by Shaw Hart
Thankful for My
FAKE Girlfriend
Blurb:
As Derek Reid's assistant, Annie Lanin is used to his outrageous demands.
Work the same crazy hours that he does?
No problem.
Remember birthdays and pick out gifts for his relatives every year?
Piece of cake.
Pretend to be his long-term girlfriend and spend Thanksgiving with his family?
He must be out of his mind.
Derek is sure this will be painless for everyone involved; Annie just hopes she can remember this is all supposed to be pretend.
*Warning: This is a quick instalove story filled with yummy possessiveness and wild need.
Chapter One
Annie
I lean against the wall next to the elevator waiting for my boss and the secret love of my life to arrive. As Mr. Reid’s assistant, I’ve been here since six am. I have to get here at least half an hour before him so I can get everything ready. Basically, I just have to make copies and organize his emails and desk. It’s expected that his breakfast and coffee will be waiting for him every day when he arrives at six-thirty. From there, we’ll go over his day and then I head back to my desk to work while he stays in his office. I’m expected to be there for every meeting and to stay as long as he does every day.
I’ve been working for him for fourteen months and I am the only assistant who has lasted longer than a week or two. It’s easy to see why. Derek is a perfectionist and a crazy workaholic. He can be rude and demanding, especially when he’s frustrated and not getting what he wants and the long hours are enough to wear down even the most determined employees. Even the other people who work closely with him have a hard time meeting his exacting standards.
I’m not sure how I’ve been able to last this long other then I don’t mind the hours. When I first started working for Derek, I was desperate for a job. I’d just graduated college and had student loans piling up. I needed to find something that would help pay the bills, even if it was only temporary. I was lucky enough to score an interview with Reid Investments and I can still remember when I showed up to see a waiting room full of perfectly styled professionals.
I had tried to dress up but the nicest clothes I owned was a pair of black skinny jeans and a white button-up shirt. My hair was hanging around my shoulders, too short for me to try to tie up and I had only put on some mascara and a coat of lip gloss. Everyone else was wearing business suits and dress pants, their hair and makeup done to perfection.
Reid Investments was in a tall skyscraper in the heart of the city. Everything was state of the art, with a stark black and white color scheme. Everything looked expensive except for the folding chairs that were lined up outside Mr. Reid’s office. I had taken a seat in the back and I must have sat in that uncomfortable chair in that waiting room for over an hour, listening as he barked orders inside his office. Most people came out looking shocked. Some came out crying and others looking furious. Then he roared out my name and I stood and walked on shaky legs into his fortress.
Derek was sitting behind his massive desk, a scowl on his face which only deepened when he took in what I was wearing. I just straightened my shoulders and put on my biggest smile. I needed this job. I walked up to his desk and offered my hand, holding it suspended between us until he reluctantly took it and we shook. He dropped it quickly, sitting back down in his chair.
I sat stiffly across from him as he looked over my sparse resume. I took him in while he ignored me. Derek was gorgeous and it was hard not to be attracted to him. His light brown hair was cut short and gelled over to one side. I scanned down over his strong, straight nose. His jawline was like glass and he was clean-shaven. I noticed his hands were clenched tightly around my resume.
“You seem tense.”
The words were out before I could stop them and Derek’s blue eyes snapped up to meet my brown ones. He just stared at me, and I fought the urge to fidget.
“If I were your assistant, I’d book you a massage… or a vacation.”
His lips twitched at the edges before his mask dropped back down.
“I don’t need a vacation or a…massage,” he says, his eyes running over my body quickly.
He cleared his throat, his eyes snapping back up to mine.
“I need someone to organize my life. Answer phone calls, emails, take notes in meetings, that sort of thing. You’d need to run errands for me, pick stuff up and assist me with anything else I might need.”
“Sounds like fun,” I said, my voice cheery.
He gave me a dry look from underneath his lashes and I laughed. Derek fiddled with my resume, twisting the corner back and forth between his fingers.
“You’ve had a lot of assistants,” I said.
I’d done my research before my interview and I’d noticed it seemed like he was always hiring another assistant.
“Most people can’t handle the workload.”
That’s what he said before he offered me the job. I figured out in a week that it wasn’t the workload that people couldn’t handle. It was him. He drove me crazy most of the time, always shouting orders and rarely saying thank you. He was bossy, a commitment-phobe, and way too serious. Although he’s starting to get better with the serious part. He can crack a smile when I joke with him now.
The last fourteen months have been busy but I’m used to the schedule now. I’ve looked at finding another job but every time I fill out an application, Derek throws more money at me. I’m pretty sure that he checks my internet history because how else would he know that I’m looking to leave. Besides the money, there’s one other thing that keeps me working here.
I love Derek.
