Faking it with Damian Black by Louise Jane

Chapter 22

-MILLIE-

“Oh da mn, I should’ve googled what this event was about,” I whispered as the

SUV pulled to a complete stop at the roundabout of The Bauer Venue.

Damian slid out of the SUV first, buttoned his suit jacket, offeringhis hand.

“We’ll be here an hour tops,” he assured me.

I placed my hands in his, feeling the familiar tingling whenever we touched. “No

wonder you dressedfancy.”

I fixed the fiowy skirt of the red evening gown he prepared for me. It had a

corset top that hugged my upper b*dy like it was custom made and a thigh-high

slit on the a-line skirt enhancing my leg with every step. I’ve never worn

something like this

feel before. Candice always said that there were dresses meant to look

beautiful, and there were those meant to make you beautiful. This one is the

latter. I felt beautiful on my skin. I took sshots and posted them on my

social media accounts before Damian fetchedfrom my hotel room.

My date fake boyfriend was a dashing debonair in his gray tuxedo- embellished

with red rose boutonniere pinned on his jacket lapel matching the corsage

around my wrist. It shouldn’t surprisehow good looking he was in formal

attire, but he didn’t fail to steal my breath away. His hair was brushed back to

perfection, not a strand out of place. His prominent jawline was on full display,

and those dark emerald eyes bored a heated gaze on mine every tour eyes

locked. Since the hotel, I swear my heart was on the verge of tipping off a

critical level from how fast it was beating.

“It’s just a dress. You’re beautiful whatever you wear,” he whispered in my ear,

looping my arm with his as we ascended the red-carpeted stairs towards the

entry. The blinding fiashes of the camera greeted us as we went. A long red

stretch belt kept the cameraman and news people away from our path, but it

didn’t stop them from calling out Damian’s name.

Damian stopped at a few requests for a good picture. Our final stop was on the

wide standee – covering the rest of the entry- with the words The Lantz Table,

An Evening Against Hunger.

Our night was only beginning. The overwhelming sensation of being around

these people – like we’re celebrities on the red carpet event – jostled my

anxiety forward. This isn’t my scene. I plan events and stay in the background,

but never in front of the camera or stand in a crowd. And my job as social media

creator starts and ends with the lens of my camera, not the lens of these

professional photographers and reporters.

“Kiss for the camera!” someone shouted, and a shiver broke out on the base of

my spine.

Damian grabbed my waist. I looked up at him, finding him already staring down

at me. His green eyes traipse around my face languidly as a sensual smile broke

out on his face. He lowered his l*ps to my ears. “You look stunning, Millicent. I’ll

be all over you tonight, you know that, right?”

I released a breathy moan. This part of our deal was becoming my favorite

clause. I’ve dreamt about Damian’s k*sses for the last week, his touch and his

hungry gaze as though he’d devourif I’d let him.

I hit my l*p and patted his chest. “Like you should, babe”

I swear I heard him growl as he pressed a k*ss on the side of my mouth. “F

ucking tease.”

If the entry to the event was fancy, the event itself was beyond glamorous. The

hum of the orchestra’s string, woodwind, brass, and percussion filled the

functional hall. Servers walked around with trays carrying champagne. Gold

linen tables and chairs circled the dance fioor. Women in designer dresses and

men in thousand-dollar suits milled around, talking in groups, laughing, and

drinking their choice of alcohol.

Damian had been a crowd favorite the moment we stepped inside. He

addressed each person who approached him by their names, asked about their

wives, kids and fishing escapade. He made everyone he conversed with feel

important, stroking their egos if he must. He made sure I was introduced in their

conversation, askingquestions and boasting about Effortless Events on

occasion. And like he said, he was all over me, stealing k*sses whenever he

could, his hands never leaving my b*dy. He’d hold my hand,”slide a hand on my

lower back, ortuckto his side like he was afraid someone would steal

me.

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09:25 Sat, Feb 10

Chapter 22

The first thirty minutes of the fundraiser went by like a blur. I was glued to

Damian’s side, learning more about him and how good he was with people and

making business deals. I only left his side when I needed to use the ladies’

room.

The ladies’ room was the size of my apartment, well-lit, and smelled of lavender.

