Page 15 of That Fake Feeling

Hemight have done wonders forWalker’sbusiness, but his need to control everything, including me, is getting on my final nerve.

Headjusts the papers in front of him and shrugs like he hasn’t made me look a complete fool. “Well,Ithought we’d get all the official stuff sorted out first.Youknow, just in case.”

Icould not be more sick of everyone thinkingI’mabout to let them down. “Incase of what,Sterling?”

Helooks me up and down likeI’mdemonstrating everything it wasin caseofand dismisses me with a wave. “Goget dressed.We’reabout to finish up and sign the contract.”

Ballsy.Theanger that’s been simmering inside me whileI’vegone along with this farcical idea is about to come to the boil.Screwhim if he thinks he can just dismiss me like an irrelevance.Thisis my life.

AndI’mdefinitely not leaving the room if this is my last chance to putLittleMissPrissyPantsoff signing that thing and freeing me from this torturous plan.

Ifshe walks, it’ll take forever forSterlingto rustle up another perfect candidate.Bythe time he’s found someone, the company will have recovered, andIwon’t have to go through this charade.

Okay.Timeto make the goody-two-shoes schoolteacher want to run for the hills.

Ilock eyes with her, shift my hands from my crotch to my hips, and draw myself up to full height, puffing out my chest.

Hereyes don’t flinch, don’t waver, don’t show any sign of dropping to my nearly nude body or to the rod in my underwear that’s currently pointing firmly in a northeasterly direction.

Sheholds my gaze, steady as a rock, asItake slow steps to the end of the table, pull out the chair, turn it slightly toward her, and sit with my legs in a full manspread.

Shemight be straitlaced, but she must have willpower of steel to not seem the slightest bit tempted to look down.

Hereyes leave mine only to pivot directly toSterlingwhen he breaks the silence.

“Right-ee-ho.”Hewrings out each syllable and exaggeratedly rubs his hands together. “Let’sget this paperwork dealt with, soConnorcan put on some clothes.”

“Actually.”Roselooks fromSterlingto me and back again. “BeforeIsign, there are some conditions of my ownI’dlike to add.”

Shereaches into the bag at her feet, pulls out a handful of papers, hands some to me, some toSterling, and taps her own on the table to straighten them.

Thedocument is headed “Rose’sClauses.”

Thisgirl might have bigger balls thanIthought.Firstthe steely will to keep her eyes on my face, now a bunch of her own conditions.IfSterlingthought he’d scooped up a shrinking violet who’d bend to his every wish, he might have made a mistake.

Sterlingholds the papers up in front of his face and furrows his brow like he’s trying to decipher hieroglyphics. “Whatis this?”

“Youhave your terms.”Shesmooths out the pages on the table in front of her. “AndIhave mine.”

“Ourcontract is perfectly fair,Rose,” he says. “Andmore than generous.”

“Oh, this isn’t aboutmoney.”Shespits out the last word as if it’s profane.

Ifthese two are going to fight,Ishould encourage it.

Ipoint the corner of my papers atSterling. “Weshould hear her out.Goahead,Rose.”

Herbig brown eyes look at me like she can’t believeI’msuddenly on her side. “Thankyou.”

Sterling’salready skimmed through the pages.Hefolds them in half and looks ready to recycle them. “Noneed for any of this.Ourlawyers have covered everything necessary in our contract.”

Rosedoesn’t move a muscle. “No, they haven’t.”Sheruns her pen under the first line and reads it out. “One.Physicalaffection can be demonstrated only in public or when photographers are known to be present.”

Whatthe hell is she worriedImight do?

“Youthink there’s a chanceImight try to grope you when we’re alone in the house?LikeImight think, ‘Oh, there she is, on her way from the kitchen to the living room.Withtoast.Mighthave a quick feel’?”Iwaggle my fingers in the air.

Sterlingshoots me one of his school principal looks. “Connor.”