FAYE'S POV
I felt dizzy and nauseous, my head spinning with the implications of this revelation.
Out of all the men in this city… Why did it have to be him?
I couldn't very well go on a date with my boss, pretending to be Evie. That would be a disaster waiting to happen.
"Sterling, I...I need to use the restroom," I stammered, excusing myself quickly before he could ask any questions.
I locked myself in the restroom and leaned against the sink, staring at my pale reflection.
Pull yourself together, Faye.
You can do this. Just scare him off.
After several deep breaths, I reapplied some lipstick and plastered on what I hoped looked like confidence instead of impending doom.
When I returned to the table, Sterling looked up immediately.
His eyes narrowed slightly, scanning my face like he was trying to solve a puzzle.
"You disappeared pretty fast," he said. "Everything okay?"
"Perfect," I replied too quickly. "Never better. I just needed to… powder my nose."
"Your nose?" he repeated skeptically.
"Yes. It's very… powder-needy," I said, sitting down.
He studied me for a moment longer. "You look pale."
I waved him off. "I'm always pale. It's a lifestyle."
That earned a small smirk. "Nervous?"
I crossed my arms. "Why would I be nervous?"
"Well," he leaned back in his chair, eyes glinting, "you're sitting across from a very handsome, very successful man," he maintained, making me scoff.
He wasn't just dumb, he was arrogant as well.
I gave a weak smile, waving my hand to grab the waiter's attention so I could place an order.
Sterling placed his order as well but while he was on it, my mind wandered off to why I had thrown up in the bathroom.
It wasn't just the shock of seeing my boss that had made me feel nauseous—it was the fact that I was lying to him, pretending to be someone I wasn't.
But I pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand.
I had to scare him away, make him think that Evie was not worth his time. I really had to.
The food arrived in a jiffy and we started to eat.
A few minutes into it, I began to exhibit all the signs of a crazy girlfriend.
I talked loudly, laughed obnoxiously, and made a scene over nothing.
Sterling looked at me, his eyes wide with disbelief, and I could tell he was starting to get uncomfortable.
Good, I thought to myself. That's exactly what I want.
But suddenly, he smiled which got me wondering if I wasn't acting well this time around.
"So… Evie."
"Yes?" I said sharply.
"You didn't mention you had such a… strong personality."
"Oh, this?" I gestured at myself. "This is just the surface."
"Is that so?"
"Oh, absolutely," I said, leaning forward. "I get clingy. Like, really clingy. I text a lot. All caps. Emojis. Voice notes."
His lips twitched. "That sounds… intense."
I continued to act out, trying to get a rise out of him. But no matter how hard I tried, he just wouldn't budge. To my surprise, Sterling just laughed.
"This is amazing," he said, his eyes shining with amusement. "I've never seen anything like it."
I was taken aback. This wasn't going as planned.
I had thought for sure that my antics would have him running for the hills by now. But instead, he seemed to be enjoying the show.
I tried to keep going, but it was getting harder and harder to keep up the act.
Things only got worse when I tried to eat from the table after my food fell on it.
Sterling's expression turned from amusement to disgust, and he quickly got up and left.
I ran after him, fake pleading with him to stay. But deep down, I was thrilled. I had done it. I had scared him off, and he wouldn't be contacting Evie again.
I felt duly satisfied as I watched him walk away. I had done what I set out to do, and I had done it with style.
As I turned to walk back into the restaurant, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had gone too far.
But then I took a deep breath and pushed the thought aside. It didn't matter.
What mattered was that Sterling was out of the picture.
********************
The next day after work, I got home exhausted. I had barely slept for an hour when I heard my mum shouting my name downstairs.
"I'm coming!" I yelled and went downstairs to assist.
I retired back to my room after closing the restaurant for the night. My phone blared loudly in my pocket.
Evie's name flashed on the screen prompting me to pick up the phone on the first ring, ready to give her a piece of my mind.
"Evie, what were you thinking?!" I exclaimed, not even bothering to say hello.
I was mad and this whole thing was liable to put me in a mess.
"You didn't even tell me that Sterling was my boss at work! It's not like you don't know where I work! What if I got busted?"
But before I could continue my tirade, Evie interrupted me, "I'm sorry Faye, it's all my fault. I had no interest in him, so I didn't bother about the details."
I was taken aback, my words dying on my lips.
"What?! How could you be so reckless?!" I asked, my mind reeling with the implications.
But before Evie could respond, I felt nauseous all over again, similar to what I had experienced earlier.
Except this time, it was much stronger. I felt dizzy and disoriented, like the room was spinning around me.
"Evie, I have to go," I said abruptly, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Wait, what's wrong?!" Evie asked, her voice full of concern.
But I didn't have the strength to answer.
I ended the call and stumbled out of the restaurant, making my way to the hospital.