“Pam, no hold ups this time. Trust me. I’ll work on anything you bring for me.”
There was a long pause followed by a sigh.
“Fine. Let me see what I can do. But no guarantees.” Pam finally answered.
“Alright, but please try having something for me soon. It’s kind of a desperate situation.” Amber’s fingers tightened around the phone.
“Like I said: no guarantees, but I’ll try to figure something out.”
Her agent hung up, leaving her high and dry. What am I supposed to do now? With that question buzzing around her mind, Amber slumped against the brick wall, anxiety slowly consuming her.
***
The next day, just after noon, Amber’s phone rang. It was Pam.
“Hello?” she answered, feeling apprehensive.
“Amber, I swear this is your last shot. No screwing it up this time, got it?” said Pam. She didn’t even bother with friendly greetings, getting right to the point.
“Yeah, yeah. Just tell me what I’m doing,” Amber answered, trying to contain her excitement.
“Right. So I got you a gig with one of my old buddies. He’s setting up a reality TV show with an ex LA Galaxy soccer star. It’s something to do with a marriage—I’m not really sure. You will be the bride,” Pam explained, her voice collapsing into monotone.
“Right,” Amber answered.
“I’ll text you the details.” said Pam, and hung up.
***
Amber checked the address Pam had given her one more time.
“567 Foothill Road. This has to be it,” Amber mumbled to herself, seeing the brass numbers attached to the side of a large white rock in the front of the property. There were large, looming gates before her and she looked around, taking in the Beverly Hills scenery. Almost every other house was just as big as this one, if not bigger. Whoever was looking to hire her definitely had some money.
Holding her head up high and straightening her posture, she rang the bell. There was a loud buzzing sound and soon enough, the gates opened up. Amber groaned slightly, seeing the long driveway she would need to walk in order to reach the front door. Her thin heels seemed to almost melt into the hot asphalt, making her journey a precarious one.
When she finally knocked on the front door, an older man in a dark grey suit answered, with a stern smile on his face.
“Ah, you must be Amber Riveria. Right this way, please,” he said, before turning into the house, leaving Amber there to gape. The entrance alone was a sight to behold, with its spiral staircase and marble floors. Everything was clean-cut and polished. She could hardly believe it.
Eventually, she managed to get her legs working again and followed the man into the living room. She took in her surroundings, still amazed by the grandeur of everything she was seeing.
“Here we are. If you could please wait here, Mr. Robbins and his associates will be with you shortly.” With that, the stiff-looking man left the room, leaving Amber all by herself.
After some time, she heard footsteps approaching and turned her head to see two men enter the room. Her eyes widened slightly when she noticed just how handsome the younger one was. He had light blond hair, cut short. His body was lean and looked amazing in the tight dress shirt he had on. His pink lips were pressed into a friendly smile. She felt her breathing quicken as he reached out his hand, waiting for her to shake it.
“Neil Robbins, it’s a pleasure,” he said politely. His grasp was firm and confident, leaving Amber in a daze while he sat down on a couch opposite her.
Neil stared at her, mesmerized by her gorgeous looks. Her long, black hair flowed down her body, resting on the edge of her waist. Her large, brown eyes were full of intelligence and passion, and they set Neil’s heart racing in his chest. She had a long, slender neck that only added to her sex appeal. As she sat there, she pursed her large, pink lips. Neil couldn’t help his eyes from wandering down her shapely legs, before he finally managed to look away. If he stared at her any longer, he would never be able to stop.
“…and I’m Ed, Neil’s agent. I’m here to brief you on your new role. Now, Pam and I are good friends,” he said, before pausing to look over Amber’s shoulder and grinning at Pam who had just entered the room, “And when she showed me your profile, I knew you were the right girl for the job. I thought you were absolutely amazing in Girl Code. You were a total bitch and I loved that. Too bad the show never kicked off, but don’t worry, I have no doubt that this one is going to be a smash hit!”
