Chapter 5

Anita watched as Zachary's face dropped like a scale. His lips that were curled up in a hopeful smile turned down in utter disappointment, his brows creased in discontent with the content of the envelope. He looked at his Grandfather who still had a broad smile.

“Those are tickets for you to go on a honeymoon.” Sir Smith supplied.

Anita's eyes widened in surprise. Honeymoon?!

Zachary gave Anita the envelope. They were plane tickets to Paris. “Thank you sir” She said politely.

“It's okay. This is the least I can do for my newly wedded grand son. I know he could have persuaded you not to go but no, I won't condone that” He said and laughed.

“Go and come back with babies,” Mrs José added.

“Exactly what I want. Great grandchildren”

Zachary and Anita forced a smile.

After dinner, Sir Smith left after asking a driver to take Mrs José and Evelyn home. “We need to leave the couple to have time for themselves,” he said.

“The ticket is for tomorrow” Anita announced

“I know! I saw it before you did” Zachary snapped. He was on edge.

“Well, I hope we are to go our separate ways tonight.” Anita said, getting up and grabbing her bag. She was beginning to find the whole fake marriage a boring adventure. Zachary stopped her by grabbing her wrist just in time. She looked at him in confusion.

“We have to go on our honeymoon” He said, a soft look on his face. Was he trying to make them do what real couples did? As if reading her thoughts he said, “I'm not suggesting that we do anything wrong but we have to leave for Paris. My grandfather is too meticulous to just give us tickets without checking if we truly went or not and you know what it means if he finds out we did not”.

Anita sighed.

“To make this marriage convenient for us, I think we should set some ground rules”

“Rules?” Anita could not believe she was about to be placed under some sort of obligation by her perfectionist boss.

“Yes, rules. They are simple. You are not permitted to date anyone while we are married. We have to make this marriage very believable and real, remember that we are in love and we need to show it. Love can't be hidden…”

Anita felt like laughing but tried hard to stomach it, listening to him talk about love when she was aware of his loveless sexual escapades amused her. Unknown to her, he had noticed how her face twitched in an attempt to keep a straight face.

“Are you trying to laugh in this serious situation?” He asked, a stern look on his face. It was then that the laughter found a route of escape. She bursted out laughing. Zachary looked on in dismay.

“I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to laugh” She said, her chest heaving from the laugh. Zachary was not amused.

“Do you have anything to add?” He asked.

“I will not condone any sexual advances” She said.

It was Zachary's turn to laugh. A long throaty laughter that rang out so loud it annoyed Anita. “Why would I make any sexual advances to you of all people? If you must know, you are totally not my type because there's nothing sexy about you.”

Anita shrugged to conceal the pain rising in her heart. It annoyed her that she has some sort of feelings for this man who never saw her as a lady.

“I appreciate that.” She said,

“But…” He continued, “...there may be times when we will need some level of intimacy to show the world we are a happy couple. Something like this…” He moved closer and wrapped his strong muscular hand around her, “or this…” He gently kissed her forehead.

Anita wrung out of his embrace. “I'm not one of your numerous girlfriends, okay?” she just had to say something so she won't really think about the fact that her skin tingled where he touched.

“Yes, you're not. You are my wife.”

Anita looked at him, a look which she intended will communicate her heart to him. If only he knew that she was no longer the secretary who had a crush on him but a lady on her way to financial security and high social status.

“We will stay in my house today and move to leave for Paris tomorrow morning.” He told her, walking towards the door. Anita followed, looking at him as if he was some unpalatable meal served at an important gathering. She wanted to be anywhere but near him.

In her years of working with him, Anita had never been to her boss's house. Zachary was not one of those bosses who took work home or asked their secretaries to drop or pick up files in their houses. She secretly appreciated him for that but on a second thought, she thought he was like that because he also barely stayed home. He was either at his Grandfather's or in an hotel with a woman who he had no intention of showing affection. Anita remembered one of the ladies, Liza. Liza had come to the office and asked of him, introducing herself as his girlfriend. A title that pissed Zachary off.

“When did I ask you out?” He had asked, his eyes blazing with fury.

“Not that you asked me out but…” Liza had been surprised at the question that she lost words to say.

“Oh! It must be because I slept with you. I remember paying you for that or didn't I?”

Thay day, Anita hated Zachary's bluntness. She had felt bad for Liza but also could not wrap her head about why she thought he considered her any special. Surely, she didn't know the kind of man he was.

~*~

“Welcome to my humble abode” Zachary announced, his hand flung into the air as they entered his spacious living room.

Anita looked around in awe of the kind of elegance she beheld. The interior of the house was a blend of white and black just like Zachary's office. She noted his love for the two colours and his rich taste as expressed in the designs. There was nothing humble about the way the house was screaming luxury Anita thought but she muttered a Thank You.

Just as she was about to ask where her room was, an attendant appeared from behind a door that Anita calculated was the kitchen. In her house, the kitchen was was a part of the dinning room. Here, the kitchen was an entire room, standing out from the dining room with beautifully carved mahogany dinning chairs and table.

“You're welcome Sir and Ma.” The attendant whose name Anita learnt on to be Rose greeted. She was an old lady probably in her fifties.

“Prepare my tea” Zachary told her and grabbed Anita's hand. She trudged behind him like an elementary school child as they climbed the stairs. They entered the first room on his right. Anita scanned the room and gave him a stern look.

“Is this some sort of joke? I don't care how much you are paying me, I am Not Sleeping with you”.