by Vivi Holt
She squeezed her eyes shut and let her mind repeat the mantra that had gotten her here, had pushed her onto the subway, down the long streets, and into this nondescript waiting room.
I have to get a green card so I can work my way back to my dream job. I’ve dedicated years and sacrificed so much for this dream of mine. I can’t give it up now.
A white door set into one wall of the room swung open and a rotund woman with ruddy cheeks peered out at them all with a grin.
“Eve Partridge?”
Eve nodded, stood tall, and smoothed her wrinkled skirt against her legs. “Yes.”
“Please come with me.”
Through the door, Eve was faced with a large sign in cursive print, Email-Order Dates Agency of New York.
She followed the woman, hurrying to keep up.
They stopped at the end of a long hall, and the woman raised her hand to tap knuckles against an open door. There was a murmur of greeting, and the woman beckoned Eve into the room.
She found herself staring at a stunningly beautiful woman seated at a large, light timber desk.
The woman stood and offered her hand for Eve to shake.
“Hello Eve, I’m Bianca Fulton. Welcome to Email-Order Dates. I hope you haven’t had to wait too long.”
The woman’s smile was both mesmerizing and charming all at once, and Eve felt the stiffness in her shoulders and neck fade as she sat in the offered seat.
“Thank you,” she replied.
“So, what can I do for you?” asked Bianca, smoothing long blonde hair over one shoulder with delicate fingers.
“I saw an advertisement for email-order brides, and I wanted to find out a little more about it.”
“Oh? And what prompted you to look into something like that?”
Eve swallowed. She hadn’t thought about the questions they might ask. She’d assumed she would be the one asking, prying, curious about the details. But it seemed they wanted to know more about her and her motivation for being there. The only thing on her mind at the time she’d made the decision was her visa and what to do about staying in New York. Her cheeks flushed with warmth.
“I need a green card.”
“I see.” Bianca leaned against the back of her chair, and crossed her arms over her chest. “You know, we generally match our brides and grooms based on our sense of their compatibility, and everyone on our roster is looking for true and lasting love. A family, a connection, a real marriage. Don’t get me wrong, we have plenty of international clients looking for matches. But they always want an authentic relationship, even if they have been prompted by the promise of a visa.”
Eve’s heart fell. She’d known this wouldn’t work out. She shouldn’t have come.
“I understand. I wanted to make sure I was upfront about my reasons. I’m not looking for love or family, I just need a green card so I can stay in this country and follow my dreams of becoming an executive chef in one of the best restaurants in New York City.”
Bianca chuckled. “At least you know what you want.”
Eve smiled. “Yes, I do.”
“As I said, generally we don’t make those kinds of matches. However—” She reached for her keyboard and began to type. Eve’s stomach twisted into a knot. “Ah, here we are. I had a very unusual request just this week from a special client in Atlanta. I would have turned him down, but he’s the kind of man I’d hate to turn away. And he was looking for just the kind of arrangement you’ve described.”
Eve straightened in her chair, her hands linked together in her lap. “Oh?”
“Yes, he said the same thing. Almost verbatim, actually.” Bianca glanced at Eve with a frown. “Don’t you think that’s strange?”
Eve shrugged. This whole thing was strange.
“Anyway, he is looking for a business arrangement, companionship really. Doesn’t want love. He needs someone who can accompany him on dates, to functions and events, and be there as a companion in life.”
Eve nodded. “That sounds perfect. I don’t have a job anymore, so there’d be no reason I couldn’t attend functions with him.” Her throat tightened. “What about sex? If you don’t mind me asking?”
Bianca cleared her throat and shuffled a bundle of papers on her desk with a smile. “No, I don’t mind at all. He’s hoping to let that develop, naturally. No pressure, no clause, just a natural progression should the two of you want to take it to the next level. In other words, it’s up to each of you to make that decision. Together.”
Eve inhaled slowly. That was reasonable. It wasn’t likely she’d want to go there since she knew nothing about him. And it was nice to know he didn’t have any expectations in that regard.