“That’s all well and good, but what’s the show about?” Amber said, pressing him. She could tell that Ed was a typical showbiz agent who liked to cover everything in flashy words and clever displays.
“It’s just a simple reality show. We want to depict the marriage of an ex-soccer player. You see, Neil here has been pampered for most of his life, having personal chefs, maids, and the like. While he might have enough money to keep his home, he won’t be able to afford certain luxuries. The concept revolves around someone like Neil, coming back down to Earth once he marries a middle-class girl like you. We want you to really stick it to him. Show him how to do laundry, cook and clean. And when he doesn’t pick up the slack, you might have to whip him into shape.” Ed winked, glancing over at Neil.
“And how real will this marriage be, in legal terms?” asked Amber.
“Aha, good question,” remarked Ed. “You would be getting married legally, but our contract clearly states that the marriage will automatically dissolve when the show ends.”
Amber took a moment to take it all in. She was not too worried about the technicality of the marriage, but she had other apprehensions.
“You know what I don’t understand?” Amber said, glancing over at Neil. “Why the hell are you even doing this? I mean, everyone knows that reality TV is just a low market, crowd-pleasing venue. You could be doing so much more.” Her eyes were intense, expecting an answer. Behind her, Pam ground her teeth, knowing Amber was pushing her luck once again. Neil held her stare.
“Have you ever worked in reality TV? If you look at all the charts, shows like Love at First Kiss, Lovers in Paradise, and The Real Housewives are all doing exceptionally well for themselves. People watch these shows every single day. It’s not my fault that people like to ignore their lives and watch the lives of others instead. The thing that matters is that at the end of the day, people aren’t gossiping about the news, they’re talking about celebrities, people like Kim Kardashian, who might not even know how to cook,” Neil said quickly, refuting her claim.
“That doesn’t mean you should exploit it for your own gains. We’re practically throwing away quality television. Shows that used to have a decent plotline in exchange for all this crap. I don’t want to turn on the TV and watch housewives bickering at each other. What I do want to watch are series like Vampire Diaries, where I’m constantly kept on the edge of my seat.” Amber’s passion was quickly getting the best of her. Despite her initial infatuation, she was beginning to dislike Neil.
“It doesn’t matter what you, as an individual, like. It’s what the masses want,” said Neil. “And I, personally, think there’s nothing wrong with reality TV. It’s simply another form of entertainment.” He crossed his arms over his chest as if daring her to respond.
“Bickering like a married couple already, excellent!” said Pam, chuckling and trying to cool down the heated argument.
“Should we talk about finances?” said Ed, stepping in and looking at Amber. This was his way of asking for her final decision.
“Sure,” answered Amber, now realizing that she had to do the show whether she liked it or not.
“You will be paid five thousand for every aired episode, plus a five percent profit share.”
“Make it six, please,” Amber said suddenly, getting up and challenging Ed. Pam was instantly beside her, nudging her.
“Don’t press it,” she hissed in her ear. “This is your only chance and he’s doing me a favor.”
Ambe
r glared at her agent, before sighing.
“Fine, where do I sign?” she said, shaking her head, disappointed that she had to be so submissive just to keep her crappy apartment.
“Just here.” Ed pointed to a line on the paper. He watched as she leaned down to sign her name, her arm tense.
“Fantastic. We start filming next week,” he said. “We’ll be sending the script over in the mail, so keep an eye out for that.”
Amber nodded and with that, they parted ways. She took one more look at Neil, her fake husband for the next few months.
***
There was a soft knock on Amber’s door. She had just gotten out of a bath and her skin was still soft and warm. Her slim body was covered in nothing more than a bathrobe as she opened the door. To her surprise, she saw Neil standing there, backed up by an extensive camera crew.
“Oh, I guess we’re starting, huh?” she said, not letting them in. She didn’t give Neil a second glance. After she had learned that the whole thing would end in their failed relationship, she didn’t even want to look at him.
