Mr. President:A Billionaire & Virgin Fake Fiance Romance(234)

"Here's one plate of seared Ahi Tuna ribbons, with minted Mizuna salad  and soy and toasted peanut dressing," the waiter says, placing it in  front of Lorna.

"And here's one plate of basted prawns with spicy, golden pineapple, and  smoked bacon," he continues, this time placing the food in front of me.

Our entire table smells of the Far East.

"Last, I have a side of toasted quinoa pilaf."

He places this one in the middle and then turns to Becca.

"Would you like to order anything ma'm?"

She has the menu open in front of her and is scanning their offerings.  Just when I think she may not actually order anything, and it was all  for show, she responds.

"Yes, I think I'll just have a salad-the Chicken Cobb, but please go light on the blue cheese  …  and buttermilk dressing."

"You bet. One Chicken Cobb will be out shortly ma'm," the waiter says, nodding his approval.

As soon as he leaves, and Lorna has Becca's full attention, she leans  over and playfully kisses my neck and cheek. She's resting against my  shoulder in what feels like an overly exaggerated way.

It feels that way because it is.

I catch a glimpse of Becca and her cheeks flush a deep pink.

Fuck. I can barely stand it.

This is killing me to go along with Lorna's games.

"This place is beautiful, isn't it Mason?" Julian asks me, turning toward me all of a sudden.

I nod, but don't say a word.

"And this is just the beginning," Lorna continues, raking the tips of  her red fingernails through my hair and against my scalp. "We have quite  the evening planned." She is now dragging her manicured hand across my  chest.

She's trying so hard to rub all of this-her and I, and this meal, and  this time together-in Becca's face, and it seems to be working.

Becca is becoming visibly upset, but she's working hard to keep her  emotions in check. The waiter brings her salad and she instantly uses it  as a diversion, crunching into the lettuce with her fork and scooping  up some of the buttermilk dressing.

"Darling, excuse me for one moment," Lorna says, giving me a quick kiss  on the cheek. "I need to use the restroom; I'll be right back."

"Take your time."

As soon as she is out of earshot, Becca explodes.

"Are you SERIOUS? What's going on Mason? I've been texting and calling  you for days! You won't answer and you aren't showing up to the office.  Are you avoiding me?"

"It's complicated," I say.

"Complicated? Is that all you can say? I've been needing to talk to you and you're acting as if I don't exist."

Seeing her like this makes my stomach do somersaults. It kills me. It really does.

"This wasn't my choice," I say.

"I've heard that before," she replies. "Just answer one thing for me. Is all of this real?"

"What, exactly, are you referring to?"

"THIS! All of this  …  the romantic meal, all of this outward affection  …   you and Lorna  …  all of it," she says. "Are you falling for her?"

I look into her eyes. Her confusion is palpable.

I want to tell her how I really feel, how I meant what I said before; I  can't stand Lorna, but none of that comes out of my mouth.

For the first time in a long time, I'm nearly speechless.

"I have to do what's best for the company, Becca," I say.

I watch as tears tug at the corners of her eyes.

I'm fucking dying inside. Literally dying.

It's like someone is holding a match to my insides, burning me slowly,  and there's nothing I can do about it except to allow my heart to be set  ablaze.





187





Becca





I run out of the Four Seasons and onto Park Avenue not knowing where else to go. I just know that I need to get out.

Get out of there. Get out of that toxic situation.

I'm breathing hard. I'm panting.

My heart is racing. My eyes are seeing spots. I see stars, and not the  good kind you see during sex, but the kind that makes me think I'm  having a stroke.

My head is spinning and it feels like my entire stomach has fallen to the ground.

How could Mason just turn around and betray me like this?

Like it was no big deal? Like it was just a business decision.

Didn't he know that I was falling in love with him?

I mean, you noticed the signs, didn't you? When I talked about him, you  could tell that I was falling in love with the guy, right?

Please tell me that I wasn't just feeling that in my head and actually  driving him away or something. Please tell me that I didn't do something  inadvertent to make this happen.

