His Cure

“it’s a good review.”he gave a subtle smile.

Beatrice rolled her eyes and snorts.

“We should go now.”

“I agree.”he ignites the engine and started driving.

“Can I know you more?”

Beatrice blinked her eyes lashes and turned to him.

“And why would you want to know me more?. Isn’t this just a lie?”

“You’re not that excellent in acting after all. I take back my words.”

“How does knowing me more correlate with the current situation?”

“I just want to know what you hate, like. The reporters might pop up a question on that.”

“Well, this is a press conference not an interview where different baseless questions would be ask. Also, if by chance they ask that, just give them any answer. This is a fake after all.”she plunked back into her seat, languishingly.

“I like coffee though.”he grins.

“Well, I know..”she paused and turned to him.

He flashed a silly smile at her and she frowns.

“I don’t give a sh! t about that.”she hissed.

“You’re the only one that knows about my secret.”he wore a cool expression as he fixated his gaze on the road.

“What secret?”she subconsciously asked, inquisitively.

“That I like coffee.”he chuckled.

She shook her head with a scoff.

..

After a long time drive, he pulled off the car in front of a tower.

She looks out of the window and strained her eyes up at the name inscription.

“Winslow Global?”she calls.

She sucked a breath in and glanced at him.

“Gregory Winslow, Winslow Global.”she uttered to herself slowly.

“Are we in your company?”

“Where else would we be having the press conference?”he grumbled out a reply before alighting from the car.

She squirmed her lips and narrowed her gaze at the name again.

Press conference?

Isn’t that mostly held to discuss the company’s objectives with the reporters?

What is she doing here?

A hand knocks on the window and she huffs before clicking the door open and getting down.

“Did you just say press conference, Mr Gregory?. What am I doing here then?.”she whispered to him as they head towards the entrance of the building.

He didn’t reply her.

She sighed tiredly and held her chest.

They went through a revolving door and Beatrice found herself in a room with different people coming and going.

She paused and looks on.

This is Fantabulous!

“Good morning, sir.”

“Good morning, sir.”

“Good morning, sir.”

Different greetings floods in.

“You not coming?”he stopped walking and glanced back at her then ask.

“Well.. I think I should.”she gulped down nervously and continued walking.

She increased her pace to catch up with him.

“Good morning, sir, ma’am.”

The workers that passed by them all stop and pay their respects.

Beatrice looked at Gregory as he walks gracefully with his hands in his pockets.

The life of a CEO is quite comfy, isn’t it?

They took the elevator up to the third floor.

After some minutes, the door dinged and the door slided opened.

“Good morning, sir Gregory. It’s nice to have you here again.”a female worker that was behind a desk smiled out at him brightly.

“It is nice for you but it isn’t for me.”he replied grumpily.

Beatrice took her lips in and the lady glared at her.

He pulled a glassy door opened and walked in.

“Twenty more minutes to go before the conference begins.”he pulled off his jacket and wrap it around his swivel chair.

“And, what am I supposed to do during those minutes?”

He pressed his lips together.

“Uhm..”he placed his hand under his chin, contemplating.

“You can sit on my desk, take pictures, walk around the floor and tell the workers you’re Beatrice, their boss’s girlfriend.”he uttered with a vague expression before sitting down.

“You’ve got a really bad attitude.”

“Have I?”

“Gregory! Finally, you’re out of your dark facade. How do you do, bro?”Harry came inside with a huge smile.

Beatrice stood akimbo and scrunched up her nose.

“Oh, she is here too. We met again, miss. You’ve still got a crush on me?. Well, you having a crush on your boss’s P. A would be an unfavourable case.”he joked.

“Exactly!”she blurts out.

They both gazed at her.

She raised a brow at Gregory before turning to Harry.

“Isn’t he supposed to be your boss?. You can’t just come in here like that. You have to knock, you know.”

Harry looks confused than ever.

He stared at Gregory who only shrugged.

“Well, she is my lawyer now.”

Harry smiles.