“Yes. Please get into position like we rehearsed,” said Ed, charging into Amber’s living room with a rolled-up script in his hand. “And make sure to stick to the script, please. It’s very important.” He said his words slowly making sure both Neil and Amber hear him clearly. “And please remember that both of you need to pretend that neither one of you knows about the camera. The audience has to think this is a candid camera show.”
“Right,” said Amber huffily.
Neil tilted his head, wondering what was wrong. He had yet to ask her why she had stormed out of his house the other day and felt like he should talk to her, but now, with everyone watching, didn’t seem like the best of times.
She shuffled her way back to her room and got dressed, occasionally looking at the camera, waiting for a flashing red light to come on, but it never did. Finally, when she was dressed, the camera began to roll, capturing her every move. She grabbed her phone, looking at it in anticipation of Neil’s call or message with a dreamy look on her face, exactly as the script had said.
Right on cue, there was a knock at the door and she giddily made her way downstairs. Opening the door, she saw Neil standing there with a few, freshly picked daisies in his hand and an extensive camera crew behind him.
“You look beautiful,” he said, like a true gentleman. “I picked these for you in the park, I hope you like them.” His blue eyes grew wide, looking slightly at the camera before he gazed into Amber’s beautiful dark eyes, with a smile on his face.
“Oh, you shouldn’t have.” She forced a smile and grabbed them, bringing them into the kitchen and putting them in a vase, smiling as if it was the best gift she had ever received.
When she reemerged, Neil held out his arm for her, offering to guide her to his car. “So, where would you like to go for our anniversary, love?” he said, smiling cheerily. “I cannot believe we’ve been dating for five years now. They have been the best years of my life.”
Amber had to do everything in her power to stop herself from groaning. It was quickly becoming worse than the telenovela movie she had been kicked out of. Nevertheless, she reminded herself that everything she owned was riding on it.
“Oh Neil, you make me blush!” she giggled, hitting his arm ever so slightly.
He leaned over and kissed her burning cheek. As he did, a fire ignited inside of her chest, making her stop in her tracks, momentarily. Her eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat. Her skin crawled with excitement and her fingers tightened around his arm. Why was she feeling this way from a simple kiss? She tried to compose herself, racking her mind for the next line. Neil perceived her struggle and improvised on the spot.
“How about we go to the new steakhouse that just opened up?” he said, opening up the car door for her.
“Oh, you know me—I’m not fussy! Let’s do something different today. Let’s eat at the first place we see!” she said, easing herself into the soft leather seats of his convertible.
“This is why I love you so much,” Neil said smoothly, as if it was second nature for him to express his love for her. Without hesitation, he reached over, grabbed her hand and held it as he eased onto the road, the camera crew positioned in the back seat.
“There!” Amber pointed excitedly, as they passed a small taco stand. “Let’s go there.”
“Are you sure?” Neil asked uncertainly, as he pulled into the taco stands driveway.
“Well, I said the first place we saw, didn’t I? I can’t go back on my word. What kind of a girlfriend would I be?” She giggled and got out. Neil slowly came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck. Amber’s breath caught in her throat and she felt a surge of electricity spark through her body at his touch.
“That’ll be $5 a piece,” the taco vendor said with a heavy accent.
“Let’s sit over here,” said Neil, guiding her toward a small stone wall. He hoisted her up so she could sit comfortably and then joined her, smiling warmly. They ate in relative silence, as if they were both too shy to say anything. Either that or they were supposedly so comfortable with one another after five years, that they didn’t need any words to express their feelings.
Despite this illusionary atmosphere, Amber sat there, struggling with the nervous energy swirling inside of her. On one hand, she wanted to continue hating this guy for his pompous attitude, but on the other, she was starting to see a whole different side of him. Was he being real or was it all an act?
