“You look great,” I said.
“Thanks,” she said bashfully. “So do you.”
“What are you drinking?” I asked. I pushed a drink menu toward her. “Lots of girls like the specialty cocktails.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she said as she read through the list. “Is this one really twenty dollars?”
“Get anything you want,” I said. “It’s on me. It’s not every day I get to hang out with a Hazelwood native.”
“I’ll have this one,” she said, pointing to a fruity mixture when the waitress came around. I asked for another whiskey on the rocks, knowing that the bartender would remember my order.
“So, were you a public or private school kid?” I asked, trying to break the ice with some easy conversation.
“Private school,” she replied. “My mom always complained about how expensive tuition was, yet she still sent my brother and me there. I’m sure the public school was just as good.”
“It’s possible,” I replied. “I mean, we had a lot of degenerates come out of Prep. Our sports teams were better, though. Did you play any sports?”
“I was on the track team—middle distance,” she said after taking a sip of her drink. “I wasn’t great, but I made the team.”
“That’s cool. I’m guessing you were more into academics, right?”
She blushed and looked down at the table. “Yeah, kinda,” she giggled. “Is it that obvious?”
“Intelligence is not a bad thing,” I said. “Smart is sexy.”
She giggled again. I seemed to have found the right thing to say. I just had to sprinkle in a few more reassurances and she would be open to anything.
“I’m still trying to figure out where our paths might have crossed. It’s not like Hazelwood is some big city. For the most part, everyone knows everyone.”
“Can you name everyone in your graduating class?” she asked.
I thought for a moment. For the most part, I had a decent memory of whom I spent thirteen years with. But, there were always a few kids who lurked on the fringes, ones that I didn’t have classes or extracurricular activities with.
“If you gave me last names, I think I could give you first names,” I said confidently. “Could you?”
“For sure,” she said coolly. “I have a pretty good memory for names and faces, though.”
“That skill will take you far,” I replied. “There have been a few times where I’ve nearly made a complete ass of myself in a meeting for almost flubbing a name of an important client. Even the non-important clients get upset if you don’t know who they are. I swear, some basically want you to know everything about their life.”
“I suppose it can’t hurt to know a little bit more about someone,” she said optimistically. “If it makes the client happy, then it’s worth the research, right?”
“Kissing ass will only take you so far. It’ll take you far, but what they really want is money. If you make them enough money, then you can do whatever you want.”
“Is that the point where you are now?” she asked.
I grinned. “I don’t go out of my way to be an asshole, if that’s what you’re asking. But, if you’re asking if I could, let’s just say that I could sleep with a client’s wife and still meet with him to discuss his portfolio.”
She laughed at this. I waved the waitress over and ordered a second round of drinks. Things were going pretty well.
“So, tell me about business school?” she asked. “What was it like?”
I shrugged. This topic didn’t really interest me. “Oh, you’ll have no problem,” I said lazily. “It’s really no more advanced than some of your undergrad classes.”
“Cool,” she said, nodding. “I’m not worried about the coursework, but I am nervous about finding the right experience along the way. I haven’t landed a summer internship yet and I’m a little concerned. I don’t want to do just anything, because I want my résumé to be perfect when it comes time to really start applying for jobs.”
“Are you asking me for hookups already?” I asked with a sly smile.
“No, not at all,” she said earnestly.
“I’m just messing with you,” I said. “Actually, I have a little inside scoop for you if you’re interested.”
She leaned in a little closer. I had her in the palm of my hand now.
“My company is going to hire an intern for the summer. In fact, I’m supposed to use my class to handpick the most promising student. You guys probably didn’t realize it, but I’ve been listening to what you’ve said in class and looking through some of your homework answers. At the end of the semester, I’m going to offer it to one lucky student.”
“Really?” she gasped. “Oh my goodness, that would be the most perfect opportunity out there!”
I smiled. “I know. It’s a good opportunity for me because I can have a trusted student give me a little extra help. I wouldn’t make my intern fetch coffee and file papers. Of course, there would be some of that work, but I’d also give my intern real assignments.”
“I can’t even imagine getting a gig that good,” she said, taking another sip of her drink.
“Well, you better start imagining it, because you’re well on your way to getting it.”
“Seriously?” she asked, her eyes widening.
“You’re clearly one of the better students in the class. But, there are always things you can do to improve your chances.”
“Like what?” she asked.
“There’s this event I have to go to on Friday night. It’s a charity dinner, and a lot of important people are going to be there. I wanted to bring a date, but not just anyone. I wanted to bring someone who knew her shit. You’re smart, and with a little preparation, I think you could really help me impress my bosses and pull in new clients. There are a few people I’m trying to poach from our competitor, and if I play my cards right, it could be a very big night for me.”
“And you want me to go with you?” she asked in disbelief.
“I think you would be perfect for the job, yes,” I said, smiling sweetly. “If things go well, I’d be happy to recommend you for the internship.”
“And if things don’t go well?” she asked, looking concerned.
