The Fakers

10: Gemma

(cover by simonesaidwhat)

I am a professional, I reminded myself. I am a professional first and a person second.

I took a sip of my ice water, hoping to cool the hot, sticky rage bubbling inside of me. I set the glass back on the table and interlaced my fingers.

I am a professional.

It had been a long, terrible Monday and I was in a mood, and the client sitting across from me at this eerily quiet restaurant was only making it worse.

"Are you sure you don't want a cocktail?" Liam asked. "You seem like you need a cocktail. A martini perhaps?"

It was my drink of choice the night I took Liam home. He gave me a cheeky grin, probably recalling the same.

"I don't drink when I'm working," I said, my words as false as my smile.

I drank whenever I damn well pleased. In fact, I had downed some scotch before leaving the office in a vain attempt to take the edge off. The edge hadn't come off, and I knew I needed to get this meeting over with as soon as possible.

I cleared my throat and widened my warm, but still very fake, smile. "Liam, let's talk about the circumstances leading up to your Vegas wedding."

Liam leaned back in his chair and studied me.

"I don't think I'm ready," he said after a moment.

"Excuse me?"

"The dissolution of my marriage is a painful topic for me," he sighed, shaking his head in melancholy.

"Is it now?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. "You got married yesterday, Liam."

"Yes," he said, his blue eyes twinkling as he tried not to smile. "And the wounds are still fresh."

I fought the urge to reach across the table and throttle his neck. I reached for my water glass instead and took another long sip.

I am a professional.

"Why don't we talk about all that legal stuff after our meal?" Liam suggested. "I'll be an open book then. I can't think, much less talk, when I have low blood sugar."

"Fine."

I so badly wanted to massage my temple, which was now throbbing, but I refrained from showing any outward signs of weakness. I gestured to our waiter, not wanting to waste any more time. Liam was milking this impromptu work dinner for all it was worth, but I reminded myself that I'd be paid handsomely for my suffering – and not just monetarily.

Matt Tulsa was a major Hollywood power player and now he owed me a favor. Liam's disaster of a weekend had sent his whole team into a tailspin, and his publicist had actually cried when she heard of his latest scandal. Poor girl couldn't catch a break. Liam, however, was nonplussed about his P.R. nightmare/legal drama and refused to speak to anyone about it but me.

My entire day was booked, but Matt had begged me to fit Liam into my schedule somewhere, somehow, and so I ended up cancelling the date I had scheduled for tonight. I was nothing if not an opportunist, and I always put my professional life before my personal life no matter the circumstances.

After we placed our meal orders, I surveyed my surroundings. With its upscale industrial decor and authentic Mexican food, Cantina Sofia was one of the most popular restaurants in L.A. – but not tonight for some reason.