Scrolling..

Too chubby...

Too short...

Too skinny...

"His smile is just creepy." I said to my best friend who gave me a smile of disbelief. How did I end up on this site looking for a potential rental boyfriend as if I'm about to rent a car? Well, being twenty-five and single doesn't help when your parents believe..

"You should be married by now and this is the perfect age to have kids darling, you aren't getting any younger." My dear mother would always say every time, every given moment. My father would simply nod, it didn't help that I happened to be the only child. The only girl, I was your definition of a spoiled brat but it didn't bother me. My parents were well off, very well off... if I may say. My father is a well known surgeon around Los Angeles, my mother; she made a good house wife. They were practically the perfect couple, of course I wanted exactly what they had with someone one day, hopefully. They hated every single boyfriend, I had ever brought over. The Winters were very picky and pretty much perfectionists, our house practically looked like a Barbie doll house, all too perfect. My father went for golf with his posh friends; let's just say they were very very outgoing.

One thing, they never ever forgot to do was to go to church. Every Sunday and yes they loved matching outfits. Everyone at church respected them, they came for marriage advise, relationship advise, any other advise there is. After I graduated from college, I never turned back. I was tired of them controlling me, yes I was a nurse and no my father didn't convince me to follow the health department footsteps. It's just something, I'd always wanted and saw myself doing as a little girl. I loved helping people. It made me feel really good. Watching my father, help all those people and the way they thanked him over and over after every successful surgery. It made me fee really good. It was something I wanted to do, be able to help people.

I attended the best health scholarship in England, thanks to my father and his connections. He was just immensely proud and so was my mother. She told me to do better than her, I knew she loved being a housewife but she just wanted me to do better for myself.

If you think my parents weren't strict then this is where you let out an exaggerated sigh. I attended all girls schools from elementary school till high school. It was a boarding school, my father thought it would be great because I became somewhat independent. I saw them on some weekends and holidays, it didn't bother me.. as long as I was far away from their controlling ways.

I'm guessing you're waiting for the part of the story where I tell you, one day I stood up for myself and decided; I'm a big girl and I won't let them control me any longer.

Nope! I never did that's why I'm on this website, trying to find someone suitable.

"He looks good!" My bestfriend, Laura said pointing at the guy on the last column. Laura Johnston had been my bestfriend since my boarding school days. She was an elementary school teacher. Her father was our local pastor whom was best mates with my father. It was inevitable that we would end up friends from Sunday school till this day.

I stared at the picture of the man with warm hazel brown eyes, jet black hair, he had what looked like a lip ring-

"This website says Christian boyfriend but they have candidates with lip rings!" I said in an annoyed tone.

"There is just something about him, he is good looking." Laura said biting her tongue.

"You can hire him." I rolled my eyes.

"Leona, I'm not the one in search of a boyfriend here.." She said giving me a full look before looking back at the screen. "Eric Michelson." She whispered.

"Let's just give him a try, look it says he is British! Your parents will love that then you can say you met him in College back in Manchester."

I didn't want to admit that she was right. We could get him to wear a suit, there was no harm in that besides he was handsome.

"Eric Michelson.." I said biting my lip. "Okay!" I said clicking the hire button.

My only thought was, Lord knows please I hope I won't regret this.

My parents-

Always held a annual gala, where all the funds went to charity. My father was always a giver and yes this year they expected me to bring someone. I had never brought anyone except Robbie, my stupid ex-boyfriend. We had been at it since our teenage days. He lived in our suburban area up north. My father took a great liking to him, I was happy and in-love. We were the perfect couple, we were going to get married and have a couple of kids but that all dissolved into acid when he made another woman pregnant. He told me, he was inlove with her and things between us weren't working. Everything suddenly became clearer and clearer, he had been with Brenda for a while... he cheated on me. He had ofcourse been planning to leave me but he couldn't you know why?

My father is a doctor.

That's sounds stupid because you're probably thinking. What does my father being a well known doctor have anything to do with my relationship with Robbie well-

Robbie is a pediatrician. He absolutely adored kids, he worked at the hospital which my father was in charge of. He didn't want to lose or mess up any opportunity of him getting a promotion by breaking up with his bosses daughter.

It was very unfortunate.

After that I swore I wouldn't focus on relationships but only my career. I moved to New York and now I was back in Los Angeles with my rental boyfriend.

