“Do you have a car?” I asked Sophia.

“No, I don’t,” Sophia said. “I’ve been taking taxis.”

“Good,” I said. “I’ll drive.”

Finding Sophia in the lobby was exactly what I had hoped for after speaking with Mother the day before. The plan had formed almost immediately. Sophia was an intelligent woman that wanted something from me, just as much as I wanted something from her.

Earlier that morning, I’d informed Victoria to covertly alert me if and when Sophia came to the office again. Giving Sophia a little time to wait allowed me to prepare for what I was going to say to her. I was used to being ahead of any business deal, and I knew we’d both benefit mutually from this, as long as I could convince her to go along with it.

A weight had been lifted when I received Victoria’s phone call. A small part of me was afraid that Sophia would give up after what I’d done at the end of our dinner on Saturday.

I planned to agree to the interview as long she pretended to be my girlfriend for the banquet. I knew Mother wouldn’t approve, but she’d never stand in the way of my happiness. We had to sell it. And with Sophia being a prolific liar in her day job, she was the perfect fit. And she was motivated. We both were.

I held the door for her as we exited the building. I caught a suspicious look from Victoria. She’d been around Sophia’s for much longer than I had over the last week, but she still seemed not to trust her. I wasn’t sure if it was because she was American or if Victoria was jealous.

For some reason, the latter pleased me. If other women were jealous of Sophia, that meant she was a good choice for my plan. Even Mother wasn’t immune to looks, and she would want handsome grandchildren.

As long as I could rein in Sophia’s western attitudes a little, we would survive the weekend.

* * *

Even though Sophia tried to question me about what was going on, I kept her at bay until we reached the pub. I wanted to be able to gauge her reaction when I offered her my deal. The pub was loud enough that no one would bother listening to us, and I had a corner booth saved for me to give us even more privacy. I didn’t expect anyone to be listening in, but if anyone overheard that I wanted Sophia to pretend to be my girlfriend for the king, there might be strange looks and I wasn’t prepared to answer any questions about it.

Walking into the pub was like being enveloped in a warm blanket. A fire in the hearth pumped out enough heat to thaw my fingers and toes. Typically, I was used to the cold and damp weather, but after spending two days at the palace, I knew I’d need at least another week to get comfortable again.

I led Sophia to the corner booth and we settled in. I faced the rest of the patrons while keeping her back to them. I wanted to control the situation as much as I could.

“How much longer are you going to keep me in suspense?” she asked.

“Do you want a pint?” I asked.

She nodded. “Sure.”

Slipping out of my seat, I went to the bar and ordered before coming back to my seat. I needed liquid courage to explain my plan to her.

“I wanted to apologize for how I left the other night,” I said when I got back to my seat.

Her eyebrows shot up. “You do? I never thought you’d admit to being so rude.”

“I wasn’t trying to be rude,” I said. “I just don’t like to talk about my family.”

Sophia nodded. “Obviously, but to be honest, I’m here to do just that.”

Henrietta, one of the older waitresses, brought over our drinks. “What can I getcha?”

“May I see a menu?” Sophia asked her.

Henrietta nodded and walked away to get one.

“I know that’s why you’re here,” I said.

“You do?” she asked.

“I knew from the first day I met you that you were here to talk about my father and me.”

“How did you guess?” she asked, sipping from her glass.

I licked my lips as she pulled the glass away. My gaze focused on her graceful neck as she swallowed.

“I, uh,” I stammered then cleared my throat. “No one writes about my company anymore. At least, until we get a big sale, and you were here too soon to figure that out.”

“I never claimed to be a secret spy,” she said. “I’m here to write a story about your Father stepping down from the throne. And you as the heir.”

I clasped my hands in front of me and glanced at the menu, even though I’d already memorized it some time ago. “And I’m willing to give you that story.”

“You will?”

“Yes, but I’m not giving it away for free.”

“You want me to pay you?” she asked, wrinkling her nose. It was sexy as hell. I loved getting a rise out of this woman.

“No, I need you to do me a favor,” I said.

“What kind of favor?” she asked, leaning forward. Her breasts pressed against the table, and I wanted to be that slab of wood that separated the two of us.