“Maybe you don’t seem to know but we are not only colleagues but best of friends. Also, you look so good in that dress. How about a date tonight?”he grins.

Beatrice found herself grinning back.

“I mean, I promised you one before so shouldn’t I keep to that promise as the gentleman that I am?”

“Of course, Mr Harry. Sure, let’s go on a date. How about now?”

Gregory flapped his stare up at her.

Harry narrowed his gaze at her.

“I’m afraid now is not the best time. Maybe later?. I trust Gregory wouldn’t stop you from living your limited single life quite fully before you become his, exclusively.”

“Quit that. Why are you here?”

“You… aren’t my boss.”he responded.

“But I’m your boss’s wife so whatever I say, you listen. Now, get out. How are the kids though?”

“Well, they are doing fine. They seem to like you though. That’s their first. They’ve liked no one except me, their uncle and their mother. Anyways, they would be coming to your wedding too so..”

“I thought I told you to leave?”she scoffs and folds her arms.

“I was going to leave but you stopped me! Shouldn’t I be a gentle man that won’t walk away on your question?”

“Okay, okay, I get. Well, now, leave.”she prodded her head to the door.

Harry looked at Gregory who held on to a face void of emotions.

He left and Beatrice tsk!

“What do you think you’re doing, Author?”he asks from behind.

She glanced back at him and shrugs.

“What you told me to do. I’m acting arrogant right now. You said to tell everyone that I’m your girlfriend so shouldn’t I utilize that opportunity better?. I’m your darling wife after all.”

“Daring, not a darling.”

“I don’t mind being that too, hubby.”

He smirks.

“Ten more minutes to go. Harry is my close friend so don’t mess up with him. You’re a fake, after all.”

She chuckled and tuck her hair behind her ear.

“Why?. He is your lover?”

She watched as his eyes squeezed up and turned red.

She placed a palm on her mouth.

“You’re gay?!”her eyes popped out.

He sighed softly before looking away from her.

“Wait, really?. You really are?. No wonder you have no respect for a woman like me. Hahaha, I wonder how the people would react when they hear that their almighty Gregory is a gay. Oh, my God! Now it connects together! That’s why Harry too didn’t have any serious relationship with Gomez. The reason she is only a baby mama. Mama Mercy!! The reason you dotes on the kids so much also! Woah..”

“Now you know who the real wife is.”he arranged some files together.

“But, that’s..”she paused. She didn’t want to sound discriminating.

“So, how do you guys do it?”

“Do what?. You haven’t written a b×b novel before?”

“Never mind.”she contorts her face up in disgusts.

“It’s quite fun, though. It’s exhilarating to do something different from others.”he stood up and came close to her.

She placed her two hands on her mouth and shoved her head back.

“Please.. don’t ever come close to me again. It.. might be fun to you but not me.. it’s..”

“Disgusting?”he scoffs.

“Maybe. But I won’t really say that. It’s how you live, your chosen path and how you found yourself. You know, you.. don’t really control who you get attracted to. I.. just.. well.. hehehe”she stood properly, maintaining a meaningful space between them.

“It should be time. Let’s go.”she moved to the door.

When she didn’t heard any steps behind her, she stared back at him and found him still on the spot.

“What?, why?. Is it because of what I said?. I have good intentions, to be sincere. I think it’s more cool to be YOU than try to be what you are not. I wasn’t trying to rub your face in the mud. Stand tall, Mr Gregory. You’re who you are. Besides, you didn’t chose to be what you are, those funky chemicals that attract you to another person did. Let’s get this done with, Mr CEO.”

“You’re the first.”he muttered before turning to look at her.

“You’re the first person that would think of us in that way. Others have always been.. unsupportive and thought we were crazy. I.. I feel happy to hear that right now. That’s all I need to hear. Thank you.”

She pushed her mouth out and smiles.

She strides to where he was and whisper,

“Did Jennifer know about this though?”

“No. We are nothing close so I didn’t see the need to tell her.”

