabinet, pulling out the paper, and shove it into her hands.
“Two thousand per week? Make it five.” She looks up from the paper, waiting for my reaction. I’m not backing up, chica.
“Done.”
She nods and goes back to reading. “What’s this?”
“Those are my addresses. You’ll have to move in with me.”
“No. What kind of couple moves in together after two weeks of dating?” She grabs the pen and crosses out the line. She’s really pushing it. “What does ‘be affectionate in front of the camera and people’ mean?”
“Exactly what it says. Hand holding, kisses, pretending to be in love… Anything to make it look real.”
“Kisses? You want us to kiss on camera?”
“Couples kiss, Rosalia. How else do you want to sell it? I’m not talking about French kissing, just on the mouth. Short ones.”
“I guess I can work with that.” She sighs and scribbles down ‘only plain, short kisses’. I swear this woman’s going to be the death of me.
She continues reading, then writes something again. “What did you write?”
