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  “Oh, she’s interested. Chelsea’s going to go over it with Danica and then we can talk about numbers. I’m going to head over to our legal department and get them to draw up some sort of contract so we can get this thing settled quickly. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear from Chelsea.” Barrack was now a man with a plan and he didn’t want to waste anytime chatting when he had work to do. This was the main quality that Jordan admired about his friend and why he had offered him the PR job.

  Once Barrack had left, Jordan sat alone in the living room with his computer trying to sort through the mountains of emails his assistant had sent him. Everything was about the child laborer scandal; interviews with media, press comments and a few blunt messages from Edward about the stock price sinking. The hours passed by in a blur until Jordan’s phone beeped with a message from Barrack. In just one line his whole life changed with the simple words: “She’s in.”

  Chapter 2

  “Are you sure this is the best place to meet?” Jordan looked around the greasy diner and wondered why Barrack had picked such a public spot to meet Danica. It had been years since Jordan had entered such a restaurant; all the booths were lined with faux red leather and each square table had the condiments sat neatly on a wire rack.

  “This is perfect.” Barrack was excited to meet Danica and he also looked around beaming with joy that his plan was coming together. “This is the last place anyone would expect to see Jordan Ramsey, famous fashion billionaire or Danica Cliffe, the most desired model of the time. We are just some regular people enjoying a ten dollar burger for a quick lunch.” Barrack put his thick-rimmed black glasses on and scrolled through his phone as Jordan picked up the plastic-wrapped menu.

  “I guess.” He scanned the brief list and wondered what to order. Unusually, he was a ball of nerves not knowing what to expect from the meeting. Jordan wasn’t concerned about Danica, he expected nothing more than a silly girl who wanted some more time in the limelight but he was concerned that they might not be able to pull off the media stunt and end up worse than before. He looked down at his gold Rolex watch and became irritated by the fact that she was already five minutes late. “She’s late.”

  “She’s a model, it’s what they do. I doubt she has even seen her bed and is probably coming straight from some party.” As a PR guru, Barrack had spent lots of time within the glittering world of celebrities to know how the A-listers behaved but he was also careful not to get sucked in to their misbehaving ways.

  The entrance opened and a little bell rang announcing the stranger’s arrival. Both Jordan and Barrack looked up but sighed and looked away when a young girl dressed in a gray sweater and jeans walked in. A blue baseball cap covered her hair and face. She made her way over to the table and slid herself into the free seat. “Hey.”

  Jordan and Barrack looked at each other puzzled for a moment until Barrack leaned forward to whisper her name. “Danica?”

  She lifted her head and Jordan was completely dumbstruck by her beauty. A dainty pale face with sparkling deep blue eyes gazed at him and all he could do was stare at her pink plump lips. “Yeah. I’m assuming it’s Barrack and Jordan?” Her voice was calm and confident, not the annoying squeaky voice of a pratty child.

  “Yes. It’s great to finally meet you.” Barrack put out his hand and they did an awkward shake which then naturally turned the attention to Jordan.

  Stray strands of her golden blonde hair peeked out from under the cap and her skin was glowing radiantly. Jordan couldn’t see a trace of mascara or eyeliner, or any makeup at all, and was silently in awe of her spectacularbeauty. Barrack nudged his elbow and only then Jordan snapped back into the conversation. “Oh, hi...yeah...I’m Jordan Ramsey.”

  She smiled and once again Jordan was completely lost in the gleam of her pearly teeth and her natural ease. “I’ve seen you at a few shows, I think, but we have never been introduced.”

  Jordan couldn’t imagine that he would have attended the same event as her and not noticed the goddess that was sitting opposite him. Even dressed in a simple sweater and jeans, she was the most striking woman he had ever seen.

  A waitress dressed in a washed out blue uniform appeared at the table with a notebook in her hand. “Are you folks ready to order?”

  Danica reached for the menu and took a quick glance over it while Barrack ordered himself and Jordan a small black coffee with cream. “Can I get a double cheeseburger with fries, please?” Danica surprised both gentlemen by ordering this very non-vegan, environment-unfriendly meal.

  “You want the works on that?” The waitress wrote down the order with a blank and emotionless face.

  “Sure. You guys want some onion rings?” Danica waited for either Jordan or Barrack to respond but then carried on ordering. “And a side of onion rings for the table. Thanks.”

  “No problem. I’ll be back with your coffee.” The waitress smirked her face as though she was thinking something funny about the group.

  “I just love onion rings. I would eat them all day if they weren’t so bad for you.” Danica smiled again and then caught the confused faces of the men opposite her. “You’re wondering about the burger and the whole vegan thing?”

  “Well, yes. I have heard so much about your healthy eating regime from Chelsea and in the papers.” Barrack was straight in wondering what was going on while Jordan seemed to be impressed. He had never seen a woman order exactly what she wanted so happily and without any concern for how others might perceive it. The women he normally went on date with, always seemed to be on some kind of restricting diet, requiring tens of substitutions just to end up eating a couple of kale chips.

