[Forever After 01.0] Marry Me for Money

by Mia Kayla

  His look was devilish, and I laughed at the look he shot me.

  “You’ll find out after we leave.” I gave him a longer kiss on the lips, reveling in their softness.

  He pulled back to look at me. “How do I get to stage three?”

  “Don’t push your luck,” I whispered.

  “Okay, I was just asking,” Brian said, playing innocent. He pulled his wallet from his back pocket. “Drinks are done,” he said, raising his hand to our waiter. “Check please.”

  It was a typical evening in Barrington as Kent and I sat on opposite ends of the couch. A week had passed and we were coming to his parents’ house almost every other day. We were watching TV while we waited for his parents to come home. As soon as we heard the front door open, Kent startled me by grabbing my hand, jerking me forward, and pulling me onto his lap. I laughed, hit him, and moved away, but he gripped my wrist and pulled me back.

  “Get over here,” he said as both dimples appeared.

  “Stop,” I said playfully, shoving his hands away.

  I tried to maneuver away from his grasp, but he linked his arms around my waist, pulling me to sit on his lap. I pinched his hands to release me, and he just laughed it off while using a strong hold to draw me closer against him. I couldn’t help the laughter that escaped my lips as I tried to break from his tight grasp. Amusement crossed his face as he used all his might to keep me still. I wiggled in his hold while pinching his wrists.

  “You think you’re funny,” he said, whispering in my ear.

  “Very,” I replied, leaning forward to bite him to let go of me.

  His chest moved up and down in laughter as he gripped me tight, while he moved his arms lower, so I couldn’t get a good direct bite. When his parents strolled into the family room, I stilled and pushed myself off of Kent’s lap. My cheeks warmed from embarrassment as if we had been caught doing something inappropriate.

  “Hi, Mrs. Plack. Mr. Plack,” I greeted, briefly looking at each of them.

  A beaming grin appeared on Mrs. Plack’s face. “Call me Karen. And Beth, I’m glad to see you again. You guys are too cute.” Her eyes lit up as she headed toward the kitchen, tugging Mr. Plack behind her. “We’re having steak today,” she called from the hallway.

  Mr. Plack chuckled softly, also entertained by our show of affection.

  “You!” I scolded, pointing my finger at Kent.

  He nipped at my finger, pretending to bite it, and I pulled my hand back, laughing.

  Dinner was exceptional. I learned that even though they had help, Mrs. Plack cooked dinner most nights unless she had a late-night charity function. We continued to sit at the table as Mrs. Plack talked about Kent’s childhood. By the end of dinner, she had the whole table laughing.

  “Jack, do you remember when Kent ate dog food?” Tears from hysteria formed in her eyes as she recalled the story.

  “It was a dare, and for your information, I won a dollar,” Kent said, feigning boredom. He tried not to smile but failed.

  “You’ll do anything for money,” I said, joining in.

  He swiftly kicked me under the table and his eyes widened when I kicked him back even harder.

  “Tell me, Kent, what did it taste like? What was the brand, Kibbles ’n Bits?” I asked, playfully poking at his side.

  Everyone erupted into laughter.

  “Funny girl.” He gave me a sly smile as he pinched my leg under the table.

  The conversation continued with Mrs. Plack reminiscing about Kent’s high school years. I chimed in with snide comments every once in a while. Most of the time, Mrs. Plack and I were hysterical with laughter from making fun of Kent. The men, not even close to our level of giddiness, looked at us in amusement.

  Mrs. Plack rubbed her eyes. “Sorry, there are only a few times when I get to relive Kent’s younger years. So, Jack, how was work?” She laughed at herself for trying to change the subject into a more serious conversation.

  I reached for my glass of water and took a sip as I attempted to compose myself.

  Mr. Plack filled us in on Plack Industries and their overseas operations. I watched as Mrs. Plack looked to her husband in approval. Her eyes never strayed from his and he drowned in her attention.