I know he can be infuriating but there’s something about him that I just get. We’re opposite in almost every way. He’s serious and I’m more easy-going, he’s a pessimist and I’m an optimist, he’s tall, 6’2”, and I’m short, 5’2”. He’s dark and I’m light. There have been so many times I wanted to say something, to tell him how I feel, but I doubt he feels the same. The guy is a billionaire and a commitment-phobe. If I say something and he turns me down then how awkward would it be to have to keep working with him. I’d need to find another job then, and in this economy, who knows how long that could take. Besides, I like seeing him every day. I like our friendship and I don’t want to lose him.
I sigh as I shift his coffee to the other hand, trying to push the thought of Derek and I tangled up in my bed or holding hands as we’re out for a stroll in the park from my head. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to stop thinking about him like that and I even signed up for a dating site last night. I checked my account this morning while I was waiting for the coffee to brew and I already had a couple of messages. Unfortunately for me, none of the profiles interest me.
My phone beeps and I pull it out, seeing a text from security letting me know Mr. Reid is on his way up. I wonder what he’ll have me do today. Christmas is coming up and I’ve been compiling a list of Christmas gift ideas for his family for the last three months. I buy most of his presents and I always have to remind him of important dates. I mentally run through my to-do list. I already picked up his dry cleaning and sent a note to his grocery store, putting in his weekly order.
The elevator dings and I straighten from the wall, standing up tall and making sure that my clothes are all in place as the elevator doors slide open. Derek breezes past me, briefcase in hand as he heads for his office.
“Good morning, sir,” I chirp, smiling when his eyes flick to mine.
He heads behind his desk and I sigh.
Time to get to work.
Chapter Two
Derek
I�
��m antsy as I ride the elevator up to my floor. It’s like this every morning, nervous butterflies flapping away in my stomach as I wait to see her.
Annie Lenin.
She just about knocked me on my ass the first time I saw her. I’d already seen a long line of nearly identical applicants when Annie wandered in. Her casual attire would normally have gotten her rejected on the spot, but then she looked up at me with those rich brown eyes and I froze. I swear she could see right through me with them.
Then she opened her mouth and her wit had captured my attention. I barely even remember deciding to hire her but the next thing I knew I was telling her to get rid of the rest of the applicants and clean up the folding chairs. I tried to tell myself she wouldn’t last more than a week but I knew that wouldn’t be true.
I like Annie and she was smart. She never gave me a reason to fire her. She was a hard worker, caught on quick, and almost never made mistakes. I even liked when she teased me. I know that I can be a bit tense and Annie always seems to know exactly what to say to knock me out of any mood.
I started Reid Investments when I was twenty-four. I’d worked for a couple of other investment firms before I set off to open my own. I’m too much of a control freak to let others be in charge. I’ve worked eighty-hour weeks since then to make sure my firm is a success and now, at twenty-eight, I’m happy to say we’re one of the top investment firms in the world. The workload can be intense but Annie never complains. Although, I’ve seen her filling out other job applications. I monitor her work computer and as soon as I see her looking at job openings, I give her another raise. She’s the best assistant that I’ve ever had. Every other assistant that I’ve ever had has been incompetent so I can’t lose her.
I straighten my suit, fiddling with a button as I wait for the elevator doors to open. I know that as soon as they slide open, Annie will be there waiting for me. I bite back a smile as it hits my floor, gripping my briefcase as I walk off the elevator.
“Good morning, sir.”
I force my lips to remain in a straight line but I can feel the ends tip-up. Annie grins at me as I walk past her, into my office and I know she saw. I see my breakfast is already waiting for me on my desk and Annie comes in after me, dropping off a cup of coffee. I murmur a thank you before I turn to my computer, checking emails and any notes she left for me.
A strange notification sits at the top of my inbox and I click to see a dating website. My eyes shoot out through the glass windows in my office to see Annie sitting behind her desk. She’s on the phone, laughing at something and jealousy grips me. I can see that she just signed up last night and it looks like she already has a couple of messages. Of course, she does. Annie is perfect. You’d have to be an idiot not to love her.
I’m no idiot. I think I’ve loved Annie since she first came into my office but I also know that it would never work. I’m a workaholic who doesn’t have enough time for a relationship. To be honest, I’m a bit of a commitment-phobe. My first girlfriend in high school cheated on me and I’ve avoided the opposite sex and relationships ever since. I’d thought I loved her but what I felt for my ex is nothing compared to the way I feel for Annie.
Annie deserves more than me though, and I know that if we tried to have a relationship I would just mess it up and then I would lose her. This, working together, I can handle and it works for us. Although that was before I knew she was looking at dating sites. I check that Annie is still at her desk before I open her profile, reading through the messages some guys sent. They all seem like losers, not worthy of breathing the same air as Annie and I sigh in relief when I see she hasn’t replied to any of them.
“Derek, your Mom is on line one,” Annie announces over the intercom and I jump in my seat.