“What about me?. We are about to be a fvcking married couple, Mr Gregory, yet, you’re willing to keep me in the dark?”

“This isn’t genuine after all so I didn’t see the need to tell you too.”

“So, you’re just going to trap me in with you for a whole year?”

“You can have the other men to yourself, I don’t care. As long as you’re cautious.”

“Oh wow?”she snickers.

“You’re not even going to make it like those romance stories where you will eventually fall in love with me?”she teased.

“That’s outrageous!”he cleared his throat, snatch his suit and hurried out of the room.

She chuckles and stuck out her tongue.

..

They entered a room that serves more like a backstage in the hall.

Gregory stood by the curtains and opened it a little, peeping out at the assembled reporters.

“Here.”Harry chimed behind them then proferred a bottle of water to him.

“Woah. Such a gentleman.”Beatrice cupped her cheeks with a smile.

Harry looks at her, befuddled.

Gregory collected the water and gulped half of it down.

He stretched out the other half to her.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“You want a gulp?”

“No. I don’t drink from the same bottle with another person.”

“You are being discriminative after all.”

“Don’t get it wrong, hubby.”the words slipped out of her mouth.

“H.. hu. hubby?”Harry repeated.

She waves her hands at him negatively, afraid she would cause a ruckus between them.

“No, no. Don’t misquote me, both of you. So, normally, I can’t just drink from the same bottle which another person has drank from, including my mom. And, also, this was given to you by your beloved so I shouldn’t.. be sharing that with you.”she laughed nervously.

Harry furrowed his brows at her before heaving out.

“We will start in two minutes time. You ready?”he asked Gregory.

“Aww, such a caring man.”she breathed out a sigh, earning Harry’s perplexed look again.

“I don’t like to be in spotlight. I will be fine with you there with me.”

Beatrice grinned at the ground sheepishly.

This unregular ship is so sweet!

Harry went through the door behind them and he appeared at the hall afterwards.

He climbed the podium and spoke into the microphone.

“Good morning. The media briefing would begin now.”

“I’m sure I’m not going up there with you right?. I just have to stay here?”

“This is about the future of this company and it is mainly about our relationship so come on, Author.”he interwined their hands together.

They went out and as usual, different camera clicks and lights were flashed at them.

Harry stepped away and went to stand at a corner while the couples assumed the position.

“Good morning and Happy Monday to you. We’ve received a lot of concerns from our stockholders ever since the announcement of my relationship and we’ve even received more since the moment I let you all know about my wedding with my woman.”he paused and watch them as they type away on their systems.

“To be honest, I was quite.. a.. little, you know, put off by those concerns. Why?. They all seem to be asking about my plan for the company. According to them, I have not been quite a.. representating chief executive officer because my face has always been hidden. I..”

“A question, sir. If you don’t mind.”a reporter interrupts, raising up her hand.

“No questions until..”Harry tried to say.

“No, it’s fine.”Gregory gave him a small smile.

“Go on, please.”he urged her.

“My name is Sandra from IBN daily news. You said you were accused because of how you’ve always been hiding your face away, or let just say how you’ve been hiding back in your shadow all these while. Is there a reason you’ve been.. doing that?”

“I don’t quite get you, miss Sandra.”he remarked and rubbed his cheek with his thumb.

“Is it because you’re suffering?, maybe because of your pasts?.. or.. for another reason?”

Gregory’s eyes fluttered rapidly and his stomach tightened.

His grasp on the lectern tightened.

“I also have a question.”another reporter raised up his hand.

“We can only entertain one question at a time.”Harry apprised.

“Well, the question I’m about to ask and the one she previously asked seems to have a connection so maybe he can answer them together.”he smirks.

“Go on, please.”Gregory forced a smile.

“I heard miss Beatrice is an author and she only got to your house few days ago. Can you tell us why you would need the service of an author in your home?. Are you, perhaps, hiding something? Are you truly suffering?, or could you be keeping her for something more.. than that?. Maybe for your.. you know, just as miss Amelia had said, maybe you aren’t a saint after all.”