Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 75553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“They’re... They’re wonderful,” Remy agreed with a small smile. “Thank you very much, Griff. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Nonsense,” I told her, shaking my head. “Anything for my darling girlfriend.”
“Right,” Remy agreed though she stepped back away from me and her gaze was pinned to the ground.
“But this isn’t everything,” I continued in an attempt to cheer her up. “I’ve got you a cake too and I’ve already told everyone that we need to embarrass you this afternoon by singing you ‘Happy Birthday’ really, really badly.” I shot her a wink and a charming smile, easing back into my attentive boyfriend persona.
It worked it seemed. Remy giggled and her eyes lit up as she looked at me. “It’s everything a girl could ask for,” she said with a smile.
“Well then, I hope you haven’t got any plans for tonight either because I’ve got a special treat just for you up my sleeve,” I explained.
Remy’s smiled slipped and she glanced up at me with a confused expression before finally nodding. “No, no plans,” she told me. “I’ll look forward to it.”
“Me too.”
The rest of the day passed relatively normally. The only real difference was that I took Remy’s cake out to the cubicles around two in the afternoon. Just as we’d planned, everyone sung the traditional song, including me, as I placed the cake down in front of a red-faced Remy. Everybody had gathered around to watch her blow out her candles and a loud roar of applause sounded in the room alongside a few cheers. I looked around me in astonishment. I’d never realized before just how much everyone in the office liked Remy, but I couldn’t blame them.
In fact, I thought Remy was just wonderful. If it hadn’t been for the fact that I was determined not to follow in my father’s footsteps, I might have dated the secretary for real. After all, I didn’t think I could do any better than her. She was beautiful, funny, and kind. What more could I possibly want from a partner?
Still, I knew it was impossible. Sure, this fake relationship seemed good from the outside, but that’s because it was all a façade. The real thing would never work. Memories flashed in my mind’s eye of all my parents’ arguments growing up. I’d watched for years and years as their marriage had imploded and it made me realize just how hurtful relationships could be. After my father’s betrayal, I’d vowed from a young age never to end up in the same situation. I didn’t want to be hurt, or worse, be the one hurting someone else.
Around most people, I used the excuse that I was too busy with work to get involved with someone, but I couldn’t lie to myself. I knew that was a lie. I knew what I was really afraid of and as I watched Remy’s happy smile while she chatted with her friends, I couldn’t help but recoil at the thought of hurting her the way my father hurt my mother. I’d never laid my hands on a woman yet and I vowed I never would. I needed to keep my guard up to save myself and anyone else I might get involved with.
Once the excitement around the cake died down and people began milling back to their desks, I snuck back to my office and shut the door behind me. I took a deep breath and leaned my back against it. I didn’t realize that a birthday would stir such emotions inside me, but I needed to calm myself down. I started to think that maybe my plans for the evening weren’t such a good idea after all. Now that I’d seen Remy today, practically glowing, I wasn’t sure I was happy taking the ruse so far.
No, I need to stick to the plan, I told myself firmly. Everything will be okay once we finally call the relationship off. I just need to prove to Kelly and Mr. Anderson once and for all that I’m a family man. That’s all it is.
My words sounded like lies even to my own ears. I was in trouble and I knew it. I was sink on a boat without a life raft, but it was too late to get help. My fate was sealed.
20
Remy
I have to admit that seeing Griff show any interest at all in my birthday threw me off a little. I wasn’t opposed to the idea; it was just that we’d seen so little of each other lately that I’d begun to believe he’d forgotten I existed. So, when he gave me a big hug, a bouquet of roses, and the promise of a surprise later, it was safe to say that I was feeling well and truly swept off my feet.
At least until I realized that it had to all be an act, right? It was just another part of the fake relationship plot. That was all it could be after all. Griff had made it clear time and time again that he wanted absolutely nothing to do to me... right? Yet, my head was so muddled with all the mixed signals that it was impossible not to get excited for our little date outside of the office.