REGENCY: Loved by the Duke (Historical Billionaire Military Romance) (19th Century Victorian Short Stories) (67 page)

Chapter 2

Alexis

“Well don’t you look smart. And where are you off to looking like that?”

“I have a job interview.”

“A JOB INTEVIEW! Well why didn’t you say anything? Tell me more!”

“Ah mom, I just didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. And I didn’t want anyone to know because I’m sure the chances of me actually getting it are very slim.”

“Don’t be silly now, just tell me. And of course you’ll get it.”

Alexis sighed, “It’s to be Tate Henderson’s personal assistant. You know, the football player.”

Her mother screamed and then quickly put her hand over her mouth, “Sorry, sorry. Yes, of COURSE I know who Tate is. Everyone knows who he is. Tate the Great. Wow, Alexis, that’s amazing. I just know you’re going to get it. He’s quite the ladies’ man after all, and you’re so pretty!”

“Ah mom, stop it. I’m probably not going to get it. I bet you there are thousands going for the same job. Okay, I better go before I’m late.”

Alexis rushed off and groaned. She had recently lost her job and had moved back in with her parents. Her dad had recently fallen ill and she knew that her mother was battling to pay the bills alone. She’d planned to move in and help out where possible. The last thing she had expected was to lose her job so suddenly. She wasn’t used to living so close to her parents again and while she loved them dearly she couldn’t help but feel suffocated by them. Especially her mother who was adamant on becoming her ‘bestie’ all of a sudden. Alexis had planned on sneaking out for the interview but it came as no surprise that her mother had caught her. Nevertheless, the brief encounter had stopped her from thinking about her nerves for a little while. She wondered if the interview would be with Tate himself but hoped that it wouldn’t be. She knew that the job would be to work for him but she wasn’t sure if she’d get through the interview well if he was staring at her with those eyes. In a way she hoped that he wouldn’t be quite so good looking in person. Just in case though she’d made sure that she looked her best and had spent the last two hours getting ready. In the end she chose a simple tailored outfit that covered her up nicely while still accentuating the parts that mattered.
And also hides the parts that I don’t want on show,
she thought. Her suit was black but she had chosen a crisp white shirt underneath which she knew looked good on her dark skin. She hoped that the color of her skin wouldn’t prevent her from getting the job, after all she’d only seen white women hanging on to his arm. But then again she wasn’t there to be his girlfriend so it shouldn’t really matter at all. Her hair, unfortunately, was something she couldn’t seem to tame. She’d thought of straightening it but she could never quite do it right, so in the end she left it as it was – a mop of curls that framed her face wildly.

When Alexis walked into the office she was greeted by a short and stern woman who introduced herself as Sally. Alexis immediately knew that this was Tate’s PR Manager, simply because she spent the last few days gathering as much information on him as possible. The more she found out about him though, the more she disliked him. Before his fame, he actually seemed like a very nice man, but lately the only photos she could find of him were of him at party after party. But she needed the money and she knew that a job like this would pay well.

“Hello, you must be Alexis. I’m Sally, come on in.”

Alexis walked into the office and sat down as Sally closed the door behind her.

“Well aren’t you pretty.” She said and Alexis looked up in surprise - that was not something that someone normally said at an interview. But Sally seemed nonplussed and Alexis quickly mumbled a thank you.

“You are the tenth person to walk through these doors. It seems the prospect of working for Mr. Henderson is very appealing. Tell me, why are
you
here.”

“Well firstly thank you for having me. I’m going to be completely honest with you here. I recently lost my job, not by anything that I had done, but simply because the company closed down, and it left me in a bit of a predicament. My father is very ill and I’m helping my mother out by paying some of their bills. I’ve recently moved back in with them and I know they appreciate all the extra help they can get. I’m not saying I want this job purely for the money, but I certainly do need some job security to help my family. That being said, I am a hard worker, I have no qualms at telling a celebrity what to do and what not to do, and I know that I can get the job done.”

Alexis hadn’t planned on being so forthright in the interview but the words had just flown out of her without her control. She hoped she hadn’t overstepped the mark but Sally was looking at her with interest and what seemed to be the start of a smile was forming on her lips.

“I like you Alexis.”

After that the two of them sat for over an hour just talking. Sally was quite intrusive about her personal life but Alexis supposed that she needed to know as much about her as possible. Things were certainly looking positive and Alexis wondered if the other nine candidates before her had sat in the interview for so long. Finally, Sally sat back and looked at her.

“Alexis. You were very honest with me, so I need to be honest with you.” And just like that Sally went on to explain to Alexis what the interview was really all about and what type of plan she had for Tate. Alexis was too shocked to speak – every time she opened her mouth the words would not come. Sally was looking at her kindly.

