Hope looked at her boss. Her big crazily outlandishly gorgeous Greek boss. She couldn’t quite believe he was here in her hallway under harsh unforgiving lighting that did absolutely nothing to diminish his appeal. If anything, it made him look even more otherworldly.
She didn’t know this man but she sensed that what was happening was not usual for him. He wasn’t made for standing in rundown hallways in North London. He was made for boardrooms where squillions of dollars or pounds or euros were being discussed. Or, glittering ballrooms where people were dressed in beautiful clothes sipping sparkling wine.
Then something struck her and she straightened her spine. ‘I don’t know what kind of impression I might have given you, Mr Drakos – ‘ no way was she calling him Axel – ‘but I am not available for after hours services.’
He looked at her for a long moment and then he blinked. And then he seemed to rear back and he said, ‘Do you really think that I’m here to seduce you?’
Hope felt her whole body flush with the heat of mortification. Of course he hadn’t followed her in here to take advantage. There was probably some slinky supermodel waiting for him in a penthouse apartment somewhere. Pride emanated from every rigid line of his body.
She swallowed, ‘Sorry, um, I’m just a bit confused as to what on earth I could possibly do for you?’
There was a sound of a door opening and closing upstairs. Footsteps. He said, ‘Can we talk privately, please? It’ll only take a few minutes.’
Hope nodded and opened her front door and pulled her case in. Her flatmate must still be at work. She flicked on some lights and the usual sense of pride she felt at her very modest but homely and welcoming flat was diminished somewhat by the great hulking shape of her boss in the doorway.
She stood back, ‘Please, come in.’
He stepped inside, immediately making the flat look tiny around him. She noted that he pushed over the door but didn’t close it completely and something about that little consideration for her sense of safety made her feel even more embarrassed at misreading the situation. And then she remembered her manners. ‘Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?’
He had been looking around the room and now he looked at her. ‘No, thank you, I have a dinner to get to.’
He probably didn’t want to risk her ruining another set of clothes. ‘Of course, what is it you’d like to discuss?’
‘The fact is that I need a woman by my side for the next few weeks who can pretend to be my…girlfriend.’
Hope looked at him. The way he’d said girlfriend would have her believe he’d never actually uttered the word before. He said nothing more. Just looked at her. Waiting. And then she seemed to break out of her stasis. ‘Oh my god, you’re serious.’
