Page 15 of The King Contract
I survey his expression for hints of insincerity. Surely, he’s about to tell me this is one giant prank.
“It’s purely transactional,” Noah continues. “We hang out for the summer. Go out in public. Upload some photos. The payment would help alleviate any inconvenience you experience from lying to friends and being in a few online articles. Once I lock in my sponsors and win over the bigwigs in the surfing world, we can wrap it up and get on with our lives. Both of us better off than when we started.”
It’s a few seconds before I realise, I’m considering it. Getting photographed? Lying to everyone? Pretending for the sake of some money?
“I’d pay you thirty thousand dollars.”
I balk. “Excuse me?”
“Fifty? Whatever you need to cover your debts and get this place up and running. You name your price.”
How much money does this guy have?
“I couldn’t even take a wad of cash for the camera you sent to the depths of the ocean,” I choke out. “I could never take that money.”
“If anything, I’m underpaying you,” Noah says. “I’d make it back ten-fold with sponsorships and advertising once people like me again. Millie, this is a two-way deal.”
“No way in hell.” I hold up a finger in warning. “And don’t even try using your charm and one-liners on me. I’m not interested in whatever voodoo you use on women to make them bend over tables for you.”
There’s something about Noah that spurs my brain to blurt out whatever it is I’m thinking, and it once again surprises me.
Noah doesn’t seem offended like yesterday. “So, youdoknow who I am.”
I take a deliberate step forward, so there’s barely any space left. Noah’s significantly taller than I am, so I have to tilt my head right back. “You might be able to throw around money and play stupid games, but I don’t have that luxury. I’ve got a business to run with a heartbroken cousin and the memory of an aunt slipping from my grasp little by little, every day. I don’t have the patience or time for arealboyfriend, let alone a fake one.”
Noah’s expression glimmers from cheeky to sombre, but it only makes me more steadfast in my resolve. Blind anger courses through my veins, fury crackles in my ears.
“Not to mention, your plan is pure crap,” I hiss. “Absolute idiocy.”
He watches me silently, patiently. My chest heaves with rapid breaths and I take a step backwards, lifting my hands behind my head. I know plenty about the stages of grief, but I thought I’d done most of the work already. Apparently, they can come up at any time they feel like.
“Are you alright?” Noah asks softly.
“No, I’m not alright.” I wipe away a wayward tear and peek over Noah’s shoulder. “Stay where you are. I don’t want Ellis to see me like this.”
“You’re allowed to show emotion,” Noah protests.
I sigh. “I can’t deal with any more shit right now, Noah.”
“This won’t add to it,” he insists. “I swear. Maybe it could be the distraction you need and when it’s finished? You’ll be financially free. Financially ahead, anyway.”
I tilt my head to survey him, wondering how he can be serious about something so insane.
“I promise you, there are no ulterior motives here,” Noah assures me. “You don’t have time for a relationship and I sureas hell don’t want one. I’ve got my career to salvage and that is honestly all I care about. Women get me into trouble. Except you, it would seem. I need your help to keep me on the straight and narrow. Let some of that nerdy, do-gooder charm wash over me.”
I sigh, rubbing my eyes with vigour. Is this the most stupid idea in the world? Almost certainly, yes. To play devil’s advocate, what’s the worst that could happen? I have to tell a few white lies to the few people I know, and, at the end, I get out of a tonne of debt, which also helps Ellis. Maybe I could finally take a holiday.
“Even if I agree to this, I don’t think it’ll work the way you hope it will.”
“How about I prove it to you?” he offers. “I’ll get Dan to snap another photo of us and I’ll send it to a site anonymously. If it gets a good response, you’re in.”
Noah stills, waiting for my reply, an arrogance in his eyes.
“Go ahead,” I tell him, pushing past to go inside. “You’ll be wrong.”
I was wrong.
After I begrudgingly swapped phone numbers with him, Noah had Dan snap a candid photo of the two of us on the balcony. I got the sense Dan was not keen on the idea. He looked furious when Noah asked him to do it, and some quiet but stern words were exchanged before he reluctantly headed out. I felt incredibly dumb, having a conversation with Noah while his friend stood in the foliage below, presumably zooming in on us. But my feelings are now irrelevant, because the photos worked wonders in every sense.
