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"God, that was one ugly piece I had to create," Gianna groaned, "she was one of those clients. The ones who just don't budge, you know?"

I looked at Vince pointedly before looking back at her. "I know," I nodded. We both laughed, glancing over at Vince and Ace who were both drunk beyond return, sitting at the bar, and laughing. "So, do you have any idea when you're flying back?" I asked, glancing over to make sure Vince was okay and not falling off the stool at the stand-up bar here.

"No, not yet. Ace still has work to do here and I'm going to stay with him."

I nodded in understanding, looking at her. She was watching Ace. "You really love him, don't you?" My question was beyond out of bounds, I had no right to be asking that. But it was killing me. They look so... perfect together. It's beyond me.

"Yeah, I do," she nodded with a smile. "Don't you love Vince?"

"Um, we've only been together for nine months, so I don't know... We're just going slow."

"You're going slow because it's only been nine months? Or because you're confused?"

"Confused? About what?" I frowned.

"About what's real and what's fake," she smiled.

I stared at her. Is it that obvious? I told him we'd make an unbelievable couple and not in a good way. I sighed, glancing over at him. His head was down on the counter.

"Don't worry, I won't tell. I'm good at keeping secrets. But... why?"

"Because of the scandal."

"So something did between you two that was real and not fake?"

I nodded sheepishly.

"Who cares?" She shrugged, scoffing. "Who cares that you were his assistant at the time, it's nobody's business."

"His career was on the line, I had to help him somehow."

"It was your idea?"

"No," I said slowly. "His."

She paused, glancing at him. "So then not everything is fake, is it? Do you like him?"

"I trust him."

"But do you like him?"

"No," I said quickly, laughing awkwardly and shaking my head.

"You sleep with men you don't like, Ms. Demi?" She lifted a brow, smirking at me.

"No," I mumbled, fidgeting with my earring.

"He likes you," she said nonchalantly. "It shows. He's protective of you."

"Only because my mistakes harm him too."

"No," she sang, "because he wants you all to himself." She thought for a minute before sighing. "You know, when I first married Ace, I hated him."

"What?" My eyes widened, mouth agape.

She laughed, nodding. "We had history. Really bad history. Dead people kind of history?"

I mumbled, "Oh."

"But we got married for business. Arranged marriage, which was something I never thought I'd do. I didn't even believe in it. But after marrying him, I realized he wasn't the kind of person he shows himself to be. He's not half as scary or mean, a part of him can't hurt people. At least the people he loves. And a huge part of him was hurt already.

"Things change when you let someone in, it doesn't matter if you let them in because you wanted to or because you were forced to by being around them all the damn time. When I hated him, I loved him the same. And I didn't want to. I didn't want to love someone like him. But then I got to know him. Maybe you should get to know Vince. Beyond the boss-assistant relationship, beyond the fake boyfriend," she whispered the last bit, keeping her voice down.

"I can't fall in love with him," I chuckled softly.

"Why not?"

I sighed, looking at him. "Probably because he wouldn't let himself fall in love with me. And I don't think it's a good idea to jump without a safety net."

"Love doesn't have a safety net, Demi. You just have to... jump," she shrugged.

"Tiffany!"

I sighed and watched as he sat up straighter, looking around for me. Gianna and I made our way over to them.

"I want another drink," Vince mumbled, looking at me through hooded eyes.

"No, I think you'd had enough," I mumbled, grabbing onto his shoulder when he put an arm around my waist, pulling me closer, almost into his lap.

Gianna glanced at me with a small smile before she turned her attention to her husband. She brushed his hair out of his eyes and spun him around to look at her. She talked to him like she was talking to a child, explaining slowly while holding his face.

"Demi," Vince groaned.

"Hmm?" I asked, looking at him over my shoulder while he pulled me onto his lap.

Both Gianna and I were startled when Ace suddenly shot up out of his seat. She laughed, hitting him lightly but before she could say anything, he kissed her.

