Chapter 4: Ground Rules

Anastasia's Point of View:

"Modelling. You're my first model." I said and he laughed out loud. I raised my eyebrow as he slowly stopped.

"I am not into any of it, Anastasia, but I'll take the compliment," He started walking inside the airport and I walked with him as the guards took our stuff from the car.

"Think about it, Andrew," I insisted.

"People work for two reasons," He turned to me, his gaze penetrating. "Money and fame. I think I've got enough of both."

"Yeah, but won't you just love it if you get more famous in the handsome department and get better women?" I ignored his narcissistic comment and asked.

"No," He stopped abruptly and looked at me with a smirk. "Why would I want women when I have a girlfriend?"

Even though I know this was part of the challenge I had given him yesterday, my cheeks started burning red at the way he looked at me, and called me his girlfriend. It didn't matter if he was just going with the plan.

I looked down, my blush embarrassing me.

"C'mon, we have to leave," I heard him say after a quiet moment and I followed him. We sat down in his private plane and it took off in the next couple of minutes.

"If you're really going to be my girlfriend, Anastasia," He again spoke up after a good ten minutes of silence and I looked up at him, "Let's get some things straight."

"Sure, Mr. Not-into-modelling."

He rolled his eyes a bit. "That's not even funny."

"Sorry, was it supposed to be?" I raised one of my eyebrows. "Continue when you're ready."

He exhaled. "First off, can I expect a bit of respect?"

"Respect, huh?" I chuckled lightly. "This is respect, my dear boyfriend. You haven't seen the disrespect I could do."

He clicked his tongue and continued. "Will you attend the parties and the meetings with me?"

"If it's required to bring a plus one."

"How public do you want this relationship to be?"

"As public as it can be without any kind of PDA," I said and saw his lips curl up into a smirk.

"Last and this is not really a question," He said as he looked into my eyes. "Any circumstances happen. You have to take my side."

"What circumstances?" I refrained from agreeing to such vague requests.

"Well, publicly, anything can happen. Accusations, rumours, mediatic stunts."

"Okay," I nodded my head, "Anything about you I should know?" I asked.

"Like?"

"Like, maybe, you have a secret human trafficking racquet or something?"

He chuckled. "If I did, you wouldn't know."

"That's why I'm asking." I said with a humbling eye roll. 

"So any questions you wanna ask?" He sat back comfortably and continued, again ignoring my question.

"Sure. Who's your first love?"

He let out a small chuckle. "No one."

"Oh, I thought it was obviously yourself with the narcissistic comments."

"This isn't narcissism, baby, this is just complete self-awareness."

I scoffed at the word baby and looked away. God, why did I feel so many butterflies in my stomach for someone who's basically mocking me since we met? I hated myself for the effect he had on me, and how my cheeks wouldn't stop turning red at the smallest of endearments.

"I don't want to do this forever because I know you won't win," He said and I looked at him. "Six months. You try as hard as you can, Anastasia."

"A year," I kept my side of the deal. "A year. I need to be independent of my family and I need more than six months to do it. About the challenge, Andrew, you'll fall in love within the first six anyway."

He nodded mockfully at my reply. "I hope you love disappointment, Anastasia, because that's all I see in your future."

_____________________

We landed in London sooner than I had expected. I was a bit dizzy from the flying, my stomach felt funny after travelling but I was alright.

"Beautiful," I said as I looked around. I had been to London before too, but that was when I was way younger and I believe a lot has changed since then.

"It is," Andrew agreed and looked at me. "The cameras. Act," he looked at me as he took my hand in his.

We didn't have to hold hands now, did we?

His touch was electric. His hand was warm yet I felt like chills went down my spine every second. I looked at him and smirked, which turned into a smile when I looked forward and exited the airport.

The cameras flashed as soon as we came into view, and I looked down to stop the blinding lights. He kept a hand around my shoulder softly, so as to protect me from the crazy paparazzi and I controlled my heart rate enough to look fine. We soon entered our car and as soon as our contact broke, I felt a bit empty. He drove off.

"Speed limit is a bitch in London," He muttered after a minute, while I was still lost in the feeling of his arm around my shoulder.

"Hello?" He looked at me. "At least shit-talk with me about the limit."

"Right," I said as I came back to my senses and looked at him driving at 70 miles per hour. "Yeah that's like snail speed for you. Still high for me, considering London is highly populated."

"Skill issue," He whispered again and I again rolled my eyes. God. He was annoying as fuck, I'd tell you that.

We reached a huge mansion in a matter of minutes. "This is where you live?" I asked and he got out of the car, and I followed suit.

"Yeah. You don't like it?" His question was obviously rhetorical with the playful smirk on his face.

"Actually, no. My place is much better," I lied as I went past him toward the house. My place was big too, I wouldn't lie, but his' was obviously much more massive and prettier.

The guards opened as they saw that I was with Andrew, and let the both of us in—after wishing Andrew a good day. God, the hypocrisy. You won't die if you wish me a happy day.

"What's wrong with this one?" He asked and I looked at him confused.

"Huh?"

"You don't like the place. What's wrong with it?"

I laughed. He really took it seriously, huh?

"I was joking, Andrew. Look around," I said as I mapped the huge hall. It was like Buckingham Palace or something. "And since when do you care so much about what I like?"

He pursed his lips at my question and scoffed. "I was just practising for my modelling role. As soon as I hit the news, I'd be getting acting offers immediately."

I smirked. So he was ready.

"Andrew! You came back, baby!" I heard a woman behind me and turned around to see a pretty lady in her early 20s walk in and hug him like she was madly in love. What the fuck?