That's if he actually shows up.

"Eric Michelson is sure taking his time!" I said rolling my eyes.

"Leona, you know he is coming from Florida right? It must have been a long flight and he is probably in the bathroom freshening up." Laura said putting a few strands of her blonde hair behind her ear. I just huffed and puffed while standing there. I was jealous, yes I was freaking jealous. Laura had a nice little petite body that could fit into anything and her blue eyes were just captivating. She could walk around in rags and still make it work. Do you know how it feels to be the other friend? The friend no one pays attention to. The friend that people only know because of her other friend. That's me, I'm that friend. I was slim but very curvy, it made me very upset. The struggle of buying jeans, a slim waist and a bigger bottom. I loved my body but whenever I was with Laura, I felt very self conscious. I got compliments but I felt that's all I had to offer, that's the only thing everyone admired about me, the body of an hour glass. So many times people told me what they would wear if they had my body. I would honestly rather be flat.

Waiting for Eric Michelson for four hours at the airport was not part of the plan.

"We wasted our time, did we really think this was going to work? I will just tell my parents that I'm lesbian and you're my girlfriend!" I huffed, Laura giggled at this.

"I think I see him." She stood up and held the board written Eric Michelson in bold. I remained seated, narrowing my eyes across crowd until I saw him-

I pursued my lips, He was in ripped black jeans, black boots and a white see through shirt.

Just freaking great.

Tattoos!

He walked so slow like he was on an airport red carpet. He had this beautiful curly black hair like Harry Styles once upon a time. He held his duffel bag over his shoulder in a 'I don't care stance'. The photograph we had seen on the website certainly wasn't this. He looked more ridiculous in person, this website was a rip off to think I had already made the deposit and paid for his fucking plane ticket.

He ran a hand through his hair as he approached us. He was so skinny and tall.. I thought to myself. He had a nice strong built, if I may say so myself.

"Lauren?" He smirked at my best friend who blushed. He had a beautiful accent if I may say so myself. Who didn't love a British accent? I know there are a couple of people but don't say it.

"Just Laura." She smiled.

"So did you decide, you wanted to walk to Los Angeles?" I intervened.

He chuckled, biting on his metallic lip ring. "Actually, I decided to take a bicycle."

Annoying.

Arrogant.

List is endless.

"What took you so long?" I questioned.

"That's Leona, your soon to be girlfriend." Laura said softly making Eric frown.

He frowned.

He hoped Laura was his pretend girlfriend, I immediately felt rejected. Why did I feel jealous and hurt-

"I had to change my plane ticket to 12pm, who the bloody **** wakes up at 6am for a bloody plane-"

Right here then and there, I decided I didn't like him.

At all.

"You ruined my schedule." I muttered as a matter of fact.

"Your schedule, oh my word are you the CEO of Coca Cola or you happen to be Bill Gates? If not then your schedule is nonexistent." He said rolling his eyes.

I. Can't. Stand. Him.

"Not at all, She's a nurse." Laura interjected not knowing he was being sarcastic.

"I would rather jump off a hospital window with my drip than have her as my nurse."

I gasped.

"You don't even know me, Michelson!"

Yes, I was hurt.

"Oh trust me, I know your type!" He said with a sneer. As we walked out of the airport terminal, he totally ignored me as he continued to talk to Laura. I felt rejected and jealous. I had paid for his hotel and this is how he repays me. Paid for his plane ticket and had to pay his agency a deposit.

Eric Michelson was a bastard.

—

"This is your suite.." Laura told Eric, her new bestfriend. I thought bitterly.

"You will stay here until your services aren't needed anymore." I added.

"You make me sound like a bloody harlot."

"You do look like one!" I retorted.

"I suppose I do, my last job... I satisfied cougars while their husbands were at work." He smirked and I gasped clearly disgusted.

"You're disgusting!" I added making him laugh hysterically, I couldn't deny that he was attractive and had a contagious laugh but his attitude and personality was manufactured in hell by Lucifer himself.

"You're not the first nurse to call me that, like the last time I went to check on my HIV status..." he added.

I immediately pulled Laura aside. "Take that freak back to where ever he came from Oregon or Ohio or whatever-" before I could finish I was interrupted.

"I'm from Manchester, did you even read my bio?" He said in a relaxed tone as he poured himself a glass of bourbon.

Drinking at this time of the day.

