The Italian's Fake Fiancée

10

    "Fuck, what am I going to do Wesley?" Leo ran a frustrated hand over his hair. They were in the spacious living room in his apartment. The escort he had hired as his fake fiancée had not shown up. As it is, he was pretty much late for the family gathering.
   
    After his talk with Alberto in the hotel, Leo had put a call to Wesley for help. His friend had in turn put a call to his other friends, who had released the names of some reputable agencies.
   
    It had taken him two whole days to find what he was looking for. The girl had been elegant, beautiful and pleasing to the eye and could easily pass as someone he could date.
   
    Everything had been going fine. He had paid for her dresses, debriefed her on the matter at hand. Requested for her measurement in order to order for extra new clothes. All she had to do was remember what she had been told, look pretty and show up at his house on the tenth, three hours before he was due to leave for Italy.
   
    But as the clock chimed ten, eleven, twelve, and the girl had not arrived. Leo had begun to panic. When he called her line, and it went straight to her answering machine. His anxiety had grown. And the next thing he knew, he was calling her agency and demanding why she had not arrived.
   
    They were full of apologies as they did not want to offend him and had promised to call the girl and get back to him with the information they have got.
   
    The phone in Leo's hand rang, and he raised it to his ear without looking at the screen.
   
    "Hello."
   
    "Mr D'Angelo?" The voice on the other side of the phone said. Leo's hand tightened on his phone. When he had picked the call his intention had been to talk calmly and not betray any agitation from his path, but the moment he had heard that cool and collected voice over the phone he lost it.
   
    "Why hasn't the girl I booked arrived yet." His voice dripped of venom, causing the woman on the other side of the call to panic.
   
    "Mr D'Angelo that's why I am calling you. Rita came down with flu," She rushed to say. "This had never happened before. I assure you."
   
    "Then find someone else and replace her. I paid your agency in full and I expect flawless service from you."
   
    "I know, sir..." the woman hurried to say. Leo didn't even want to think about the huge amount he had to pay. It was a small price to get what he wanted.
   
    "But sir..."
   
    Leo's resounding "What," followed her words, and the line went silent after that. And the silence spoke volumes.
   
    "What," Leo demanded again. He could practically hear the girl whimpering.
   
    "Sir—em—this being the weekend all the girls are booked," Leo's face tightened. "We are sorry Mr D'Angelo we can't find you a new girl in such a short amount of time. Perhaps in two days," the girl was saying, but Leo had already tuned half of what she was saying out of his head.
   
    He needed a girl today, not tomorrow. Today.
   
    "We are sorry for your discomfort. We will be refunding you your money and giving you a discount in case you want to enter into another business venture with us in the near future."
   
    Leo saw red, and he found it hard to keep his raging emotions at bay. What did she even mean by that? Had his situation not been urgent, he would have made some serious trouble for them. But as it is, he hardly has time on his side not to talk of wasting it on a useless agency. He needed to find another fake fiancée, and he needed to find her fast.
   
    Cursing furiously in Italian. Leo threw his phone to the cushion by the French door and stalked to the counter to pour himself a drink. Well aware of his friend's eyes boring holes into his back. Wesley was yet to say a word to him and if he knew the man well, he was thinking.
   
    Securing himself a drink, Leo poured himself a shot and gulped it down in one go. What was he going to do now?
   
    He had been so confident he would have no issues and when he arrives at their family gathering with his fake fiancée on his arm, he would surprise not only his sister but also his parents and his entire extended family with the loving act he would pull, the dutiful son he would be, and the focused man he would seem that they would have no choice than to reconsider their decisions and see him in a very new light. A good one.
   
    Now all that was gone. Because For his plan to work, he needed all three together. And most importantly he needed a woman in his arms.
   
    Thoughts of settling down were the only thing which would have convinced his parents he was finally thinking of the future. And then, as originally was planned before he had gone and ruined everything wayward lifestyle. His sister would step down as the CEO of D'Angelo Wine Group and move to a distant branch, and he would assume the position for the first time in his thirty years.
   
    The soft chuckle from Wesley reminded Leo he was not alone. And he turned troubled eyes to his friend. Noticing for the first time he had already gone through two glasses of whiskey.
   
    "Easy there," Wesley muttered slowly. "Surely you don't want to arrive at your own family's gathering drunk.
   
    That would be history repeating itself. Leo scowled and shot Wesley a dirty look and then wiped his mouth placing the drink aside finally facing the issue at hand. "What am I going to do?"
   
    "Have you tried asking for a replacement?"
   
    "I have, it so happens there isn't anyone available. And the girl is with flu."
   
    A frown appeared on Wesley's face, drawing his black brows down. "Do you have to go with a fake fiancée? I mean, can't you go alone?"