"Celia!" Cole called the long and svelte ginger-haired woman who just walked in the restaurant. 683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmi8G5OcZBo
She turned her head on the left and spotted him immediately. She grinned at him from afar and marched to his table. She leaned over him, gave him a peck on the cheek and sat down on the chair facing his. She hung her handbag on the chair backrest, took her khaki trench-coat off and beckoned a waiter over. They both ordered their food and waited to be served. 683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZNkCMxdYX
"What's up?" Celestina Hart asked him.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmz4niroZt
"Grandma's dying,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8G4FlkMaRx
She kept quiet for a second then said,"Yeah, I know. When I dropped off the kids at my parents' last time, I overheard a conversation. They were talking with your parents about grandma, so I asked them what was happening and they told me that her health was getting worse,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllqmNMo7ZQ
"Why did you keep it for yourself? Why didn't you tell me?"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOdPpwwxfX
"Because they made me swear and you know I always keep my word. Moreover, they told me that grandma was about to tell you all so I assumed it was okay. Don't be mad at me," she put her hand on his.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdcilD3UWI
The waiter finally came back with the dishes and set them on the table.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJDmLH8lPo
"Thank you," Celia said.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDf1VEHLkfB
The brown-eyed man smiled and said politely before leaving, "Enjoy your meal and if you need anything, just ask."683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIst4dIgIdj
"I'm not mad at you," Cole told her honestly understanding the predicament she was in.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WHxHr4EoY
"Are you sure?"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqySbBD7uXo
"Yeah," he smiled winding his pasta around his fork.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7O3K0ipvsd
"Now tell me, what's the matter?"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4sdmgArTrH
"Ah, yes. I almost forgot,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbga5mellyK
Cole explained her how went the family meeting and how he came to lie to his grandmother about his fake fiancée. 683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwV4UkTFuvH
"Why did you do that, you idiot?"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIwbA8FlOz
"I don't know, I just wanted to please her and this idea came at me in the moment. What was I supposed to do?" he defended himself, "You know how much I love her. I'll be ready to do anything for her,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PuRLxcFkh
"Oh, you're so cute," she remarked making Cole grimace, "So, how are you going to find this wife of yours?" she continued bringing her glass of wine to her carmine mouth, "Do you already have a plan? 'cause you need a super infallible one if you want grandma to buy this,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhz4MgS6mFJ
"I don't have any plan," he responded cleaning the tomato sauce on his lips with a napkin, "That's why I called you. To help me finding one,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRFm4UeVqB
"Why don't you ask one of your... bed companions to play your wife?" 683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgdCOxdwIX
Cole laughed.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBE7eilB0g
"Not even in my worst nightmare,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZQzU5s2AV
"Why?"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7xAcucVTG
"They're addicted to me," 683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXnm4GClvN
Celia chuckled shaking her head, "Oh, really?"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpTFlt8S43
"Come on, look at me. Who can resist to this, huh?" he said jokingly pointing at his face.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmXSDJohcl
"Me," 683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9elFoenyk9
"It doesn't count, we're like siblings,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvw3q9FRS5I
Indeed, Cole and Celia were not mere friends, they were family. About thirty years ago, their parents met in their first year of college during a sporting event. Since then, the quartet became inseperable and two years before obtaining their bachelor degree, the two young women of the group settled down with their lovers, got married and years later gave birth to Cole and Celia, Cole being the third child of his parents while Celia was an only child. As they grew up next to each other and went to the same private school, the two children instinctively built a strong and pure fraternal love, but their relationship often appeared to strangers' eyes as a romantic one and to avoid this kind of misunderstandings, they started introducing each other as brother and sister to outsiders.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoD4Ogb6q2I
"Right," she nodded, "Well, if they're addicted to you, it should be a good thing for you, don't you think?" 683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJsxiROZeZ
"No, they won't be easy to get rid of. I need someone who can keep a cool head and play her role without involving too much of herself in it," he explained.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTOGsh7kJZ
"Hire a comedian then,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7T3SWr4c6
"I thought about it but you know how grandma is. She will check her backgrounds for sure. If she finds out that my fiancée is an actor, I'm a dead man. Plus, I don't want to waste my time on making up a new identity,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoXZjBwjgq
