Lose Your Shirt by Amanda Aksel

Author:Amanda Aksel [Aksel, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-09-05T18:30:00+00:00

TWELVE

Kent

I zone out in front of the sixty unopened emails in my inbox. How can I focus? My assistant is in the hospital. Liz, a woman I really like who now probably hates me, is having lunch with my fake fiancée, probably telling Dahlia what an awful husband I’ll make. I never imagined she’d find out about my “engagement.” I just wish I could explain. But if I can’t do that, I at least need to know what’s going on.

KENT: How’s lunch going?

DAHLIA: I’ll call you later.

I stare at the text response and slam my fist on the desk. What does that mean?

My door whooshes open and Sean barrels in, slamming the door behind him. I look up and set the phone down.

“Mate! What the bloody hell is this about?” He holds his phone in front of my face and I see a picture of Dahlia and me smiling for the cameras, arm in arm after she disembarked from the plane. The headline reads Another Bonnaire Engagement! “Since when are you getting married?”

“Oh, that.” I suppose I left out that little detail when I was confessing on the court yesterday.

“Yeah, that.” He looks furious, even the vein on his forehead is bulging.

I glance down at the photo again, wondering what Liz will think if she sees it. “It’s not what you think.”

“Then what the bloody hell is it?”

I let out a sigh. Time to come clean. “You know how Sophia is suing the firm?”

“Yeah . . .”

“The attorneys and my dad thought it would be a good idea for me to clean up my image and get engaged. To help with the case. And make me look better to the board.” I can’t help but scoff at the idea.

“Seriously? What’d you do? Pick up some girl off the street?”

“No, we hired her. She’s an actress. I met her in New York. I told you about her—the lady in red.”

“I can’t keep up with all your conquests.” Ordinarily, this statement wouldn’t faze me. But the thought that Dahlia or especially Liz—two women I haven’t slept with—are nothing but a conquest bothers me.

“She’s not a conquest. And for the time being she’s my fiancée.”

He looks at his phone, studying the picture. “She is hot. Does this arrangement come with benefits?” A grin stretches across his face.

“No,” I snap. “Besides, Dahlia and I aren’t exactly compatible.”

“What? Is she a lesbian?”

I spit out a laugh. “No.”

“Well, when this is all over, do you mind if I have a go?” he asks, gawking at her photo.

“Please don’t,” I say, annoyed. My phone vibrates against my desk, and I glance at it. Dahlia’s picture pops up on the screen. “Speak of the devil,” I say, reaching for it. “Hello,” I answer, trying to look cool and calm in front of Sean.

“Kent, oh, my God, that was the strangest lunch I’ve ever had in my life.” She sounds somewhat horrified. I clutch the edge of my desk, bracing myself.

“What do you mean? What happened?” My heart beats in my chest and I can hardly swallow because my mouth is so dry.

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