Page 32 of Logan

I gulp, my throat dry and my hands wringing in my lap. “You’re going to fire me now, right? Can I at least stay until the end of the vacation? My return flight is two weeks from now.”

His eyes narrow, his mouth closed, leaving me in a torturous silence that stretches into eternity. Then, just as I’m on the verge of rising, resigned to packing my things, he finally breaks the silence.

“I’m not going to fire you,” he says, “but I do want you to do something for me.”

He’s not going to fire me.The proclamation replays in mymind like a lifeline in the sea of my earlier panic. I sink back into my chair, the tension draining from my shoulders, yet a thread of curiosity weaving its way through my relief.

“What can I do?” I ask.

“I need you to accompany me to a business meeting, a dinner.”

A dinner meeting? That’s manageable. A few hours out of my life, acting as professional support. I nod, mentally bracing myself for an evening of corporate small talk and appetizers.

“And,” he says with a moment of hesitation, “I need you to come as my girlfriend.”

I blink. “What?”

“I need you to pretend we’re a couple, just for a few hours.” His explanation is calm and matter-of-fact as if proposing a simple solution to a routine problem.

Pretend to be Logan Valeur’s girlfriend? For a business dinner? The absurdity and the suddenness of the proposition scramble my thoughts. “Why?”

“I’m here to close a deal to buy high-resolution cameras for the software you developed. Wolfson Electronics has what we need, but convincing them of the importance of our product and why they should partner with us, has been a challenge. Wolfson invited me and my ‘partner’ to dinner. Showing up alone would essentially torpedo the deal.”

“But why does he think you have your partner here in London with you?” This whole scenario seems tangled in unnecessary complexities.

“Misunderstanding.” He shrugs, though the tension in his frame belies his casual demeanor. “I could refuse the invitation, but then all the hard work you’ve put into this projectmight be for nothing. We can’t let that happen, right? And with you here, it feels like fate. You’re not just any employee. You understand the technical nuances. You can help make the case.”

“You’re aware of what I do at Valeur?” Surprise laces my words. Until now, I hadn’t considered he might know of my contributions.

“Liam filled me in.”

Liam. Of course. Logan probably had no clue who I was before this unexpected apartment encounter. Why would he?

Still, I see how important it is to him. He thinks he’s hiding his feelings behind his mask, with the light way in which he says the words, but I see the tension in his eyes, the way his jaw tightens when he mentions the deal—it all reveals how much he’s banking on this.

Why my project—of all the initiatives under Valeur’s vast umbrella—has captured his attention is a mystery. My product is solid, a fact I’m proud of, but Valeur is a titan in the industry, home to countless innovative minds. The question of why mine nags at me, but I hold back, choosing instead to focus on the immediate task at hand.

“I’m not good at lies. As soon as he asks me something, I’ll get confused, and everything will fall apart.” My tongue has no restraints, especially when I’m near Logan for some reason. It’s as if being in his presence lowers all my defenses, leaving me exposed in ways I’m not used to.

“Don’t worry, you just have to talk about the product. Leave the rest to me.”

Considering everything, dedicating a few hours to assist him seems the least I can do, especially after such an...intimate incident. And truthfully, I relish the idea of discussingmy work, my creations. Such opportunities are rare, and my enthusiasm for my projects rarely finds an audience.

Yet, the fear of failing, of disappointing him, gnaws at me.

“Okay. But if this doesn’t go as planned, if I screw up, and the deal falls through, please don’t blame me.”

He gives a firm nod, sealing our agreement. “Deal.”

I try to relax after that confirmation to no avail. “You know nothing about me, and we’re going to pretend to be a couple. Won’t that be strange at dinner?”

“I know enough. And for whatever comes up, we’ll improvise.”

“Even so…”

“Okay, tell me something about yourself.”

“I don’t know what there is to tell.” I flush with the sudden spotlight on me. What could I possibly say that would be of interest?