Chapter 8 He has a Girlfriend?

Maureen’s POV

My wardrobe was a total disaster. Clothes everywhere; on the bed, on the chair, even hanging halfway off the curtain rail. I stood in the middle of the chaos, utterly confused. What on earth was I going to wear?

He’d bought me clothes from his family’s boutique, so I had options now; classy, elegant, expensive-looking options but suddenly, none of them felt right. I just wanted to look perfect, which, honestly, was stressing me out more than it should.

“Gurl! You’re gonna be late,” Linda warned from the bed, scrolling on her phone like she wasn’t seeing my meltdown. “Just pick one and wear it!”

“Linda! Please help me,” I bawled dramatically.

She didn’t even flinch. “Nope. I picked three different beautiful gowns for you already, but you rejected all of them. What else do you want from me, woman?”

“Please!!!” I begged again, my voice trembling like a toddler crying for a cookie.

She sighed, giving me that “I give up” look. “Maureen, wear that purple sleek gown….the one with the side slit.”

“Okay, okay, thank you!” I said, darting toward it like a soldier answering duty call. I was clumsy, nearly tripping as I tried to get it on, but I managed.

“Your makeup!” Linda gasped suddenly. “Didn’t he say he’ll be here in forty-five minutes?”

“Jeez!” I squinted at the clock.

Immediately, she flew off the bed like her life depended on it and marched to my dressing mirror. “Come here. Sit down. Let me transform your face,” she said in a tone that screamed, I’m tired but let’s do this anyway.

I obeyed instantly, plopping into the chair. She went to work, brushes and powders flying like a mini tornado. Halfway through, my phone started ringing. My heart skipped. It was my boss.

Fear gripped me. My palms got sweaty. I just stared at the phone until it stopped ringing. Then it rang again.

“Pick it!” Linda urged.

With a deep breath, I did. “Hello… sir,” I stuttered.

“I’m outside,” he said flatly.

“Oh! Uh… I’ll be out soon… just give me a few minutes… I…I just need to round up here.”

“Few minutes? Alright… fine. Just don’t keep me waiting too long,” he said before hanging up.

Linda rushed to finish my makeup. She straightened my hair too, and by the time we were done, I actually looked like someone with her life together. The purple gown hugged me perfectly. My silver heels and purse matched like soulmates, and my diamond earrings and necklace shimmered subtly under the light. The makeup was light but flawless.

As I grabbed my purse, I turned to Linda. “Please, take care of Sam when he gets back from school, okay?”

“Trust me,” she said too quickly, smiling awkwardly.

“What?” I asked, raising a brow.

“Gurl, you look dazzling! I’m sure that man’s gonna fall for your beauty tonight,” she teased, grinning wide.

“Oh, come off it,” I said, pretending not to blush, but the smile creeping up my lips betrayed me.

I hurried out, my heart pounding like a drum. When I got outside, there he was – my boss, leaning against his car, looking effortlessly handsome. And when his eyes landed on me, his mouth parted slightly, his gaze softening in a way that made my heart flutter. He looked… speechless.

I cleared my throat, trying to break the spell. “Ahem.”

He blinked, almost as if waking up. “Huh! Sorry, I just… wow. You look amazing,” he said, still half-dazed.

My cheeks turned red instantly. I looked away, pretending to adjust my purse strap.

“Oh! I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” he added quickly. “It was…you know…a compliment.”

“Yeah… thank you,” I said, smiling nervously.

He opened the car door for me and gestured for me to enter. Still feeling awkward, I slid in and whispered, “Thank you.”

The drive to the restaurant was silent. Too silent. The kind of silence that hums so loudly in your head that you start hearing your own thoughts echo. I couldn’t stop thinking about what he said, You look amazing. It kept replaying in my mind like a song stuck on repeat. Before I knew it, I was smiling to myself.

What I didn’t realize was that he had been glancing at me the whole time.

“Are you okay?” he asked suddenly.

“What? Me? Yeah….yeah, I’m good!” I replied too quickly.

The rest of the drive went on quietly until we arrived.

The restaurant was breathtaking; high ceilings, glittering chandeliers, the soft hum of jazz music in the background. The air smelled expensive, like roses and rich people. Everything about the place screamed class.

Then, out of nowhere, he reached for my hand. My heart did a full somersault. His hand was warm, steady. Mine, on the other hand, was shaking like a leaf. Together, we walked toward a corner table where an elderly man in his sixties was seated.

They exchanged pleasantries, though I could feel the man’s suspicious gaze burning holes through me. My boss noticed and, without hesitation, said, “This is Maureen, my girlfriend.”

My mouth nearly fell open. Girlfriend? I had forgotten that was my job, his pretend girlfriend. But I managed to extend my hand politely. The man hesitated before shaking it, his expression was unreadable.

We sat down. The waiter came, we ordered, and soon enough, the food arrived. As they started their business talk about profit margins, partnership benefits, proposals – I zoned out. It was all just numbers and jargon to me.

Every time my boss noticed me getting bored, he’d gently place his hand over mine on the table. Each time, my heart skipped. The line between pretend girlfriend and something real started to blur dangerously. I didn’t even know if we were still acting anymore.

Then, boom!

A lady suddenly appeared from nowhere, all perfume and confidence, and wrapped her arms around my boss from behind. I froze.

“Oh my God, I missed you so much, my love!” she said loudly, planting a kiss on his cheek… and then, on his lips.

My jaw dropped. He didn’t even resist! Who is she? Does he already have a girlfriend? Then what am I doing here?

“Hey, Dad!” she said cheerfully, sliding into the seat next to him like she owned the place.

Dad? I blinked in confusion. So… the elderly man was her father?

I was still trying to process everything when she turned sharply to me, her gaze traveling from my head to the hand my boss still hadn’t removed from mine.

“Who is she?” she asked, her tone carrying that dangerous mix of curiosity and challenge.