"I can't freaking believe this is the view from your office," I gush, my eyes glued to the city below. "You can see it all. It's like a freaking masterpiece."
My nose practically kisses the chilled glass as I soak in the mind-blowing view. I've always been head over heels for New York City. My heart claimed this place the moment I first set foot here on a college tour. One of the saddest days of my life was packing up my stuff and jetting off to LA. I thought I'd made the right choice back then. But now, as I gaze at the city's vibrant chaos, I know where I'm meant to be.
"The view from up here is next-level," he concurs, his voice drifting from behind me. I hear him shuffle a bit closer, but I'm too entranced by the only place I've ever truly called home.
It's funny how life plays out. I'd have never guessed that my return to New York would be orchestrated by none other than Anuj Kapadia.
I sense his presence beside me even before I glance over. It's been this way since the moment we met in The Hamptons. It's like we had this unspoken understanding, even without exchanging many words. I reminisce about that night on the beach when he found me sketching under the moonlight.
We hadn't said much that evening. I could detect the scent of alcohol on his breath as he leaned in, peering at my sketches. Somehow, under the moon's glow and his intoxicating presence, I hadn't felt embarrassed about what he'd discovered—or rather, who he'd discovered.
His shoulder brushes against mine. "What's on your mind?"
I continue to gaze longingly at the city for a few more heartbeats. I'd do whatever it takes to stay here, to coax Stella and Devika into making this our home again. LA felt like a compromise, but now that I'm back, I'll move mountains to make New York City our sanctuary. A part of me aches to know the stories of the people below. In my college days, during those rare free moments, I'd sit in bustling coffee shops or outdoor cafes, sketching the souls around me. Sometimes, I'd craft entire lives for them in my head. Instead of depicting them sipping coffee in a booth, I'd draw them in exotic or mundane scenarios, different tales for different folks, depending on the story that felt right.
Damn, this place is something else.
"Anupama?" Anuj's knuckle gently grazes over my cheek, and when I meet his gaze, I can't conceal the melancholy lurking in my eyes. "I never want to leave this place," I confess, a strange feeling of belonging in a city I didn't grow up in, a city I've only lived in for a few years.
His brow furrows. "Then don't," he offers in a husky voice, allowing his knuckle to brush lightly over my bottom lip before he tucks his hand into his pocket.
Breaking our eye contact, I scan his expansive private office. I'm curious about his work habits, wondering if he spends most of his time here or if he's more hands-on. Are his days filled with meetings in the lavish conference room we passed on our way in? I'm brimming with questions, a desire to understand him better.
I take a deep breath, savoring his scent. "It's not that simple. What if things don't work out? What if I can't find a job here after... you know, our arrangement? Moving back to California would feel like such a disappointment after being here."
"Why?" he probes.
"Because being here feels like where I truly belong," I explain.
"You don't have to go back if you don't want to. Even after all is said and done, you deserve to be wherever makes you happy."
I study him, still grappling with the surrealness of the situation. Not only am I now employed by the illustrious Anuj Kapadia, but soon I'll also be his fiancée. Everyone, except the two of us, will believe he's fallen for me, and vice versa. It wouldn't be so bad to continue the pretense indefinitely, but there will always be that flicker of hope that it could become something real.
That's precisely why I can't kiss him again, at least not like we did last time. Putting on a show for others is one thing, but when it's just the two of us, I can't bear to kiss him, knowing it's all a monumental...
lie.
"That's the damn thing," I start, locking eyes with him. "I'd do anything to make this work. I want that interview with Brian. I want to showcase my art and prove myself. It's my ultimate desire. That's precisely why I don't want to jeopardize this arrangement by kissing you again."
He nods slowly, keeping his emotions well guarded. "How does kissing me relate to Brian, exactly?" If I didn't know better, I'd swear there's a trace of jealousy in his tone.
"It's just that when you kissed me today, it blurred the lines in my head. It didn't feel like a charade. It didn't feel like it was for show, to fix your image and secure the job I've always dreamed of. It felt genuine, even when I knew it wasn't. And I can't handle that right now."
Anuj clears his throat, poised to respond, but I beat him to it. "Honestly, it's embarrassing to admit this, but your brother really messed with my head. I just don't know if I can handle deciphering when it's real and when it's just an act."
His hand clenches at his side, the veins on the back of it becoming more pronounced. "Anupama, we were both there this morning. That wasn't for show, and I'm insulted if that's how you see it."
Anuj looms over me, standing toe to toe. His deep coal eyes smolder with anger, a tempest brewing within them. I'm not sure how to respond or what his statement implies. Is he acknowledging that it's real? He's already turned my world upside down, and my first official work day hasn't even begun yet.
The intensity in his gaze makes me wonder if we've both played with each other's minds. Perhaps this fake arrangement won't go as smoothly as we once believed.
"Tell me not to kiss you again, and I won't. But don't diminish what happened earlier. I've been thinking about it all damn day. It wasn't a damn performance, and you damn well know it."
With that, he leaves me alone in his office, though not too far away. He switches on the lights in a conference room and spends the next hour engrossed in a phone call.
Maybe his silence is his way of punishing me, or perhaps he realizes that I could lose myself gazing out of his office window all day; it boasts one of the most breathtaking views in the city.
Regardless, we don't exchange a word during our time out and about. In fact, we don't even speak when we return to the penthouse.
Damn it all to hell, this situation is getting more complicated by the minute.
~~~
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Faking It With a Billionaire || MaAn
FanfictionIn the bustling city of LA, I was a struggling graphic designer who had finally made peace with the idea of staying single for life. However, life had other plans for me as I suddenly found myself boarding a private jet to New York to get engaged to...