“I need you to be my girlfriend,” I said.

She made a choking sound and shook her head furiously. “What?”

“For the weekend,” I clarified.

“Is this some kinky stuff you’ve dreamed up to send me packing? Because I can’t leave without this story, but I’m not just going to screw you—”

“Please,” I said, holding my hand up. “I don’t want you to do that. Let me explain. My parents have been on my ass lately about finding a wife. I mentioned to my mother that I had a girlfriend already and she wants to meet this woman. I’m supposed to bring her to a banquet she’s hosting this weekend.”

Sophia smirked. “But there isn’t a woman?”

“Not in the least,” I said. “My days consist mostly of work to keep the family business afloat. Mother hasn’t worked a day in her life, so she has a different outlook than most people. Anyway, I will give you the interview if you help me out.”

“Why me?” she asked.

“We both have something to gain here,” I said. “I can’t reveal that my father is stepping down to just any woman. You already know that. And we both have something important riding on this.”

“Where is this banquet?” Sophia asked.

“At the palace,” I said.

“Palace?” she balked. “Like, your family’s home?”

“Is that a problem?” I asked. “I thought you wanted this interview.”

“I do!” she said. “I really do, but this is a lot. I don’t know if I’ll be able to leave—”

“Everything will be paid for: travel, clothing, expenses.”

“Clothing?” she asked.

That was the clincher. Sophia could not show up at my parents’ home dressed the way she did. I didn’t mind the Western way that women dressed in many parts of the world, but my parents were too traditional for their own good. If I was going to convince them, I had to show them that I was serious about this girl and she was serious about me. The only way to do that was to at least dress her properly. I couldn’t change too much about Sophia, or else there would be the chance of Mother figuring out we were lying.

Of course, it was all a ruse, but I had to make it as convincing as possible or my giving up the story for Sophia would be for nothing.

“Yes,” I said. “My parents will expect my girlfriend to look a certain way when it comes to her clothes.”

She looked down at her blouse. It was modest by modern terms, but it would be scandalous to Mother’s sensibilities.

“You will have to cover up much more,” I said. “Is that a problem?”

“No,” she said with a little laugh. “Most of the time, Matt tells me to show off my body a little more.”

“Matt?” Selfishly, I hadn’t asked if she had a boyfriend. My blood ran cold. Had I given her more for her story while she planned on not doing this at all? How could I be so foolish?

“My friend,” she clarified. “He’s always trying to get me to let loose, but work tends to get in the way of relationships. You know that better than most, I imagine.”

“I do,” I said, letting out a breath. “So, you will do it?”

“I will,” she said. “I have to clear it with my boss, but I don’t think he will have an issue, especially if he’s not paying.”

“Good,” I said, leaning away from the table. “How about we order something?”

“What’s good here?” she asked, perusing the menu.

“Everything,” I said.

She smiled and studied the paper in front of her. I tried to keep my attention off her, but now that she wasn’t hounding me for information, I had a chance to look at her really. Her hair was a beautiful shade of brown. She hadn’t highlighted it or dyed it. Mother would at the very least be pleased about that. I imagined touching it and tangling my fingers around its strands.

I wondered if she would have a problem with me touching her. We were going to be in a fake relationship, after all. Would she play the part as much as we needed to?

I didn’t expect her to jump into my bed—though that would be a welcome idea—but we’d have to show that we were intimate with each other.

Her eyes lifted, catching mine staring at her. “I’m going with the mini pasties and croquettes.”

“Those are appetizers,” I said.

She smirked. “It’s something I do in places I’ve never been. I find that I can never make up my mind, and ordering off the app menu gives a good idea about the chef’s cooking.”

“I’ve never thought of it that way.”

“I don’t get out much,” she said. “Delivery is my forte.”

Henrietta came by again and took our order, and I bought another round of beer.

When the drinks came to our table, Sophia lifted her glass and held it in the air between us. “Cheers to a fake relationship.”

“Cheers,” I said, mesmerized by her mouth and the way it curved over the lip of her glass. I was going to have to get used to looking at Sophia without other emotions taking over. Though if I gave in to them, it would only add to the ruse. I would be getting more out of this bargain than I first anticipated, which made it that much sweeter.