CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE –
Megan POV:
Chris arrived promptly at 6 pm, his expression inscrutable as Lilly ushered him inside with forced joviality.
Mercifully, she took the hint when I suggested getting coffee might help facilitate the impending discussion.
The spring evening held a crisp chill as we made our way to the corner cafe in tense silence.
I stole furtive glances at Chris’s stoic profile, searching for any hint of the man I’d grown so comfortable collaborating with in recent weeks. But his features remained an impassive mask, eyes forward and jaw set in that infuriatingly opaque way of his.
Once we were settled at a secluded corner table with steaming mugs before us, I could no longer avoid the reason for this abrupt summit.
Clearing my throat, I met his watchful gaze head-on.
….
We stepped into the cozy cafe; the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee surrounded us.
I led Chris to a secluded corner table, feeling his watchful gaze on my back. Sliding into the booth, I fiddled nervously with a paper napkin.
“Thanks for coming on such short notice,” I began, hoping to sound casual. “I thought we could go over some of your latest draft pages.”
Chris arched an eyebrow but retrieved a file folder from his bag, sliding it across the table. As he waited for me to review the pages, I struggled to focus – my real motive weighing heavily on my mind.
“This is great work,” I murmured vaguely after skimming the draft. Chris gave me a knowing look.
“You seem distracted. Everything okay?”
I felt my cheeks flush, realizing he could see right through me as always. Taking a steadying breath, I set the pages aside to meet his gaze.
“I’m sorry, the drafts weren’t the actual reason I asked you here tonight.” I paused, feeling my pulse spike. “It’s about this situation unfolding between us recently, with all the media speculation over our relationship.”
Chris stayed silent, letting me continue at my own pace.
” I wanted to tell you of a… development regarding our working relationship,” I began, proud of how steady my voice remained despite the fluttering anxiety in my chest. “One that Jane has taken fairly drastic measures to address preemptively.”
Those inquisitive green eyes held mine levelly, silently bidding me to continue. Drawing a fortifying breath, I soldiered onward.
“It seems our… encounter at the bookstore has sparked more media scrutiny than I could have anticipated,” I admitted ruefully. “Speculation over the nature of our collaboration that Jane feels requires strategic misdirection and proactive reputational safeguarding for us both.”
A muscle ticked in Chris’s taut jawline, though his expression remained impassive.
“What exactly did she have in mind?” He finally asked, voice devoid of inflection. My throat constricted momentarily, realizing this was the crux – the make or break turning point where I would alienate him completely.
“Jane has decreed we should…” I paused, searching for the most delicate phrasing. Finally, I exhaled heavily and simply stated it plainly.
“She wants us to publicly pursue a romantic relationship as a ‘committed courtship’ to reframe the narrative around our partnership before it devolves further.”
Chris went utterly still at that, the only hint of his inner thoughts flickering across those striking eyes. I pressed on in a heated rush before my nerves abandoned me entirely.
“Obviously, I understand this is an entirely unacceptable imposition to place upon you out of nowhere,” I insisted, willing him to hold my gaze and see my sincerity. “I have no intentions of strong-arming you into any charade against your will or ethical boundaries…”
My words trailed off as Chris remained mute, expression utterly unreadable. The weighted silence stretched unbearably until I finally heard myself blurting out the rest in a tumultuous rush.
“I just… I felt I owed you the courtesy of a candid disclosure about Jane’s plans before any unsanctioned publicity leaked. So, you would have fair warning over the damaging falsehoods about to-”
“She feels we need to portray ourselves as a committed couple to the public. To preserve our reputations and control the narrative.” I rushed the last part out, too nervous to monitor my phrasing.
I couldn’t bring myself to meet his eyes, dreading his reaction to this insane proposition. The weighted silence stretched out until he finally cleared his throat.
“I see. And what’s your stance on this… unorthodox publicity moves between us?”
My throat felt dry, but I forced myself to hold his intense gaze.
“Truthfully? I think it’s farcical and demeaning to everything we’ve built together. You’ve become an invaluable partner and friend. This whole fake relationship feels like a violation of the trust between us.”
I twisted my hands anxiously on the tabletop.
“But I can’t deny the potential consequences if we let this circus play out unchecked. So, I’m asking…” I took a deep breath. “Will you consider being my fake boyfriend, at least temporarily?”
I finally broke eye contact, hoping against hope he’d agree to indulge this ludicrous notion.
Chris was silent for a long moment before exhaling heavily.
“You know I’d never jeopardize our work or your well-being, right?” His voice had taken on that low rasp that always commanded my attention.
I could only nod mutely, captivated by his intensity.
“Okay.”
The single flat syllable sliced through my panicked rambling as effectively as a bucket of ice water. I blinked owlishly, hardly daring to comprehend.
“I… what?” I managed weakly after too long a pause.
Chris’s expression remained impassive, though his jaw had tensed fractionally beneath the faint stubble shadowing those chiseled features.
“If this protects both our professional reputations and allows our work to continue unimpeded…” He let the rationale hang in the air for a measured beat before continuing. “Then I’m amenable to playing along with whatever public-facing charade your publicist deems prudent for now.”
I simply gaped, hardly able to process his equanimity in the face of such an outrageous proposition.
Chris exhaled heavily through his nostrils and pinned me with that uncannily piercing stare – the one that always made me feel utterly exposed down to my marrow.
“We’re colleagues and friends first, Megan,” he stated with conviction. “I trust your judgment explicitly. So, if you feel preserving appearances this way is the only viable path forward right now…” He trailed off with a loosening shrug of those broad shoulders.
“Then I’m with you.”
My chest constricted around the lump swelling in my throat as profound gratitude and relief washed over me in dizzying waves.
I opened my mouth to respond – to thank this extraordinary man for his steadfast understanding and support in the face of such aberrant chaos.
But before I could find the right words, Chris quirked one side of his mouth in an infinitesimal half-smile that struck me utterly speechless all over again.
“Well?” He prompted with that familiar teasing rasp tingeing his voice. “What makes more sense as a meet-cute back story to sell the rags, hmm? You catching my eye while browsing bodice rippers? Or maybe ungovernable lust sparking between us over a heated feminist book club dissection of Lady Murasaki’s fabled exploration of salacious courtly affairs…?”
Despite everything, a strangled laugh gusted out of me at his half-smirking attempt to lighten the mood.
Shaking my head, I simply gazed back at Chris with a dawning sense of renewed hope steadying my resolve.
“Then you know my answer already,” he stated simply, giving me a reassuring half-smile.
I felt the constriction in my chest slowly unlatch as his meaning sank in. I wasn’t alone in this – he was going to be my partner through whatever storms lay ahead too.
Returning his smile with renewed determination, I exhaled the breath I’d been holding.
Maybe going along with this fake boyfriend scheme wouldn’t be as catastrophic as I’d feared, not with Chris by my side.
Whatever unsavory role-playing awaited; our vital partnership would remain the top priority through it all.
And for that, I felt an overwhelming surge of gratitude toward this remarkable man.
.