Lucas cannot believe what he heard. For the second time since meeting this woman, he was rendered speechless - he should have laugh because of the incredulity of his state - but everything that the woman have said is not laughable nor the status that he was left into, not laughable at all.

Still feeling baffled at the woman's idea Lucas can only asked, astonishment apparent on his voice. "Are you crazy?!" He expected a counter for what he said, but instead, he only received a raised brow as a response.

'She is serious about the idea of me pretending to be gay. What the heck!' He knows when he had formulated his plan that there will be consequences, and he readied himself for anything, but not this kind. He already considers meeting her as a punishment for how the way she treats him. He then turned to the woman in question who is sitting calmly as if what she blurted out is a normal and everyday occurence.

"So, your way of thinking is like this, that if I am gay, I will never want to have sex with you since you are a woman, thus giving a valid reason why we've never consummated our marriage." He clarified.

"Yes." He was about to respond when she added that made him want to strangle the lady. "Why? Are you considering it?" He would have done so if he did not look into her eyes. Eyes that are pulling him into its depths, quieting his agitation, making him afraid.

In order to mask that he is bothered with her, he put his signature scowl and berated her. "No, I do not consider that, so you better remove that idea from that gorgeous head of yours."

---

Drake, didn't know how to react with the situation, the two person in front of him continued their bickering as if they are an old married couple.

He continued watching the two without involving himself in the discussion, as if he can, considering that the two do not mind him at all. It is as if he wasn't even there sitting, listening and observing them. He should have brought a popcorn and soda because he feels that he is watching a soap opera, the only difference is that it is live, unscripted and full of raw emotions.

He forced himself not to laugh when Claire asked if Lucas is considering her idea, the look on Lucas' face is so priceless.

---

"No one will believe that as well with my reputation. You even thought that I am changing different woman carelessly, without knowing me first." Lucas continuously ranted still baffled.

"Well, they may thought that maybe, it was your way of covering your tracks..if you know what I mean." She said meaningfully.

The words she sprouted in that lips of hers are really dumbfounding. He doesn't know where she gets all those ideas, 'Do I look like I am hiding a skeleton in my closet? Is my sexuality questionable? Why am I asking myself with these things?' He was left stupefied.

Lucas started pacing for awhile thinking of another reason aside from the crazy idea that Claire thought, which brought them into another disagreement. 'Yes! That's it, a disagreement' a thought came to his mind. "We can make use of disagreement instead of that one, can we?" He turned to Drake for confirmation.

---

Drake can't hardly control himself, he wants to bellow his laughter, his cheeks are already hurting for suppressing it. Claire is clearly teasing him and Lucas is shell-shocked already, for him to recognize the glint of mischief in the woman's eyes. The lady is only messing with him. He is betting everything he has that Lucas has full of questions in his head, rattling him in his very core and stunning him into silence.

He refocused when Lucas turned to him with a question. "Yes we can also use that. It is also one of the most used grounds for annullment which is different from divorce - the constant disagreement or as we call it, psychological incapacity." When the two looked at him both with unspoken question in their eyes, he added. "It refers to the husband's or wife's inability or unwillingness to submit himself or herself with the necessary obligations expected in marriage." Drake explained in the most simplest of terms. He then turned his gaze back and forth between the couple and asked. "So, who will be the one who is psychologically incapacitated if we will use that as a ground for annullment?" He saw their eyes widen at his question.

"Him!"

"Her!"

Both said at the same time and each pointing a finger to the other.

"Why me?!" They both asked again, now pointing the finger to ownself while looking at each other.

"Why will it be me?" Lucas asked incredulously. "I have a multibillion company which is at stake if the word comes out that I am incapable of something. I will be ruined especially to my investors." He explained.

Claire looked at him as if he had grown two heads. "So, you mean that it should be me since I am just a nobody." She said it not as question but a statement which made him stutter when he tried to defend himself. "I..I did not mean it that way Claire. I..-" he stopped when he saw that Claire has misty eyes which she quickly retracted by blinking several times.

"No, I will not agree with that. My idea is better." She said indignantly and folded her arms on her chest.

"You're still on that idea? Will you just drop it. It won't make any sense." Lucas urges her.

---

Drake is still enjoying himself with what is happening with the two, when what he heard next from Claire made his jaw drop.

"You can pretend with him if you like. Considering how close you two are, it is not that difficult to do so as others will not question why you two are always together." Claire even jerk her head towards him.

"What?!" Now, it's his time to shout his disbelief.

"Are you seriously considering that? And you are including me now in that silly idea of yours?" Drake asked, disbelief on his face.

"Well, you were both into the plan when you did that, didn't you? So why not help him as well in dealing with it. I only have one demand after all, it shouldn't be that hard to comply." Claire explained clearly persuading him.

He shot a look at his friend, Lucas is still in shock to even respond at another unbelievable idea that his fake wife is giving them. He riveted his stare to the woman when he felt her stood up.