I shook my head. “It’ll be fine. I’ll make sure you’re prepared to go. It shouldn’t take much work. I’ll give you a few pages on the people you’ll be talking to, and some background information on our portfolio. You’re not the one selling my services, though. Mostly, I just want you to make polite conversation with the wives. Talk about fashion, or reality television shows. You don’t even really have to know anything about investing. You can make small talk, but just don’t speak too deeply about shop talk. Leave that to me.”
She nodded intently, her brow furrowing. “It all sounds very promising, but I have a ton of homework already. I don’t know how much extra work I can pile on right now.”
I pursed my lips. “Screw that. I’m sure your grades are fine. You already got into business school, too. A good experience is worth far more than a formal education. You’d be crazy not to accept my offer.”
She forced a smile. “I guess you’re probably right. I really need to land a good internship.”
“Go with me to this event, and it’s practically yours. Of course, I’ll have to announce it so it seems like a fair competition, but no one has to know our dirty little secret. It should be fun for you, too. You can mingle amongst power players, wear a fancy dress, and eat and drink some fantastic food. I bet you’ve never been to an event like this before.”
“I haven’t,” she replied. “That does sound nice. What if I don’t fit in?”
“You will if you’re with me. I wouldn’t even ask you if I didn’t think you were the right girl for the job. What do you say?”
“It’s a very enticing offer,” she giggled.
I reached across the table and took her hand in mind. “Excellent. Now, what do you say to coming back to my place now? We can start prepa
ring for the event.”
She bit her lip in hesitation. “I don’t know, I told my roommate I’d be home after a quick drink.”
“Text her and tell her you’re with me. You just look so pretty right now. It would be a shame to waste those good looks on a dorm room. It’s not even late yet. I promise I’ll have you back to campus by your first class tomorrow.”
She frowned. “Tomorrow?”
“Sure,” I replied casually. “I’m not going to kick you out of my place in the middle of the night. What kind of a guy do you think I am?”
She looked away from me. “I don’t know. I suppose I don’t really know you, after all.”
I sighed. I was losing her and I wasn’t sure how to get her back. Perhaps I had misjudged Rebecca. She seemed to smart and eager to please. Maybe she wasn’t nearly as eager as I originally thought. Nevertheless, I had to press on. The event was just a few days away, and I really didn’t want to show up alone. If Rebecca were as smart as she seemed, she wouldn’t refuse my extremely generous offer.
5
Rebecca
Sitting in the private booth, I went from feeling very confident to very foolish. I had allowed myself to get so caught up in all of the excitement and prestige of a meeting with Alex Rye that I didn’t think about any ulterior motives. He was so far out of my league; I was an idiot for thinking that he truly had an interest in me. Well, he had an interest in me, but it seemed to be purely motivated by my willingness to put out.
I wasn’t opposed to having sex. I had just a few sexual encounters during my college career, and they were all with men I had been dating for a while. I wasn’t a prude, but I also didn’t give it up for just anyone. I still believed that sex was special, and I only wanted to do it with men who truly respected me. Sleeping with a guy, just to get an internship was out of the question. I wanted to get ahead in business, but I could not live with myself if I had to sleep my way through life, just to make a dollar. I didn’t want to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to go to school, just to come out a glorified sex worker.
I was insulted and hurt that Alex would even suggest a thing. Carol said that he had a reputation for sleeping with students, but I thought our connection was stronger than that. I didn’t need anything from him. In fact, it sounded like he needed more from me.
But, I didn’t feel like I was in a position where I could leverage this point over him. He wanted to parade me around some rich people gathering. Somehow, he thought that the offer would be enticing enough on its own. While I did want to be able to network with some of the greatest minds in the industry, I didn’t want to go so badly I would give up my morals. I just wasn’t that kind of girl. If he had treated me with an ounce of respect and courted me, instead of bribing me, maybe I would go back to his apartment after a few dates. He was still beautiful and charming, but now I knew he was a rat. I wanted to trust him, but I just couldn’t. As he begged me to go back home with him, the horrible sinking sensation in my stomach only got worse. I had to trust my instinct on this one.
“I don’t like this,” I said. “It doesn’t seem right. If you’re offering an internship position for the whole class, should you really be offering it to one person? And, should you be trying to get that candidate drunk enough so she’d go home and have sex with you?”
My voice had gotten louder. I forgot that we were in public and lowered my voice so no one would look over. I already felt embarrassed enough.
“Relax, would you?” he chastised me. “I’m not forcing you to do anything you don’t want to do. People have said a lot of things about me, but none of them bordered on criminal. If you don’t want to come over, you don’t have to. Now, when did I mention sex? Do you think you’re really so irresistible that I wouldn’t be able to keep anything else on my mind? I have a job to do and I wanted to know if you were willing to help me out. I was about to let you into my world of endless possibilities for you. Do you know how many girls would kill for that kind of inclusion? Guys, too! You can’t tell me that a few of your male classmates wouldn’t suck me off, just to spend an hour outside of class with me. I didn’t ask anything of you that wouldn’t directly benefit you as well. I’m downright insulted that you would act this way.”
