“Just pick out a few pairs of shirts and pants. I don’t need them all,” Tatum calls from across the room, conveniently answering my unspoken question.

  I peak outside the closet door to ask, “Why? Won’t you need more than a few?”

  “Nah, I couldn’t possibly bring an entire closet to your place. I’ve arranged for storage too. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Oh, okay.” I notice my voice turn glum and I internally curse myself. I don’t want him hearing me and think I’m taking pity on him. I shake it off and follow up with another question, “What about your shoes? How many should I pack?”

  “Just a pair of sneakers, I guess.”

  “You don’t plan on going out much, do you?”

  He chuckles. “Nope. I won’t need to.” With some hesitation, he adds, “Is that okay with you?”

  My heart aches for him. Tatum, once a powerful man in the world of business, now needs permission to stay with me—a woman he paid for a six-month contract.

  I wish I could comfort him in a better way than sharing a living space. He hasn’t expressed his feelings about the bankruptcy yet, and I’m worried he’s only trying to act strong. I’ve only ever seen him show his strong side.

  I wish he trusted me enough to confide.

  “Of course, it’s okay with me,” I tell him cheerfully. “I’m the one who offered my help.”

  And I’m willing to do so much more. At least for now, I can keep him entertained. If he isn’t planning to go out, then I’ll have to think of ways to keep him occupied.

  Seven

  Tatum

  I make quick work of packing my personal things. A couple of towels, some soap and shampoo, more deodorant and aftershave, and everything Ayesha obviously doesn’t own as a woman. I don’t want to burden her with the additional trouble of buying them. She’s already done so much for me despite knowing each other for only three months.

  I keep thinking about her kindness towards me. She’s taken care of me since yesterday, and to be honest, that breakfast this morning was one of the best I’ve ever had. It was no gourmet dish, but it had heart. That alone made me feel strange. As if Ayesha truly cared. It goes the same for the meal she cooked for me last night—the first home cooked meal I’ve had in a long time.

  She said she wanted to be a chef. I think it suits her. She’d be a good one too. I smile at the image of Ayesha in a chef’s uniform, barking orders at other cooks to finish their dishes. It’s so different from her usual personality that it makes me laugh to myself.

  Maybe a quieter setting would be better for her. Yeah, a small restaurant. Or she can be a housewife who always cooks for her husband.

  No, wait. I shouldn’t be thinking about her like that. I don’t even know her beyond our contractual relationship.

  Walking out of the bathroom, I realize I should remedy that. I glance at Ayesha packing my things from my closet and I make up my mind to learn more about her.

  It doesn’t take long for us to get everything I need from my condo. I’ve talked to the building owner about what to do with my things and a storage room in the basement had been prepared for me. All according to plan.

  We get back to her apartment and Ayesha immediately goes back to taking care of me, helping me unpack and organize the guest room, making us a snack, she even rearranges her bathroom essentials so I can squeeze mine with hers.

  The embarrassed face she makes as she apologizes for having only one bathroom is adorable. This side of hers is really growing on me. Not only is she sweet and attentive, but she also makes me feel like family. Something I never feel when I’m with my relatives. It’s overwhelming and yet, gratifying.

  This is her true personality. Caring. Domestic. I hide my smile as I watch her fuss about how she can fit my clothes into the small closet. I can’t decide whether she’s more like a wife or a mother.

  She’d be great at both.

  She’d be the perfect wife and also the perfect mother. Whoever she decides to marry is one lucky guy. But, right now, I’m that lucky guy, and I’m going to enjoy her attention to the fullest.

  Once she’s satisfied with the arrangements, Ayesha suggests a few ways to pass the time. We already talked a lot yesterday and there aren’t many topics left for us if we want to stay casual.

  “How about some Netflix?” she asks nervously, though I’m not sure why. Netflix is a safe recommendation, so she’s probably worried about not finding a show or movie we both like.

  “I also have a few board games, if you like that sort of thing,” she says in a quieter voice, almost as if she’s too shy to suggest it.

  “I do like board games,” I assure her.

  I revel in the way her eyes light up. I’m guessing not a lot of her friends enjoy board games. It’s a good thing I do, not as an enthusiast, but I appreciate the brain activity they encourage. In my opinion, they’re more stimulating than video games when it comes to mental challenges.

  I also keep a few games at home, mostly card games and the classics. I even own an artisan chess set custom made with each piece hand-carved to my chosen design.

  Ayesha leads me to her bedroom and opens up a cabinet full of different sized boxes, each box a different board game.

  “I thought you said a few?” I tease her and she giggles, one hand coming up to cover her mouth, demure as ever.

  I scan Ayesha’s cabinet wondering how she gets to play all of them considering her busy schedule. She told me she was a homebody, but an actress can only have so much free time. What I’m seeing is an impressive collection.

  “Who do you usually play with?”

  “Some friends, in the rare times I can convince them not to go out on parties,” she replies with a slight pout on her lips.

  “Must be hard,” I say because I’ve been in her shoes before. Most people I know preferred partying in night clubs over relaxing at home. In fact, in my world, it’s hard to find someone who appreciates the appeal of staying in.

