Skinship

"Yay!" Celeste suddenly threw herself into his arms and Richard caught her before pushing her away.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Celebrating our faux relationship future hubby." Celeste said coyly, "Or did you think we wouldn't touch each other during this time."

"We haven't signed a contract yet. And don't call me that!" Richard coldly responded.

"We can start practicing skinship now, after all, we're going to be selling this relationship to the world." Richard looked into her face and saw that although she looked mischievous, her eyes were serious.

Celeste took a step forward, so she was standing in between Richard's widespread legs. She positioned herself and hopped back on his desk so that she was between his legs. Seeing as he watched her blankly, she reached out, grabbed his hand, and placed it on her waist.

"The correct response when your very attractive girlfriend-to-be is sitting on your desk is hold me tight, pull me close, and give me a kiss darling~"

Celeste hooked her foot under the chair and slowly pulled him closer.

"So, when I'm like this, you should pull me into your lap and continue from there."

Seeing Richard still staring at her silently, Celeste asked in confusion.

"Could it be you're not attracted to me? You think I'm ugly?"

He gave a slow head shake.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No, but I would prefer us to define this contract clearly before taking any further steps.

"Okay, that's fair. Let's do that and sign it."

Within 30 minutes, the two had drafted a contract. The terms of the contract were very simple.

They would date for two years and have a fake engagement for one. During this time both parties could have partners if they wanted, it just could not be leaked to the public. There were no financial obligations to each other only social obligations when a partner was needed, and after three years the contract would be dissolved. The nitty gritty details would be decided ad hoc and agreed on by both parties.

Celeste folded up her copy of the contract and yawned. It had been a long day, and this had taken longer than she thought it would. Still, she had accomplished her goal for the day.

"Well darling, I'm looking forward to the next three years with you," Celeste said while winking at him.

"Are you going to keep calling me that?" Richard asked.

"Well naturally I can't call you Richard or commander like everyone else. I need a nickname for you unless you want me to call you Dick?"

"Absolutely not. Call me whatever you want just not that." Richard sighed in resignation.

"It's not all bad, think of a nickname to call me as well. I'm open to anything." Celeste yawned before continuing, "I'm tired so I'm going to call a taxi to head home. Let's hang out later."

Celeste waved to him and was about to leave before she recalled something. She walked over to Richard and held her arms out to him.

"What are you doing?"

"Hug and a kiss please."

Seeing his displeased expression, Celeste said "Skinship, think of the skinship."

Sighing, Richard came over and wrapped his hands loosely around her. Celeste refused to be shy and directly wrapped her hands around him, burying her face into his chest.

"Thank you for this. You don't know how much I needed this." Celeste mumbled into his chest. Although she had a laissez-faire attitude, she was actually facing a lot of pressure at home and work due to following the wishes of her grandfather. How could it be easy to live in a house where everybody hated her for existing? Not to mention, she was challenging the patriarch and the company board for a chance to be the heir. Ever since she had returned, Celeste had spent the last year wracking her brain for any plan and opportunity that would give her a leg up. Now that she had succeeded just the smallest bit, she felt as if a weight had been lifted off from her back.

Pretending not to hear her words, Richard gently patted the seemingly frail back in his arms and laid a light kiss on top of the head that barely reached his chest catching a whiff of a faint sweet scent. Although he wasn't used to having a woman in his arms, at the very least, he still remembered the basics of comforting one.

He silently held her until Celeste squirmed and said. "Now is when you say you'll take me home since it's late and I'm a woman. It could be dangerous for me."

"I saw you simultaneously beat up 4 grown men in one minute without breaking a sweat."

Feeling slender fingers pinch his sides, Richard acquiesced, "I'll take you home."

"Good job babe! I love that you're taking the initiative." Celeste distanced herself from him and smiled mischievously, "Now it would have been better if you had held me even tighter while you hugged me. But progress is progress."

"I think that you're a very unserious person. Come along let's go."

