FAYE'S POV
I got to my family's restaurant and found my parents serving the customers.
"Faye!" My father exclaimed, enclosing the distance between us. "You look so worn out. You must be ready for work?"
Huh? Ready?
I batted my eyes, fighting the urge to freak out. They can't know my whereabouts, especially in detail.
I won't let them…
"Work?" My mom queried. "Isn't this your clothes from yesterday?"
"W-what?" I stuttered. "No, it's not. You probably didn't see me leave for work."
She gazed at me for a while, "Anyway, the loan sharks were here. Faye, you need to do something about it."
I sighed. "I need more time, since I've stopped my part time jobs at other places so I can focus more on my job at the company."
"Are you sure about this?" My father asked, reaching out for my face, "you're still just an intern at that food company."
I nodded my head in agreement, smiling weakly at him. "Yes, I have made up my mind. If I work hard enough, they might permanently retain me."
"Then you better work your ass off to meet up with bills," my mother retorted.
I wanted to respond when a large crash outside cut me off.
My parents and I exchanged worried glances, and without a word, we rushed outside to see what had happened.
Mr. Grey, a man in his late forties who owned the restaurant across the street, was standing in front of our restaurant, wreaking havoc.
He had already smashed two of our outdoor tables and chairs and was in the process of overturning a third.
"What are you doing, Mr. Grey?!" I yelled at him.
This was my family's livelihood he was destroying!
He was a big man, with a red face and a thick beard, and he was using his bulk to inflict maximum damage. He kicked over a trash can, sending garbage flying everywhere.
My dad tried to reason with him, "what's gotten into you, Grey? This is senseless!" But he didn't say a word.
"Mr. Grey, stop! Please!" my mom begged, trying to grab his arm, but he shook her off.
I rushed over to him, trying to stop him from causing more damage but in the process, I unintentionally pushed him down causing his back to hit the broken glasses scattered on the floor.
"Faye!" My parents yelled in unison
He winced in pain, cussing at me. "You must pay for this!" He exclaimed angrily
"You started it all. What did we ever do to you?!" I said in tears
"I will make sure I sue you in court for attempting to kill me!" He yelled
My eyes widened in shock. Sue me?
"You're not making any sense. You attacked my family's business first."
"You think anyone will believe that?" he spat. "You laid hands on me. That's assault."
My father stepped forward protectively. "Grey, this is madness. She didn't mean to harm you. Just leave and we'll let this incident go."
"Get lost, losers!" He seethed, shooting daggers at my parents.
My mother grabbed my arm, her grip trembling. "Faye… you need to do something. If he involves the police…"
I knew he wasn't just making empty threats and he wouldn't be satisfied with just an apology either. So, I took a deep breath. "What do you want?"
He gave me an icy smile, stopping in his tracks. "$1000," he blurted out, turning his face away.
"W-what? $1000 for what?" I queried
"For me not to press charges," he replied. "And you have twenty-four hours to get the money."
Twenty-four hours? Seriously? Where does he expect me to get such money from?
"Sir…"
My phone shrilled instantly, interrupting the moment. I took a quick look at the caller ID displayed on the screen, it was Evie.
"Hel…"
"Faye!" Her voice beamed with panic over the phone. "Faye, I really need your help,"
Fear gripped me instantly. What was going on?
"Mom, dad I have to go," I insisted, despite their protests, "I'll sort this out later."
The moment I got to Evie's house, she swung the door open and pulled me into a tight hug.
"Faye, thank God," she breathed.
"Are you okay?"
"Its my dad. He's at it again. He set me up on another blind date."
I patted her shoulder, "Good luck with that, best friend."
She nodded her head lightly, reaching out for her phone. "It's almost time for the date."
"Wait, what? Your date is today?" I asked surprisingly.
"Yes. That's why I need your help."
"Help you? Sure. I could select some clothes for you,"
"No Faye. What I mean is…. I need your help with the date."
I laughed awkwardly and in disbelief. "You can't be serious, Evie," I said. "Have you forgotten about what happened the last time I impersonated you?"
"Faye, I really need your help. Please," she begged, grabbing my arm.
I turned away, avoiding eye contact. "The last blind date was it. I can't do it anymore. You have to understand me."
"I will pay you," she blurted out. "Any amount you want."
"Evie…"
"$5000," she blurted out.
My eyes widened in shock. A whopping $5000 just to impersonate her? Such an amount would sort most of my debts…
"Can we get to it ASAP?" I said, my heart almost jumping out of my chest.
"Yes, sure!" She giggled. "You can just change into my clothes. The venue is close by, and you don't want to be late."
Instantly, I boarded a taxi and headed to the venue.
As soon as I got there, I figured out that he hadn't arrived yet.
"Tch," I scoffed. What kind of man lets a woman arrive before him on a date? If this was real, I wouldn't recommend him to my best friend.
Taking a seat, I had time to rehearse every act I was going to exhibit.
While on it, I noticed a familiar figure approaching my table. He walked purposely with his outfit that was seriously screaming luxury.
My heart jumped into my stomach as I immediately realized who he was.
"Y-you!" I stammered.
He was the man from my one-night stand and he was already seated before me! Could it be that he was the date? Evie's date?!
Unintentionally, my clutch fell on the floor, my cheap stuff littering everywhere but thankfully, only one thing caught his eye— Evie's contact card.
"You seem nervous," He smirked. "Nice to meet you, Evie Sawyer," he said, tucking the card into his chest pocket after he had checked it out.
I cleared my throat a bit, putting the last of my cheap stuff into my clutch. "Nice to meet you…" I said awkwardly.
"Right. Here," he said firmly, handing his contact card over to me.
I reached out and took the contact card from him, staring at the name printed on it while my mind raced as I tried to place it.
And then it hit me.
Sterling Brooks. My new boss.
The man who had just been made the President of the company where I worked.
He wasn't present at the succession ceremony so I had no idea what he looked like and since I was only an intern, I communicated with him via email.
I was totally in shock.
My vision blurred slightly as I struggled to process this information.
I couldn't believe it.
The man I was supposed to impersonate Evie for was my boss.
The same man who had constantly been on my mind after the night we had sex!