Page 7 of Fiancé for Hire

Who hires a man to go out with her? This wasn’t her style. She had too much integrity to stoop to this level, and no way could she lie about having a boyfriend or a date—or whatever the heck the guy was going to be to her.

But now she had another problem.

Her possible fake date was dominating her thoughts. Despite telling him and Mrs. Ross that he wasn’t her type, Antika was shamelessly curious about him…and that voice.

“Well, come on in and make yourself comfortable,” Tamera cracked, and Antika glanced over her shoulder at her friend, who was still standing at the door with a hand on her hip. She slammed it shut. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected, yet wonderful surprise visit?”

“Have you ever decided to do something and then later think—What the hell was I thinking?” Antika asked. “You realize that you didn’t think the situation through, and then you start imagining how your decision can backfire in so many ways. Well, I did it. I went to that man-for-sale agency that you recommended, and I’m asking myself—why do I always let you talk me into crap like this?”

“Wait.” Tamera rushed to the sofa and plopped down. “You went to At Your Service? I can’t believe it. How was it? Did you see any cute men? Tell me everything, andpleasetell me you have a picture of the guy who’ll be your temporary man.”

Antika dug through the side pocket of her purse for her cell phone. “He is so not my type. I requested a dark chocolate, tall, rugged man, and I ended up with this guy.”

Tamera studied the photo. “What are you talking about? This guy is a cutie. He actually looks like that model—Drevon Ross.”

Antika stared at her friend. “Hold up. You know that guy?”

“No, I said he looks like—”

“His nameisDrevon Ross!” Antika shrieked, then leaped to her feet and started pacing in front of the sofa. “No way it can be the same guy, but… he’s the model? Like—like the famous model? Why didn’t they tell me? I assumed he was some regular Joe Blow in their database.”

“Wait, I’m confused.” Tamera stood and shuffled through the magazines on the cocktail table before lifting one and turning the front cover to Antika.

Antika stared at it, and her heart slammed against her chest. The exquisite human being on the cover wearing a black suit with a black turtleneck and silver jewelry was mouthwatering gorgeous.

“Are you telling me that cutie-pie Drevon Ross is the person they hooked you up with? The person who’ll be your date for my birthday party next weekend? The person you’ll be taking to your company’s gala?”

Antika covered her face with her hands and growled. “Oh. My. God. This just keeps getting worse. Why did I let you talk me into this? I can’t go out with a famous model.” She dropped her hands and looked at her friend. “I especially can’t take him to the company’s event. They’ll never believe someone like him would be involved with someone like me.”

Tamera was still standing in front of her with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open. “How in the world did you get hooked up with him? Is he as gorgeous in person as he is on magazines and television?”

“He looks like some…some pretty boy. You know I don’t do pretty boys. I prefer tall, dark, and rugged. Not cute, conservative, and…fine.”

“Whoa! My best friend is hooked up with Drevon Frickin’ Ross! Wait until I tell everybody!” She squealed and did a happy dance, rolling her shoulders and rocking her hips to some silent beat playing inside her head.

“I’ll have a celebrity at my party, and it is going to be lit! Oh, I know. See if he’ll bring a couple of his famous peeps. I heard he was good friends with Michael B. Jordan and—”

“Stop!” Antika screamed before she got Tamera’s attention. “You arenotto say a word to anyone about this. I’m not sure I’m going through with this arrangement. I was a nervous wreck by the time I left the place. There’s no way I’ll be able to go through with this.”

Tamera set the magazine on the table and stood in front of Antika, gripping her shoulders, and forcing Antika to look at her.

“If you cancel on Drevon before I get to meet him, I will never speak to you again. I mean it!” she snapped. “Now, sit your ass down and let me talk some sense into you.”

Antika huffed out a sigh and fell back onto the sofa as she tuned out Tamera. Antika didn’t need to be talked into anything. She had already made up her mind—she couldn’t do it. She shouldn’t have let Mrs. Ross set her up in the first place.

And then there was Drevon. A famous model.

In her mind, she replayed everything that she’d said to him in Mrs. Ross’s office and groaned. Normally, she wasn’t so rude.

He probably thinks I’m a total whack job. Especially since she was the one who went looking for a date, and then had the nerve to complain that he wasn’t what she’d wanted. He wasn’t her type.

“Gawd! I can’t believe I let Mrs. Ross almost talk me into going out with him. She insisted that we would be perfect together, and—”

“Mrs. Ross?” Tamera said slowly as she sat next to Antika. “Mrs. Ross…like in hismother? She works at the company?”

Antika froze.Ross. Drevon Ross.“Ahh, hell.”

How did I not catch that?

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