  “When my manager is around I do whatever she tells me. Chelsea thinks doing this whole clean eating thing is going to set me apart from the other models…give me something to talk about with the press. I’m totally for recycling and taking care of the planet but once in a while you just need to eat a good burger. Sure, if Chelsea was here I’d be eating a bowl of salad but she’s not and no one here knows who I am – so just give me a break.” Danica spoke plainly, not trying to conceal and facet of her real personality and Jordan couldn’t have agreed more with her.

  “I love…I agree completely.” The words blurted out of his mouth before he could check himself. “Everyone has their own reasons for jumping on the next fad bandwagon but sometimes you just have to indulge yourself.”

  Barrack gave Jordan a side glance wondering why his friend had so quickly changed his tune about sycophants doing anything for fame.

  “Exactly.” Danica looked at Jordan and for the first time, she really took in his appearance. He was undeniably attractive, slim and toned, smart but with a hint of ruggedness, and his gaze was disturbingly intense.

  “Here’s your coffee.” The waitress slammed the two cups down and poured the steaming black liquid while everyone at the table apprehensively waited for her to leave. As soon as she walked off, Barrack jumped straight into business.

  “Thanks for meeting us, Danica. As you’ve probably seen from all the papers, we are in a bit of a media frenzy at the moment because of some gross misconduct by one of our factories and we would like to divert the attention.” Barrack was about to explain the plan but Danica jumped in.

  “Is that what you call it…gross misconduct? I’d say using child laborers is a total fuck up, wouldn’t you?” She stared at them in earnest as she was sickened by everything she had read.

  Jordan smirked as he appreciated anyone who could talk plainly. “Yes. It’s a complete fuck up but one that we didn’t create. My company has tried hard from the outset to treat all our staff fairly, pay above the national minimum wage and offer educational programs. This one rogue factory acted outside of our contract but it has now tarnished everything that I have worked for.” Jordan leaned in over the table and squarely looked at Danica. “I would never use children like that…it’s disgusting.”

  Danica felt as though there was no one else in th
e diner except her and Jordan as he held his gaze and she felt an uncomfortable spark between them. When the waitress appeared again and pushed a plate of burger and fries in front of her, Danica was relieved for the interruption as she couldn’t stay calm under his watchful eyes. “I’m starving. Help yourselves to the onion rings. I’m going to tuck in if you don’t mind. Keep explaining what it is you want from me, Barrack – I’m all ears.”

  Jordan watched as Danica picked up the double cheeseburger, dripping with grease and plunged her teeth straight into it. Barrack was also clearly distracted by the sight of the skinny blonde devouring her food and didn’t know how to continue. “Um, yeah…we need to redeem Jordan’s tarnished reputation by diverting the attention back onto his ethics and good standing within the business world. We were hoping, if you are willing, to have you both attend a few functions as a couple so that the press will become intrigued with his love life and move on from this current blunder.”

  Danica looked up and shoveled a few fries into her mouth as she studied Barrack. “You mean you want me and Jordan to have a pretend relationship so that you can align yourselves with my good ‘clean living’ image?”

  Again, Danica said exactly what she thought and it was clear that she was not going to be anybody’s fool. Neither Barrack nor Jordan had expected the model to be so blunt or intelligent and, quite wrongly, had assumed that she would agree to anything for a piece of fame.

  “Exactly,” Jordan spoke before Barrack was able to sweet talk his way around the plan. “I have been told that you are the queen of everything clean and that if we have a relationship, we would be able to use our shared power to distract the media and focus some positive press attention on my fashion label.”

  Danica swallowed a bite of her burger and gulped down a mouthful of coke. “The irony of you using me for my clean lifestyle while I’m eating a blood-filled burger is not lost on me but it’s not me that needs a positive attention.” Danica took a moment to dip some fries into ketchup and let the awkward silence resonate with her companions.

  Jordan took a sip of his coffee and as the warm liquid trickled down his throat he thought about how he had never met a woman like Danica. Only a few minutes earlier he had been waiting for a ditsy girl to breeze in filled with all the nauseating aspects of the fashion industry but instead he was confronted with an intelligent and bold woman. Danica was not afraid to share her opinion or call a spade a spade, and it was blissfully refreshing. Barrack was about to speak when Jordan reached out his hand and indicated to his friend that he would take control.

  “Miss Cliffe, this is our plan to help my company – you are correct, but you will certainly profit from this enterprise. My label is still very successful and the media attention that we would receive will only help to further your career. I understand you want to branch out from modeling. Can I ask what it is that you would like to do?” Jordan rested both elbows on the table and waited for Danica to finish her mouthful. He knew that there was some reason why she had agreed to come to the meeting; if she wasn’t interested in the possibility of them working together then she wouldn’t have shown up.

  Danica wondered how truthful she should be about her hopes and dreams for her future career. She liked that Jordan was being upfront about his intentions and there was something between them that made her trust him but she didn’t want to lay all her cards on the table just yet. “I haven’t fully decided what direction I’m going to take with my career but I’d like to move on from modeling at some point. I like the Ramsey fashion line and I’m sure we would both benefit from the media attention but there is one thing I would like you to personally guarantee before I agree or sign anything.”