"Laura read your bio." I replied.

"You should read it too, right at the bottom you will realize it's written doesn't tolerate bitchy snobs."

I was about to rip that lip ring off his smart mouth when Laura replied.

"Let's just give him a try, we already paid $350."

"They can keep it, what was I even thinking... this was a bad idea."

"Lee, calm down. We just need to make him look the part and everything will be okay."

"He needs to remove that lip ring thingy first-"

"No way!" Eric said loudly taking another gulp of his drink.

"My money, my rules." I crossed my arms.

"Do you wanna cut my hair as well and take me to get my tattoos removed, Leo!" He said in a sarcastic tone which made me roll my eyes.

"Well that wouldn't be such a bad idea, mate." I mocked his accent. "Call me Leo again and I will castrate you!" I warned. Laura just seemed amused by our bickering, her phone rang making her excuse herself out of the bachelor suite. It was probably her boyfriend Samuel but we called him Sam. They were your ideal perfect couple, my parents loved Sam because he was outgoing and came from a well of family as well. Basically anyone who was well off was automatically in my parents good books. How would I convince them this salvage specimen was one of us-

"Leona Louise." Eric muttered.

"Leona Winters." I corrected him.

"No, Leona Louise the musician not you!" He sneered. I felt oddly embarrassed.

"You're Leo!" He said sitting on the leather couch and putting his boots on the coffee table.

"I do not understand Americans, why is it called football when you play with your hands, isn't that rugby-" he said thoughtfully, this was the very first logical thing he had said to me since we met four hours ago.

"I don't know, I don't do sports." I said sitting right next to him. He looked at me biting into his lip before he spoke again.

"So I presume you borrowed that outfit from your grandmother or you just enjoy time traveling?"

Here we go again.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" I said a bit hurt, I tried to cover it up but it was visible.

"I don't know, I just wouldn't date someone dressed like that."

"Ofcourse, you prefer slutty clothing."

"No, I prefer comfortable clothing." He bit on his lip ring again, it was annoying.

"You consider skinny jeans comfortable?" I questioned making him nod as he switched the channel to something else.

"Well I have prepared questions for you!"

"Is this an interview because I thought since you chose this pretty face-" he gestured at his well sculptured jaw. "You had already made a decision."

"I need to know what you do for a living?" I gave him a forced smile.

"I travel, I'm a tourist."

"Be serious!"

"I work whenever, I can." He replied making me sigh out loud. "When I was twenty, I got into a car accident with a company car so they paid me off. I used that money to travel and I'm still traveling-"

"Right you must be broke considering I found you on a ridiculous website!"

"No, I just enjoy acting as a Christian boyfriend, paying well is just a bonus."

I immediately rolled my eyes.

"Did you go to college?"

"I dropped out, school isn't for everyone." I let out an exaggerated sigh, my parents would never approve of me having an uneducated boyfriend but this was temporary, for now after I return to New York... I would tell them we broke up.

"Lee and Ricky, I have to go. Sam needs a ride, his car got towed." Laura said as soon as she got off the phone. I was surprised she said Ricky.

"Who is Ricky?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"My nickname while growing up." Eric said with a genuine smile. I had no idea they had already done that much catching up, in the few hours that we had met.

"Oh.." I said.

"Tell, Sam I said hi." I yelled as she went out the door.

"Who is Sam?" Eric asked.

"Her boyfriend."

"So he really wants her to fetch him when he could just uber or get a taxi.." Eric questioned my exact thoughts.

"Well.." I paused. "He is the romantic type and probably has a surprise for her." I frowned.

"No need to be jealous, Leo. I can be romantic too."

"Call me Leo again and-" I breathed in trying to compose my anger. "And shut up you aren't even my boyfriend... I would never date-"

"Someone like me?" He said more like a question. "What makes you think, I would want you too."

He was right, I was your average 5'4 woman with naturally red hair and green eyes other than that nothing was appealing. The red hair that I always tied in a bun. I never let my hair down.

"And your parents?" I decided to change the subject.

"They died." He bluntly said.

I feel bad.

"I'm so sorry-" I said quickly but he stopped me.

"No one is promised tomorrow, death awaits us all." He smiled, taking another gulp of his bourbon.

"I didn't know you could be smart too." I let out a sardonic laugh.

"Well Leo, there are so many things you don't know about this lad."

