Chapter Seventy.

Elena's Pov.

My feet was aching from standing and my face was hurting from endless hours of smiling when we finally finished shooting the advert, the sand has been nice though, that last part was quite the romantic one, just me, walking barefoot on the beach towards the aisle where my prince charming stood, his hair rolled stylishly on his head, his face beaming with pride and joy, I let my face break into a dazzling smile, as I ran to him and gave him a peck on the cheek, we stood, smiling at one another,he then slipped a magnificent ring into my finger and my eyes widened at the brilliance and beauty of the ring, I also produced a ring for him and put it on his finger, it was a gold ring that was surrounded with diamonds, it shine in the sunlight, and the scene ended with our intwined hands, as we walked towards the sea, the wind whipping at my hair.

I sighed, that was one heck of an advert, I changed into my suit once more and waited for Katie in the dressing room.

A knock on the door alerted me of someone on the other side, must be Katie. I opened the door to find a smug Raymond, even with his smug expression, he looked somewhat shy and I snorted and then reached up to my tippy toes and ruffled his hair.

"You did well" I complimented, smiling up at him.

"I know that" he smoothed his hair cockily "you were exceptional as well" he said, almost as if he were shy.

I barked a laugh at his behavior.

"What's up with you today, you are behaving really strange" I teased and he smiled boyishly, why did I not notice how handsome he was at the club the other day, behaving jerkishly really did take the charm out of a person's appearance, I only realized that now.

"Whatever, tease me all you want, just do not forget that I witnessed your cringe worthy dance, so do not tempt me" He raised his eyebrows at me and I gasped exaggeratedly.

" I do not know if it's the tequila I took that is giving me memories, but I do remember you joining me in that cringe worthy dance, or did you not?" I countered, a smile tugging at my lips.

"Uh…hello" he waved his hands in my face, " that was only to ensure that you did not embaress yourself while doing it alone, people would have thought you were off your bonkers, you should be thanking me" he says d smugly and I gaped at him, he was not serious.

" Anyways, what do you want" I asked and he smiled.

"Come with me, let's grab a bite together, and catch up with each other" He said and I eyed him.

"We literally met two days ago, what the fuck do you want to catch up on" I asked, in a joking tone.

"You are literally the worst, I just want to be friends and you are pushing me away, that hurt you know" he pouted.

  Actually pouted.

I looked at him and shook my head, bursting into raucous laughter, "Why the heck are you pouting, save that for your girlfriend" I laughed. A dark look flitted across his face for a second then it was gone, I wondered why.

" Oh I have a lot of plans for when I finally see my girlfriend" he said then grinned at me, but I had the feeling that the grin was anything but genuine.

" Anyway, come with me, let's grab drinks, please" he asked but I waved in his face.

"No thanks, I have a house husband waiting for me" I said and then regretted it immediately I said it.

I did have a house husband which was Lorenzo waiting for me, I had asked him to stay with me and then he had decided to stay for the whole week, so yes, I did have a house husband waiting for me, but I could not have other people knowing about it, I sighed then looked at Raymond again, he was as confused as a person could get, I was relieved.

"Okay, what the fuck are you talking about, because last time I checked you were very much single" he asked, tilting his head to the side to studying me, I laughed nervously.

"I am not talking about a real husband, silly, I am talking about my pet dog, but then, hold up a minute, you did a background check on me? What the fuck am I supposed to make of that" I asked, changing the subject.

He smiled, " you need to learn to do the same, you do not know if the person you are getting close to or approaching has a criminal record, so you just need to do it just to be on the safe side" he explained and I stiffled a yawn.

"So…..let's hang out" He made the puppy eyes and I scoffed, 

"As if" I mumbled under my breathing so that he would not hear me, then I added, audibly,"still, I do not think it would work today due to the fact that my schedule is still packed and I will not be free. 

"What the heck is going on here" she look to me for an explanation and I smiled, knowing that my saving grace was here.

