[TIME SKIP: AFTER THE INTERVIEW]
As usual, the interview went fine. Arvil answered some questions regarding his company, things he could disclose. He talked about the future of Cyber, whether it was going to the position he wanted it to go, and generally just his thoughts on it. Then they began to spice things up, like they always did. They asked him about his childhood, and then his love life, the only thing he knew they, and the others, were interested in.
So he talked about Daisy and the future he wanted to have with her.
“I do have a girlfriend,” he’d said, making sure to sound adoring. His features had softened. “Her name is Daisy Riley. She’s a journalist, and a promising writer. We met a few months ago at a fundraiser program. We’ve been dating for quite a while now, but I didn’t want any publicity falling on her, so I kept it silent.”
After a few more minutes, the interview ended and Arvil was back in his car. So he fished out his phone and called his fake girlfriend.
Daisy has been writing from home again when Arvil called her. She answered without looking at the caller ID, sticking the phone between her ear and shoulder.
“Hello, this is Daisy Riley,” she answered without stopping her typing.
"Hello, darling," came Arvil's flirty voice. The young businessman was leaning back in the seat of his car, a smirk on his features. "Busy day?"
Daisy blinked when she heard the sound of her pseudo-boyfriend’s voice coming through the speaker. She sighed quietly and leaned away from the laptop, moving her phone to her hand.
“Arvil. It has been busy, yes. How was the interview?” she asked.
“It was interesting,” Arvil hummed as he put his phone on speaker and began to scroll through the internet. A smirk donned his features. “You’ve gotten quite famous, Daisy.”
Daisy’s eyebrows shout up in surprise. She’d gotten famous?
“What do you mean?” she asked warily, reaching first her laptop again as she also put Arvil on speakerphone.
Arvil stifled a laugh as he scrolled through the news related to him.
“‘Who is Daisy Riley, CEO Arvil’s girlfriend?’” he read, eyes twinkling. “‘’Bachelor Arvil Davis in a relationship; admirers are disappointed.’ Look at that, Daisy. I didn’t realize I was one of the most sought-after bachelor.”
Daisy snorted as she typed her own name into the search bar. Articles popped up about her and Arvil’s relationship, some full of questions and some full of rumors.
“They think we finally came out as dating because I’m pregnant? We’ve supposedly been dating for months. Do they really have no shame in thinking I have no dignity?” she questioned incredulously. “I may be a journalist and stretch the truth a little, but it’s still the truth. This is all lies.”
Arvil held back a laugh, mostly because he didn’t want Daisy to yell at him. That woman had a temper he needed to be aware of. Plus, this situation was absurd. All he’d done was reveal they were dating, and then rumors started flying around.
“If the rumors get out of hand, I’ll handle them,” he assured her. “Besides, they can’t be as bad as this rumor claiming I’m paying you to be my girlfriend. Now that is disgusting.”
“Maybe you should pay me,” Daisy joked with a half-laugh. She closed the tab, shaking her head as she leaned back into the couch. “Why does everyone love drama so much?”
Arvil was tempted to tell her she was not a prostitute, but he bit his tongue. Instead, he chuckled into the speaker.
“Because they’ve got nothing better to do, and this is like entertainment to them,” he answered, a little bitterness to his voice. “The video’s up, darling. I called you to let you know.”
“They shouldn’t be entertained by the real lives of real people,” Daisy muttered, knowing full and well that she sometimes was amused by the lives of celebrities. This was different from what she liked, though. These were nasty rumors, not funny stories. “Could you send me the link?”
“Of course,” Arvil said, opening YouTube to find the video so he could send it to her. He didn’t comment on her first remark, though. He let it slide by. “There we go; tell me if you received it.”
Daisy clucked on the link when it showed up, sending it to her laptop. “I got it. Thank you. Was that all, then?”
“Yes, that was all,” Arvil responded as he started his car, setting his phone away. “They uploaded it pretty quickly.”
“Yeah, I’m surprised they did. That means they didn’t edit anything, too, which means that all your answers are correct and not altered,” Daisy mused. “That’s good.”
“It wasn’t a rehearsed interview,” Arvil said to her as he drove out of the parking lot. “Anyway, you should get back to whatever you were doing. I need to catch something to eat, and then I have a meeting with my team in fifteen.”
“All right. I’m going to watch this first, and then I was working on an article. Enjoy your lunch, and good luck in your meeting,” Daisy said, glancing toward be kitchen as she realized she should probably eat something as well.
“Okay,” Arvil nodded even though she couldn’t see him. “Good luck, darling. I’ll see you later.”
Daisy hummed, her article already up again. She noticed every time he called her darling, but she refused to acknowledge it. Or admit how warm it made her feel.
“Talk to you later. Maybe I’ll bring lunch again sometime this week,” she murmured, somewhat distracted.
“Do give me a call this time. You already know my number,” he replied nonchalantly, turning on the indicator for the left turn. “Take care.”
“To let you know ahead of time? Sure,” Daisy agreed, sitting back on her heels and peering at the screen again. “Later, Arvil.”
A few hours after the interview had been released, Daisy’s phone rang as she was making herself dinner. She quickly grabbed it without taking her eyes off of the pan of spaghetti sauce she was cooking and answered it.
“Hello, this is Daisy Riley.”
”Daisy Elizabeth Riley, why didn’t you tell me that you were with Arvil Davis?” Her mother’s voice came through the phone loudly, and she held it away from her face to sigh. ”You would have saved your father and I the trouble of having to find a man for you.”
“Nice to talk to you, too, mom…”
Arvil didn't always get out of work early, but this time, he decided to leave with the rest of his employees. It was about eight in the evening, and to say that he was tired would be an understatement. So when he got home, the first thing he did was take a long, relaxing shower.
A while later, Arvil emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and a smaller one on his head. He was rubbing his hair dry when his phone began to ring. Upon seeing the ID as his fake girlfriend, he sighed.
"Hello, darling," he said, pressing the phone to his ear. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"
Daisy hadn’t wanted to have to call Arvil, seeing as they’d spoken only hours ago. However, she figured she should tell him about the call from her mother.
“My mother. She saw the interview and called me,” she began, her thumb and forefinger pressed to her forehead. “She wants to meet you.”
Arvil took a seat on the edge of his bed and began to rub his hair with one hand while the other kept his phone near his ear.
"Fantastic," he said, though what he was thinking was the exact opposite. It wouldn't be long before his family grilled him, too. "When?"
“As soon as possible…” Daisy sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry to drag you into this further.”
"I know what I agreed to, darling," Arvil said as he put his phone on speaker and tossed it to the bed. He proceeded to dry himself off to dress. "Especially after what I'd said on television. So, no apologies necessary."
Daisy hummed, bringing her legs up to curl then underneath herself. “All right. If you’re sure… When are you free, then? Not today, but within this next week or so.”
"I'm not sure," Arvil sighed, sliding on his sweatpants. "I'll have to check in my schedule with Noah first."