“The only problem is, he lives in Atlanta. So, that might not work out with the plans you’ve made. The contract would be for twelve months, with the option to either part ways or continue in the marriage at the end of that time. It would be up to the two of you. By then, the agency would no longer be involved.”
Eve chewed her lower lip. Atlanta was a long way from New York, but if she could ride it out, she could be in New York ready to start back into her career with a green card in her pocket in a year’s time. “I’ve never been to Atlanta.”
Bianca smiled widely. “You’ll love it.”
John paced across the white-tiled floor, his hands shoved firmly into his suit pockets. Then, strode back again. He sighed and combed fingers through his hair. He hadn’t anticipated being so anxious about meeting his future bride. It wasn’t a real wedding and wouldn’t be a genuine marriage, so why was he so nervous?
Close by, the baggage claim conveyor belt jolted to a start just as a buzzer rang, jolting him out of his reverie. The first luggage appeared as a crowd of people pushed through the arrivals gate and made their way into the baggage claim area.
He studied the crowd. He couldn’t see her yet. They’d exchanged photographs and a few email communications. They’d even had a couple of stilted telephone conversations in the past few weeks, but he still wasn’t certain he’d recognize her. What if she’d changed her hair since the picture was taken? In it, she’d been at the beach, blonde hair swirling about her face, a grin lighting it up. She wouldn’t look that way now.
He could’ve sent the car to meet her but thought that was probably a little too cold. They might not have a genuine marriage, but he hoped they’d build a sincere friendship over time.
She was certainly beautiful. That much was clear from her photograph. And she seemed nice enough during their brief conversations. Bianca had assured him of her belief in the match, so he’d finally made the decision to go ahead. He hadn’t even told his brother yet and wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to do that. Perhaps they could tell everyone they’d met and fallen in love on one of his recent business trips. It was completely out of character for him to do something so rash, but perhaps they’d believe him. After all, marrying someone you didn’t know was rash too, and John was perched on the precipice of doing just that. Apparently he was more impulsive than even he believed himself to be.
The conveyor belt was full now. Suitcases and baggage of all shapes and sizes, black ones with red ribbons, navy ones with gold name tags, circled round. He studied the luggage, then returned his gaze to the trickle of people making their way through the spacious doorway.
This was a mistake. He still had time to back out. Nothing was finalized yet. What if she wasn’t what she seemed to be?
But nothing had changed. He needed someone in his life. Longed for companionship. He’d tried dating, tried to find the one to spend his life with, to love forever, but all he’d gotten for his troubles was heartache and pain. No, this was a good solution. He’d have a date to his reunion and every other event for at least the first year. He hoped, if they were compatible, that maybe it would continue indefinitely. He could protect his heart, and he wouldn’t have to do life alone any longer. It was a good plan.
There she was. It had to be her. No one else looked remotely like the
woman in the photograph, except her. Her long, blonde hair was pulled into a plait that rested over one shoulder, and her lean body was encased in blue jeans and a navy turtleneck. A large, red coat was draped over one arm. Her blue eyes were wide and her pink lips full. His heart thudded at the sight of her, and he tugged his hands from his pockets, immediately finding them uneasy and cumbersome, with no idea of what to do with them.
Her gaze met his and his pulse accelerated, his throat drying up. He nodded in her direction and forced a smile onto his face. This wasn’t a good beginning. He’d never found himself at a complete loss for words with a woman before, and yet nothing was coming to mind. He had nothing appropriate to say to the stranger he was about to marry.
She met his gaze, her eyes lighting up with recognition. Then she headed in his direction. He shuffled in place.
“John?” she asked.
He nodded. Then stuck out a hand. “You must be Eve. Pleased to meet you.”
She ignored his hand and stood on tip toe to kiss his cheek. His body flushed with warmth. Of course, a handshake was far too formal. He should’ve thought of that. Moving to kiss her cheek just as she went to kiss his other cheek, their lips brushed lightly against one another.
