His Sinful Surrogate

Millie threw popcorns in her mouth, watching her best friend, who is also her roommate prance all over the room. Her hands behind her back, muttering inaudible words under her breath, brows pulled together like a mother worried over her young. "Calm down Lily, it isn't even close to one yet," she said.

Her hands snapped to Millie, a look of disbelief obvious on her face like Millie had just said a blasphemy. "I can't calm down!" She shouted, making Millie jump backwards. "They said if I don't get an invitation for the interview by one, it means I wasn't considered. If that happens, it means I still remain jobless. I can't believe I'm saying this, but as lazy as I am, I hate being jobless."

"I don't think you hate being jobless, you just hate that you are broke. You want money, but you don't want work. But all this you've said I know that already, you have screamed that information in my ear. It's just seven, I'm pretty sure they are still asleep while you're here killing yourself." Millie replied her, looking unbothered, but the look Lily gave her in return made her look away, acting like she never said what she said earlier. She opened the empty nylon of popcorn in her hands and searched the inside, that action only to take Lily's glare away from her.

"You can go back to sleep, Millie. I'll wait here for the call." She grabbed herself the cup of coffee she had kept on the center table of the room and began to rush it into her mouth, still walking around the room. "I'll have my coffee as company, unlike you, it wouldn't push me to sleep."

Millie sighed, giving up. "Fine, suit yourself. I'm going back to sleep." She stood up and began to walk to the room to have a nap.

It's been a week since Lily dropped her application letter down at Cross Company and had not heard any reply from them. It was one of the biggest clothing company in town, and it was managed by the billionaire head, Mr Cross. You could say he was the most popular man in town, and also the richest, if not the richest, he was one of the wealthiest in the city, and she knew without no doubt that he was the hottest —at least that's what the magazine said, though she had not seen him in real life. That was more like one of the reasons she applied at the company, first, for the money, two, to confirm the handsomeness she had heard about him, and finally, to be able to brag that she works at the popular, wealthy and handsome Mr. Cross' company. It was a crazy idea to apply there, but when she had seen a spot was open, she had written a letter with the help of Millie and rushed to apply.

The coffee had done its best in keeping Lily up, and she had not slept a wink last night because she was too nervous. So instead, she had stayed up watching Soap Opera and comedy skits where people hurt themselves for likes and money. It was past one in the afternoon, almost five minutes past one precisely, and Lily had already bitten all her nails off due to her nervousness. Then, the call came. She was still walking up and down when she heard the tune of her phone, it was her ringing tune. She paused a bit to sure it was hers and realising it is hers, she rushed to her phone which was on the table. She immediately jumped up, running to the machine to pick up her call.

"H-hello? Hi, good afternoon." She replied nervously.

"Hi," a female voice said. "Am I speaking to Miss Collins?"

"Yes, this is she." She cleared her throat, trying her best to act reserved. "I am the one."

"Good. This is Angie calling from Cross. You have an interview today by three. Mr Joseph will be handling your interview. Be sure to be there." The female voice on the other side of the phone said.

"Fuck," Lily whispered under her breath, forgetting so quickly that the line had not been disconnected yet.

"Miss, is everything alright?" The person on the other side of the phone said again.

"Yes, yes. Thank you." She replied quickly, but then, she began to tense up about what she was just told. She had about a few more minutes to get ready for the interview and go to the company. The thought of the interview alone made her pretty anxious.

"Okay. So, try not to be late. Mr Cross hates tardiness." The voice replied, who called herself Angie by name said.

"I'm sure he does," she replied. Angie said one or two other things and soon, she ended the call. Once the call ended, Lily jumped up once again. She began to walk around the room again, wondering what to do next as she was already confused. She suddenly screamed, and still continuously screaming, she ran up the stairs, heading to Millie's room. "Millie, wake up!" She shouted, kicking the doors open. Millie was curled and already fast asleep, holding her pillows tight in her sleep. It was an habit she always did when sleeping. She said if she did not have teddy bears to hold, she would rather hold her pillows because they helped her to not have nightmares at night.

"Get out of my room!" She shouted back, her eyes still closed. She turned to the other side of her bed, trying all possible means to just push her away so she can have a sound sleep.

