Eric's POV:
"This had better be important," I grumble as I answer my landline. It was Pam and it was also 7:30 in the morning. I had just finally fallen asleep after drinking a bottle of Jack to drown my sorrows. I had come from dropping off the girl of my dreams at a hotel where her fiancé, my best friend, was waiting for her. I had never felt so… dejected. I had briefly contemplated calling up one of my FWBs to meet up with for the night, but decided against it. I was serious about the resolution I made to myself earlier in the night. I wanted to change my lifestyle and a casual fling would not improve the way I was feeling currently.
"Please tell me that girl isn't there with you right now," Pam moans.
"What girl? You know I don't bring hook-ups to my home," I comment. "And besides, I was alone last night."
"Bullshit Eric!" Pam sneers. "It's all over the gossip sites!"
I open my eyes a little more wider and remember the cameras that were waiting outside the diner to take pictures of Sookie and I. "Oh shit."
"Yes, oh shit!" Pam huffs. "Who you date isn't something I usually give a shit about, but this is awards season! And who you date is something that's important! And if you're hooking up with a girl whose engaged to one of your rivals and friends, well that's something we need to be worried about!"
"I'm not hooking up with her Pam," I sigh. "We were just talking."
"In the middle of the fucking night?!" Pam retorts.
"Well, there's a story behind that and you know part of it," I reply.
"You should have just dropped her off at her hotel, left her there and went home, alone," she says.
"I did do all that, except I took her to a diner, and just happened to get photographed by the paps," I say as I rub my face. I was exhausted and I needed sleep.
"Well, the press thinks that you two are having an affair and are stepping out behind Alcide's back. Now that isn't just bad press for you, its bad for her as well," Pam says. "She's being annihilated on all the pro-Alcide fan bases. And they're even going after her on your sites as well. They're calling her a temptress who seduced you while she's engaged to Alcide. Now, I really could care less if her reputation is ruined, but it's yours that I'm worried about. Voters may become sympathetic towards Alcide and decide to vote for him in the upcoming awards shows. Especially the most important one at the end of the season!"
I stop rubbing my face and contemplate what I had done. I didn't give a shit about my reputation or if this would cost me the best actor award, I only cared about Sookie. I knew that people on the internet can be vile and malicious, I didn't want that to happen to Sookie. I cared too much about her. I knew Alcide's team was probably panicking as much as mine was.
"What did the publicists say? What's the plan for damage control?" I ask, suddenly feeling wide awake.
"Alcide's team has contacted us. They are wondering what our next move is," Pam says.
"And?" I ask impatiently.
"Well, we could throw her under the bus, putting out 'source statements' that you were only helping her through a difficult time and you barely know her, yadayadayada," Pam says.
"No," I say quickly. "I'm not throwing her under the bus. Do whatever needs to be done to protect Sookie. This isn't her fault and she didn't ask for this," I say to Pam in a serious tone.
"Ugh," Pam replies. "You really love her, don't you? You know this doesn't help! You being in love with her!"
"Wait….." she says. "You need to show the press that you aren't in love with her."
"Okay, and how do I do that?" I ask.
"By having a girlfriend, by being monogamous," Pam says. "You need to start being photographed with your girlfriend and yourself along with Alcide and Sookie. Get papped going to restaurants or the beach. Hey, I can think of something better! Get papped on a vacation with your best friend and his fiancé along with your girlfriend!"
"Are you serious?" I say in a deadpan voice. "You want me to get a girlfriend and go on vacation with Sookie and Alcide?"
"Yes!" Pam exclaims. "And I know the perfect getaway. We can arrange for high resolution photos to be taken of the four of you on a yacht in the Mediterranean. That would be perfect! It would look like a private vacation but it wouldn't be. Lots of celebs have done charades like that in Europe and the perfect location is on a yacht."
"Who do you have in mind? And it better not be Sophie!" I huff. "No way am I getting on a boat with her."
"Oh c'mon Eric, she'd perfect!" Pam says.