"Raymond here was asking me if I was free so we could hang out and I was in turn explaining to him that my schedule was packed and that I could not possibly make time for him" I said and waved dramatically in dismissal, he narrowed his eyes at me and I made him a kissy face.

"She did say that, amidst loads of jargons about house husbands" He said and I almost smacked him on the head had he not been taller than me, Katie lifted her brow and I gave her a look.

"Well my pet could pass as my house husband could it not?" I covered up.

"Who calls their pet a house husband?" Katie asked, earning a look of encouragement from Raymond.

 Traitor.

"But then Elena and Lori have a very close relationship I must say" she quickly added when she noticed my death glare.

  Lori? Kill me with a rock, that was what she could come up with.

"A REALLY close relationship." I blanched.

Raymond did not look convinced and I pinched my brows, thus conversation was draining.

" You know, I will have to see this Lori one day to prove the authenticity of your story" He said, eyes twinkling with mischief, I gave him a look that said, 'you would not dare' and he scoffed.

" Well, Elena is right, we have one more gig before we call it a day, care to tag along?" She asked and my mouth fell slack. She was actually inviting him to join us for my next shoot, but didn't she say that we had two more shoots to do before we parted? then why was she saying a different thing now, I could not understand and my brows shot into my hairline, she rolled her eyes at me, still waiting for his answer.

"And when you are done with this shoot we can hangout, grab drinks maybe?" He asked, rolling the idea around in his head.

"Most definitely" she beamed at him and he snapped his fingers in her face.

"Done" He stuck out his tongue at me and I almost grabbed it and pulled it out of his mouth.

"Not. Done." I started and they both looked at me, confused, I continued nonetheless "It's all good if he can tag along and all and we grab drinks when we finish and subsequently become friends the best friends forever, but look on the other side, if someone as much as takes a picture, and somehow that picture finds itself online, then poof! rumors will start flying around and it may go downhill from there, so I would very much love it if this plan did not take place. So, Not Done" I finished, staring hard at them.

 Silence.

Katie placed a hand on my shoulder, " you know, if you want to behave according to what people say about you, you would live a rather …bleak life, and I definitely do not want that for you, and you do not want that for yourself either, this gentle fellow" she gestured to Raymond " is offering his companionship, which by the way I think you need, on a platter of gold, you should not reject it like that, that would ruffle his feathers and damage his ego too much, and" She slowed as if she was about to talk sense into a child that was throwing a tantrum "It would not really be that much of the deal if we portrayed you two as friends, which you actually are" she paused.

" What do you mean, how do you mean we should portray ourselves as friends" I was intrigued.

She sighed through her nose like someone that was fed up, pinching the point between her brows, " It is a very simple thing to do, just take a picture and post it on your social media, and then you are set, see the thing is people like things that are hidden and that they have to bring up theories about, so if someone sees us and takes a picture in the hopes of starting a horrid rumour, then they find that you have posted a similar picture on your social media handle, then it would not really be a secret anymore and then it would not really be rumor material, do I have to explain everything to you?" She asked.

I was irked, I clicked my tongue and rolled the idea in my head, " Fine" I ground out and he brightened up, what was his deal anyway.

" See, we will soon become, BFFs, best friends forever" He said and dragged me along after I had gathered my remaining things and handed them to Katie, she could carry them, since she was so eager for this hangout.

"In your wildest dreams" I snapped at him, though my tone was light.

Lorenzo was waiting for me, and any moment that I stayed and 'hung out' with these people would cost me precious time that I was supposed to spend with him. It was not every day that you convinced a CEO to become a house husband for you, even if it is just for a week, and when –if you did manage to convince him, using whatever trick and charm, you did NOT keep him waiting at home while you grabbed drinks with friends and posted it on your social media. It was a very dangerous gamble.