"Wake up, dumbass, I need your help!" She kicked Millie's butt in her sleep, also pushing her out of the bed. Millie fell down from the bed as Lily pushed her and her eyes opened wide immediately with a glare on her face.

"Hey!" She sat up, rubbing her behind due to the pain she felt from landing on the floor with her bare butt. "What is your problem exactly? No, really, what is it? That is not how you wake people from sleep. Is that how they do things in your house!?"

Without answering her question and acting like she did not hear her, she replied. "I got accepted to the interview!" She shouted and jumped up immediately after she said so.

"Isn't that supposed to be good news, why do you sound like that then?" Millie asked, still seated on the floor, acting nonchalant to her good news. She was happy for her, but she still felt sleepy.

"Because it's an interview at Cross, do you know how crazy this is? Compared to this job, this past job I've tried at where nothing. Okay, this one is professional, top level stuff."

She raised her hands in surrender, and to also calm her down. "Okay, calm down."

"I can't. I mean, this is crazy. What if I come across him one day? I'll be too scared to even say a word, he will see me as a weakling and decide he does not want me to work for him. I'll lose my job the first week." Lily began to rant on and her on, which showed she was really anxious and excited at the same time. She was happy she was at least called for an interview, but she wondered what would happen if she eventually doesn't get the job after all the stress and excitement, so she wanted to try her best to dress in the best way and showcase herself well that she was perfect for the job at the interview.

"Well, if you're not a weakling, don't act like one." Millie simply said, although trying to calm her down.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Sometimes you make me wonder why we are even friends," she retorted. She and Millie have been friends right from their high school days and their parents knew both of them as friends. They visited each other's homes, had hangouts together and sometimes slept in each other's house. They kept their friendship going even after high school and in college, even though they did not attend the same college.

Millie shrugged with a proud smile. "It's because I'm amazing, you love me too much."

"I do love you and you already said that, yes. But this is serious, Millie. I really need this job. Our rent is almost due and I need to contribute my half. If I don't get this job, I might just lose it." Lily replied, a look of worry and concern laced on her face.

"Calm down," Millie said softly. "I told you already, if you cannot raise your half of the rent, I'll pay. You're my best friend, it's no big deal. But one day, if you ever start earning millions, you owe me half of what would be in your bank account." She said the last part to try to make her calm down and smile a bit to show that she was not bothering her about the rent. Millie has a job of her own already and she was paid quite well in her place of work. Since they live together in the rented house and the rent was supposed to be shared, Millie understood her friend's situation and decided to pay for her still, pending the time she would get a job of her own, but then, we was not complaining at all.

Lily smiled. "I really appreciate that, Millie, but I'll feel really guilty if that happens. I need to get a job, I will get a job." She looked down at her already trembling hands and fiddled with them. "I haven't even stepped into his office and my hands are already shaking."

"Calm down. The trick is to remind yourself that he is just a human being like you. Well, maybe just richer and sexier. He is also really handsome—"

"Millie, where are you heading with this?" She asked, eyeing her.

Millie sighed. "What time is the interview?"

"By three. Why do you ask? Wait, that's in less than two hours."

"Calm down. You've showered already, eaten and we've already sorted your clothes out. The company isn't that far from here, you can get there in thirty minutes. You should be more worried in getting rid of your fear so you don't mess up and also about what you would say when you get there, which I hope you know and have practiced well already. Stand up, come with me." She got up from the floor she had been sorting on since and began walking towards the door.

"What do you want to do?" Lily asked without following her.

"Let's try something. I'll pretend to be Mr Cross and you will be yourself. I'll ask you a bunch of question and you answer." Millie replied as she stopped by the room door to answer her.

Lily chuckled. "I appreciate, Millie, but you are not Mr Cross. He is tall, we've been at five foot, seven for ages. He's brunette and you are red haired. He has broad chest and you've got—"

