fake-ish :: bws

Seven

PART TWO - THE CONTRACT

v

We got out of the lift on the 13th floor and saw Brad and Joe sitting on a couch, waiting. For a person who "loves being late all the time", Brad was consistently early all the two times we saw each other. But it was probably for the same reason as I was early today - our managers.

"Good morning, Victoria and Olivia," a blonde guy said, coming out of a room with glass doors. "Have a seat, please, Nicole will be with the four of you in a while. Feel free to serve yourself as you please," he pointed to a table in the corner, filled with snacks, coffee and tea.

"Thank you," Olivia nodded, sitting in a chair. I, obviously, went straight for the coffee. As I turned around to find somewhere to sit down, I caught Brad's eyes, his lips turning into a funny grin, and he raised his hand, also holding a cup of coffee. Well, it looked like we had the same addiction. I winked at him and sat in the chair next to Olivia.

Nicole was not even one second late. At exactly 10 o'clock she came through the same glass doors as the guy did earlier. She was holding a tablet in her right arm while typing on a phone.

She then stopped in front of us and finished typing, looking up and smiling. A fake smile, obviously.

It was funny. The way that I didn't know her and literally had just met her once but felt like she was the most horrible and fake person to ever exist on planet earth. It was bigger than me, and even though I tried to push it away, I just couldn't. My stomach felt sick just to look at her. And I didn't quite know why.

"Good morning, everyone. Let's start our big important meeting?" she pointed to a hall and Joe lead the way. I could see the sarcasm dripping from her mouth. "There to your right, Joe," she said when we arrived at a black door. We entered a small room, with a table in the middle. One of the walls was made entirely of glass windows and a shy sun was peeking behind the grey clouds. The view was just insane. You could see the Thames and the Shard and a big part of London. Incredible. "Please, make yourselves comfortable," she said, closing the door.

"Wow," I whispered, sitting so I could face the windows.

"I know, right?" Brad whispered to me, sitting by my side. "Wonderful."

I nodded, smiling at him.

"Don't you just love London?" I whispered back, amazed. He was about to reply, but Nicole cleared her throat and sat, so he just shook his head, smiling shyly.

"Ok. I'll just give you all the info and we can discuss things later. Don't interrupt me, please," Nicole said, unlocking her tablet. "It'll be a one-year contract where Victoria and Bradley will maintain a relationship..." she kept talking but I stopped listening at 'one year'.

"Wait," I said before I realised.

"Don't interrupt," she simply replied, not looking away from her tablet. "You'll have a schedule you'll have to follow that will tell you what to do, when and where. The schedule is up for modifications if I think it's necessary. You'll respond to Olivia and Joe, and they'll respond to me. I will give you some freedom to add or take out things from the schedule, but with previous debate, and with my approval. Anything about your personal lives, related or not to work, that could eventually jeopardise this deal will have to be put on hold. No one can know that the relationship is fake. And I mean no one. Not even your mothers," she glared at us. "If you end up, for some reason, not following these terms - and they'll be clearly described in the contract you're signing - there will be a few consequences," she paused, quickly re-reading what was written on her tablet. "Well, I think it's pretty much it. Any questions?!" 

"I have one," I said immediately.

"Oh no, wait, I almost forgot something. You can't cheat on each other. I mean, you can't be caught with another person. The media can't think you cheated, you can't have any rumours about it, whatever you wanna call it. It just cannot happen. It will be considered a breach of contract and you will suffer major consequences and there's nothing I, you or your managers can do about it," she stared at each of us in the eyes, dead serious. "Now, questions?"

"Yes," I repeated. "Um, a one-year contract?! I thought it was six months?!"

"I have that same question," Brad added.

"It was supposed to be six months at first, but I was just working on your schedule and it'll work better if it's in a 12 month period."

I just raised my eyebrows unimpressed, leaning back on the chair. I glanced at Olivia, and she had a concerned look on her face.

"Oh. I see. Good to know that's how this is gonna work then."

"And how's that?" Nicole crossed her arms.

"You deciding stuff about our lives and we just having to accept it."

Nicole gave me a sarcastic smirk, saying "huh" and leaning her arms on the table.

"Yeah, well, I guess that is how this is gonna work out for us," she shrugged, smiling. "You'll just have to get used to it then, I suppose," I just snorted, annoyed.

It was official. I hated that woman. And I hated the fact that she could control us if we signed that contract. But it didn't seem like we had any options. 

And who's fault was that? Yep. That's right. ME!!! Cause Bruce Patterson was my father and nobody else's. 

;;