“I know this is a surprise. But I can assure you that you are the only woman that I have told about this. You really are the tenth person to come through this door for the interview, but the others I let go without telling them the truth. Quite frankly, you’re the best person I’ve interviewed. To be honest I don’t even want to see anyone else. As far as I am concerned you are the perfect person for the job.”

“But it’s not really a job. You’re asking me to marry him.” She said, finally finding her voice.

“Not marry. I’m asking you to be his girlfriend. To eventually be his fiancé. I mean, what’s the big deal really. You don’t have to do anything with him. You don’t have to actually marry him. It’s all pretend. You can go out with him as his friend. Nobody needs to know that it’s nothing more than that.”

“I guess you’re right. But it’s weird. I don’t know. I’m not sure I can.”

“Look Alexis, I understand why you are concerned. I really do. But it’s not like I’m asking you to sleep with him. Or to marry him. I’m asking you to just pretend to be his girlfriend. I’m asking you to be his friend. And Alexis, it’s good money. Really good money. If you don’t want to do this for yourself, then maybe you should do it for your father. He needs you right now. And yes, I’m trying to manipulate you into doing it. I have no problem admitting that. I’m a straight talker as you can see, but so are you. Just think of it as a very well-paying job that won’t last forever.”

Alexis sighed. “Can I at least meet him first?”

Sally smiled, a wide grin taking over her face, “Yes, of course you can. You can meet him right now in fact.” They both knew that the deal was already made.

Sally led Alexis to another room not far from the one they had just been in. Inside, Tate Henderson sat facing her, his eyes as soulful as they were on TV. She cringed thinking that Tate had been sitting there the whole time while she was interviewed. She felt herself immediately regretting the decision. Sally had explained that Tate knew what the plan was and assured her that he had been sceptical about the plan too. So when she walked into the room and faced him she knew that he was assessing her in the same way that Sally had been. Only this was so much worse. She was grateful when he smiled and invited her to sit down.

“Well this is awkward,” she said and was thankful when Tate burst out laughing.

“Tell me about it! It’s like we’re on a blind date or something.”

“I just had a sudden thought,” she said, her eyes wide, “Am I on a reality show now? Like am I being pranked? Did I just agree to the weirdest thing on earth in front of the whole world?” The thought had just occurred to her and she looked around frantically for any signs of hidden cameras. But this only made Tate laugh even more.

“No! I promise you. It’s not. This is real.”

She visibly relaxed and the two of them sat talking for the next twenty minutes with ease. Tate was far easier to talk to then she had imagined but certainly just as charming. It was easy to see why the women were all swooning over him. She tried to take the image of those women out of her mind and tried to see him for the man he was portraying to her at present. Which was actually quite pleasant.

“You know, you’re quite different to how I had imagined you to be,” she said.

“Oh really? And what exactly did you think I’d be like?” he grinned at her.
             

She wished she hadn’t said that, how was she going to explain herself. “Well, uh… you know, I mean you seem nice. I mean, not that I didn’t think you’d be nice before. You’re just… well, you’re just different to how I thought. I’m saying it all wrong but I really meant it as a compliment.”

He was laughing, “That’s okay. Let’s be honest, I come across as a complete idiot. Don’t worry, I know that already. Sally has told me on numerous occasions.”

It was her turn to laugh. “I like Sally.”

“So do I. She’s a tough cookie but she’s one of the only people who tells me everything as it is, and I like that. You always know where you stand with her. Hey, do you want to grab a cup of coffee? I think we have quite a bit to talk about.”

The two of them walked to a café down the road, aware that Sally was watching them walk out together but neither of them mentioning it. They spent the next hour sitting over coffee and chatting about themselves, both of them asking questions about one another hour. By the end Alexis couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“Hey, what’s so funny?”

“This. I mean, I came in for a job interview. And I might be leaving with a fiancé.”

“Might?”

“Ah Tate, I just don’t know about all of this. It’s so weird. I cannot quite wrap my head around what’s happening. And what do I tell people? My mom knows I came for this interview.”

“Tell her that you got the job. I mean, that’s what it is in a way.”

“Tate. Uh… I know this might come across the wrong way. But I’m really only thinking about doing this because I really need the money to help my dad out. I don’t want to lie to you.”

“That’s a good thing. If you told me you were doing it because you were madly in love with me than I’d really start to worry. Well look, we both have our reasons. And how about this – we can both pull out of this deal anytime we want. We’ll set up a meeting with Sally and we’ll find a way to end it nicely. That way, nobody gets hurt.”