"NO!" I exclaim.
"Well shit," she mutters. "I'll have to get back to you on who can be your girlfriend. I have a meeting with the team in a half hour and that will be our number one item on the agenda."
"Thanks," I mumble as I hang up. I couldn't believe this conversation. I really didn't want to have a fake girlfriend right now, much less a real girlfriend. But, I had to do what I could for Sookie's sake. I scroll through my phone, through some of the pages in Instagram. Pam was right, people were slandering Sookie. There were some saying nasty things about me, but I was used to it. I was only worried for Sookie. I punch in Alcide's number, I wanted to ask him how Sookie was doing, but I stop. I doubt I was someone he wanted to talk to right now. If Sookie was my woman, I would be pretty pissed off if another man was dropping her off in the middle of the night to their hotel.
"What a mess," I mutter to myself as I lay back down on my bed. I lie there for an hour trying to will myself back to sleep, but I don't. So, I get up, make some coffee, and put some music on.
I spend the morning exercising and having brunch. As I load the dishwasher, my phone rings.
It was Pam. "So, I spoke to Jess, and Alcide's people came to the meeting as well. And we came up with a plan."
"Wait, you came up with a plan with Alcide's people?" I ask.
"Yes, they really want to nip this story in the bud. They want it to go away because Alcide wants to protect her as much as you do," Pam says. "So, they have agreed to my plan. You and your girlfriend will be spending a lot of time with Sookie and Alcide. The four of you will put on a show in public places by pretending to be close friends that do everything together. You will go to restaurants, you will be seen at cafes and you will also go on a trip together. The four of you will look like you are having so much fun together on your outings like one big happy family. They agreed to my suggestion of a trip on a yacht in the Mediterranean. They are thinking . Travel arrangements are already being made and dinner dates have been set. Your first group dinner date is tomorrow night."
"That's great Pam, just one problem. I still don't have a girlfriend," I respond.
"Well, call me a miracle worker Eric," Pam says. "Cause I have found the perfect woman for you."
We stay silent for a few seconds as I wait for her to tell me who it was.
"Well?" I finally ask.
"Her name is Freyda. Freyda Larsen. She is a model from Norway. Now, I know what you are already thinking. I know you dislike models, but this girl is different. She's absolutely gorgeous, of course, but this one actually has a personality and she's educated and brilliant. She's fairly famous in Norway and is one of those self-help gurus with lots of followers and subscribers," Pam says.
I sigh out loud over the phone. Again, I had no desire to strike up a relationship with another woman, even a fake relationship with one. But, I keep reminding myself I needed to do this for Sookie.
"Okay," I reply reluctantly. "Where do I meet her?"
"She will be flying in from Norway and will be here tonight. Since I know you are a night owl, you can meet her at Nobu's," Pam says. "Just keep an open mind Eric. I read everything about her and even interviewed her on Zoom, trust me, this girl is perfect. If I wasn't in love with Amelia, I would make a play for her."
We talk a few more minutes about other things, before I hang up.
I walk to my bedroom and lay back down. I couldn't believe this was happening. I had to spend more time with Sookie and Alcide together. I hated seeing the two of them together, now I was being forced to pretend that I enjoyed it.
I read some of the gossip pages and see that stories had already been planted by our respective teams that there was nothing going on between Sookie and I and that I was currently in a 'serious and private relationship' with a woman who came from the same area that I was from.
I lay on my side and close my eyes. I may as well take a nap, this was going to be a long day.
I jump into my car later that night. I was heading to a downtown boutique hotel to pick up my 'serious' girlfriend. Pam had texted me a photo of her earlier. Freyda was definitely a knockout. She was tall, slender, with light brown hair and a perfect straight nose and high cheekbones. Though she was gorgeous, the only woman I still had eyes for was Sookie.
I get out of my corvette and tell the valet that I would only be a few minutes. I walk through the lobby and look around for my 'girlfriend', until I finally spot her sitting on one of the armchairs.