  “So?” she asks turning to meet my gaze and only then do I notice how close I’m standing to her. I’m surprised she doesn’t feel uncomfortable. Her captivating brown eyes blink at me and I almost miss what she says next, “Anything catch your eye?”

  “Let’s see.” I distract myself with the boxes taking them out and checking the covers for descriptions. I recognize a few of them, but most are for multiple players.

  “There’s not a lot you can play with two people.” She frowns as she sifts through them beside me. “Oh! This one’s pretty good.”

  She holds up a green box, the title written in bold white letters. A mystery game.

  “Are you up for a mental workout?” She looks irresistible with a confident grin. So, my fake fiancée hides a big brain underneath all that beauty and elegance. Spending time with her is turning out to be an exhilarating experience.

  I smirk as I accept her challenge. “You’re on.”

  We’re on our third round when I decide to tell her how I’ve been feeling.

  “I know we haven’t had the chance to get to know each while we were dating,” I say, making air quotes when I said dating, “but, we have the chance now. And since I’m going to be your roommate for some time, I hope you’d give me the honor of getting to know you better.”

  It might have been a little cheesy, but Ayesha’s blushing face throughout the entire round is definitely worth it.

  Eight

  Ayesha

  After Tatum and I had finished reorganizing my house to accommodate him, I think of ways on how I could entertain my new housemate. I list off the things Tatum likes to do, but the only ones that come to mind are working as Brilliance’s CEO and making money.

  Both of which I can’t exactly offer him at the moment, I thought, trying not to grimace.

  So I suggest watching Netflix. Watching movies is an enjoyable way to spend time. And we’d be avoiding the local channels this way.

  With the news of his company’s bankruptcy getting a lot of press coverage, I didn’t think it’d be a good idea to check the local channels for entertainment.

  Sadly, I don’t know if he’d like anything that I’d pick or recommend, so I also suggest playing board games. To my surprise, Tatum agrees to play some, and we settle on a Sherlock Holmes interactive mystery game.

  Throughout the game, Tatum shows me different expressions that I never thought I would see on his face. Eyes widening just a little over an unexpected revelation, brows furrowing in irritation at a character that reminded him way too much of a relative and bright laughter at one whose idiocy was shown to the public.

  The game proved to be a fun and entertaining one that Tatum and I spent hours on it without even realizing that it’s already half-past one in the afternoon.

  “Well, who knew that the woman from the very first scene was the culprit,” Tatum comments the moment we finish the game.

  “I guess we’ve still got a long way to go before we get on Sherlock Holmes’ level,” I reply, chuckling.

  “Hmm, I wouldn’t say we’re that far. We finished the game, didn’t we?” he reminds me with a smug grin.

  I smile in reply and we enjoy the comfortable silence for a few minutes. Until both of our stomachs rumble at the same time, breaking the aforementioned silence. I feel my face heating up as I lock eyes with Tatum’s blue ones, which looks mildly surprised. After a few seconds, we both laugh.

  “I guess all that brain workout had used up all our energy. Let’s go eat?” he asks and offers his hand to me.

  I take his proffered hand, as I try not to swoon over Tatum and his gentlemanly ways. This isn’t the first time that he’s shown me this side of him, but I still can’t seem to keep my heart from beating so fast when he does.

  With Tatum’s help, preparing lunch is a breeze and in less than an hour, we are enjoying eating as we share our other interests.

  “I’ve told you all about my interests, what about you? What keeps the great Tatum Langris busy on his day-off?”

  “Well, I enjoy a few outdoor activities like hiking and golf,” he offers.

  “Golf? I never knew you played golf.”

  “I haven’t really played golf much nowadays since it’s an interest that I gained after closing the deal with Mr. Harrison,” he explains.

  “Harrison? That name seems familiar to me…” I comment, trying to remember where I’ve heard the name.

  “The owner of the Harrison Constructions. He was an investor of Brilliance. His decision to partner with Brilliance had made headlines since he had no interest in the jewelry business until he married his newest wife who was twice his age,” he reminds me.

  * * *

  Looking at Tatum, I notice that his jaw and his grip on his utensils look tight. The smile and the slight chuckle that he lets out also doesn’t reach his eyes as he talks about Brilliance.

  I finally see that my hunch is right. Those little signs point out the truth that despite the strong front that he’s showing, how his company had slowly sunk to its unfortunate end is affecting him much more than he cares to admit.

  Lunch proceeded on the same note. No matter how hard I try to talk about other topics, we always end up reliving a memory that is related to the now-bankrupt company.

  Sharing our interests was something that I thought would have been a safe topic. Unfortunately, I forgot that most of Tatum’s interests are either related to his company or resulted from entertaining his clients and business partners.

  With lunch leaving me feeling ruffled and a little worried, I’ve decided that the best course of action is to help Tatum take his mind off things.

  So I wrack my brain on how to distract him for the next few days. With him staying at home most of the time, it would be inevitable for Tatum to stumble on news of Brilliance’s unfortunate end which is everywhere at this point and I know that wouldn’t do.