Alexis found that she was nodding, “Okay. Ah what the heck. Let’s do it. One day we can write a book about it!”

“Yeah, when my football career is over. I’ll become co-author with you. I like this plan!”

And just like that, Alexis had a new boyfriend.
I did NOT see that one coming,
she laughed as she walked back to her car. Then, when she arrived back home, she ran straight up to her mother.

“Guess what mom?! I got the job!”

Chapter 3

Tate

“I have a girlfriend. I have a girlfriend. I have a girlfriend.” Tate practiced the words over and over again. He couldn’t quite believe it himself. The two of them had sealed the deal over dinner with Sally the night before and the whole thing was quite surreal. The dinner had taken place at Sally’s house because they didn’t want anyone to know about it just yet, but the next day the media was abuzz with news of the mysterious woman seen with him. He had no idea how they knew but he wasn’t surprised at all. The media were always around. Always watching.

“You need to be careful Tate,” Sally told him over the phone that morning, “Always be aware that people might be listening and watching at all times. So act like it’s real.”

Tate had to admit, having a girlfriend like Alexis wasn’t exactly hard work. The moment he had seen her walk into his office he knew that he was going to agree to the deal and he had said a silent thank you to Sally for knowing him so well. Alexis was gorgeous. She had been born in Zimbabwe but had moved to America with her family only five years ago, so while she was now a fully-fledged American with a passport and accent to boot, she still had a sense of uniqueness about her. “It’s my African blood,” she liked to tell him.

The two of them had hit it off immediately and yet they still had not had a proper date together. Tate had invited her out for dinner that evening. They were well aware that they had to be careful not to talk about the deal in case anyone might be listening but they were both interested in a night of simply getting to know one another. Tate had specifically chosen a restaurant where he knew the booths were each secluded from one another, just in case one of them did slip up. It was a cosy little Italian restaurant down the road and he was just about to meet her there.
How bizarre,
he thought,
I’m about to go on a date to get to know my girlfriend.
Of course, he knew that the ‘relationship’ would eventually end and the two of them would part ways, but he tried to think of it as a relationship for now, just to get himself in the right mind frame.

When he arrived at the restaurant he saw that she was already there and when he walked in she got up to greet him. She wrapped an arm gently around his waist and gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. “Wow, you’re good at this,” he whispered and he saw her giggle with delight. The two of them ordered some champagne and toasted to their new relationship. Tate looked around and smiled, he had been right about the restaurant, the place was abuzz but he could barely hear the conversations of those around him. If they kept their voices low there would be no ways anyone would hear them.

“So, how about a game of
Get to know your partner?”
he asked her.

“Oh, I like this game. Me first. Favourite movie? But think wisely. It might seem like an easy question but I will be placing great judgement on the answer.”

Tate laughed, he couldn’t believe how easy he felt around her. Alexis was a far cry from some of the girls he had been hanging around with lately and he cringed at the thought of some of his previous girlfriends. If he could even call them such.

“Oh really. A movie snob, are we? That’s okay. This is an easy one. I’ve watched it over and over again and it really never gets old. The Shining.”

“The shining?! Ooh good answer. Good answer. The proof that even a good man can descent into darkness. Also, you can’t go wrong with Stanley Kubrick. Very good. I was worried you were going to say something like The Fast and the Furious or something.”

“I may not look the brightest, but thou should not judge so easily. Not all men are just into car chases and women you know. Now, your movie choice my lady.”

“I sincerely apologise.” She batted her eyelids and he laughed. “I’ll be honest, my favourite movie changes often. But my current one is definitely The Shawshank Redemption. Not that it’s current, but I did see it recently and fell in love with it all over again.”

“Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’ -  that’s goddamn right.”

Alexis looked impressed, “Okay, marry me now!”

“Oh really? All it took was my fantastic ability to quote good movies? What about my looks? My charm? My money?”

“Nope. Another quote and you’re all mine.”

“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room.”

Alexis giggled in pure delight, “Dr. Strangelove! Okay Tate, that’s it. I’m going to start taking this marriage business seriously if you carry on like this. I think your new title should be Tate Hendersen: Movie Guru and part time Football player.”

They ordered dinner and spoke easily for the next few hours. Tate laughed more than he had in a long time and was sad when the evening came to an end. Then he remembered that she was his girlfriend now and he asked her out for the following night.

“Already?” she asked.

“Too soon? Had enough of me already? How about a movie? At my place?”

“A movie? Oh Tate, you know me so well already. It’s a date.”

They walked out together, holding hands, and they were laughing at some joke that Alexis had made when out of nowhere he felt a hand slap across his face and he stumbled back.

