Dinner treat

It was late evening, and Annabelle had just closed from work. Her boss, Mr. Edwards Quinn, had just texted her the location of their dinner. He had already left first. Annabelle stepped out of the company and headed for her car. She comfortably entered and turned on the engine, carefully reversing and slowly driving out of the garage. She headed for the road, thoughts racing through her mind about the upcoming dinner.

It was the first personal dinner she'd had with her boss, and she couldn't help but feel slightly nervous. As she drove, she tried to calm herself down, reminding herself that this was all part of their plan. Their plan to fake a marriage contract for mutual benefits. But still, the thought of having a private dinner with her boss made her heart race a little faster.

She arrived at the venue and gracefully stepped out, heading towards their reservation. The restaurant was elegant and sophisticated, and Annabelle couldn't help but feel a tinge of excitement mingled with anxiety. She took a deep breath and gently approached the corner where she spotted her boss seated, close to the glass windows. He was sipping his drink and staring at the view outside.

"Good evening, Mr. Quinn," she greeted, trying to sound composed and confident.

Startled by her presence, he turned towards her and smiled. "Ah, Annabelle. You're here. Please, make yourself comfortable," he said, gesturing for her to sit.

She sat down gracefully, taking off her coat and placing her bag on the table. The waiter approached them, and Mr. Quinn signaled for him to take her order before retrieving another menu brochure for her.

"What would you like to eat?" he asked, handing her the menu. "I've already placed my order."

Annabelle perused the menu, taking her time to make a choice. Finally, she decided on a dish, and the waiter hurriedly noted it down before excusing himself to go place the order.

As the waiter disappeared, Mr. Quinn leaned in, his eyes shining with excitement. "Let's get down to business," he announced, his voice low and confident. "Have you drafted out the regulations?"

Annabelle opened her bag and brought out a neatly folded white paper. She handed it to him, and he took it, glancing at the contents. A small chuckle escaped him, and he looked up at her with a smirk on his face.

"Only two rules?" he asked, a playful tone in his voice. "No other woman allowed in the house, and treat you right? Is that all?"

Annabelle nodded, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "Yes, that's all I want. I just want to ensure that our arrangement remains strictly professional and focused on the goals we've set."

Mr. Quinn returned the paper to her, his eyes lingering on her face for a moment before he spoke. "I appreciate your simplicity and clarity, Annabelle. It makes this whole contract less complicated. We both know what we're getting into, and we can avoid any unnecessary confusion or misunderstandings."

Annabelle smiled gratefully, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She had been worried that Mr. Quinn would have ulterior motives or hidden agendas, but his response reassured her that he was on the same page as her.

Now it was Mr. Quinn's turn to hand over his own set of rules. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of neatly folded papers. He handed them over to Annabelle, her eyes widening with surprise as she read through them.

The papers were filled with rules, each one more strict than the last. "No prying at personal business," "Couples would sleep in separate rooms," and "No intimacy except in public" were just a few that caught her attention. But the one that stood out the most was, "Partners are not allowed to fall in love or develop feelings."

Annabelle couldn't believe what she was reading.