Page 3 of Faking It with my Bestie's Billionaire Brother

It was time to go spend time with a person who didn't think I was an abject failure, I thought to myself as I marched across the halls of the academy. I picked a hell of a time to come here, however, since it was obvious that it was a passing period.

I was making a beeline towards Penelope's office when I saw her, that familiar face with the wild, dark auburn hair, partially covered by a faded bandana. She was clutching a large, plastic tub filled to the brim with art supplies against her tattered overalls.

Ava Moretti, Penelope's best friend.

Ava certainly wasn't a fan of mine, and truth be told, the feeling was mutual, but even I had to admit that there was something about her that was utterly beguiling. She had a way of getting under a person’s skin, and I couldn't shake the notion that she could get a little wild. But she had been a true friend to Penny since they’d first met in college, and maybe Penny needed a little wild, as she certainly hadn't gotten that from me growing up.

Miss Moretti had her head turned over her shoulder, talking to one of her students, and she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. I wasn’t sure why I didn't move, as I had ample opportunity to step out of the way, but I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She ran into me as if in slow motion. And then, she was falling, and I had no choice but to catch her, of course. Those wide, brown eyes looked up at me in surprise, those full lips parted in a surprised “O.”

My heart began racing, my blood pumping through my veins like I'd just run a marathon. What the devil was this feeling?

That was when she looked at me in question and made the comment about the kids plastering us all over social media, and I remembered where the hell I was.

Then, she had the nerve to call me "Duke Ashbury."

I should have chastised her insolence, but then, I would be earning the nickname that she had given me, so I'd stalked my way towards Penny's office, reminding myself of my original mission.

There was no reason I should be responding in any way to the interaction with Miss Moretti. Normally, I would just ignore the mischievous look in her eyes because I didn't have time for that kind of silliness. It was just that this stupid thing with these lawsuits and what my lawyer proposed this morning was getting to me. It had me all twisted up and confused.

I neared Penny's office about to wring somebody's neck, and when I burst in without knocking, she looked at me, alarmed. "Spencer? What happened to you?"

I smoothed a hand over my tie, trying to regain my composure. "How do you mean?"

She looked at me oddly. "Your face is all red, and you look like you just pushed a train off the tracks."

My fingers fidgeted with the Windsor knot of my tie. "Don't be silly, I just had a little run-in with your klutzy friend." She gave me a confused look, and I waved a hand dismissively. “She’s fine, I sent her on her way without starting a fight,” I said flippantly as I plopped myself into a seat across from her desk.

She eyed me carefully. "I'm assuming you're here because of what Ralph said about the lawsuits?"

I rolled my eyes, cursing under my breath. "I told him to let me tell you about it. I didn't want you getting all upset about something that's probably not going to happen. Besides, you know that I’ll nip any legal issues in the bud. Once I figure out how to do that, I mean," I added hastily.

She looked at me sympathetically. "Why do these people want to sue you, Spencer? Ralph is saying that it could be a PR nightmare and that it could sink the school."

I made a mental note to wrap my hand around Ralph's neck when I saw him again, even though I knew deep down that I wouldn't do it. Ralph Roberts had practically been a second father to me. Hell, he was more of a father to me than my own dad had been. But I really wished he would do without the theatrics sometimes.

"I had to let go a handful of people for very solid reasons." I chose not to get into the nitty-gritty of exactly why I had to fire these employees and hoped that she wouldn’t call me out on it. "They're disgruntled and are threatening to supposedly spill our secrets, which is ridiculous. We don't have any secrets to spill, at least I don't," I insisted, even though I knew damn well exactly what they wanted to expose the corporation for.

There was a part of me that almost wished they would because then I could finally tell the world the whole disgusting truth and wash my hands of this life that had been forced upon me. But in my time at Ashbury Corporation, I had managed to actually do something good with the power it held, and now, we were so invested in so many things that I didn't want to see all that hard work go to waste because of those previous employees' greed.

"Look, we'll work it out, but Ralph has this cockamamie idea to get in front of the PR issues that may arise from these people talking."

"Such as?"

I let out a sigh and laughed a little bit. "It's so stupid. You won't even believe it when I tell you."

She stopped her pen from its furious filling out of what I was sure was ceaseless paperwork and focused entirely on me. "I'm listening."

I rolled my eyes, still shaking my head. "Ralph says that we need to reimagine the public image of the Ashbury CEO."

"Meaning you," she filled in. "And just how does he propose we do this?"

"He says it doesn't look good that I am just some single billionaire. He says people either spin the story of me being a playboy or miserly hermit. He might've made a reference to Scrooge McDuck."

She barked out a laugh and then covered her mouth quickly. "I'm sorry, that's not funny. I was just picturing you with the spectacles and the tufted sideburns. You should try it out, it might suit you."

I shook my head at her. "I don't need it from you, too," I groused. "He seems to think that I need to show myself off as a family man, that it would soften my image, and then, people would be less likely to listen to whatever these disgruntled employees have to say about us." I stopped to consider what he had said next, laughing at his insane proposal. "The man actually suggested that I hire somebody to pose as my fiancée for a few weeks until the press died down. He's concocted these elaborate schemes where we go out to be seen together around LA. He told me how people always want a good love story, so if I can make that the focus, people will overlook whatever these other people have to say about us. I mean, can you believe how ridiculous that is?" I was still laughing, but when I didn't hear her laughing back, I stopped.

She bit back a smile and shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, granted, the fake fiancée thing is…a lot. But I can't say I disagree with him about you finding somebody to turn you into a family man."

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