  She cracked a joke about him being too serious at work, and his eyes lit up. When she spoke to him, she leaned in, and her hand rested lightly on his arm. It was as if they were the only two in the room, and I was in awe of their marriage. I studied their relationship in silence and wondered if I’d have that one day. Resting my hand on my chin, I gazed at them, soaking in their interaction. I didn’t even realize that I was smiling.

  In my peripheral vision, I noticed Kent observing me as I was studying his parents. I gave him a what look, and he lightly placed his hand on top of mine as it rested on the table. He began massaging my hand, making circles with his thumb. My hand tingled where he touched, but I didn’t pull away. I glanced back to his parents to pay attention to their discussion.

  We had been so engrossed in our conversations during dinner that I didn’t feel the time passing by. When we got up to leave, I peered down at my watch and noticed it was already ten in the evening. At the door, Mrs. Plack engulfed me in a big hug, and this time, Mr. Plack surprised me by doing the same.

  At the dinner table, I’d felt like myself. I’d been comfortable and at ease. At times throughout the evening, I’d forgotten that it was all for show, but Mrs. Plack’s warm embrace had brought me back to reality. I had to remind myself that my time with this family was not permanent, and it would end. That was the part that saddened me most.

  On the car ride home, I stared out my window, watching the cars on the interstate. The night with his family had reminded me how much I missed my Nana.

  Our dinner table had always been filled with joy and laughter, so much so that I would frequently forget that I didn’t have a biological mother or father around. Nana had always filled that void, that spot they had abandoned. I missed her so much that my heart physically ached for that family bond. It had always been me, Nana, and Kendy. Now, Nana was gone, and because of Kendy’s work schedule, I hardly ever heard from her. As a woman, I needed, wanted, and craved that family connection.

  Kent broke me from my thoughts. “You know, our conversations at dinner usually consist of my father talking about Plack Industries, so you can imagine how boring dinners are. You brought laughter to the table tonight,” he said, glancing back at me and then to the road ahead. “You and Mother were bantering back and forth like you two were in your own little happy world. You’re a lot like her,” he said wistfully. “You’re genuine and fun-loving, and you bring laughter wherever you go. Mother is just like that. That’s why she spends a lot of time at St. Jude’s and nursing homes. It’s no wonder Brian has fallen for you. It’s because you’re so easy to love,” he said.

  I lifted an eyebrow, giving him a sly smile. “Kent, I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” I was touched by his sentiment.

  When we reached my apartment, Kent escorted me to the door. He gave me the longest lingering embrace. “Beth, thanks for spending time with me and my family and for making dinner enjoyable.”

  His hugs were always safe and comforting, but this time, it felt different as his hand lingered on the small of my back.

  I was the first to disentangle from the embrace. “Anytime. I love your family,” I said, glancing up at his face.

  When I walked into the apartment building, I still felt his eyes on me as the glass door shut behind me.

  Kent picked me up from work, and we drove to his parents’ house.

  We were plopped on the brown leather couch waiting for his parents to come home from a charity event, as we had done two nights before and two nights before that.

  I wondered if his parents’ found it odd that Kent was stopping by more often. When I confronted Kent about it, he’d said that his mother was just happy that he came around and that his father probably thought that he gave up hi
s partying ways for me. Either way, according to Kent, they seemed happier to have us around regularly.

  As Kent watched the news, I yawned, stretched, and got up to walk around the study.

  Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves were stocked with books. I ran my hand against the cherry wood desk and picked up a framed picture of a little boy. He was unrecognizable, but it could only be one person. The chubby boy had glasses, a mouth lined with braces, and looked no more than twelve years old. I squinted as I held the picture frame closer to my face. When I looked in Kent’s direction, I started to giggle.

  Hearing laughter, he turned in my direction. “What’s so funny?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at what I was holding.

  “Is this you? This nerdy-looking guy?” I laughed, tapping the frame.

  He pushed himself off the couch and walked toward me. I showed him the picture, and he tried to reach for it. Raising the frame above my head, I ran to the other side of the room.