Wait.

Actually, no. Don't tell me anything.

I don't want to talk about that bastard for another second.

I can't believe him. That fucker!

I should have known to stay away from him from the first afternoon where  I saw Mom leaving his apartment. You remember that night I tried to  seduce him? Calling him Daddy? I bet he was laughing at me.

God, I bet he's just laughing at me right now, isn't he? I bet he and  Lorna are just chuckling over how I'm nothing more than a stupid little  girl who thought she was indulging a crush on her stepdad. It wouldn't  surprise me if the Lorna knew this whole time and was just going along  with the whole thing and laughing behind the scenes.

No, don't shake your head. After what Mason just pulled in there, anything is possible, you know.

I know you want to give him the benefit of the doubt and everything,  especially since I'm pregnant with his baby. But trust me, he doesn't  deserve it. He's an asshole who doesn't deserve to have the benefit of  anything. I seriously hope that--

The skies open up above me and the first flash of lightning and crack of  thunder goes through just as I'm angrily crossing the median divider of  Park Avenue as I head west.

I notice that the skies have darkened. They're a whole lot darker now  than they were just five minutes ago when I stormed out of the Four  Seasons.

There's another flash and crack.

And within seconds, just as I get to the sidewalk, the first heavy drops of rain start to fall from the sky.         

     



 

I don't have an umbrella, unlike everyone around me who seems to pull theirs out.

So I'm just walking down Park Avenue as the rain starts coming down.

I'm getting drenched. But you know what?

Fuck it.

I'm pregnant. Lonely.

The woman I thought was my mother actually has no relation to me. The  only connection I truly have with her is that she caused my biological  father to kill himself years ago.

The man that I thought of as my stepfather and who I thought I was  falling in love with happens to have betrayed me worse than I've ever  thought possible-trading in love and happiness for the chance to save  his company by joining forces with the Devil.

Oh, and I'm also carrying his baby.

And if Mason is out of my life, then it's probably a good bet that I'm  out of a job. I mean, either Lorna will come for me, or he will.

My "mother" has already kicked me out of her house. She could very easily require Mason to force me out of a job.

Which means that I wouldn't have enough money to even afford the walk-up apartment I have on the Lower East Side without a job.

Do you remember earlier on when you first met me I told you that I never really grew up knowing poverty or want?

I know I may have come across as a bit of a brat, basically saying oh I've been well off.

Well, guess what, hun. I'm broke, single, lonely, betrayed, pregnant,  and drenched to the bone as I walk down New York City right about now.

I think if anything this whole experience has me humbled. A lot.

What? You don't believe me?

I mean, hun, I've lost everything I have. I've pretty much had everything either taken or stolen away from me since you met me.

Seriously, there is no way for a happily ever after from here.

There's only one thing that I can do, if I'm looking to survive right now.

I start to run downtown toward the Kane Price offices. I take off my  shoes and run barefoot. What the fuck do I care at this point? I'm  already soaked to the core in this downpour.

I make it to the 52nd Street and Park Avenue headquarters of Kane Price a  few minutes later. The sidewalks have cleared out because of the rain  and even the traffic is a lot slower. But I don't pay any attention to  that, going into the building.

I can tell the few people in the lobby look at me in a mixture of  puzzlement and curiosity but I seriously have no more fucks left to give  as I find my ID badge and buzz myself past the security turnstiles and  toward the elevator banks.

The security desk can't do anything to stop me if I'm wet as long as I have my security badge that gives me access.

The elevator takes me up to my floor. It's evening and a lot of people  have left for the day so not too many people stare at me as I walk to my  computer.

Water is literally dripping from my hair, face, and clothes. I'm definitely leaving a trail, but I don't care.

I go to my desk and turn on my computer.

It takes five minutes to copy everything I have on Red Lion Aviation and  put all of the information on a secure USB that I plug into the  computer. Once all the information has been transferred, I take the USB  and put it in the driest corner of my purse.

The next thing I do is open up my email.

I compose a letter to my direct manager, deciding to copy Mason as well.