"I just need to know enough to fool my parents that's all." I retorted. He looked at me as if he wanted to say something but decided not to as he closed his plump lips.

We spent the rest of the day bickering and fighting about the questions he refused to answer. He wasn't so bad but he took out the worst in me. Just a month then I would be back to my normal life.

Eric was trouble and for the first time in my life.

I took a risk.

It had been-

A week since I got acquainted to Eric Michelson. He was the most aggravating person I had ever came across in my life. Everything was going as planned, my parents had invited me to a cook out. I thought this would be the perfect time to introduce them to Eric. We were suppose to meet for lunch, he was an hour late when I decide I was about to leave. I would definitely find him in his suite playing stupid video games. Eric Michelson was everything, I did not want in a boyfriend.

"Leo.." I heard someone grabbing a chair across me. Looking up, I saw Eric, hair wet... tight fitting shirt and lose jeans that fit his waist perfectly. I had come to realize, he just loved wearing boots... was it a London thing or it was an Eric thing.

"You're late."

"Thanks for emphasizing on that but I'm here now." He replied giving me a quick smile, it was genuine. My heart faltered a bit, he was actually smiling at me... not that I cared right..

"Are you always late for everything, Michelson?" I composed myself, I had ordered two glasses of water and another glass of grape juice while waiting for him and I was too stuffed to order anything. Not stuffed but more like I didn't have anymore space  for anything more otherwise I would regurgitate everything.

"A very absurd habit, I picked up from school." He gave me another quick smile. He had a very beautiful smile, he was just handsome not that I would ever tell him because he acted as if he already knew. He smelled like aftershave cream, it was intoxicating. Him sitting across me made me feel a bit nervous. He didn't seem to mind me as his eyes roamed around the fancy restaurant, I had picked. The waiter gave him the menu, he picked it up and frowned. When he walked into the restaurant, everyone turned to look, maybe because he didn't fit in or because he just always grabbed attention where ever he went.

"Well you need to quit it." I said pursing my lips. I didn't want him to catch me looking but he always did and whenever he did, he had this stupid habit of wiggling his eyebrows at me. I simply rolled my eyes at him.

"Do you know how many boots, I can buy at Gucci with our bill from this posh restaurant?" He said scanning the menu once more.

"I'm paying, aren't I?" I paused. "Besides this is my father's favorite restaurant, I assumed he might bring us here soon enough and I wanted you to be acquainted."

"You think I can't use a fork and knife?" He raised a brow.

"I didn't say that!" I huffed.

"Well, Leo, I'm already well acquainted to places like these unless I'm dining with the Queen of England then don't ridicule me." He gave me a fake smile before rolling his eyes.

"I didn't mean to offend you." I said under my breath.

"Whatever!" He put his plump pink luscious lips in a thin line. I quickly looked away when he caught me staring at his lips.

"You're paying right?" He questioned and I nodded. "Well lets put that to good use.."

Seven dishes later, I knew this was a bad idea. I shouldn't have told him I was paying because he made it a point to milk my wallet dry. Not that he could because with my grandfathers trust fund money, I didn't even need a job or to be working for the next thirteen years.

"You're not going to order again!" I hissed under my breath. I called for the waiter who was here within a second and asked for the bill.

"How do you not get fat from the amount of food you take in? Don't think I didn't see your bill from the Mariston hotel this past week. I will take all this out on your rental charges." I told him but he only rolled his eyes and utterly ignore everything I had just said to him.

He smirked then gave me a smile, a blush went on my cheeks. That was until he winked... he wasn't doing this to me all along. I turned my head to see a group of four girls sat on the table behind me, they couldn't stop giggling. I really thought he was smiling at me? Who was I fooling he already loathed my presence. I had never been likable. Everyone always preferred to associate themselves with Laura Johnston my bestfriend. Who had the heart of gold... not me the uptight upright friend.

Was this why Robbie left me? I wasn't tolerable. This sent me off the edge thinking about it. I put my spoon down and wiped my lips with a napkin. Chicken soup was the only thing I had ordered.

"You can just go sit with them.." I said bitterly, his eyes immediately lit up. What he did next shook me like an electric voltage. With his 6'1 height he towered over me as he went over to their table leaving me alone with his dirty drumsticks and messy half eaten ribs.

"Ladies." He said in his deep British accent which made the girls giggle. "I'm Ricky."