"Well, anyway, I better go. I already told you what I want. It's up to you if you will take into consideration what I suggested. I am expecting the papers in a month. I think the time frame will be sufficient enough for the two of you to process it. This is my calling card and work address if you ever need to reach out. I plan to give it to your friend, but considering his present state, it is quite understandable that I should give it to you." He felt he nodded his head and saw her walked out of the office. He then turned to Lucas who is now pacing - again.

---

"Did she just left without talking to me?" Lucas gaped at the closed door then started pacing again after sometime. He never felt this humiliated with himself his whole life. She just walked out of his office as if he wasn't there after she sprouted another baffling idea - him and Drake? The idea of him being gay is already unthinkable; them being a couple? He wants to gag.

"You're finished?" Drake masked his amusement at his friend's present state. He had been pacing in front of him for several minutes. He knows that he had been ranting on his head with the way he keep on running his fingers through his hair. He had been humiliated beyond doubt with how the way Claire left without a backward glance - a first. He cannot blame him, for it is always Lucas who leaves the woman and not the other way around. So it is understandable that he felt baffled, even insulted at what had happen.

Lucas scrub his face with the palm of his hand. His day turned out to be the most perplexing one he had ever experienced in his entire existence, all because of a woman that is now his wife - yes, she is his wife, technically.

After he completely cleared his head, he turned to Drake and asked. "What do you think man?"

"I think, my idea is way better than your's or her's." Drake answered confidently.

"Are you really my friend? Whose side are you on anyway?" Lucas asked his friend at his response.

---

"What do you mean by that?" Drake asked puzzled at his questions.

"Do you want me dead?" At his questioning eyes, Lucas added. "Her action is enough to bruise me, her eyes can make me squirm in my seat, her mouth breathe fire when cross, enough to toast me and her words are sharper than a newly honed knife that can cut me in half in one swing; I will be a minced human if I will pursue her as what you had suggested."

With that explanation, Drake let go of the laughter he had been holding for a long time that afternoon.

---

Claire left the office in haste and offered a quick goodbye to Sophie, she can feel she is starting to get mad with that obnoxious man. She cannot seem to stop messing up with him because of everything he did and said. She only meant the 'pretending to be gay' as a joke but he took it seriously. So she just took the opportunity to bait him and make him mad, because that is the only way she can get even with him. Him using her name in his plan or the way he doesn't mind if she will be ruined because of what he did. She knows she is being judgmental, her prejudice already shadowed how she should've seen a bigger picture than what is really happening.

She blew a bated breath when she was already out of the building and walk away from it without thinking where to go. She just needed to be away from the building's premises. She felt suffocated.

When she knows she already walked far enough, she stopped and looked around. When she saw a cafe a few steps away, she urge herself to walk inside, gave her order at the counter and took a seat in a booth by the window. Then, she took her phone out of her bag and prompty called Penny who answered her call immediately.

"Hey Penny! I was already out and away from the building. Can you pick me up? I am in a cafe several blocks away." Penny agreed to come pick her up after she finished her business, and they said goodbye to each other.

A server approached with her order of mocha frappe with whipped cream and a slice of pecan pie. She took a deep breath to completely calm herself. Her plan in coming here is to meet the man and from there they will talk about what to do with their current situation like two mature and professional people. But from the very beginning, it turned out differently.

'What to do? What to do?' She kept on repeating the question in her mind as if it will give her an answer.

She was startled when Penny snapped her out of her thoughts. She didn't notice when she came in.

"Hey, how did it go? Did you talked? What happened?" Penny asked her in succession. "You're too deep in your thoughts to notice me."

She took another deep breath instead of answering her question.

"That bad huh?!" Penny queried and she only answered with a nod. That is always have been between them, they know what the other thinks or feel without saying anything, that is how close they are.

"But at least you talked, didn't you?" Penny asked before sipping her coffee - a scalding one.

"Yes, we did. His friend who is a lawyer was also there." She answered in a bored tone.

"What?! He had a friend in there?" When she only hummed her answer, Penny immediately asked another one. "Why didn't you call me?"

"You're busy Penny and I don't want to take you away from what you've been doing. I know it is very important to you." She explained while Penny sighed.

"Yeah. It was important but not as important as you." Penny said while reaching her hand accross the table. "You're like the sister I never had." She added wholeheartedly.

"And we will be sisters soon enough." She teased her instead in which Penny only laughed.

They decided to just go shopping after leaving the cafe, they needed to do that as well in order to keep up the pretense of their coming here from her family. They also stayed the night in one of the hotels and left for home the next day.

Penny didn't dig for details about the meeting anymore even until they are on their way towards home, and she is thankful for the space she's giving her.

************************************

Lucas had been an a** in this chapter but Claire able hold up her own. Hah! Lucas already met his match.

What else do you think will happen? Please comment your insights about the story or this chapter. If you are too shy to write a comment, just post a message to me.

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Thank you for reading!

-blue