“You’re so beautiful…” Neil said suddenly, staring at her like she was the only girl in the world. He laid a hand on her cheek and kissed her, catching her by surprise. This was definitely not a part of the script and she wanted to pull away, but her lips felt like they were on fire and her body melted at his touch. It was like a switch had been flipped inside her. Why was she feeling this way? Her mind screamed at her to pull away and yet Neil’s tender touch tamed her, keeping her pinned to his lips.
“Have I ever told you that I’m the luckiest man in the world, just because I had the honor of meeting you?” Neil’s words sounded sincere as he went off script, looking deep into her eyes. It felt like he was saying this line at her and not her character. Could it be that he was trying to tell her something?
For the rest of the night, Neil kept going off script, surprising her with romantic lines that left her mind buzzing. All that was left now was the proposal.
“Amber… there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while now.”
True to the script, he leaned forward, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. He took a deep breath before going down on one knee.
“Will you marry me?” he asked, right in the middle of the sidewalk. Pedestrians stopped, noticing the display of affection, bright smiles on their faces. Amber, of course, knew they were just extras. She bit the inside of her lip, knowing she would have to put up a convincing act.
“Oh my god, Neil!” she gasped, pulling her hands up to her mouth. She stared at him wide-eyed before smiling ear to ear. “Yes. A thousand, million times, yes!” The extras all cheered. Amber squealed and lunged forward, kissing him hard. Her lips pressed into his, and she let her passion come to the fore.
Amber couldn’t believe how quickly things had changed. When the cameras had first begun to roll, she had been skeptical about the idea of being on a reality TV show. Now, however, she felt completely different about being with Neil. She didn’t know if it was the character he was playing or the man he was, but one thing was certain, she had fallen in love.
***
Amber couldn’t even begin to imagine what the budget for the episode was. With all the makeup and fake eyelashes, and the wedding dress, they had to be spending a small fortune. Still, she couldn’t quite ignore the fact that she was actually excited to be getting ‘married’ to Neil. She knew all of this was temporary, but, at the same time, a tiny part of her felt like it might actually mean something.
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Maybe she was still on a high from the last episode, where Neil had laid many passionate kisses on her lips—some scripted and some not—showing her that he was the type of guy she had always dreamed of. A man who was not afraid to stare right into her eyes and make her feel incredibly beautiful. That was how Neil had made her feel and maybe that was why she felt so attached to him.
“Is everyone ready in here?” said a woman holding a clipboard who had shot her head into the dressing room and nearly been swept away by a man carrying a large wedding dress. Amber sighed, her thoughts interrupted by the woman. The episode would start soon.
Amber stood in front of the closed church doors and felt the pre-marriage jitters that she had always heard about. Her feet were cold and her skin felt clammy. Her heart was racing and her fingers seemed as if they were about to fall off because of how tightly she held the bouquet. Why are you feeling this way? she asked herself. It’s not like you are actually marrying him.
Suddenly, she heard the wedding march and the large wooden doors opened up. Inside, countless extras stared at her with excited looks painted on their faces. Out of nowhere, an older gentleman grabbed her arm and guided her down the aisle. As she walked, she looked up to see through her veil and laid eyes on Neil, who looked more handsome than any man she had ever seen. Her heart skipped a beat, before her ‘father’ nudged her toward the altar.
She couldn’t keep her eyes off Neil, standing before her in his black suit and a sky-blue tie that matched his eyes. Looking at him, she realized that he was everything she had ever desired in a husband.
As she approached the altar, the actor handed her off to Neil, who took her hand firmly in his. Goosebumps covered every inch of her body, making her shudder. She couldn’t remember any of her lines, but she didn’t care. Her body was going into autopilot, as if this was her real wedding and she was an actual bride.
With her hand still clasped to Neil’s, she knelt before the priest, who greeted them with a friendly smile. Since this was just a TV show, the ceremony was cut short and, soon enough, Amber found herself face-to-face with her new husband, about to exchange vows.
The Billionaire's Fake Marriage (A Romance Collection Boxed Set) Page 14
