The Writer & The Player #Wattys2016

Chapter 9

His eyes flickered away from mine immediately, I could see he was nervous to how I'd respond. Almost sheepish. 

I stood up abruptly looking at my phone that was now sitting on the couch, at a loss for words.

"W-Why did you do that?" I sputter out. I was pacing around the coffee table now, without even realising it. My eyes land on Zac who sits with his elbows on his knees, staring intensely at the vase on the coffee table. 

My body freezes as I stop in front of him, demanding an answer. 

I didn't know how to feel. Yes, my job was still intact but I would have never considered dating Zac if it meant I could keep it. Now I was digging a deep hole and there was no coming back up. And it was a hole I was digging with Zac Bleu. There was no way this was going to work. We'd be caught out. 

He doesn't meet my eyes, he just bites his lip and remains his focus on the Vase. Then finally, after I was beginning to feel awkward standing still in front of him, he leans back and looks at me briefly. 

"Look, after you told me how important your job was, and after Regina assumed we were together, I just thought that if I rolled with what Regina was saying and convinced her that we're definitely together, then she wouldn't fire you." He explains, finally meeting my eyes. "And she didn't." 

I let out a huge sigh I didn't know I was holding, as my eyes flicker around the room as if I could find an answer to this, now huge, dilemma. 

"But it's not the truth. We are definitely not in a relationship." My voice echoes, as I feel the heat of the sun hit my back through the window.

"We'll just pretend. At least until you have your story then it won't matter." He says, standing up and walking over to me.

I stare at the ground. I didn't get this. "I don't get it. What's in it for you?" 

His eyes widen slightly, as he bites his bottom lip slightly anxious. His deep green eyes meet mine hesitantly. Darn those green eyes.

He looks away for a second. "Look, as you probably know, I don't have the best reputation with relationships." I scoff. As if I keep up with his life. But, ashamedly I did know. "So this whole thing won't be bad for me either. I've uh-" He stops for a moment, rubbing his neck anxiously. "Kind of been given a warning that if I get anymore negative publicity I'll lose my chance to play for the New York Jets." 

My eyes widen in surprise. He was planning on moving teams? As far as I had known he was with the New York Giants, and always had been. Now he was planning on changing?

My look of bewilderment gained me an explanation. "They're offering me more, but that's besides the point." He flicks the explanation off. "The point is that if they think I'm in a relationship then those photos of us won't seem so negative. So what's the harm?"

I stare at the marble tiles for a moment. It was wrong! We weren't really together and to pretend like we were so he can get his deal and I can keep my job was stupid. It was wrong.

But my Dad; I did need this job. And it was already too late. There wasn't much I could do now. The photos were out there and Regina thought we were together. It's already been done.

"But we know nothing about each other." I say, finding myself looking for more excuses as I flop on to the couch, helpless.

He smiles, tucking his hands into his front pockets which I could only imagine were still damp. "That's why they invented 21 questions." 

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I, personally wasn't keen on having all my cards lying out on the table but I didn't see much else of a choice. I also thought it wasn't fair that Zac had his entire personal life out in the media, which meant there wasn't much for him to really be revealing.