"How about Ms. Hamilton?" Celia suddenly advised cutting a piece of her beefsteak.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp16WbabyRb
Cole raised his thick black brows.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdjHWHl3j6
"Are you insane?" he said with an undisguised distaste.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBTnL5X0io
"Think about it. Ms. Hamilton is working for you for almost a year now. She's smart, pretty, she knows everything about you and you know her quite well too. She's not one of your conquest so there's no risk of her getting clingy. All she'll have to do is faking to love you in front of the family. Can't you see she's perfect for this role?"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlVbiLHU4W
"No way," he refused outright.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7KACv8jR3
"Why?"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9eMWRGveN
"Because,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VPqo0l8Ke
"Because is not an answer,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0XMCAQGrP
He smirked.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVjypxpJ9M
"Seriously, what's bothering you with her?"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7teGRn2S2
"Well, first she's my servant. Secondly, this woman is cold as ice. She never smiles, not at me nor at anyone. How could she be able to play the game if she's so overstrung?" he remarked, "No, Ms. Hamilton is definitely out of the list,"
683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSR6Nqu7XGB
***
After a hectic day, Cole reached home after one hour of driving. The thirty-two-year-old man couldn't stop but ponder on the essential characteristics his future wife should have to be credible to his family. The more he reflected upon it the more his thoughts lead him to one woman ; Ms. Hamilton. Maybe Celia was right, maybe Ms. Hamilton was perfect for the role, but for some reason this conclusion annoyed him. Cole stealthily looked at the hour displayed on the radio. It was almost eleven. Ms. Hamilton was surely already gone by now, she always left his home at half past seven p.m sharp. He passed the gate, parked his car nearby the water fountain and walked to his house, the gravel path crushing beneath his shoes at his every step. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he felt at ease. He immediately took the stairs two by two hastening to his room to take a quick shower and slipped in his comfortable shorts. He went to the kitchen and served himself some food nibbling vegetables on his way to the dining room. To his greatest surprise, he saw his housekeeper there sleeping on the table, her head resting upon a thick opened book. He placed his food on the large mahogany table and stepped toward her. He stared at her, taking a time to really look at her oval-shaped face. For the first time, he noticed how strikingly beautiful she was, from her long eyelashes to her fleshy cupid's bow lips. His hand slowly went to her long golden brown hair tied in low-sleek ponytail falling in a graceful wave to her waist. She seemed so peaceful and innocent while she was sleeping that he didn't want to wake her up. He slid his arm under her legs, wrapped the other around her waist and lifted her up carefully fearing to snatch her from her sleep and transported her in a guest room upstairs. He was walking her to the bed when her lovely ochre eyes fluttered open and their gaze locked into each other. They contemplated one another in silence and Cole realised at this moment how enigmatic and incoherent this woman was. The fire residing in her hypnotising amber eyes contrasted with her calm and collected attitude. Ms. Hamilton was the first to break the eye contact by averting her eyes. She noticed then that her hand was placed against his bare and musclar chest and that the man was carrying her. Bexley didn't ever dare to look back at him and just got on her feet, standing away from him.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCd1VBZXRxV
"Good evening, sir,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7o89UPfOV
"You must have been really tired to fall asleep like that,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Shkx3cdVR
"All my apologies, sir. It won't happen again,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EH9lBl0hP
"I hope so,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmuA6Fbo2x
"I'll go heat up your food, sir," she was about to leave when he grabbed her hand, but she quickly pulled away.683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEqcQRcfZg
"No, it's okay. I'll do it,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUobEEZFm5
"But-"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2G9t2oOvT
"Please do me a favour," he interrupted her, "Sleep here for tonight, you look exhausted,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0A4b3jIhg
"It's really nice of you sir, but I have to go back home and study for my exams,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdw7nQlLXsx
"You brought your books, right?"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PU5fBck5f
"Yes, sir,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5l8gukHCT1
"Then you can study here or do whatever you want. It's already eleven and the time you reach home, you won't have enough time to eat and study. Besides it's very dark outside, I can't let you go home this late, it's too dangerous,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6B7ZReVjo
"You're right, sir," 683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKK2J0xkwR7
"Of course I'm right. Have you eaten?"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOZPe3q1qA
"Not yet, sir,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDydkTQtwjN
"Come eat with me then,"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7UK55ipIY
"Sir, can I go take a shower first?"683Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rKAnKycYU
"Sure. I'll be waiting for you in the dining room,"
L.S
ns 15.158.61.8da2
