Chapter2
Max couldn’t believe he was actually about to take Aaliyah on a real date. He hadn’t been on a real date since he’d started making the front page of all of the biggest sport magazines. “Dating” for him consisted of meeting a girl at a party, having some drinks, and then taking her back to his place where he’d promptly call his car around to take her home when they were done. No staying over, no cuddling, nothing that would confuse these women into thinking that he wanted anything more with him than what they’d just gotten. But the whole point of getting into this contract was to make it seem as though he had a girlfriend, and having a girlfriend meant you went on dates. So there he was, buttoning his shirt and looking at himself in the mirror, wondering how he’d let himself get into the mess he was in.
What made the deal even worse was that the one great thing about relationships—sex being on the table all the time—was completely off the table. Aaliyah had made it completely clear that she was not going to be doing anything physical other than hand holding and kissing in public. Eli had thought that was completely fair and included that in the conditions of the contract that they’d both had to sign. Which meant that not only did he have to stop being with any other women, or else the plan wouldn’t work, but he also had to wine and dine Aaliyah and get nothing out of it. Already he was hating how this was working out, and he hadn’t even gone on his first date with her yet.
Luckily for him, Eli had made all the arrangements. Max wasn’t even sure he remembered how to date anymore, so Eli had made the reservations at some hot restaurant where they’d be sure to be spotted, had flowers delivered to his apartment to give to her, and had an errand boy from Eli’s office deliver a new shirt for him. He’d checked the price tag and seen that the man had gone all out on the shirt, so he was pretty sure Eli had gone all out on everything else as well. Once he looked in the mirror, he did have to admit that Eli had good taste, the flowers had been pretty nice as well, so he had high hopes for the restaurant.
And if Eli was sending him clothes, he hoped that he’d done the same for Aaliyah. After they’d finished their meal and had agreed to the terms, Aaliyah had gone to the restroom. Max had wasted no time on making sure that his conditions were met a little more than he’d been expressing.
“Why in the world did you pick this girl? She’s shy, reserved, hardly drinks, and dresses like a mother.”
Eli delicately wiped his mouth and put his napkin down before meeting Max’s eyes. “That’s exactly why I picked her. You can’t have a girlfriend who’s running around wild with you. You need a homebody, someone who is going to keep you in and away from the clubs. And as for her appearance, she’d got potential under there.”
Max had to admit that her face did have some striking features, and he was sure that under all the layers of frumpy clothing was someone attractive, but if he was going to have to be dating this woman, be seen with her in public… well… he had standards. The women he left clubs with were never anything but a ten out of ten on the hotness scale. Right now, Aaliyah was really only hitting about a six—mostly because her eyes were mesmerizing.
“Look, I hate to sound like a jerk, but I need to be seen with someone who matches my status. If she’s not hot enough, then no one will believe I’m actually with her anyway. You know how many times I’ve been photographed coming out of wherever I’ve just been and the women who are on my arm when I did. Aaliyah just doesn’t fit in.”
It was the nicest way he could think of to tell Eli that the girl just wasn’t hot enough. But cool as always, Eli just smiled at him.
“I’ve got that taken care of.”
Max nodded. It wasn’t as if he doubted him, it was just he was doubtful that anything could be done about it. So he made another condition.
“If, on our date tomorrow night, she is not at my standard, I’ll negotiate and buy her out of the contract, and you’ll find me someone more suitable.”
The thing about Eli was Max knew that he’d agree with him on this. The man had a reputation of his own. Sure, he wasn’t with a different model-like woman every night, but when Eli did decide to spend time with a woman, she was always a ten. Sometimes higher.
As Max’s driver pulled the car up to Aaliyah’s apartment, he could see exactly why she’d agreed to the contract. She didn’t live in the nicest part of town, and her building appeared to be crumbling bricks stacked on top of each other. It was clear she needed the money, and a part of him hoped that Eli had been able to make good on his promise, to make her the ten he needed her to be. Max knew he was a jerk sometimes, but he’d really hate to have to pay this girl off to go away because what he was going to offer her wouldn’t be nearly what Eli was offering, and it certainly wouldn’t get her the better life that he was sure she was looking for.
