Page 75 of The Fake Dating Plan

“What about fashion week?”

“It will blow over by then.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“If it doesn’t, isn’t all press good press?”

Not when I’m being called a gold-digger. It isn’t. My phone rang at that moment, taking me away from my thoughts. Gia’s name flashed on the screen. I was wondering how I had shared my number with her in the first place when I remembered the nugget she had promised me before the news dropped and I forgot about the whole thing.

“Is that one half of Axmilia calling?”

“Dylan!”

He laughed as he stood up. “That was the last time I promise.” Laura, too, got up and together they made their way out of the office. I answered the phone.

“Gia.”

“How are you?”

“As well as one can be considering.”

“Great. I wasn’t sure how you would take being the trending topic.” She sounded concerned, which was something I least expected from her.

“I’m taking it bit by bit.” To be honest, things didn’t go as bad as I thought, but being talked about wasn’t something I liked. I would rather people talk about my work than my personal life.

“Dating Ax can be chaotic.” Hearing talking about Ax made me feel a little more jealous than I wanted to admit.

“Is that why you were calling?”

“I wasn’t sure if you still wanted to hear about you know that thing, I was about to tell you.”

Did I want to hear it? What if it was information meant to sabotage my relationship with him? I wasn’t sure if her intentions were pure and yet, I still wanted to know what she had to say.

“What is it you wanted to tell me?”

I heard other voices from her background. I heard Gia’s name being called. Then she said, “I don’t think I can talk anymore. Can I send you a text.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks, bye.”

The call ended there. What was it she wanted to tell me she couldn’t say in front of people? A few minutes later, my phone buzzed. I picked it up immediately. What I saw changed everything.

I was about to set my phone down when another text came in.

Axel:We need to talk.

Boy, do we.

Me:Yes, I think we do.

I arrived at the penthouse early. I thought I would have cooled down by the time I came to see him, but I couldn’t wait to confront him. He opened the door as soon as I came.

“Hi.” It sounded cold and impersonal, and I didn’t realize it, but he appeared indifferent as well. He receded into the apartment and I followed him. Coming here this time around felt different. There was a warmth that used to be there that was gone.

Ax led me to the dining room where a table for two was set. He withdrew one chair for me, and I sat down. Ever the gentleman. He went to the other side of the table and took his seat. I was about to talk when the chef came with the starter. It was mushroom soup with truffle shavings, my favorite.

“Th—”

---