Millie immediately cut in and snapped. "Just play along, Lily!"

~~~

"Good afternoon," Lily greeted the receptionist. "I am here for the interview." She brushed her gown down. It was in perfect shape initially, but she just wanted to do something with her hands and to also make sure everything on her body was still in perfect place for the interview. She adjusted the artificial nerd glasses which sat on her nose also. She didn't need them, but according to Millie, it would make her look more responsible and classy, and also look more smart and to make her look more perfect for the job and that was exactly the type of women CROSS was looking for. Well, they were not so sure but they predicted.

"Good afternoon, welcome. What's your name?" The lady asked, typing away on the computer before her.

For a moment there, Lily forgot even her own name. She was too anxious and concerned about the interview and she tried remembering everything Millie had told her to do whenever she gets to the company, and that was what made her brain skip even her own name. "Uh. Lily. Lily Collins is the name."

The receptionist lady nodded, and proceeded to open the big book before her. She flipped some pages till she found the one she was looking for. After skimming through it, she reached for the telephone beside her, raising her index finger to Lily, to tell her to wait a moment.

"Hey Angie. The young lady for the interview is here. Yeah, that one. I am going to direct her to you now. Oh, okay then." She ended the call. "Go to the elevator, then to the sixth floor, you will find her waiting for you already." Her eyes suddenly shifted from Lily to someone behind her. "Oh, fuck, Mr Cross is here," she muttered to herself but it was clear enough for Lily to hear her.

Lily froze, not actually, but literally. She didn't move a single muscle. She held her breath for no actual reason, but she tried all possible means to just act stable and not anxious. She was so freezed to one position that even the breeze seemed to not be able to move the hairs on her skin. She could hear their steps, like soldiers matching, only less aggressive.

Gradually as the steps grew even closer and closer and it seemed like they were actually directly behind Lily, the receptionist spoke. "Good day sir!" The receptionist greeted in a really loud voice as she concurrently stood up, obviously trying to show respect, but it only made Lily jump and immediately mumble a greeting of her own. Lily knew quite well that it was rather impossible for him to hear her greeting because it sounded more like a soliloquy, but she still tried her best to speak anyways.

He nodded in acknowledgement to the receptionist lady's greetings and did not say a word, and then, he headed up, his bodyguards following behind, looking expensive. The guards looked like Dwayne Johnson, just with the face of Ian Sommerhalder and Cross.

"Miss, you should go meet Angie now. She will be waiting for you," the receptionist told her as soon as Cross and his body guards moved further away from them. Lily didn't move, not until the elevator doors closed before Mr Cross. Then, she was able to think again and she immediately gave the lady another smile.

"Ok, thank you." She hurried away towards the elevator. When she got out, just like the receptionist had said, a young lady was waiting there for her. "Hi, you must be the—"

"Yes, I am. I am Angie, but there is no time for that, it's nice to meet you. But you most hurry to his office now, it's almost three and he hates tardiness."

"O-okay," Lily stammered, looking lost. She was told to hurry to his office, but no direction was pointed out for her. "Where is his office? I should just go in?"

"Yes." She had already grabbed Lily's wrist, dragging her along with her to a brown door facing them. "That's his office. Just knock and walk in, Mr Cross is waiting for you."

Lily almost choked on her saliva, her head snapped to Angie's. "Mr Cross? He is the one who will be handling my interview? What happened to Mr Joseph?"

"Joseph is fine. But Mr Cross just informed me that he would be the one handling your interview and I was to direct you to his office."

Lily's heart began to beat faster than normal as she heard that. The preparation she made was to face a Mr. Joseph who she had no idea about and she was even still anxious, scared and worried about she would perform. Then, she gets here and Angie is telling her that her interview would be handled by Cross himself, and that only brought fear into her. "But I can't face him. I mean, I atwas not even prepared to face him. Uhm, what kind of person is he, is he scary? Strict? Is there anything I can do to please him?"

"Please him?" Angie said after her, looking confused. "Do you have to please him before Girlyou get the Job? No, dear. So do not bother about things relating to that and just don't do anything stupid and I can promise you will be fine."

"Thank you?" She said, unsure of what to say to her as Angie's behaviour had made her very nervous. Everything she had initially practised back home with Millie and on her way to the company, had all gone. She felt just as she did when she first found out about Mr Cross handling her interview. She raised her hand slowly and knocked on his office door, but it was too soft it hardly made any sound to get someone's attention. She tried again, it wasn't much difference from the first, but it was better.

"Come in," a voice said from inside.

