Chapter 10: Chapter 10

I was still in deep slumber when my alarm rang. I slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep off my eyes. I grabbed my phone to check the time, and I realized I had gotten a text from Rhett.

‘Good morning, Laurel. Don’t forget about our schedule today. I’ll pick you up by 10 am.’

“It’s still 8 am though, I have a bit of time,” I muttered to myself as I yawned and stood up from the bed. I opened the curtains to let the morning sun come into the room, and all I could do was admire the beauty of the day.

“What a beautiful morning. Today’s gonna be a good day,” I said to myself, stretching my arms.

I wasn’t quite comfortable involving Rhett’s household staff in my business, so I quietly tidied up my room, brushed my teeth and had my bath. After applying my skincare and fixing my hair, I put on an oversized and comfortable t-shirt and made my way to the kitchen to make breakfast.

I made a quick breakfast and was done in a few minutes, but I realized I still had some time left. I turned on the news to watch the TV and there came the news presenter.

“Mode Maven secures investment from Opulentia Group, one of the major players in Los Angeles, despite rejections from other investors,”

My eyes lit up, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Finally, the company was safe. I wasn’t sure if I made the right decision, but I knew I didn’t want the company to go bankrupt. I was just glad to know that now, my boss and the other coworkers were safe.

I checked the time and it was now past 9 am. I raced to the dressing room and was greeted by the enormous array of clothing.

“Who would wear all these?” I whispered to myself, amazed at the sheer volume of clothes. “This is crazy.”

I was so confused about what to wear. I spent several minutes browsing through the racks, pulling out outfits that caught my eye only to put them back when I saw a better one. Every time I thought I’d found the perfect wear, another outfit would entirely catch my attention. I caught hold of the time; I had just 15 minutes to spare so I had to quickly make a decision. I picked up a beautiful midi dress that would suit me and the occasion perfectly. Rhett and I were practically going on a date, even if it was fake; and we’d also go visit his parents so I had to look good and presentable.

I rushed back to my room with the dress, quickly got dressed and added a pair of sparkling earrings and a matching necklace. I quickly applied a coat of lip gloss and there I was, set to go.

I looked in the mirror and I felt a surge of confidence. The dress and jewelry fit me perfectly, showing my curves and enhancing my beauty.

At that moment, my phone rang. It was Rhett.

“Perfect timing,” I said aloud as I headed towards the entrance door. I was right, he was here already. Rhett’s sleek car was parked outside, and I could see him through the window, puzzled at my appearance. But he quickly got a grip on himself.

“You look beautiful Laurel,” he said with a smile on his face as I slid into the car.

I returned the smile. “Thank you,” I replied. “I saw the news about the investment. I’m glad you played your part.” I said to him, adjusting to my seat as Rhett pulled away from the mansion and we headed off.

We drove along in silence, music providing a low hum of background noise. Rhett sang along to the song that was playing, while I played games on my phone.

After a few moments of quiet, I realized I had no idea where we were headed.

“Where are we going by the way?” I asked Rhett with a curious look on my face.

Rhett’s eyes were focused on the road ahead, his gaze steady and alert.

“First, we’re going to a five-star restaurant that I reserved,” he said. “Then after that, we’ll head to the park.”

“I’ve already made arrangements with the paparazzi, and you might not even notice him. So just feel comfortable and do your thing.” He added.

“Great,” I nodded in approval and went back to playing my games.

As we arrived at the restaurant, I could see that Rhett had put great effort into our fake date. A VIP section had been reserved for us. We walked in holding hands, trying to appear natural. As we sat at our table, I could feel the awkwardness between us, making the meal less enjoyable.

Rhett must have sensed this too, because he suddenly spoke up. “This is delicious, isn’t it?” He asked with a hopeful smile on his face.

I forced back a smile. “Yeah, it’s nice,” I replied, trying to play along.

We were soon done with our meal and we headed straight to the park. After a short drive, we arrived and Rhett gave me a quick look. I nodded, understanding what he meant as I prepared myself for our performance.

As soon as we stepped out of the car, we immediately started acting like a happy couple. “We have to give this our best. Remember, the paparazzi is watching.” Rhett whispered in my ear, his lips close to my hair.

I nodded and forced a smile, as we walked hand in hand through the park. We continued to play our parts, putting on a show for anyone who might have been watching. But just as I was starting to relax and enjoy myself, Rhett’s phone suddenly rang. I could tell it was from the paparazzi.

“A kiss!” The paparazzi shouted over the phone.

Rhett was about to respond, but the phone hung up before he could say anything. I turned my face in a different direction and pretended I didn’t overhear what the paparazzi had said.

Rhett cleared his throat and held my hand as we continued walking but the awkwardness and silence between us began to resurface. I finally reached my limit and stopped in my tracks, causing Rhett to turn around and face me.

“Aren’t you going to do it?” I asked as I looked into his eyes.

“Do-do what?” Rhett stammered, his eyes leaving mine as he pretended not to know what I was talking about.

“If we’re going to do this, let’s do it right,” I said as I dropped my bags and pulled him in for a kiss.

My lips touched his, and in that moment, it felt like the whole world had stood still.