I sighed as I was dragged along to Katie's car and pulled into the backseat beside Raymond, as Katie entered the driver's seat starting the car after dumping the bags in the front seat with a loud hmph. Was she irritated? Well that made two of us.

We rode in silence, or, I rode in silence, ignoring Katie and Raymond's talk and laughter, now they were potential BFF material, I scoffed and they both turned to me, but when they saw my tight lipped expression, they ignored me and plunged right back into heady conversation.

"We are here" Katie announced.

 I was already opening the car door, before she could even finish, " I knew that, I can see it" I ground out just to irritate her.

She eyed me and when our eyes met, she stuck her tongue at me and flipped me the finger, I clutched my heart in mock shock.

" Why do you not like me so much." Raymond said right into my ear, I jumped and shifted away from him.

" If you consider our absurd first meeting, then I have a pretty good reason, but then again, I had loads of fun with you, so that part has been forgiven and in that regard, I don't have anything against you, I just was not up to it at that point in time." I replied, keeping my voice smooth and my tone calm.

"That's a relief, I really thought you hated me" He said and I gave him a friendly yet not so subtle punch on the shoulder, he winced but smiled.

"Yeah yeah, do not get all softie on me, I will punch you in the face if you do that" I smiled and he nodded, eyes contemplating if I really meant the threat.

"Let's become BFFs best friends forever," He said and I held up my open pals to his chest.

"Hey back up a minute, do not get too ahead of yourself, I do not even know your middle name." I said and his face dimmed, so I patted him on the back, realizing that I was wasting too much time and headed for the dressing room, to change.

The shoot took place with me delivering all the poses they asked, the director was not nice and had a grimace on his face the whole time.

Wouldn't wanna cross him.

 My only reassurance was Katie at the back, with Raymond, cheering me on with her thumbs up and proud smile, the director did not even move a muscle on his face, maybe he did, but it was only to deepen his frown, he would definitely get old faster due to wrinkles from all that frowning. When the shoot was over, he did not as much as nod in my direction. After a bout of him barking out instructions to me, I at least deserved that recognition, but no, he did not lift a finger. My temper flared and I stomped to the dressing room, pulling on my suit and making my way over to Katie.

"Are you ready?" Raymond asked.

"Oh shut up, we are only going to grab drinks together, we are not going to some sort of life altering adventure." I said with a sneer but he smacked my shoulder lightly and laughed I smiled sweetly and gave him a hard punch on the shoulder ,the second time.

"Are you by chance trying to dislocate my arm, because you are well on the way there, and how come you hot the exact spot that you hit before?" He asked, his face twisting into a painful expression, I laughed. "One would think those delicate hands could not do much damage, but no."

I strode out of the building straight to Katie's car, not bothering to reply to him, yet he was hot on my heels.

We drove in silence, but not an awkward silence and not like before where I had been the only one keeping quiet and they had been engaged in a conversation, thus time, we were all silent, I pulled out my phone.

"Hey come here" I dragged him by the ear, angling my phone and selecting a good filter. "Don't make a kissy face." I warned.

For his own good.

I took the picture, making sure that Katie was captured too, smiling brightly and he…

He made a kissy face.

I dragged his ear, not too hurtful.

"I told you not to make a kissy face, you goofy ass douchebag." I said between my teeth sighing through my nose.

"First of all ouch" He said when I released him, I pinched his cheek. "Ow, second of all, I could not help it, I am deeply sorry." 

He did NOT sound sorry.

"Again, if you try it again, I will kick you right out of the car." I warned a smile tugging at my lips.

" And if I do?" He asked, smug.

" Oh please do, then you will find out, how sweet I am" I smiled and pinched his cheek, he rubbed at and glared at me, I winked.

He did not make any kissy face this time but he angled his face so that his eyes were looking into the camera, his hair falling over one if his eyes, but not covering it entirely,he looked boyishly handsome, fans will definitely swoon when I posted this.

Katie pulled over at a bar,we all climbed out of the car.