Chapter 6 - Oliver

OLIVER

"Damn it," Oliver swore loudly, running a stressed hand through his hair as he suddenly thought of Emily. How could he forget her? The situation was getting completely out of hand. "As an accountant, she would never sign anything without reading it first. But there's no time to read anything anymore." His eyes were glued to the silent fax machine, which made no effort to send him the documents he needed. The teller just shrugged, as if he didn't really understand the drama unfolding in front of Oliver.

"I'll be right back," Oliver called hastily, turning and hurrying out of the copy shop. The ground under his feet felt much too hard, his footsteps sounded much too loud. He made his way back to the beauty salon while the worst-case scenario played out in his mind: What if Emily wasn't waiting for him? What if she had already left?

With each step, the unease in his chest grew. She couldn't have just left, could she? When he finally reached the studio and looked through the glass door, he frowned. The styling chair was empty.

His heart skipped a beat. She was gone.

Panic shot through his body. Had she really paid for it herself and just disappeared? Had the idea of being a billionaire's girlfriend scared her so much that she had fled?

"No, that can't be true!" Oliver felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. He entered the beauty salon frantically. His eyes darted around the room until he finally spotted her in a small waiting area. He breathed a sigh of relief. She was sitting there with a magazine in her hand, and he had to admit, she looked absolutely stunning. She looked sweet as sugar, her blonde hair artfully pulled back to frame the soft features of her face. Her passionate gray-blue eyes and delicate red lips made her a real eye-catcher - a woman who couldn't be easily overlooked. If she wasn't going to become his employee in the next few minutes and he wasn't in this awkward situation, he might have asked her out himself. His hormones were definitely telling him that he wanted this beauty, even if she was wearing unflattering jogging clothes.

But at that moment, all he could think about was how little time he had left. Alexander was really unlucky to be into men - because Emily, the way she looked now, was an absolute dream come true.

Without thinking twice, Oliver pulled out his wallet and paid for the makeover. The stylist was startled when he pulled out his platinum credit card, but Oliver barely noticed. He was focused on the reader that finally confirmed the payment. He just wanted to get back to the copy shop as quickly as possible, hoping that the fax had arrived by now.

As soon as he had paid for everything, he grabbed Emily's elbow and pulled her along.

"Emily, before we can get started, I need your signature," he said emphatically, looking at her seriously. He knew this wasn't going to be an easy discussion.

"I'm not signing anything..." she began as expected, her tone firm and determined.

"You're not signing anything you haven't read first," he interrupted her immediately. His voice was almost urgent now. "But today is an exception. Today you're meeting a billionaire - and to go shopping with him. You don't do that every day, do you?" He paused briefly before continuing. "That's why I need you to sign a confidentiality agreement. You have to understand, it's absolutely necessary."

Emily frowned. This reaction threw Oliver for a loop. She looked too sweet to be so serious. With her upswept braid and subtle, perfect makeup, she was a picture of elegance - but the frown spoiled the overall picture. It didn't match what he had in mind. She should be smiling, relaxed... without wrinkles on her forehead.

"Oliver, this all sounds rather rushed," she finally said, her voice soft but skeptical. "Contracts should be reviewed carefully."

His pulse quickened. "I know, but we don't have time to think about it." His eyes bored into hers, and a new thought crossed his mind. "How old are you, anyway?" If she had worked in Fitzpatrick's accounting department for five years, she was obviously old enough to be placed. Still, he had to be sure. Besides, he usually knew such basic information about his employees.

"Twenty-four."

"Wonderful, that fits the age perfectly."

They reached the copy shop, and now everything was going perfectly. The fax was there. He thanked the cashier and gave him a generous tip. He could easily write it all off as an expense later. Nothing was too much for Alexander.

Excited, he hurried with Emily to the meeting point. He tried to explain the job to her very briefly.

"You've only recently become Fitzpatrick's new girlfriend. You keep a low profile and smile without saying much. You can giggle and seem a little silly. For God's sake, don't be intellectual! Don't pretend to be Amelie either. Tell him right at the beginning that your name is Emily. Then he can pass on that someone misheard you and made Amelie out of your name."

Oliver stopped abruptly. Damn it! He could already see Alexander approaching the meeting point, where of course no one was waiting for him. Oliver couldn't go any further or he might be seen with Emily; there was a possibility that reporters had already turned their cameras on Alexander. None of them were allowed to know that the popular bachelor got his girlfriends from an escort agency.

"Do you know what Alexander looks like?" Oliver didn't even wait for Emily's answer. There wasn't enough time. "Here, sign and just keep walking. If he doesn't recognize you, walk up to him, give him a hug and whisper your name in his ear. Got it?"

He already had the contract in front of Emily. He also had a pen ready. He was always prepared. Sometimes his job required quick action. Although he had never had to make such last minute changes.

"What if I don't sign?" Her words sounded calm, but the tension in the air was palpable. Oliver swallowed. He knew what was at stake - and that her answer could change everything. Nervously, he glanced at Alexander, then back at Emily. Suddenly he felt dizzy. Susanne would rip his head off if he screwed up. As stubborn as Alexander Fitzpatrick was, they could lose him as a client. That couldn't happen!

"Please, Emily." He held the pen out to her almost pleadingly. "Please sign!"