"Can I drive this time?"

"Do you have a license?"

"Isn't it just like bumper cars?"

"You're never driving my car."

"I'm joking. I'm joking. Let me drive."

"No."

Richard grabbed her bag of champagne and opened his office door, stepping out after Celeste.

"Commander do you need anything from me?" the female adjutant was standing outside the door and asked him once he stepped out.

"No, you're dismissed for the evening."

"Then shall I prepare the vehicle and drive you home."

"No need. Good night."

"Babe! How come the elevators not working? Do I need a key?"

Celeste was pressing the screen outside the elevator while looking curiously at him.

"It's keyed to me and my important staff members," Richard responded while going to activate the elevator.

"Oh. Babe, add me as well."

"Next time you come I'll add you."

"Okay. Thank you Miss Officer for the hot chocolate and cookies. It was really delicious. My babe here will be taking me home, so you're not needed tonight. Bye bye!" Celeste waved at the stunned woman as the elevator closed.

"Babe-"

"Are you antagonizing her on purpose?" Richard glanced at her curiously. Despite her smiling each time and her polite tone, he felt that every interaction Celeste had had with Mary Adler, his adjutant, and been filled with thorns. It had only gotten sharper once they reached an agreement.

"Ah, you noticed? I'm out of touch." Celeste murmured.

"Why?"

"Call it a woman's intuition? I don't want some woman with unknown intentions hovering around my man. It's uncomfortable."

"I've been through life and death with her and trust her implicitly. If anything, aren't you the woman with unknown intentions?"

Ding! The elevator opened into the garage, and the two walked slowly to the car.

Richard casually opened the passenger door and waited for her to enter before gently closing the door.

"Firstly, I take offense to that. My intentions are very transparent. I told you what I need, and I will make us the greatest fake girlfriend/boyfriend/fiancées ever. Secondly, it's not that kind of intention. It's similar to when you have something, but you know somebody else's actually wants it to but they're not saying they do. That kind of feeling." Celeste explained as they drove off.

"You think she wants me?" Richard took the opportunity to glance at her when they stopped at a traffic light.

"Yep. A woman's intuition is never wrong."

"You have no proof and she's never acted on it. She's an exemplary soldier who's received many accolades."

"Babe, believe what you want. I'm going to continue teasing her regardless. Her reactions are cute." Celeste shrugged her shoulders before yawning.

"You're going to call me babe even when we're alone?"

"Naturally. At least until you get used to it and stop flinching each time I say it. Who's going to believe we're in a relationship if you do that?" Celeste scolded him.

"Yes yes, big boss" Richard replied indifferently.

"Ha ha. You think you're so funny. Your homework assignment is to give me a nickname. The next time I see you I better have one otherwise I'm reverting to calling you future hubby in public."

They had arrived at the Valentine mansion, and they were parked in the main entrance roundabout. Celeste could see the lights of the mansion come on and a couple of faces peeked out the windows.

"Welp I'm back in the jungle, thank you for the ride." Celeste sighed in depression before reaching for the door to get out.

"Wait."

Richard stepped out of the car and walked over to open her door. After helping her out, he carried out her bottles of champagne and walked her to the door.

"Babe, thanks for walking me to the door. I'll see you later" Celeste smiled approvingly, took her bag, and attempted to walk in.

"Celeste, aren't you forgetting something?" Richard asked while pointing to his cheek.

"Oops, sorry babe." She threw her arms around him and lightly gave him a peck on his cheek and whispered something in his ear before turning away.

Done playing her role of loving fake girlfriend soon to be fake fiancée, Celeste took a deep breath and entered the house.

It was time to deal with the inevitable nonsense and abuse that was heaped on her every time she entered this wretched place.

Before she even took 5 steps into the foyer, a bucket of cold liquid was thrown at her.

Splash!

Immediately her white hair and dress were immediately stained black with the filthy disgusting smelly water.