  I begin losing hope of finding ways to amuse the man until I remember the vacation that Candice has been bugging me to take for the longest time. I had been planning to finally take her up on that offer after I had finished the promotion for my movie, but I guess this time is as good as any.

  This way, I’d be killing two birds with one stone. I finally get to have a well-deserved rest and I also get to help Tatum relax for a few days. Unfortunately, I’m not entirely sure if he’d be on board with this idea.

  Well, you wouldn’t know if you don’t ask Ayesha.

  “I was wondering… I had been planning on taking a vacation for some time now. Do you want to go with me?” I ask Tatum who is busy putting the plates back in the rack.

  “I wouldn’t mind, I guess. But I’ll only go if it’s somewhere secluded,” he comments offhandedly.

  Somewhere secluded. Well, I guess it’s not a terrible idea considering the circumstances right now. Going somewhere where we’d be easily spotted and constantly bothered by paparazzi and the press, in general, isn’t my idea of a vacation either.

  Remembering his offhand comment earlier of enjoying hiking, an idea starts formulating in my mind.

  “Great! I know just the perfect place.”

  Nine

  Tatum

  It isn’t until I’m lying down in bed when Ayesha’s suggestion of taking a vacation sinks in. I was pretty upset with all the reminders about Brilliance and how our conversations seemed to always go there. It’s not her fault, I know that. She’s been a lovely host and she tried her best to avoid topics about the company. But once that comment about Harrison was made, my temper got away from me.

  The bankruptcy may not be real, but the snakes within the company are. My relatives are proof of that. And it pisses me off that I have to formulate an elaborate scheme just to flush them out. If it weren’t for Ayesha and her kindness, I’d be alone in a hotel wallowing in misery and anger.

  Taking a deep breath, I force myself to imagine a relaxing vacation with Ayesha. Most of the day had been fun, and she’s enjoyable to be around. I’m a little surprised that she’d go out of her way to invite me, but then again, she’s probably doing this out of consideration for me. She wants me to forget all the bad news surrounding my company.

  I wonder where she plans to go? She said she had to make arrangements before she would tell me, and it does pique my curiosity. Where does the beguiling actress, Ayesha Merlot go for a getaway?

  Yeah, this is what I should think about when I sleep. Ayesha’s smile and her eyes that light up the night.

  We spend the entirety of next day packing and planning our itinerary. It hits me then that I’ve never been with a woman on a vacation before. I’ve met women on vacation and spent considerable time with them until I had to leave. But none of those women were memorable enough to have a lasting relationship with.

  Not that I’ve ever been interested in a serious relationship. Until now, that is. Why else would I be willing to go with Ayesha? It can’t simply be out of gratitude, definitely not a distraction. I’m going because I want to, and more importantly because it was Ayesha who asked.

  I may have initially hired her as a temporary fiancée, but every day spent with her makes me realize how an amazing wife she would make. Maybe when I’ve reclaimed my company, I can officially ask her out.

  “I don’t like traveling at night, so let’s go tomorrow morning, okay?” she tells me at lunch. There’s a slight pout to her lips and she stares at me with shy eyes. I’d be a monster to say no to that face.

  “Whatever you want,” I reply. “By the way, you still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

  She beams at me. “It’s a mountain resort called Goldrock Lodge near the Adirondack Mountains.”

  “I’ve never heard of that resort before.”

  “That’s because it’s small and very private,” she giggled. “I bet you’ve never been to anything like it. I can guarantee it would be so much different from your usual vacations.”

  She looks proud of herself and I can’t help the smile on my face.

  “I trust your judgment. But why a mountain resort?”

  “Oh, that’s because you mentioned hiking during dinner last night.” Her smile turns sheepish. “I thought you’d like it.”

  I’m surprised she remembered. I said it without thinking much about it, just an example of outdoor activity. But she actually pays attention to the things I say.

  “How did you get us into this resort?”

  “A friend of mine helped. She owns the place.”

  “Well, that’s impressive.”

  “Say that when you’ve seen the place,” she says, her confidence coming back. “We can take the tour, and then go trekking.”

  I had to say those words far earlier than I thought I would. We reach the resort at eight in the morning after a long drive. I volunteer to take the wheel and had been exhausted by the time we step out of the car. But my body seemed to forget how tired it is when I saw the reception hall.

  It was a cabin, built completely from wood with interiors designed to look like a scenery all on its own. One would think it was a house built in a fantasy world or from fairy tales. Behind it, I glimpse several stone pathways leading to smaller shacks. I assume, instead of rooms, we get the small houses to stay in.

  “This is more than impressive, Ayesha.” My eyes are still sweeping the surroundings. I don’t need to look at her to know she’s smiling proudly. “It’s very peaceful. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “That’s because you’ve never experienced a simple life. That was my friend’s goal when she opened this place. Candice wanted a world where you can forget all your worries at the same time, connect with people.”

  “She must be a wonderful person.”

  “She is,” she beams. “But we have to hurry. I think the tour starts in an hour and I want to settle in properly before we leave.”

 

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