Chapter 22


    -MILLIE-


    “Oh da mn, I should’ve googled what this event was about,” I whispered as the SUV pulled to aplete


    stop at the roundabout of The Bauer Venue.


    Damian slid out of the SUV first, buttoned his suit jacket, offering me his hand. “We’ll be here an hour


    tops,” he assured me.


    I ced my hands in his, feeling the familiar tingling whenever we touched. “No wonder you dressed me


    fancy.”


    I fixed the flowy skirt of the red evening gown he prepared for me. It had a corset top that hugged my


    upper body like it was custom made and a thigh-high slit on the a-line skirt enhancing my leg with every


    step. I’ve never worn something like this


    feel before. Candice always said that there were dresses meant to look beautiful, and there were those


    meant to make you beautiful. This one is thetter. I felt beautiful on my skin. I took some shots and


    posted them on my social media ounts before Damian fetched me from my hotel room.


    My date fake boyfriend was a dashing debonair in his gray tuxedo- embellished with red rose


    boutonniere pinned on his jacketpel matching the corsage around my wrist. It shouldn’t surprise me


    how good looking he was in formal attire, but he didn’t fail to steal my breath away. His hair was brushed


    back to perfection, not a strand out of ce. His prominent jawline was on full disy, and those dark


    emerald eyes bored a heated gaze on mine every time our eyes locked. Since the hotel, I swear my


    heart was on the verge of tipping off a critical level from how fast it was beating.


    “It’s just a dress. You’re beautiful whatever you wear,” he whispered in my ear, looping my arm with his


    as we ascended the red-carpeted stairs towards the entry. The blinding shes of the camera greeted us


    as we went. A long red stretch belt kept the cameraman and news people away from our path, but it


    didn’t stop them from calling out Damian’s name.


    Damian stopped at a few requests for a good picture. Our final stop was on the wide standee – covering


    the rest of the entry- with the words The Lantz Table, An Evening Against Hunger.


    Our night was only beginning. The overwhelming sensation of being around these people – like we’re


    celebrities on the red carpet event – jostled my anxiety forward. This isn’t my scene. I n events and


    stay in the background, but never in front of the camera or stand in a crowd. And my job as social media


    creator starts and ends with the lens of my camera, not the lens of these professional photographers and


    reporters.


    “Kiss for the camera!” someone shouted, and a shiver broke out on the base of my spine.


    Damian grabbed my waist. I looked up at him, finding him already staring down at me. His green eyes


    traipse around my facenguidly as a sensual smile broke out on his face. He lowered his lips to my


    ears. “You look stunning, Millicent. I’ll be all over you tonight, you know that, right?”


    I released a breathy moan. This part of our deal was bing my favorite use. I’ve dreamt about


    Damian’s kisses for thest week, his touch and his hungry gaze as though he’d devour me if I’d let him.


    I hit my lip and patted his chest. “Like you should, babe”


    I swear I heard him growl as he pressed a kiss on the side of my mouth. “F ucking tease.”


    If the entry to the event was fancy, the event itself was beyond morous. The hum of the orchestra’s


    string, woodwind, brass, and percussion filled the functional hall. Servers walked around with trays


    carrying champagne. Gold linen tables and chairs circled the dance floor. Women in designer dresses


    and men in thousand-dor suits milled around, talking in groups,ughing, and drinking their choice of


    alcohol.


    Damian had been a crowd favorite the moment we stepped inside. He addressed each person who


    approached him by their names, asked about their wives, kids and fishing escapade. He made everyone


    he conversed with feel important, stroking their egos if he must. He made sure I was introduced in their


    conversation, asking me questions and boasting about Effortless Events on asion. And like he said,


    he was all over me, stealing kisses whenever he could, his hands never leaving my body. He’d hold my


    hand,”slide a hand on my lower back, ortuck me to his side like he was afraid someone would steal


    me.


    The first thirty minutes of the fundraiser went by like a blur. I was glued to Damian’s side, learning more


    about him and how good he was with people and making business deals. I only left his side when I


    needed to use thedies’ room.


    Thedies’ room was the size of my apartment, well-lit, and smelled ofvender. I sighed, gazing at


    myself in the mirror and reapplying gloss to my lips.