I looked down at the table. He was making me feel like garbage. I wondered if I really had overreacted. While he never explicitly said that he wanted me around for sexual purposes, he made it seem that way. Was Carol right about him all along, or was I projecting her concerns onto my situation? My mind was in a pretzel and I was in no place to sort it all out.
“I’m sorry,” I said, not exactly sure what I was apologizing for.
“Thank you,” he said softly. “You really didn’t need to get riled up over nothing.”
I pursed my lips. “Does this hurt my chances of getting the internship?”
“Are you going to the fundraiser with me?”
I frowned. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
His face contorted from his pleasant, charming resting face to a scowl. “Then no, probably.”
“Because I didn’t want to go out with you?” I squeaked. “You know I’m qualified for the internship. I’m the best student in that whole class and you know it!”
“Then I guess I’ll give you equal consideration,” he said wearily. “This is what I get for trying to help you out.”
I wasn’t sure how to feel. I felt this strange combination of disgust toward Alex, and guilt for not playing the game. It was easy to be optimistic now and tell myself that I didn’t need him to get to where I wanted to be. But, I wondered if five years down the line, I’d be kicking myself for not playing along.
Most of all, he made me feel like the invisible girl in Hazelwood. Once again, I was a nobody, stupidly hoping that the popular guy would like me. He seemed so sweet and genuine, and I fell for his tricks. He was no different than the assholes my mother warned me about. He was exactly what Carol warned me about.
Though it was hardly needed at the time, my mom tried to talk to me about the fact that there would someday be a time where men would be interested in me, and I needed to be careful. Then, I ignored what she had to say, because it simply didn’t apply to me. There she was, telling me to have self-respect when I would have done anything to get a cute boy to like me. I’d change my wardrobe, act dumber than I was, and flirted mercilessly with guys who didn’t give a shit about me.
Now, I was finally getting to the age where I could understand where she was coming from, but I feared it was too late for me. I wanted to be a strong, independent woman, but at the same time, desperately wanted to fit in and be liked. I was forever trying to compensate for lost years. Now, I was about to graduate college, and while I didn’t feel the need to have a boyfriend, I just wanted to be wanted.
All I knew was that I wanted to be anywhere but that bar. Luckily, I had only finished one of the drinks, and had merely sipped on the second. I felt completely sober and ready to drive myself home. Not wanting to feel like I owed him anything, I reached into my purse and pulled out a twenty dollar bill.
“I think I’m going to go,” I said softly, setting the money down on the table. He gave me such a look of disgust; you would have thought I pulled a dead animal from my bag.
“Seriously?” he whined. “You’re just being dramatic now. I already said I would pay for your drinks. It’s not a big deal to me.”
“It’s a big deal to me,” I replied, trying to keep my voice calm.
“What did you expect, honestly?” he asked after looking me over once more.
“Excuse me?”
“I asked you, a student of mine, to a bar. You said yes.”
“We’re only four years apart,” I argued. “What if we were friends from back home?”
“We weren’t friends,” he said. “I only met you for the first time today. I asked you on a date, and you said yes.”
“It was hardly a date,” I said. “You said you wanted to talk about home.”
He sighed. “Use your brain. If I wanted to talk, and nothing else, I would have suggested we chat before the next class. Or, maybe I’d give you my work email. I had a more delicate offer for you.”
“I knew it was inappropriate,” I said under my breath.
“You showed up wearing that,” he exclaimed, pointing to my chest.
I shrunk back, feeling extremely self-conscious.
“If this were a professional business meeting, you should have worn a modest suit. When you sit there with that much cleavage, you’re begging for attention.”
I didn’t know which was worse—the fact that he could objectify me and blame his rude behavior on my clothing, or the fact that he was slightly right. I didn’t ask to be talked about like a piece of meat, but I so desperately wanted him to find me attractive. I tried too hard to be liked, and this was the result.
I sputtered for a few seconds, not knowing what to say. “Do you think you’re entitled to any woman you come across?”
He gave me a strained look. “Yeah, kind of. I’ve never had a woman respond to me like this before. I treated you with respect. I brought you to a nice place and bought you an expensive drink. I was going to give you a prestigious internship as thanks for attending a fancy dinner party with me. I was going to buy you a beautiful gown and pay for you to get all dolled up for the event. Any other girl would kill for that experience. You’re the first girl to lead me on, then get all upset when I’m willing to give you everything you asked for. There’s a reason I don’t remember you from back home. Obviously, you’re not meant to go far. If you’re going to be this hung up on rules and doing what’s moral, I don’t think you’re going to make it very far in this line of work. What we do is cutthroat, and if you can’t hang, then it’s best you find another career. Save your money, don’t go to business school, and maybe find a boring husband to settle down with. If you walk around looking like a whore, but act like a virgin, you’re going to piss a lot of people off in the real world.”
That was the final straw. I had done nothing to receive such cruelty from someone I truly admired. Alex Rye was the asshole everyone made him out to be. I don’t know why I was the only one who couldn’t see through his tough guy persona. He was an ass who got ahead with his father’s money and connections. He was spoiled and entitled, and treated women as if they were disposable. I was shaking with rage by the time I finally stood up to leave.
Faking It: A Fake Girlfriend Romance Page 3