  “I already have the contract drawn up. Chelsea didn’t mention anything about extra conditions?” Barrack wasn’t happy to see that Danica was trying to get more out of the deal than what her manager had already agreed.

  “It’s ok, Barrack, let’s hear Danica out before we shoot her down.” Jordan was intrigued to find out what she would ask for and only hoped that it might involve him in some way.

  Danica finished the last bite of her burger and took her time gulping down a quick swig of coke after. “Ramsey will have its spring collection to design soon?” She raised her eyebrow to see the men’s mutual confusion.

  “Yes. Our designers will be working on the new collection very soon.” Emails and requests flashed through his mind as Jordan answered, knowing that his pool of designers would be busy trying to think up some new trends for the collection.

  “I want to design a range for the new line. Not just guest design but actually design the pieces myself and have them fully accredited to my name.” Danica lifted her chin in a slight show of defiance but it was more for herself to help steady her nerves. No one in the fashion world had ever taken her seriously and they only saw a beautiful doll that could walk up and down perfectly. This was her opportunity to show everyone that she had some talent beyond her exterior and she was determined to negotiate until she got it.

  “Guest designing is one thing, Danica, but having your own range is completely different. We can’t just hand over complete control to you when you have not designed so much as T-shirt before.” Barrack’s words cut Danica deeply. He had no idea that his thoughtless comment wounded her in a fragile and vulnerable place. Jordan shot him a sharp look of disappointment and then tried to bring the conversation back into a neutral balance.

  “What Barrack is trying to say, is that our investment and future rests in the abilities and creativity of our designers. They have years of experience and know what it takes to produce a range that not only sets new trends but sells. We can certainly discuss you collaborating as a celebrity designer but it would be financially reckless for us to allow any unknown designer take on such a huge task.” Jordan tried to keep his tone calm and respectful as he sensed that this was a sensitive issue for Danica.

  Danica shuffled in her seat and sat straight up. “But that’s my point,” she looked directly at Jordan and ignored Barrack’s stare, “I’m not unknown, I’m a celebrity. You wouldn’t be coming to me if it wasn’t for the fact that I’m the most in-demand model with a blossoming career. I’ve also been around fashion designers and magazine editors long enough to know what they are looking for.” Frustrated with having to justify herself Danica removed her baseball cap and pressed her hand against her forehead. A cascade of shimmering golden locks fell down and framed her face as she took a second to collect her thoughts. “I’m not just a dumb blonde, Mr. Ramsey. That’s my binding condition – you either take it or leave it.”

  Jordan wasn’t sure how to react in the face of such stunning beauty. Here was a woman that wanted to be seen as something more than just an object, to show that she had a brain and intelligence but all he could do was stare at her angelic features. The sun that poured in from outside illuminated Danica’s hair and she looked as though there was a blazing halo resting on her crown. Her eyes were on fire with passion, fierce and promising of something wild yet pure. Although he knew that Barrack was ready to get up and leave the table as he would never normally agree to such ludicrous terms, Jordan couldn’t walk out of the diner and never see Danica again.

  “I will agree to your terms if you allow one of our senior designers to oversee your work. You can have complete authority and control over the project and be named as the sole designer but we must have some sort of assurance in place. If you find this condition dissatisfying, then we will have to conclude our negotiations.” Jordan could feel the look Barrack was giving him and he would certainly have a difficult time trying to explain the decision to his board but Danica’s show of determination and boldness had won him over.

  Danica dipped her last French fry into some ketchup and toyed with it between her fingers. “That sounds reasonable to me. If you have it all laid out in a contract I will review it and get back to you.” Danica looked up from her plate and Jordan caught the happy sparkle in her eyes. He h
ad never given in so easily before but he hoped that he could be the cause of her happiness.

  “Well, Miss Cliffe, I will have the contracts amended and I can go over the fine details with Chelsea.” Barrack stood to leave and then paused as Danica asked him a final question.

  “Fine details?”

  “Yes, how many functions you will attend with Jordan, dinner dates, personal appearances, and remuneration. Those sorts of details.” Barrack turned to look at Jordan who was still sitting in the booth. “Jordan?”

  “Oh, yes.” For some reason, Jordan had not picked up on Barrack’s obvious stance to leave and he was still absorbed in Danica’s company. “It was good to meet you, MissCliffe. Hopefully, we can come to some arrangement that satisfies both parties. Goodbye.” He stood and regretted his entire goodbye as he walked out the diner. His stiff, impersonal words made him sound like a boring lawyer, not the fervent romantic man he could be.

  Chapter 3

  “Where the hell is she?” Barrack paced the lobby of Jordan’s penthouse waiting for the elevator to ping open and Danica walk out.

  “It doesn’t matter if we are a few minutes late, Blake has reserved us some seats.” Jordan stood in front of a large oval mirror that hung in the lobby and he ruffled his thick brown hair. Everything had been settled between Danica’s people and his, the contracts had been signed and the number of public appearances agreed. This evening fashion show which included Jordan’s brother, Blake, would be their first official appearance as a couple and would hopefully get the rumor mill buzzing.