The door to the building opened, and out stepped a woman in a red, strapless dress. She had her back turned as she shut and locked the entry door, and he couldn’t help but check her out, starting with her silky legs which were made even nicer by the strappy red heels she was wearing. His eyes traveled upward to where he could see the dress curved perfectly around her butt. Now that was the type of girl he should be with. He hadn’t yet seen her face, but he was pretty sure it was going to by dynamic as well. Mentally, he made a note to talk to Eli and find out who this woman was; she was someone he could definitely work with.
Finally, the mystery woman turned around so Eli could see her face, and his jaw nearly dropped when he saw those eyes. The amazing brown eyes embedded with gold.
Max grinned; the man had actually done it. Aaliyah was far beyond a ten.
***
All night long after she left dinner, Aaliyah tossed and turned on her rickety bed. How could she have agreed to something so ridiculous? How could she have agreed to date a man for money? Just the thought of it made her skin crawl at how she was demeaning herself like that. But then again, she needed the money. She couldn’t afford to sit there with her mounting student debt, along with every other debt she had accumulated, around her in piles. She’d already lost her cable, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she lost her electricity, too. But with this contract, that could all change.
If she had any other option, anywhere else to turn to, she would. But the fact was that she was alone and had been on her own for a long time. There was no one else. She could only rely on herself, and sometimes, she knew, that required sacrifices. So, she’d agreed to the contract, and she’d have to stick it out. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. They were only going to be around each other when it was arranged, so it wasn’t as if she’d have to be with him constantly. Some public events, some dinners out, things like that. She was tough; she could handle it.
The next morning, her phone and alarm sounded simultaneously. Slapping at the buzzing of the alarm, she grabbed her phone and answered it groggily.
“Time to wake up, Cinderella.” It took her a moment to place the voice, but when she did she was baffled by who it was calling her so early in the morning.
“Eli? Why are you calling me? I’ll be in the office at my normal time.”
“You’re not coming into the office today; you’re getting transformed. Be downstairs in one hour. There will be a car waiting, and the driver already knows where he’s going for the day.”
Aaliyah’s mind still felt foggy, so she felt sort of embarrassed that she wasn’t catching on that quickly as to what was going on. She stayed silent on the phone, and Eli sighed heavily on the other end.
“Listen, you’re a pretty girl underneath the disaster. But any girl that is dating someone like Max needs to not be a pretty disaster; she needs to be an ace. So, Cinderella, we’ve got to take you from rags to riches. And before you protest, everything is already paid for. Enjoy your day.”
It was a really good thing that everything was taken care of because the amount of money spent on her new wardrobe alone cost more than her apartment did in a year. Personal shoppers at every store helped her pick out everything from dresses to workout gear to causal jeans and t-shirts. Then, of course, were the accessories—new purses, shoes, and jewelry. She was stocked with everything a woman who was about to hit the spotlight would need. Basically, Eli had ensured that no matter what she stepped out of the house to do, she was looking perfect. He’d even arranged a makeover, purchasing all new makeup at one of the top salons in the city. She wanted to feel indignant. What had been wrong with her looks before? She knew she was no magazine cover and was slightly more mousey, but she supposed that was exactly the point—she needed to be a magazine cover.
The whole day went by in a blur, and once she got all of her new packages up to her apartment, she realized she truly had very little space for it all. But she was part of a new life now, even if just temporarily, so she purged her closet, throwing away almost all of her clothes, saving only her favorite t-shirt and a sloppy pair of jeans that she’d had forever. When her old makeup was in the trash and her clothes were in bags, Aaliyah looked around her apartment and realized she hadn’t just purged her things, she was purging her life. And hopefully, it would be worth it. Hopefully, by taking the deal, soon she’d have a new job and possibly a new apartment. She was really hoping for a new her, and by looking in the mirror, she could see it already happening.
Butterflies circled in her stomach as she waited for Max’s car to arrive. She’d gotten ready far too early and had to wait around for him to arrive. When he did, she couldn’t help but race down the stairs. She’d picked her favorite red dress that she’d gotten and couldn’t stop staring at her sexy heels; she hoped she met his magazine girl hopes. He hadn’t needed to say anything to her the night before at the restaurant. She had known immediately that she wasn’t his type, but she hoped that her new look would suit him. After getting her hopes up, she couldn’t lose it all now.
The moment of truth came when the driver opened the door for her and Aaliyah slid inside. She was almost too nervous to see his reaction, but when she did finally look up at him, she saw the smile across his face, saw his eyes lusting after her, and she smiled back. He may be no Prince Charming, but she did feel like Cinderella.