Love Song - 9

It had been a month. A long, stressful and tiring month, but a month all the same and I had stuck it out at work. Roberta was my new best friend and Will was my new best enemy. We had petty arguments over everything and were always trying to catch one another out.
It wasn't intentionally spiteful, but he seemed to agree to my resolve and we were both at each others throats twenty-four seven. I liked it this way. It made it easier to harden my heart against his gorgeous smiles and witty remarks.
It was a bright, sunny morning, and I remembered the day instantly. It was the day before Sara's wedding! Smiling, I jumped out of bed and threw open my wardrobe. It was really, really melting hot, and I had taken to wearing skirts, which was a first for me, and then finally, dresses.

Well, today would be my first appearance in a casual dress. Tomorrow would be my second. Sara had invited Will and Roberta to the wedding out of politeness, and I was out to make a good impression. Lord knows that I needed to.
My keen eyes scanned the rows and rows of colorful summer clothes that I had bought, and were drawn to my favorite, a simple white summer dress. It was strapless, but with the sweltering heat, I didn't worry about how that might look to Will. I paired it with gold, crisscross, T-strap, peep toe shoes, the highest heels I had ever encountered in my life.
A simple row of gold sequins as a band in my hair, a lick of mascara and eyeliner, and I was done. I grabbed a breakfast bar and ate it as I grabbed my white bag and walked out of the house.

Ever since the 'incident', a gaggle of reporters and paparazzi had always lingered outside my house, trying to snap a picture of the on-off flame as they had taken to calling me. I always grumbled and swatted them away, but today, in my great mood, I stepped out of the house and smiled.
It was like I was the celebrity, the amount of camera's that flashed.
"Hey, everyone!" I sang happily, twirling around and winking cheekily. The clicks were deafening as I waded through the people to my Audi.
"Give us another gorgeous smile, love!" A handsome guy my age called out from behind me.

"If I must." I said laughingly, turning and posing against the black car, my white dress very bright in contrast. Everyone laughed and took pictures, and then called out goodbyes as I slipped in and drove away. Friendly people, when you did things their way.
Work was chock-a-block with colorful, beautiful people milling around busily, and almost everybody greeted me as I skipped into the building. I grinned and greeted them back, slipping into a packed, buzzing elevator to my floor. Clint was right behind me, and he was another person who had become one of my best friends.
"Hi, sweetheart. How ya doing?" he asked cheerfully, planting a kiss on my cheek and winding his arm around my waist. He was wearing a casual suit assemble and looked utterly delectable, as always.

"I'm fine, darling. You?" I drawled back in an American accent, making the other people in the lift laugh.
"A whole lot better now that I've got gorgeous girl in my arms." He replied cheekily, smiling as the lift stopped on my floor.
"You might want to get that checked out. I think it's the first signs of addiction. You know, the bit when you feel as if you can't live without me?" I said jokingly, stepping out. Clint grinned.
"Too damn right I can't live without you! Dinner tonight?" he called at my back, holding the lift doors open with his foot. I laughed and twirled around.
"You wish, darling! You wish!" We both laughed and then the door closed. And I bumped into somebody very familiar.

"Crystelle!" Will seemed startled to see me, and I saw a previous smile fade from his face. I could feel myself doing the same thing.
"Mr Carmichael." I nodded formally, keeping my eyes fixed on my toes. Which looked very pretty, actually, since I had taken the time to paint the nails gold the night before. I smiled at the little white daisies in the corners.
"Well, um, there isn't much for you to do today, Crystelle. I ... well, I have an appointment." Will said, shuffling his feet a bit and running his hand through his short hair. My smile grew wider. A whole day away from boss meant a bit of paperwork and then chilling out at the desk with Roberta and Clint, who always took time off for me. "But-"
I groaned internally. I knew it was too perfect to be true.

"- I'd like you to be there with me, actually." I looked up at him and he blinked, as if caught off guard. "I mean, it's with my parents and -" At my increasingly alarmed look, he sighed exasperatedly. "Look, my mother remarried - you already probably know that - and we're still making impressions and my mum told me that there'd better not be any bad gossip or anything. And they're expecting me to go with a girlfriend, and because of all the stupid tabloids, they think that girlfriend's you. Mum's delighted. Please come." He said all this in an incomprehensible rush, his words tumbling over each other and reaching my ears in a faint garble.
"So ... I have to pretend to be your girlfriend?"

"Please." He was looking so hopeful and pleading - it was the kindest expression I had seen on his face in a long time.
My emotions, which had been so sorted out a minute ago, seemed to have reverted back to gibberish mush again. All I knew was that this was going to hurt. And it was going to hurt bad.
"Okay," the word came out of my mouth without me meaning to say anything - I regretted it as soon as it was out.
"Thank you. And thank god you wore something remotely feminine today. I don't want my mother and her husband thinking I'm going out with a butch woman." With that last, stinging comment, he was off, turning on his heel and walking away.
I blinked back the tears that pricked in my eyes. I would show him. I would show him that, even if I never wanted to be in that position again, I was the best girlfriend he had ever and would ever have.