"Nothing that I didn't already know. See you soon, Sheila. Are you able to work late too?" She usually works late with us, so that she can keep us in food and drinks, but also she's there to help out with the making of contracts, copying and anything else that we need help with.
"Of course, Caleb, you know it." She hands up and I stride back to the office.
Chapter Four
CORA
I tried to find information on the internet about Wife for Hire, but there is nothing. It's like their SEO is blocked or something. Maybe they're on the dark web, I must ask my friend, Spider, who is into computers and stuff.
I climb out of bed, rubbing my eyes to clear them of sleep as I make my way into the kitchen. The coffee machine is on and I turn to see Louisa, sitting at the island with a cup of coffee. "Morning sleepyhead," she says.
I pour the coffee and join her at the island. The smell of the coffee is great and I take a deep sniff with my eyes closed.
"So, today is the day that you go in to see Miss May. right? Do you want me to come with you? I can wait in the waiting room for you." She smiles and reaches out to touch my hand.
"Thanks, Louisa. I think I need to do it on my own. I appreciate you though. Maybe if you are free we can go out for lunch afterward."
"That sounds like a great idea." Louisa gets off her stool and walks over to the coffee machine to grab another cup, then she comes back over to the island.
We sit in silence for a while. "Cora, do you have something to wear today? You'd want to wear something elegant and professional looking, these jobs pay a fortune so you need to look the part." She gets down from her seat again and begins to go toward her bedroom. "Come on, let's do some trying on."
I follow her and we walk into her huge dressing room. There are rows of clothes hanging around the outside of the room, there is a dresser with drawers in the center and there are two walls full of shoes. "Wow this is like walking into Carrie Bradshaw's dressing room." I laugh and she smiles.
"That's what I was going for."
We spend an hour in the room. I'm so hot after trying on so many clothes, but we've settled for a beautiful dress. It's the kind of dress someone would wear to a garden party, not over dressy, but just enough.
"You look gorgeous in that dress. It suits you. Now you just need to get Miss May to love you and you'll be set."
"I'm nervous what if she doesn't find anyone that would suit me. I know it's not a dating site, but it feels like it."
"I know, but, Cora, you will make her love you, I know it. I bet you will get a job within the first week."
"Within a week? Lou , I'm not sure I'm ready for that."
She laughs. "You are ready. You were born ready to be a fake wife for a rich guy." She laughs again. "Cora, stop panicking, you'll be fine."
After Lou helps me with my makeup and hair, she drops me into the city and I walk into Bride for Hire. There's not much in the room, but then I see some lovely artwork. I look at it and stop to stare at a painting with a woman hoisting her dress up and she's wearing sneakers under her dress and she's running in the opposite direction. I chuckle. "A girl after my own heart," I say, quietly.
"Really, you've jilted someone, Cora?" a voice comes from behind me.
"No, but I could have been." I turn to look at her and realize it is her in the painting. "Oh god, I didn't mean to upset you, it's a great piece of art."
Miss May laughs. "It's not a problem, it's my favorite piece of art, because it's what happened that day that set me on the path I am on today. No regrets. Never look back and regret anything. You made the right decision at the time, however heartbreaking it was." She holds out her hand to shake mine.
I take her small hand in mine. "Come this way," she says and opens another door. I enter a small room and take a seat.
"Welcome, Cora. I'm so glad Louisa referred you to us. We are looking for more women who want to take part in Bride for Hire. There are a few traits you need to have though. You need to be able to pretend to be in love with someone and not actually fall in love with them."
"That's not hard. I was burned once, I'm never doing that again." I smile at her.
"Super. Let me go through everything you need to know, then we can have a look at availability and such like."
"Great, thank you."
Over the next hour, Miss May asks me lots of intimate questions as well as general ones.
"Do I have to sleep with the men?" I ask. I know Lou said I didn't need to, but I need to hear it from her.