  “Not funny. Give it to me,” he commanded, stalking toward me.

  “Make me.” I stuck out my tongue and waved the picture frame in front of him to taunt him. “Wow, this doesn’t even look like you. Who knew you were such a nerd?”

  “Beth…” His tone sounded like a parent scolding a child.

  I studied the picture again and started to laugh. “You rock glasses pretty well. You should totally bring them back.”

  He lunged toward me, and I squealed as I propelled myself toward the opposite end of the room. I shook the picture frame in front of me again.

  At my immature gesture, a dimple hit his face. “Is this a challenge? Because if it is, just so you know, I always win.”

  “I want to see you try.”

  I widened my eyes to mock him, and he shook his head as a mischievous smile slowly crept up his face. He dashed in my direction, but I swerved toward the other side of the room. Kent’s stance changed, and he propelled himself forward once again as I moved by the couch. He closed in with a slight smirk on his face, like he was going to win. Determined, I veered right, but I was too slow as he grabbed me by the waist. In a football-like tackle, he pushed me onto the couch.

  “No!” I clutched the picture frame to my chest with all my might.

  “Give it back.”

  He was on top of me and had me trapped between his knees. I tried to buck him off, but he was too heavy.

  “Give it here,” he commanded with a boyish smile.

  “No!” My hair was splayed all over the couch, and I blew my bangs out of my face, catching his amused look.

  A slow, conniving smile encompassed his face. “Fine.” His fingers started to torture me as he began tickling my sides.

  “Stop!” I squealed.

  I tried to buck him off me again, but failed as his fingers accelerated in their torture. I was laughing so much that I was almost crying.

  “Give me the frame,” he said as both dimples emerged. “You don’t want to give it to me?”

  “Never!” Instead of using my hands to protect myself from his torment, I continued to clutch the picture frame against my chest.

  “Okay then.”

  His knees tightened on my sides, so I could barely move, and he went in for the kill. He tickled me with full force, causing me to laugh so loud that no sound left my lips, only hoarse huffs.

  “Please…st-st-stop.” I could barely form words while I was dying of tickle pains from his evil hands.

  “You never listen to directions, do you?” Kent leaned in with a smile on his face.

  His hands continued to torment me. My cheeks hurt from laughing, and my eyes were shut in torture.

  I felt his hands slow down and still to a stop. When I opened my eyes, Kent was a few inches from my face. His eyes bore into mine, and I stopped breathing. Stopped. Breathing. Temporarily, he looked lost, but he was still breathtakingly beautiful.

  The air shifted around us, and suddenly, my every nerve was aware of his whole body on top of me. His one hand on my arm, his chest was flush against mine, his knees were on either side of my legs, and his lingering touch was on the side of my face. His scent filled my nose, and for once, I felt an undeniable urge to close the gap between us to meet his lips.

  We both turned when his parents entered the room.

  I blushed at the position they’d caught us in—me lying on the couch while Kent hovered above me, trapping me between his knees.

  Mrs. Plack had a small smile on her lips “Oh, please don’t let us interrupt you.” She tugged Mr. Plack’s arm and pulled him toward the kitchen.

  Kent immediately stood, and he reached for my hand to pull me up into a sitting position.

  “Excuse me.” He didn’t meet my eyes as he turned and exited the room.

  I had a strong awareness of my heart beating loudly in my chest. I placed my hand on my cheek to stop the tingling from Kent’s touch that was still present even though he was no longer here.

  What’s happening?

  After a few minutes, I searched for Kent. I found him sitting in the billiard room. His thumb and pointer finger pinched the bridge of his nose. From his side profile, I noticed every feature —from his straight nose to his chiseled jaw line to his full lips. I waited and listened to him taking deep breaths in through his nose and out his mouth. His brow was furrowed in concentration. He didn’t even know I was standing there, so I knocked on the wall beside me. His head shot up to my direction, and his eyes locked with mine. He seemed so lost, and all I wanted to do in that instant was to console him.