Lily nodded, knowing fully well that the person could not see her nod, then she did the sign of the cross before she walked in. He was standing by the window, staring out through the open curtains. She stood awkwardly, hands folded behind her back. She could not call his name and she had not found her voice her to make sure he was aware of her presence. "Take a sit," he said.

Lily relaxed in relief, hurrying to the visitor's seat before his desk. "Uh, okay, thank you." She sat, crossing her legs and pushing her head higher, which her nose slightly pointed up so she could look more professional, but all she ended up looking was stiff. The moment she saw Cross had begun to turn, her relaxed muscles became tensed again as she scammed his whole body physique and features. Cross was the epitome of perfection. He had a sharp jaw that could slice an apple into two, red cherry lips that looked really cute because it was puckered in a smile. Or was it a frown? She could not tell. Cross had the eyelashes she had always wished for as they were longs and well trimmed. His face was beauty, he was an Adonis. His brown hair was slanted in a wavy but curly look, giving him that rich playboy billionaire vibe and she could not help but keep checking him out. He wore a suit, in which his chest seemed like they wanted to bulge out. It was when Lily looked up again and then, she noticed his eyes, they were a unique color of blue. He was beautiful, that was the only simple explanation of her survey of his body.

"Good," he said and walked to his desk, taking a sit on his chair. He closed the laptop which sat on his desk and placed it aside, so he could place his palms properly on the table before him. Lily ignored his gaze, even though she was quite aware that he was starig at her and she kept staring at the calendar on his desk instead. "What's your name again, Laylay Collins?"

"Lily," she corrected. "My name is Lily Collins." She still did not raise her head as she said that. She looked everywhere possible, except his face.

"Lily Collins," he muttered, then he nodded. He then reached for an envelope on his desk and held it in his right hand for Lily to see very well. "This is your application letter." Lily nodded, but still looking at the paper like she had never seen it before in her life, only because she did not want to look him in the face. "In your application letter you were told to state the reason you left your last employment place-"

"Yes, I—"

He raised his index finger in a strict manner. "Don't interrupt me when I speak, Lily." His voice did not come out harsh but it remained calm as before, but Lily knew she had to comport herself if she wanted to get the job today.

"S-sorry sir. I'm so sorry." She looked down at her fingers again, suddenly finding interest in the lines that draws out her finger prints.

He sighed, using his index and middle fingers to rub between his eyes. "Why didn't you do as you were asked?" His voice came out calm again.

Lily looked back at him. "It's because I didn't have any previous... any place I used to work. I just graduated few days ago and uh... This is like my first time applying for a job." She did not think the previous place she had applied for counted, but if it actually did, it was at Starbucks.

"Your first time?" He sounded surprised, but also it came out like he did not believe her. "But when asked if you have had any experience working behind a desk, you said yes. So, of this is your first job and you have actually never worked anywhere else like you originally said and miraculously, you have worked behind a desk, how do you expect me to believe that? I mean, do you also tell lies?"

"Oh no. No no." Lily replied immediately, as she tried to clear herself. She did not want him to have any bad first impression about her since as they say, first impression lasts longer. "I used to work for my father, I didn't apply for that and I did work behind a desk, so, that should count right? It's still behind the desk."

As if not listening to what she was saying initially, he asked another question which did not tally entirely with what she was explaining earlier. "How old are you?"

"I am twenty three."

"Good." He nodded, while she wondered what was good about that. "Miss Collins, you will have a job here on one condition." He said and looked at her with a stern look on his face. At that moment, she felt something she probably would not like was about to be said to her, but she hoped it was just her reasoning that made her think that way.

She sat up immediately she heard that. She was ready to do anything for him or for his company, as long as she was given the job and she was able to pay her rents with Millie and also do other important things she had always needed money for. "Condition? What is it, please? I can do anything."

"Wow." He said and giggled a bit, which disappeared as quickly as it came. "I like your energy a lot. And I like how desperate you are to get the job. It shows you really can do anything to get this job."

She did not know what to say, if that was supposed to be a compliment or not, she could not tell. "Yes, thank you sir." She bowed her head a bit to show a sign of respect. "I really do need the job a lot and I would do anything to get it, as long as it is proper.

"And I am quite sure you know I would never lure you into doing something improper."

"Yes sir." She replied anxiously, waiting for him to say whatever his condition was and if she could actually do it or not.

"Anyway, if you say so, then, you will become my surrogate. That, is the one and only condition to get the job." He dropped the bombshell and Lily sat down well to be sure she heard what he said well.