    My cheeks ached from smiling for thest thirty minutes, and my shoes were pinching my toes.


    I’d be Damian’s girlfriend for a year. It meant that this won’t be thest morous event I’ll ever attend.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    I straightened my spine when the door opened. A woman walked inside, so I kept myposure back


    on. She went straight for the counter, two steps away from me. Her beaded emerald green dress caught


    the light as she pulled a tube from her clutch and stroked her longshes with a mascara wand.


    “Haven’t seen you around before,” she murmured. I nced at her through the mirror, taking in her


    brte wavesbed to one side, creating an old Hollywood pin-up model vibe. Her lips were full, red,


    and lush, her clear blue eyes studying with intense curiosity.


    I stered the friendly smile I’d been wearing since walking inside this event. This is my first. I just


    apanied my boyfriend.”


    “Damian, right?” She closed the cap of her mascara tube and pulled out her lipstick.


    “Uhm, yeah,” Her probing gaze unsettled me.


    “You’ll get used to the attention he’s getting. He’s a crowd favorite.


    An unsteady giggle rumbled from my throat. “I thought I was doing fine. Guess I’m not.”


    “Oh no,” she puckered her lips and tossed her lipstick back to her Cleopatra Clutch, facing me. “You fit in


    perfectly,” she said, her icy blue eyes gliding from my head to my toes and back up to meet my eyes.


    “Too perfect that no one would notice you’re a fraud.”


    “Excuse me?” I blinked at her. Her friendly tone shifted to menacing as fast as a lightning strike.


    “You’re a good actress,” her smile was condescending, “You two sell out this couple charade the moment


    you stepped out of the car.”


    My instinct to defend myself grew tenfold. My eyebrows tilted. “Seems this conversation is a bit biased. Is


    there a cut in your insults where you’ll introduce yourself and reveal why you’re trying to intimidate me?”


    Her daunting gaze made me want to back down. I felt insecure about her beauty, her confidence, and


    her allure. She was everything I was not. Sophisticated, ssy, and stunning,


    She folded her arms in her middle, pushing up her voluptuous breast to spill from the cups of her dress.


    “I’m Sonja.”


    Everything has fallen into ce. I should’ve asked more about her, but I didn’t want to impose on


    Damian. I was willing to wait for him to tell me more about this woman, Luck had other ns, though.


    So this is her, the woman who can’t take no for an answer, the reason Damian needed me. I suddenly


    felt protective of Damian. He made a mistake by getting involved with her but he’s setting straight things


    now, that’s what mattered to me.


    I shoved all my insecurities away and stood taller, matching her probing gaze. “Oh, Sonja. I heard about


    you. Are you following Damian here as well, or are you here with your husband?”


    The side of her eyes twitched. I definitelynded a strike on a sore spot. “He doesn’t belong to you.”


    I pursed my lips, looking thoughtful for a moment. “And he belongs to you?” Her eyes narrowed to slits,


    white steam billowed from her ears and nose. “He’s human, not a thing to be owned. And he has the


    brains to keep a distance from a married woman like you.”


    Unphased, Sonja stepped forward until we were toe to toe. Menace shone in her eyes. “You’re just a


    pastime, another notch


    III


    09:25 Sat Feb 10


    on his bedpost. He Ile back to me once he gets tired of you


    If Daman and I were in an actual rtionship, maybe her words might shake me. Too bad I know what


    Damun and I has The response was on the tip of my tongue, but the doortched open, and threedies


    walked inside, giggling oblivious to the standoff between Sonja and me.


    Sonja smirked, squaring her shoulder. “Enjoy being with him while itsts. You’ll be out of his life before


    you even notice.”


    She strutted out of the bathroom regally. I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding when she was


    finally out of sight


    I stayed there a few more minutes, gathering myself and calming my wildly beating heart. When I signed


    up as Damian’s girlfriend, I only thought about my problems. 1 forgot to reconsider that Damian wouldn’t


    need my help if Sonja was your average jealous ex-girlfriend. She meant business, and she got her eyes


    set on iming Damian back.


    What the hell have I gotten myself into


    ?