“What the –

He turned and saw Belinda, his ex-girlfriend, standing in front of him. She had her arms over her hips and was glaring at him and Alexis.

“Belinda! What are you doing here? And what was that for?”

“Who is SHE?” Belinda asked and glared at Alexis. It took everything that Tate had not to laugh out loud. The contrast between the two girls was striking and in that instant Tate knew that he had made the right decision.

“Belinda, this is Alexis. She’s my girlfriend. We broke up Belinda. And we haven’t seen each other in ages. Belinda, you and I were not good together. You know that. You even said it yourself once.”

“Well good luck to you Alexis. He’s not worth it. And anyway Tate, the not-so-great, I was ONLY in it for the money.” And she stormed off. Unfortunately that was when Tate noticed some flashes going off – a sure sign that the media had been following them. He groaned when he thought about what the papers were going to say the next day. So much for gaining a new reputation quickly. He looked at Alexis, who was standing bewildered next to him and reached over to kiss her on the cheek.

Alexis, I’m sorry about that.”

It took her a few seconds to recover. Then, as if suddenly remembering the deal, she smiled and kissed him back. “That’s okay!”

The next day, just as Tate predicted, the slap made it into the papers and was all over social media. However, the response was very different to what Tate had expected. ‘We haven’t seen Tate ‘The Great’ Henderson look this happy and relaxed in a long time. Well done to him and his new girlfriend for staying so calm. Personally, I would’ve hit that girl back.’

Tate had laughed at that. Afterwards, the story went on to talk about the ‘mystery’ woman that he was with – stating her to be a striking, dark haired beauty.
That she is,
he agreed. In the next article there was more, ‘It seems Tate Henderson has found true love at work, by falling for his new assistant. And we don’t blame him. Alexis Washington is a beautiful, hard-working woman who has moved back to live with her parents after the devastating news that her father has fallen ill with cancer.’ Tate cringed at that, he hoped Alexis didn’t mind her personal life being sprayed out in the paper like that. He was used to it after all these years but he knew how strange it was at first.

But Alexis was fine. In fact, she said, she was quite surprised at how good the reaction had been from everyone. And her parents were loving the attention. Also, some people had taken it upon themselves to send money towards his chemo therapy, and they were overwhelmed by the kindness from everyone.

Tate and Alexis had started spending almost every day together. They hadn’t planned to see each other so often, but they simply couldn’t help it. They just felt easy together, and thankfully no more crazy ex-girlfriends had come forward again.

“But are you dying to go out and party?” Alexis had asked him that night, while the two of them were curled in front of the television watching a movie.

“Are you crazy? And miss this? Watching your reaction to my movies is like a party for me anyway. It’s way more entertaining. You, gorgeous Alexis, are far more interesting than any party I’ve ever been to.” Then, he had turned to kiss her, taking her face into his hands and moving in closer to her. It had taken them three days to finally kiss each other, which is far longer than with any other girl he had been with before. But he knew that she was still sceptical over the whole thing. After all, they weren’t really boyfriend and girlfriend. It was all just a bit of acting. But since that first kiss, they had not been able to stop, and tonight he was not sure if he’d be able to stop at just that. The way he felt around her was unlike the way he had ever felt before. Her lips were soft, and her kiss was gentle. But tonight, she moved closer, and allowed the kiss to deepen. He loved the way she looked next to him. Her dark skin a beautiful contrast against the lightness of his. She was always so calm, gentle and composed, and yet when he placed his hand over her heart he could hear that she was excited. Her heart beat as wild as her curls. Soon, he had lifted her shirt off and she had done the same with him. Then, he took her hand and led her to the bedroom, where the two of them fell into bed together for the first time.

Afterwards, the two of them lay together, and he played with her hair – straightening a piece and then watching with amusement as it simply bounced back into a curl. He loved it.

“I did NOT expect that to happen,” he said, watching her next to him.

“Oh sure, sure, whatever Mr. Casanova.”

“What do you mean? Honestly, I had no idea.”

“Oh you are good at this.”

“Alexis. I promise. I didn’t plan that.” He was now confused. Perhaps she still saw him as the man he had always portrayed himself to be.

“Yeah, yeah. You know I have a penchant for thrillers. You buttered me up with a good movie. Allowed me to get excited by the plot. And then you kissed me just at the part when the movie got good and you turned my excitement to you. I know your plan, Batman.”

Tate laughed, relieved. “You’re right. It really was part of my ultimate masterminded plan. Get the movie. Get the girl.”

“It’s MY movie choice next, Superman.”

“Oh really? I have no problem with that, Wonder Woman.”