  I walked toward him until I was a few inches away. “What’s the matter?” I asked, placing my hand on his shoulder. “Were you teased as a kid?” I whispered.

  He glanced at my hand touching his shoulder. “No,” he said as he placed his hand on top of mine. A feeling of warmth flooded where we were connected. “Never.” He shook his head slightly. “Sometimes, I’m sure of myself, and other times, I’m not,” he said, mostly speaking to himself.

  We stared at each other as an uncomfortable silence built in the air between us.

  I realized I still had the picture in my other hand. “If it’s not that, then I’m the winner,” I said, breaking the awkward silence.

  I gave him a cheeky grin as his eyes focused on the frame in my hands. “Yes, I was a bit chubby in my younger years, but kids were afraid to make fun of me because they knew I’d beat the living shit out of them,” he said.

  “Or eat them.” I giggled.

  When I was momentarily distracted, he snatched the picture frame from me and shrugged.

  “Not fair.” I pouted.

  He studied my face with seriousness in his eyes. It was a look that I’d never seen before.

  He glanced to my hand before reaching for it. “Come on, let’s join my parents for dinner.”

  We entwined our hands as he led me into the dining room, and I wondered if he could feel the electricity that I felt from where we were connected.

  Chapter 11

  “Happy birthday!” I stepped into Brian’s car and gave him a kiss on the lips.

  “Hey, sexy,” he replied, appraising me with his eyes.

  He used one hand to entangle with mine while the other remained on the steering wheel. He pressed on the gas to lead us to our destination, a suburban bar outside the city, where we’d meet his high school friends.

  “I’ll give you your birthday present later,” I said, giving his hand a squeeze. I looked to the traffic forming in front of us, thinking of the Chicago Cubs tickets I’d purchased, which were sitting on my kitchen counter.

  “I can’t wait. I hope it’s you unwrapped.” He winked.

  “Eyes on the road,” I warned, squeezing his hand back.

  I wondered if today would be the day I let him seal the deal. We were way past date number ten, and I knew we had been leading up to this point. I’d made him wait long enough, almost to the point of his combustion, but the anxious, giddy feeling I’d had when we first started dating was no longer there. I kn
ew this had to do with Kent and how the lines were blurring between us, and I mentally cursed him for it.

  “How long is it going to take us to get to the bar?”

  “About forty-five minutes,” Brian said, glancing at the clock on the dashboard.

  My mind drifted to Kent as we left the city lights behind us. I’d invited Kent to Brian’s birthday party when things were not so gray between us. Now, an uneasiness was building inside me. I worried about Brian’s interaction with Kent tonight, how Kent would feel at seeing Brian and me together, and worst of all, how I would feel when I saw Kent, especially now that the friendship lines were no longer clear.

  “Hey, Kent is coming tonight, remember?” I said.

  Brian and I didn’t speak of Kent often. It was the one bad word in our relationship. The four letter K word never failed to put Brian in a foul mood.

  “Yeah,” Brian said under his breathe. The look on his face showed his displeasure.

  “Be good. He asked about your birthday, and I wanted him to join us.”

  “I’m always good,” he stated, gripping the steering wheel tighter.

  I raised an eyebrow as I gave his hand a squeeze, and he loosened with my touch.

  “It’s not like I don’t like him. I just don’t like the situation,” he said.

  “Okay, just remember that when you see him. He’s saving me from a lot of debt, so be good.”

  Brian gave me a quick kiss on the lips and placed his eyes back on the road. Hopefully, that kiss had meant that he would play nice.

  A line of people spanned from outside the door to down the block. Given that this was a bar in the suburbs, the crowd surprised me. When Brian spotted some of his friends in line, he ushered me through the herd. I introduced myself to the group, and we exchanged pleasantries.

  Scanning the crowd, I noticed Kent beyond the mass. As I saw him gilding forward, I excused myself.

  “Hey, I’ll be back,” I whispered as Brian continued to reconnect with his friends.

  My eyes locked with Kent’s through the pack of people, and a small smile formed on his face.