I reach for the phone, shooting a glare at Annie, seeing her grinning back at me. She knows I hate answering calls from my mother at work. I have enough work to do while I’m at the office and I don’t have enough time to be chatting with her. I love my family but they can be a little much. My mother especially. She’s been calling me more and more the last couple of weeks, always wanting me to come over for dinner and meet some girl that she met. She’s been nagging me to settle down ever since my sister got married last year and I’m running out of ways to put her off.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Derek! I’m glad I caught you.”
“What’s up?”
“I wanted to double-check what time you’ll be here next week.”
“For what?”
“Thanksgiving, Derek,” she says with a sigh.
“Oh... right. Um, what time is dinner?”
“Not until four pm but everyone else is going to get here at eleven am. Your sister and the baby are going to stay the night before. You could too if you’d like. Wouldn’t that be nice? Having the whole family under one roof again.”
A headache forms and I rub between my brows, trying to ease the dull ache.
“I can’t spend the night, Mom, but I can be there at eleven am,” I say, trying to compromise. I hate letting my Mom down.
“Okay, perfect. I’ll tell Rose to come at noon so we will have plenty of time to-”
“Whoa! Hold on. Who’s Rose?” I ask, already knowing what she’s going to say.
“Oh, she’s this nice young girl I met at the salon the other week. She’s single too and I was going to invite her over for Thanksgiving. I think you two will really hit it off, Derek.”
The headache turns into a pulsing pain behind my eyes and I drop my head into my hand.
“It’s not going to work with Rose, Mom.”
“How do you know? You haven’t even met her!”
My eyes look up at Annie and I smile when I see her shaking a bottle of Advil at me. Suddenly, an idea hits me and before I can think it through, I’m opening my mouth.
“I’m seeing someone, Mom.”
“What!? Since when? Why didn’t you tell me? Do I know them?”
“It’s Annie, Mom.”
“Oh, I knew there was something going on with the two of you. She’s so sweet and just perfect for you. Well, alright then. I won’t invite Rose and I’ll let everyone know you and Annie will be here at eleven am. I’ll see you soon, honey. Love you!”
With that, she hangs up and I drop the receiver back down. I knew she would be thrilled when I said that Annie and I were together. My family loves her and I know that Annie likes them too. I’m pretty sure Annie talks to all of them more than I do.
Now, I just need to convince Annie to go along with this.
Chapter Three
Annie
I wait for Derek to finish his phone call, watching as he looks more and more defeated. I wonder what his Mom wanted. I love Mrs. R. I’ve talked to her at least once a week for the past fourteen months and we’ve gotten along from the start. She’s so sweet and she knows how to use that to get what she wants. Anyone would have a hard time telling her no and her son is no exception.
I give Derek a chipper smile as I stride into his office, passing him two Advil and a bottle of water.
“Thanks,” he says but his tone is off.
I watch him swallow the pills and notice he seems to be avoiding my eyes.
“What did your Mom say?”
“She just wanted to see what time I was going to get there for Thanksgiving.”
“Oh. Jeez from the look on your face, I thought it was something bad.”
I try to laugh but he doesn’t join in and I take a step closer to him. He finally looks up and clears his throat.
“I’m going to need you to come home with me for Thanksgiving.”
“Derek! You can’t be serious! You need to take a break. You don’t need to work every single day of the year,” I say, rolling my eyes.
A slight flush stains his cheeks and I start to turn to head back out to my desk. It’s not a good idea for me to spend so much time around Derek, especially when we’re alone. My mind starts to conjure up fantasies of us as a couple and I nee
d to squash that habit ASAP. I only make it two steps before Derek pipes up again.
“I told my Mom we’re dating.”
I freeze, letting out a startled gasp before I spin around to face him. I’m sure my eyes are the size of dinner plates as I stare at him, waiting for him to explain himself. His fingers are tapping out an erratic beat against the wood of his desk and he’s fidgeting in his seat but as soon as he sees me watching him, he stops.
“She wanted to set me up with another girl. Rose something- anyway, she was going to invite this Rose to Thanksgiving dinner and I just can’t sit through another one of her setups so I lied and told her I was seeing someone but then she asked me who and I didn’t know who else to say so I just said it was you.”
Part of me is excited that he picked me to be his girlfriend, even if it is fake. Maybe he feels something for me after all. Then I replay his words and realize he didn’t really pick me. He just couldn’t think of anyone else which makes sense since he never really goes anywhere except for work. I’m pretty sure I’m his closest friend.
“So now everyone is excited to see you for Thanksgiving. We have to be there at eleven am so we’ll need to leave by nine am to beat the traffic. She wanted me to spend the night but I talked her out of it.”
“Derek, what if I had plans for Thanksgiving? I mean it is a holiday.”
“Your parents live fifteen hours away and you didn’t ask for time off or buy a plane ticket so I know you aren’t going home.”
“Maybe I was having dinner with friends in the city.”
“I’m the only friend you have in the city.”
“Yeah, because I never have time to meet anyone!”
“Is that why you signed up for that dating site?”
My mouth drops open and I take a step back at the anger I see in Derek’s eyes.
“How did you know about that?”