"Demi, you're so mean," he whined under me.

"Why?" I laughed, standing up and turning to face him.

"I'm your boyfriend," he complained, putting both arms around me. "And you won't even get me a drink."

I brushed his hair out of his eyes, sighing. "You've had enough. Clearly. So, I won't get you a drink."

He groaned, throwing his head back and pulling me closer.

"But I will take you home right now. Let's go." I patted his back before unwrapping his arms from around me.

"Kiss me first," he demanded.

"What?" I sputtered.

"Nobody here has seen us kiss," he mumbled. "I want them to see. Kiss me."

"You're crazy," I laughed, pushing his cheek away softly. "Let's go home, Vince, come on, please get up."

"Not until you kiss me."

"We're going to head out," Gianna said, keeping an arm around Ace. He seemed a little less wasted than Vince. I waved her bye and they left.

I turned my attention back to Vince. "Vince, why did you drink so much tonight? You only drink like this after winning a game," I mumbled.

"Why won't you kiss me?" He frowned, resting his chin on my stomach.

I sighed, grabbing his face. "Because you're drunk and we need to get you home. And it doesn't matter who here has or hasn't seen us kiss."

"It matters."

I took a step back, sitting on the stool once I pulled it closer to his. "Why does it matter?" I asked, leaning forward.

"Because everyone thinks you're pretty. And everyone wants you. But you're mine," he mumbled. "Always. My assistant, my girlfriend."

I stared at him silently, just listening.

"Mine to kiss. Mine to fire."

I rolled my eyes, glancing around the room. People were watching him. So was his father. And his father seemed amused if I read his expression right. Almost like he wanted Vince to make a fool out of himself in front of all these people.

"I don't regret it either," he said softly, blinking slowly, his eyes going in and out of focus. "New York. I don't regret it," he shook his head, grabbing my hand that rested on the bar counter. "I'd do it again. I'd do it drunk and sober. I just wish we didn't get caught," he scoffed. He stared at me for a minute before sighing. "I like you."

I chuckled dryly. "You like me as much as you'd like any other assistant, Vince. I'm not special."

"Why?" he whined suddenly, grabbing my stool and pulling it closer. "Why do you think that, Demi?" He frowned, "I like you more than any other assistant I've had. I trust you more too."

"You trust me because I was around you for a long time."

"Isn't that how relationships happen?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "but this relationship isn't real," I whispered.

"Well, it should be. It could be."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because we..." He fell into thought. "We make sense. Together," he finally said. "Demi and Vince, Vince and Demi. It fits."

"It does," I agreed, "as boss and employee. This is work too, Vince. You said that to me when we signed the contract."

He slapped his mouth softly.

I laughed, pulling his hand down, holding it. I thought about telling him how he treats me is a big part of it too.

He definitely treats me better now than he did when I was just his assistant, but he still doesn't treat me well. Not as good as he would treat a real girlfriend anyway. And I'm not complaining because I know I'm not his real girlfriend. But it just hurts a little. It's disappointing because even as his assistant, I'm doing and have done everything that a real girlfriend would. I take care of him and worry about him like a real girlfriend would but he's ungrateful.

He doesn't care, he expects that of me because of my job. But then he has these moods where it's like he stops acting like he hates me. That's how it feels with him. Like he forces himself to be so mean to me because he's not allowed to like me. He only allows himself to hate me. At least he did. It makes him so hard to read. I never know what he's thinking or how he really feels about me. If he likes me, if he's just attracted to me, if he's just using me, or if he really does hate me. I never know.

But I like him. I've always liked him a little. At least parts of him. When he's nice to me, when he helps me, when he defends me. But it's hard to like everything about a person who used to treat you like you were nothing.

That doesn't change the fact that I'll be here for him. Always, whenever he needs me. Maybe that's because I think I owe him that as his assistant. Or maybe it's just because I like him more than I'd want to admit.

Maybe I do like Vince Hunter. Beyond this act.

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