Page 12 of Faking it with My Boss' Son

‘‘It would make my night.’’ Something about the look in Ryan’s eyes when he said that made my heart beat faster. ‘‘Come,’’ he held my hand as we went in the direction of the dance floor filled with many other couples dancing.

The evening was mesmerizing, yet I carried a strange kind of ache in my heart. I wanted to run away and hide in my apartment, which was my safe haven at the moment, until Ryan pulled me close to him as the pianist played a soulful tune on his piano, making the anguish I felt more noticeable in my heart. Knowing this was all a show and that Ryan would likely never see me as more than a friend started to eat away at me as the night progressed.

‘‘I didn’t know that you were such a great dancer,’’ Ryan murmured into my ear.

I blushed. I had never been so close to Ryan in the past. The closeness was making me anxious, ecstatic, and very nervous.

‘‘Neither did I,’’ I said as we danced across the floor.

‘‘Really?’’ Ryan said in shock.

We danced for most of the evening. Being in Ryan’s arms felt like home to me. The closer he pulled me in, the faster my heart beat. I felt his breath on my skin, and not just that…I felt like the most beautiful person in the room.

Was I starting to have feelings for Ryan?

Chapter five

Ryan

It was midnight when I got home from the party after dropping Michelle at her apartment. The moment I entered the mansion, I was surprised to see Dad was still awake and sitting in the living room reading a book. The moment he saw me, he nearly squealed, startling me out of the euphoria that I felt from the party.

‘‘Hey, you are home! Come here…I need to talk to you.’’ He said to me as he patted the couch.

‘‘Could we do that tomorrow, Dad? I’m tuckered out.’’ I said, trying to walk towards my bedroom.

‘‘It won’t take more than five minutes. Have a seat.”

“Okay.” I walked to him and sat on the couch.

‘‘I like Michelle. She is a nice girl,’’ he said. I could hear there was more to come.

‘‘Yes, Dad. She is.’’ I agreed.

‘‘So, how are things going with you guys? Do you see things getting serious?”

“Things are going well. We are getting to know each other and enjoy spending time together.” I said, wondering where this conversation was going.

‘‘I hope she is not like the other crushes you had in the past few years and you no longer feel attracted to her after a few days or weeks.’’

‘‘Dad, have I ever brought any woman home for tea or lunch, no matter how much you insisted? I’m serious about her.’’ I said, trying to convince him.

Dad beamed and nodded.

While Dad and I were talking, an idea struck me: it would help me kill two birds with one stone. I could convince my father that I was serious regarding Michelle. He seemed to still have doubts.

‘‘Dad, is it important to really know your spouse?’’

‘‘Of course, it is. What an absurd question,’’ he sneered.

‘‘Dad, I…’’

‘‘What, son?’’

‘‘Dad, it’s true that I have known Michelle since high school, but so many years have passed since then. We were adolescents then, and now we are both grownups, and things have changed a lot. We have only started dating recently, and I want to spend some time with her to get to know her better and understand her so that I can be the best possible husband to my wife when that day comes. I was thinking I might go back to my apartment and ask her to move in with me. You seem to be doing better now and don’t need me around as much. What do you think?’’ I moved my eyebrows together to give him the impression that I was thinking hard.

‘‘That’s a brilliant idea.’’ He stood up from the couch. ‘‘When do you plan on moving?’’ He was filled with excitement.

‘‘Relax, Dad. Not right now. Maybe in a few days, I’ll need to make sure she’s comfortable with the idea first.” I’m sure Dad would not mind sending me right then to Michelle had I not shown a bit of restraint. I told him that I was ready to go to bed and said goodnight.

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