The Game

Chapter two

* ⋅˚₊‧ The Agreement ‧₊˚ ⋅

Amelie Wolf arrived at the Devils' headquarters feeling a mix of curiosity and apprehension. The last few days had been a whirlwind since Jerome had proposed the idea of being Nico Hischier's fake girlfriend. After much deliberation, she had agreed to meet with the Devils' PR team to discuss the terms and conditions.

She was led to a sleek conference room where Jennifer Grant, the Devils' PR director, greeted her warmly.

"Thank you for coming, Amelie," Jennifer said, offering her a seat. "I know this is a lot to take in, but we're confident this arrangement will be beneficial for both you and Nico."

Amelie smiled politely. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, but I'm here to listen."

Jennifer nodded, handing her a document. "These are the terms and conditions of the arrangement. Basically, you'll be seen together in public, attend events, and occasionally post on social media to make it look authentic. We're not asking for anything that would invade your personal boundaries. It's purely professional."

Amelie skimmed through the document, noting clauses about maintaining professionalism and mutual respect, as well as confidentiality agreements.

"Alright," Amelie said, setting the paper down. "I understand the general idea. So, what's next?"

Jennifer smiled. "Nico is waiting in the next room. We thought it would be best for you two to meet and discuss this face-to-face. See if you're comfortable with each other."

Amelie took a deep breath and nodded. "Let's do it."

Jennifer led her to another conference room, where Nico was already seated. He stood up as they entered, offering a polite smile.

"Amelie, this is Nico Hischier," Jennifer introduced them. "Nico, this is Amelie Wolf."

Nico extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, Amelie."

"Nice to meet you too, Nico," she replied, shaking his hand.

Jennifer gave them a moment before speaking again. "I'll leave you two to talk. Just let me know if you have any questions."

As Jennifer left the room, an awkward silence settled. Nico was the first to break it.

"So, this is pretty crazy, huh?" he said with a small, nervous laugh.

Amelie smiled. "Yeah, definitely not something I expected to be doing. But I guess it's important for both of us."

Nico nodded. "I appreciate you considering this. I know it's not easy."

Amelie shrugged. "It's not just for you. It could help my career too. Plus, it might be interesting, we could think about it like a game."

They both laughed, easing the tension a bit. Amelie decided to dive into the specifics.

"Jennifer mentioned some terms and conditions. I think we should go over them together, make sure we're both comfortable."

Nico agreed, and they sat down to review the document. They discussed boundaries, public appearances, and social media posts, making sure they were on the same page about everything.

"One thing that's important to me is keeping this professional," Nico said. "I don't want to cross any lines that make you uncomfortable."

"Same here," Amelie agreed. "As long as we're clear about that, I think we can make this work."

After about an hour of discussing details, they felt more at ease with the arrangement. Nico looked at Amelie thoughtfully.

"You know, I think this could actually be a good thing," he said. "If we can make it believable, it might take a lot of pressure off both of us."