41 Compatibility Test
“He wants a contract wife to act as a mother to his daughter and complete the appearance of a perfect family. Well, that’s the story that he’s giving us...” Justin said with a hint of suspicion in his voice.
“What do you mean? Is there something else that I should know?” I asked dubiously.
“Well, this isn’t confirmed so it’s off the record but there are strange rumors about his ex-wife and how she passed away,” Justin said before he pressed his lips into a thin line.
“What happened to her?” I asked as I was starting to get a really bad feeling.
“No one knows. The official disclosure says that she was terminally ill and passed away a short while after giving birth to their daughter,” Justin explained before sighing softly.
“I see...” I said softly.
“Will you take him on?” Justin asked as he stared at me hopefully.
“Are all cases in your agency as complex as this?” I asked curiously.
“Nope but then again, the other cases don’t pay as well,” Justin replied before pouting his lips at me.
.....
“I see. I guess I can give it a try. If things don’t work out then...” I said before trailing off.
“You’re right. We can terminate the contract,” Justin said reassuringly.
“Right. Let’s try it,” I agreed after some thought.
I couldn’t help but wonder if Adrian even remembers me from our previous encounter. If I had to guess, then probably not.
“He’s requested to have dinner with you and you two can decide whether to go ahead with the contract then,” Justin explained.
“So, it’s like an interview of sorts?” I asked as I cocked my head to the side.
“Not really. More like a compatibility test?” Justin replied.
“He requested for this?” I asked just to make sure that I understood correctly.
“Apparently so. Of course, if it doesn’t work out, you’ll get paid for your time,” Justin replied.
“Sounds like a blind date...but ok...” I murmured before shrugging my shoulders.
“I’ve got just the dress for you!” Justin cried out in excitement.
...
Although I remembered Adrian to be such a gentleman, I still felt extremely nervous to meet him again. The first time we met was by accident but this time things were different. He had requested to meet me to see if we were compatible to form a fake relationship and family for the sake of his young daughter. The dress that Justin picked out for me was slightly over the top. It made me feel too overdressed even if this is a very romantic and high-class restaurant.
The rooftop restaurant boasted a beautiful night view of the city from a very tall hotel building. It was the perfect place for couples with more than a little extra money to burn to have a date. As for me, this is the place that Adrian had chosen for my job interview of sorts. The light blue dress that Justin had chosen did nothing to hide the curves of my body or my cleavage.
Dress to impress indeed.
When I arrived, Adrian was already there. When he spotted me, he got up from his seat at once and came to my side. I’m not sure if it was just my own imagination but he seemed very happy to see me again. To my surprise, I found myself smiling quite naturally at him. We exchanged a few words of greeting before he offered me his arm and guided me to the table.
A candle-lit dinner with excellent wine was really the best way to kick off our first ‘date’. I wondered what he wanted to talk about. This was my first time having a formal interview for a contract wife job and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Justin just told me to be myself and go with the flow. I had no idea why he had so much confidence in me when I didn’t have much confidence in myself right now.
“You look stunning in the dress. I almost didn’t recognize you at first,” Adrian complimented me before he flashed me a charming smile.
Although it was partly flattery, I knew that there was some honesty in his words and smile. I found myself smiling back at him with ease.
“Thank you. I guess I do look quite different compared to when we first met...” I replied, recalling how I was dressed the day that we met.
Trying to live casually and heading to the supermarket turned into quite an adventure on that day.
“Should we order?” Adrian asked after I had had enough time going through the menu.
“Sure...” I replied.
Honestly, I felt too nervous to feel hungry. I couldn’t care less about the food. While we placed our orders with the smartly dressed waiter, I couldn’t help but wonder if my nervousness showed. The waiter left us, and we were alone once more.
“Thank you for coming today. I know that it’s quite sudden and all,” Adrian began saying.
“Not at all. Thank you for inviting me here. It’s a nice place with a great view,” I replied politely.
“Do you like places like this?” Adrian asked.
The truth was...
“I do but I guess when you’ve been to romantic places like this often, it does lose its charm,” I replied truthfully.
Adrian smiled and then laughed at my blunt and honest response. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t used to these overly expensive and romantic places. In my life, I’ve dated millionaires and billionaires for all of my adult life. Nothing about places like this really excites me much anymore.
“That doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate you...and the gorgeous night view though,” I added, and Adrian laughed even harder than before.
I began laughing at myself and along with him as I watched him laugh carefreely. His smile and how his face lit up when he laughed was very charming. He was many years older than I am, but I felt like he had a hint of childishness in him that I found refreshing. Just like before, I found talking to Adrian easy and it wasn’t long before the ice between us completely melted.
–To be continued...
This chapter is updat𝙚d by f(r)eewebn(o)vel.com