She looks up from her phone and gives me a dazzling smile. She stands up, holding her coat and walks towards me. She looked like and ethereal goddess. She was tall, almost as tall as I was, and slender, but her rack was a decent size and natural looking. She had long honey-blonde hair that had golden brown highlights. Her eyes were almond-colored. She was wearing a tight-fitting sequined green dress with thin straps.
"Eric?" she says as she stops in front of me. She still had a mesmerizing smile that lit up her face and flawless skin.
"H-h-hh hi," I mumble. It was only then that I realized I had almost forgotten to breathe. "Freyda?"
"Yes, it's nice to meet you," she says, with her smile becoming brighter as she holds her hand out.
I reach out and shake her hand. "It's good to meet you as well."
"So, did you want to head out to the restaurant?" Freyda asks.
"Oh, yes, we should get going," I answer.
I become the perfect gentlemen by holding the doors for her and offering her any assistance as we make our way to the restaurant.
"Everything looks so good here. I'm starving, I haven't eaten anything since leaving Oslo," she says as she scans the menu.
"Me neither. I mean, I haven't eaten since brunch," I reply.
I order a starter and we both give the waitress our entrée choices as well as drink orders. I had ordered a bottle of champagne and Perrier.
"So," I say to her with a smile. I didn't know how to start this conversation. I knew many other actors and actresses also had 'contractual' relationships with other people in the past and present. I had never thought I would have been one of them, so I had no idea how to discuss it.
"I'm guessing you want to talk about the terms," Freyda states.
"Uhhhh, yeah," I say nervously. "I mean, I don't want this to be uncomfortable for you in any way. If there's anything you have concerns about, then please let me or Pam know."
She laughs lightly. "Eric, I am not at all comfortable. I am pleased to be here. Albeit, I was surprised to get the invitation from Pam. Of course, I know who you are, you are very famous in Norway."
I smile, feeling somewhat flustered. I wasn't sure why she was making me nervous, normally women never made me feel this way.
"I know Alex, your makeup artist and hair stylist? We went to school together," she says.
"Oh!" I say, surprised. "I love Alex. She is an amazing person."
"Yes, Alex called me and told me what your offer was," Freyda says.
"And you're okay with it? Have you done anything like this before?" I ask.
"No," she answers right away. "But Alex explained everything in thorough detail. She said that she told Pam that I would be the right person for you. I know this may seem like a type of business transaction right now, but I hope we can become good friends, and who knows, maybe we will end up finding something in common and this won't feel like work."
I take a deep breathe. "I guess we should get to know each other first."
For the next three hours, we sit in the restaurant, talking and laughing about a variety of things. She tells me that she comes from a wealthy background. Her mother was and still is a socialite and her father owns several businesses in Norway. She has one older brother and lives in an apartment in Oslo with her dog, Rufio. She started her online company last year and so far, it was successful.
"I guess we should head out now," I tell Freyda. I could tell that jetlag was catching up with her.
"Yes, I seen our itinerary," she laughs. "We are to have dinner with your friends tomorrow night."
"Yeah," I say with a smile as I rub my chin.
We make our way back to her hotel and I follow her into the lobby.
"So…. I guess this is it," I tell her.
"Yes," Freyda says. She moves in closer to me and gives me a little hug, along with a peck on my cheek. "I will see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight," I whisper against her cheek as I brush it with my lips.
I wanted to kiss her, just to see how she tasted, but I decide against it. I didn't want our first kiss to be in a hotel lobby, though I bet she tasted as delicious as she smelled.
I head home afterwards, with warm thoughts of the new woman I had just met that I was going to have the pleasure to spend the next few months with.
As I get closer to home, I start thinking about Sookie and Alcide.
"This is going to be torture," I tell myself as I pull into my driveway.
Group dates and vacations with the woman that I loved and her fiancé was not my idea of a good time. But, Freyda may be the antidote that would make this charade worthwhile.
