CONTRACT MARRIAGE WITH THE CEO

1. Risky favour.

Arabelle

I was seated by my porch with my best friend Levi, we have known each other for as long as I could remember. We had this tight bond that was unexplainable.

"I saw the news last night. " He said and paused.

"And?" I inquired shooting my eyes at him.

" They are still trying to figure out who the mystery owner of that famous company you got going on." He finally spoke up, his voice deep as ever. Our view was the ocean, we both loved watching the waves crash against each other.

I chuckled at his statement, "As if they will ever find out who the owner is. " I remarked.

He too chuckled. "Why can't you just tell them it's you, the public has been wanting to know for years now. Like this oil refining company suddenly turns up and it blows, yet no one got to know who even owned the damn place. Why are you so scared of letting them know?" he asked with a bit more seriousness in his voice.

"Where is the fun in doing that?" I asked him. He shrugged his shoulders. " Exactly that's why I wanna keep the mystery going it's funny when they have their guess, especially the time they thought it was you?" I let out a laugh after I remembered how the paparazzi followed him all week till they discovered it wasn't him. It didn't surprise me though my best friend was the fourth richest man in New York, it was right for them to think that but when they found out it wasn't him the search continued.

"Damn that was the worst week of my life." he groaned then held his face. I snorted in laughter.

"You see and you want me to sign up for that, oh hell no!"

"I get you Ara, loud and clear."

"Good boy," I said as I patted his shoulder something I often did. It felt good to touch his muscular shoulder, it did things to me and brought feelings I tried too hard to bury.

The crashing ocean waves created this serene sound that I couldn't help but enjoy more.

This was our favourite spot with Kade we spent so much time here whenever we were both free. We watched a few people run around in the sun throwing sand at each other while others ran into the water splashing it all around. I enjoyed this part of Brooklyn no wonder I bought the house here.

"Ara I need a favour, please." He gave me the puppy dog eyes that I always fell for. It was hard to resist when he is the most handsome man I have ever seen.

I rolled my eyes at him." Just tell me the damn favour."

" I want you to do a certain presentation for me, I really wanna strike this deal with them, please." he pleaded once more.

I thought about it he then frowned at him."Don't you know I hate presentations? " I snapped at him. He had to know that even in my own company I never liked doing them even though I was usually left with no choice but to do them.

"I do know that, but you are the only one who can help me." he gave me a pleading look.

"Remind me why you can't do it yourself or at least even ask Tori to do it"

"Because I have a major setback in my company and I am the only one who can take care of it, and the meeting isn't just something I can cancel and reschedule cause I was the one who asked for a meetup. And for Tori, you know she is a doctor she can't handle my kind of work as you do. You are the only one fit for this." The pleading look he gave was suffocating. His explanation was valid. It was hard to refuse when he had done me the favour of pretending he was the CEO of my company and I remember how the paparazzi put him under pressure because of me.

"How come you are the one asking for a meet up I thought they all beg to have meetings with you?" my eyebrows were furrowed in confusion.

" This man has something that I want that's why I had to do this, it will be so good for my company."

I sighed, " I will think about it, besides it's not like I don't have my work tomorrow so let me first see if I can manage to squeeze you into my schedule. What time is the presentation again? " He looked calmer than before his handsome face was relaxed. He looked so cool with his rich thick brown hair dishevelled like he ran his hand through it a lot. It gave him the bad boy his sharp jaw and sharp green eyes only added to the look. He pouted his perfect pink lips and I almost lost it till I regained myself.

Damn Levi is hot, and those intense green eyes always me make get lost in them. It doesn't surprise me though, after all, he was a rich bachelor in Brooklyn and Tori Stewart was so lucky to have him as her boyfriend that I always envied her. Don't get me started on the rippled body he was the type of man who hit the gym when he thought he needed to. It was kind of weird but I was so close to him that I ended up knowing his schedule.

"The meeting is in the afternoon." I thought of my schedule I think I would squeeze him in.

"I think I can make it work."

"Yes," he did a whisper cheer raising his fist in the air. " You are the best you know that." I felt my heartstrings move at his words. They didn't do me justice but it hurt more knowing I would never have him. He would always be my friend.

"How is Tori by the way?" I asked changing the subject. I licked my lips when I saw him bite his lower lip before he let it go.

"She is fine, thanks for asking. Even though she ain't always happy when I come to visit you." He chuckled his deep voice soothing, he shook his head as though he said something funny. I only looked at him, did I just miss the punchline of this joke.

"And why is that?" I asked him. My voice didn't have any humour in it. I had already established the fact that Tori never liked me and I don't think she will ever like me. She was only friendly when Levi was around. And I thought by her getting upset with him being here he would know that there was this spark between me and his girl.

He groaned and ran his hand through his perfect hair the was shot in the sides and long in the middle, this hairstyle suited him so much." She thinks you have a crush on me and might want to take me away from her but I keep reassuring her that you are my best friend more like my baby sis. As if that can even happen." he chuckled more. Well ouch, that hurt I concealed my aching heart with a low chuckle that was dry with no humour in it. Deep inside I was screaming in agony. I was his baby sis, wow and I only was like five years younger than him while I was 23, he was 28 and he viewed me as his baby sis. I wiped a stray tear when I looked at the beach I didn't want him to know I loved him not when he saw me as his baby sis. It all made sense why he never asked me out even when we were both single.

After my terrible breakup with Kade Johnson, he was the only shoulder I had to lead on and through the care and comfort I received from him I began to slowly fall in love with him.

"Yeah, it can't happen." I let out a forced giggle. Whatever hope I had was crushed. He did love Tori that much.

"If only she knew how much I love her she wouldn't even think of that." he scoffed. He was driving the nail right in. Making the wound he created in my heart even bigger.

"You know, we constantly need reassurance and you are supposed to do just that. If it will make her feel better I just view you as my best friend too always had always have besides I don't even need any love stuff, not after Levi." I lied. I hoped he didn't catch on to my partially true lie.

Kade happened to be my ex-boyfriend and my first love. He was also the richest man in New York. I met him in the early days of my business career by then I was still building up my company I didn't have much going on. I loved him so much and fully trusted him I was even ready to be his wife until I walked in on him and my secretary having s*x in his bedroom. I planned to surprise him with the whole jacked on top with nothing inside and boy was I the one was who surprised. He tried to beg me to let him explain but in that situation of being caught red-handed, I don't think any explanation would have worked. I instantly broke off the relationship and it has been 7 months since the whole incident.

"I almost forgot, who the person am presenting to again?" I asked, after realising I didn't even know who I was supposed to meet tomorrow. I changed the subject instantly I didn't want him to crush my heart even more.

"Don't hate me but the person is Kade Johnson."