My Fake Girlfriend

ATHENA

I gaped at Ares, confused because I was pretty sure undercooking a rib-eye wasn’t a mistake to fire someone over. Had I done something worse that I hadn’t even noticed?

I furrowed my eyebrows and looked up to the ceiling, but nothing came to me.

This had to be a joke.

Right?

I wanted to laugh, but he looked so serious that I gulped nervously instead.

“Did I do something wrong?” I asked in a careful tone.

“No.”

“Then, why are you firing me?”

He leaned back, watching me closely. “I have an alternative proposal.”

I sat up straighter. “Like, a job offer?”

“Something like that.” He smirked, and something about it made me wary.

“What do you mean?”

“I want you to be my girlfriend—my fake girlfriend.”

His what? I let out a sarcastic laugh and looked around for a hidden camera in the room. I was right. This had to be a prank. He couldn’t be serious.

“I’m not joking,” he said, face completely straight.

I gaped at him again.

“Athena Matthews, I want you to be my fake—”

“I heard you the first time,” I snapped and crossed my arms in front of my chest, eyes narrowed.

“Agree to it, then,” he said proudly, like I would go along with him that easily. The room remained silent for a minute, then he raised his perfect brow. “Well?”

“No,” I said in a cold tone, and Ares’s face fell. He looked like he couldn’t believe that I would reject him.

“Why not?”

“No. I don’t even care why you want a fake girlfriend, but why should that be me? Why should I give up my career for you? You could pick any other woman to play the role, and I bet they’d do it in a heartbeat.”

He sighed. “That’s the point, Athena. I don’t want any of those girls, I want you. I know you can keep a secret, and I already checked your background. You have a clean record and a good family to begin with. Your father—”

“You looked into my background?” I cut in, glaring. “Are you serious?”

He shrugged. “Of course. I need a likeable girlfriend to show off.”

“Likeable?” I raised an eyebrow. “Care to explain?”

He let out a long sigh and rolled his eyes, like I was the one being difficult!

After a long pause, I got up from my seat. “I don’t have time for this, Ares.”

He grabbed my wrist, preventing me from walking away. “Wait. I’m sure you’ve heard about my reputation, Athena.”

I looked down at him. “I’m listening…”

“According to my dad, I’ve been damaging the company’s image for the past four years…” He trailed off, and I eyed him until he cleared his throat and continued.

“Our investors aren’t confident in me, and potential clients aren’t taking us seriously. The board wants to fire me from my position. So, I need someone like you who has a clean image, great ambition, and…” His eyes slowly traveled down.

“If you dare to continue that sentence, I will punch you.”

“…and that.” He pointed his finger at me. “You’re fierce, independent, and have your own goals. You’re exactly the type of woman who will make me look good to my family and business partners.”

I hummed with a sarcastic smile and tugged my wrist from his grip. “And you’re exactly the type of guy that my family warned me not to date.”

“That’s why we’re going to act, Athena.”

“We’re not going to do anything, Ares. I’m not doing it.”

“I’ll make it worth your while,” he said.

I stared at him. “How?”

“There’s a restaurant space for sale on Golden Crest Avenue. Ever seen it?”

I tried not to widen my eyes. I had seen it. It was perfect, right on Golden Crest Avenue, where everyone in Beverly Hills dined. I passed it every day, imagining the possibilities. It was everything I wanted.

He smirked. “You have heard of it. Well, I own it now. But it could be yours.”

“What?”

“Be my fake girlfriend for six months, and I’ll sign the restaurant over to you in return.”

For a moment, I said nothing, picturing what I could do with a place like that. But then my pride made me shake my head.

“I don’t need your money, or that restaurant. I work for what I want.”

He stood up, stepping closer. “Your father is excited to check out your new place.”

“You told my family?!” I shook my head again and backed away. “No. No! I’ll just call them and say the sale fell through. Find someone else to be your girlfriend.”

He closed the distance between us that I’d created. “I don’t want anyone else. I want you.” His tone was sweet, and I bit my tongue.

“Still a no. I’m going back to work.” I walked toward the door and grabbed the doorknob.

“Need I remind you that you’re fired?”

I gritted my teeth. “I’ll just find another job.”

“I’ll have you blacklisted.”

I whipped around to face him. “You can’t do that!”

“I can. You can try to find another job, but no restaurant will accept you. And if you move to another state, I’ll have you blacklisted there too. And if you move to another country, I’ll do the same thing.”

He’s crazy. He’s actually crazy. He’s willing to ruin my life for this!

“I want you to be my perfect girlfriend for six months, Athena, and the restaurant will be yours. And if you need more, I can give you money. How about ten grand a month?”

He slipped his hands into his pants pockets and slowly made his way to me. His brown eyes turned cold, and he stood so close to me that my back had to kiss the door.

“Stop crowding me!” I pushed him away, and he let out a chuckle. “Just six months?”

He smiled. “Just six months.”

“Will people even believe us?”

“They will. We’ll act like we’re a real couple.”

I exhaled and pursed my lips. “Will there be a contract between us? I need boundaries.”

He smirked and nodded, then walked back toward the table. I followed him there, and he handed me a black A4 envelope.

“You came prepared?” I asked as I removed the papers inside.

“Of course. I’m a businessman, Athena.” He pointed at the top page. “A contract and some regulations for our relationship.”

I looked down to see that he’d already written our names. It said that we would date each other for six months, and the following pages listed the rules and expectations of the arrangement.

He spoke over my head as I looked through it. “You’ll join me for all family gatherings. You won’t contact me for personal matters—we’re business partners. You mustn’t enter into any relationships during the contract. And the existence of this contract is to remain completely confidential—there’s an NDA at the back. Any questions, love?”

I glared at the use of the pet name. “We’re only going to date in front of your family?”

“And a few business associates,” he said. “I’ll attempt to keep the press out of it for your own privacy.”

I rolled my eyes. More like so you can make sure you can have other girls on the side.

“I’ll likely require your assistance for a few hours per week,” he said. “No more, as I’m too busy for you, and you’ll be busy with your new restaurant.”

I hummed. “That’s good.”

“Good?”

“Yes. The less time I have to spend with you, the better,” I said. “So, where do I sign?”

He grabbed the contract and flipped it to the last page, then handed me a pen. I bent over to sign it on the table, feeling him step closer to me from behind. My cheeks flushed, and I stood up suddenly and handed the pen back.

His eyes quickly flicked back to my face. “Good girl.”

I took a step back and gestured for him to sign. He did so without any hesitation.

“I’ll text you tomorrow and give you a copy,” he said as he slipped the contract back into the envelope.

“You have my number?” I asked.

“What if I said no?”

I smirked. “Too bad, then.”

“That’s what I thought. I’ll text you tomorrow, love.” He caressed my cheek with the back of his finger, and I slapped it away.

He chuckled and walked toward the door. “Since you’re fired, go home and rest. You’ll need it.”

He winked and left before I could reply.

No regrets, Athena. No regrets.