It took a lot for me to not knock him on the floor and grab him by his boots and walk out of here dragging him. I smirked when when the waiter came to fetch the bill. I solemnly told the waiter that the gentleman over there had offered to pay our bill and the four girl's bill. The bill went up to $679.24 I smirked as I grabbed my purse leaving the restaurant with my head held high.

I wouldn't let him step over me.

Surely not today.

Surely not ever.

—

"Don't mutter a word to me, you harlot." Eric spat as he banged the door in my face. I'm assuming he got my little surprise from the restaurant. I wouldn't lie and say I didn't enjoy the seeing him miserable and upset. I had woken up excited to see his reaction. I was so busy enjoying the moment, I only realized he called me a harlot after he had closed the door.

Thank goodness, I had an extra keycard. Since I was the one paying. Clicking the door open, I saw him..

Messy curls, shirtless and loose fitting jeans right below his hips. I gulped down a feeling of uneasiness. He had an impeccable strong built and never was i a fan of tattoos but at this moment I thought his tattoos looked like art and my curiosity wanted him to tell me about each and everyone of them.

He glared at me before walking away, totally ignoring my presence.

"Ricky?" I called him by his nickname thinking just maybe that would lighten up the mood.

"Only my friends are allowed to call me that." He said as he cut his bacon and eggs before stuffing it in his mouth then chewing with his mouth open for me to see. It wasn't as disgusting as I thought it would be maybe because he was a rather good looking specimen with a disgusting attitude.

"I'm your girlfriend so I have a better privilege." I joked but he only stared at me as if I had said the dumbest thing in the world. He shook his head and turned to look at his plate.

"Anyways I will pay for your bill.. I was just joking-" I said feeling a tad bit bad about what I had done.

"It's alright, I offered to wash the dishes for the whole week in exchange for the bill." He said like he wasn't phased by anything. "I have two jobs now, lucky me."

"I'm so so sorry, Eric I didn't mean to-" he shook his head laughing hysterically. "Kidding, I told the girls that you were my nasty girlfriend who wanted to teach me a lesson and they paid for everything even took me out for drinks at a local club after showed me around LA for a bit. I guess you could say I have friends now. You and Laura aren't the only people I'm acquainted to here." He said in a corky tone, I just stared at him in disbelief.

"Oh alright then.. I just wanted to let you know that we're having lunch with my parents today at their house. They're hosting a cook out. Laura and Sam will be there and a few of my close relatives."

"Oh.." was the only thing he said.

"So..?" I questioned.

"So you're going to get out of my face and let me finish my breakfast." He pointed his fork towards me practically shooing me away which I found very offensive.

"Before I do, I just want to know what you're going to wear?" I said curiously.

He sighed.

"Text me the address, don't worry about how I will dress or how I will get there, this is my job and I take it very seriously no wonder I had a five star rating... Leo." He said slowly as if talking to a five year old.

"Mhm alright then. Keep your tattoos covered, remember your body is the temple of God and-"

"No lip-ring." He finished my sentence. "Now can I finish my breakfast in peace?"

"Here is a card, Incase you need to buy new clothes." I handed him a copy of my black unlimited MasterCard. It took a lot for me to decide to give him, I had just known him for less than a month and he could be a serial killer for all I know. At the same time, I didn't want him to embarrass me knowing that just by smelling his cologne, my family would know he wasn't of the upper crust.

"Are you sure?" He asked a bit taken a aback.

"Yeah, buy anything you need to. Living in Los Angeles isn't cheap and I can't always be there for you." I said softly.

Silence engulfed the tension between us.

"Thank you, Leo." He, for the first time gave me a genuine smile. I nodded because this was the first civilized conversation we had, had ever since our meeting.

"Sure." I waved before leaving. At least he was a grateful bastard and him calling me Leo was something I had gotten used to. No one ever called me that so it was very different and made me feel very giddy.

As I left, I thought about Eric. Did he drop out of school because the funds didn't allow him to continue? Did he drop out of school because he was dumb but he didn't seem dumb! Did he drop out of school because of lack of interest? When did his parents die? When he got into a car accident, how badly was he hurt? Does he have any siblings? What was growing up in England like for him? When did he get his very first tattoo? What are his dreams and aspirations?

I had so many questions, there was no denying he was a very interesting specimen.

Eric Michelson was like no other.