I sighed, gazing at myself in the mirror and reapplying gloss to my l*ps.

My cheeks ached from smiling for the last thirty minutes, and my shoes were

pinching my toes.

I’d be Damian’s girlfriend for a year. It meant that this won’t be the last

glamorous event I’ll ever attend.

I straightened my spine when the door opened. A woman walked inside, so I

kept my composure back on. She went straight for the counter, two steps away

from me. Her beaded emerald green dress caught the light as she pulled a tube

from her clutch and stroked her long lashes with a mascara wand.

“Haven’t seen you around before,” she murmured. I glanced at her through the

mirror, taking in her brunette waves combed to one side, creating an old

Hollywood pin-up model vibe. Her l*ps were full, red, and lush, her clear blue

eyes studying with intense curiosity.

I plastered the friendly smile I’d been wearing since walking inside this event.

This is my first. I just accompanied my boyfriend.”

“Damian, right?” She closed the cap of her mascara tube and pulled out her

l*pstick.

“Uhm, yeah,” Her probing gaze unsettled me.

“You’ll get used to the attention he’s getting. He’s a crowd favorite.

An unsteady giggle rumbled from my throat. “I thought I was doing fine. Guess

I’m not.”

“Oh no,” she puckered her l*ps and tossed her l*pstick back to her Cleopatra

Clutch, facing me. “You fit in perfectly,” she said, her icy blue eyes gliding from

my head to my toes and back up to meet my eyes. “Too perfect that no one

would notice you’re a fraud.”

“Excuse me?” I blinked at her. Her friendly tone shifted to menacing as fast as a

lightning strike.

“You’re a good actress,” her smile was condescending, “You two sell out this

couple charade the moment you stepped out of the car.”

My instinct to defend myself grew tenfold. My eyebrows tilted. “Seems this

conversation is a bit biased. Is there a cut in your insults where you’ll introduce

yourself and reveal why you’re trying to intimidate me?”

Her daunting gaze madewant to back down. I felt insecure about her

beauty, her confidence, and her allure. She was everything I was not.

Sophisticated, classy, and stunning,

She folded her arms in her middle, pushing up her voluptuous breast to spill

from the cups of her dress. “I’m Sonja.”

Everything has fallen into place. I should’ve asked more about her, but I didn’t

want to impose on Damian. I was willing to wait for him to tellmore about

this woman, Luck had other plans, though.

So this is her, the woman who can’t take no for an answer, the reason Damian

needed me. I suddenly felt protective of Damian. He made a mistake by getting

involved with her but he’s setting straight things now, that’s what mattered to

me.

I shoved all my insecurities away and stood taller, matching her probing gaze.

“Oh, Sonja. I heard about you. Are you following Damian here as well, or are you

here with your husband?”

The side of her eyes twitched. I definitely landed a strike on a sore spot. “He

Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

doesn’t belong to you.”

I pursed my l*ps, looking thoughtful for a moment. “And he belongs to you?”

Her eyes narrowed to slits, white steam billowed from her ears and nose. “He’s

human, not a thing to be owned. And he has the brains to keep a distance from

a married woman like you.”

Unphased, Sonja stepped forward until we were toe to toe. Menace shone in her

eyes. “You’re just a pastime, another notch

III

09:25 Sat Feb 10

Chapter 22

on his bedpost. He Il cback toonce he gets tired of you

If Daman and I were in an actual relationship, maybe her words might shake me.

Too bad I know what Damun and I has The response was on the tip of my

tongue, but the door latched open, and three ladies walked inside, giggling

oblivious to the standoff between Sonja and me.

Sonja smirked, squaring her shoulder. “Enjoy being with him while it lasts. You’ll

be out of his life before you even notice.”

She strutted out of the bathroom regally. I released a breath I didn’t know I was

holding when she was finally out of sight

I stayed there a few more minutes, gathering myself and calming my wildly

beating heart. When I signed up as Damian’s girlfriend, I only thought about my

problems. 1 forgot to reconsider that Damian wouldn’t need my help if Sonja

was your average jealous ex-girlfriend. She meant business, and she got her

eyes set on claiming Damian back.

What the hell have I gotten myself into

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