She laughed, and the sound was refreshingly unforced. He relaxed slightly, her hand still resting on his shoulder. He found himself staring directly into her cornflower blue eyes, laughing along with her.
“Well, that broke the ice.” Her broad Australian accent rounded over the words.
“Did you have a good flight?”
She stepped away, her gaze already wandering over the luggage making its way around in a circle beside them. “Yes, I did. Thanks. The food was…questionable. But otherwise, it was fine.”
“I’m sure, to a chef, airline food must be inedible.” He chuckled as he helped her pull a large suitcase from the belt.
She smiled. “So, where to from here?”
He inhaled sharply. “I thought we’d get married, then head back to my apartment.”
She laughed. “Okay.”
In the back of the limousine, Eve studied the profile of the man she was about to marry. John Russo. Would she change her name to match his? She hadn’t thought about it. Probably. He’d handed her an engagement ring once she was seated in the back of the long, black limousine that’d picked them up outside arrivals. Not unkindly. Just not…romantic. Not like she’d imagined it’d be when she was a teenager, mooning over her latest crush. But she wasn’t a teenager anymore, and this was an arrangement, not a love affair.
She stared down at the ring. It had an enormous stone. Sunlight caught it through the window and glinted, almost blinding her. Was it a diamond? If it was, it was the largest she’d ever seen. Surely not. She twisted it again and it glimmered, casting a prism of golden light around the back of the car.
Her gaze landed on her fiancé again, and her heart thundered against her rib cage. Sweat beaded beneath her turtleneck and trickled down her spine. She pushed her sleeves up and drew in a long, slow breath.
This was what she wanted. Wasn’t it? He might be a stranger but marrying him would mean she’d get her visa back, and with it, the chance to return to New York to follow her dreams.
It’d be worth it.
And surely it wouldn’t be all bad. He had brown hair, styled in a perfectly mussy kind of way. His green eyes were currently fixed on the screen of his phone, and one finger tapped away at it as though his life depended upon it.
He was nervous too—she could tell. Somehow that made her feel better.
He obviously worked out. Beneath his slim cut jeans and fitted, button-down shirt, she could see the curve of well-toned arms and a thick chest. And so far, he seemed nice enough. Polite at least, and thoughtful.
He’d carried her luggage to the car, even though he had a driver who could do that and had opened the door for her.
That was something.
She’d cling to anything right about now. Any sliver of light in the darkness she’d willingly crawled into. But it was for her career, and she’d already sacrificed so much for it she couldn’t let go of the dream now. She couldn’t fly back home with failure hanging around her neck like an albatross.
She hugged herself suddenly and turned to look out the window at the passing buildings. Atlanta was a mystery to her. She’d never been before, and no one in New York she’d spoken to seemed to know much about it.
Her friends had held a farewell party in her honor at their favorite local café. Some of them seemed genuinely saddened that she was leaving, the rest were happy to have another party to attend on a Saturday night. New Yorkers were accustomed to transient and temporary relationships—it was a way of life for them.
What would Atlantans be like?
She studied the horizon and let her thoughts drift away. John was quiet, that was one thing she’d noticed already. He didn’t say more than he had to. Well, that could be a good thing. She preferred a bit of quiet herself. And the silence wasn’t uncomfortable, at least it wasn’t for her.
She was grateful for the full background check and thorough analysis Bianca had given her on John. According to the report, he wasn’t a dangerous felon. He was a businessman with a stellar reputation, credit rating and, as was already apparent, impeccable taste in clothing. Still, she couldn’t help the nerves that fluttered in her stomach. She was about to marry a man she didn’t know then go home with him. She must’ve lost her mind.
It was crazy.
She’d never done anything this impulsive in her life before.
Well, except perhaps move to the other side of the world on her own. Everyone had told her she was being ridiculous at the time, and look how well it’d turned out…well, until the visa issue ruined everything.
Maybe this would be another one of those things. Those decisions in her life that seemed small or were made on an impulse but would change the entire course of her life.
Maybe it’d be a good thing.
She stole another glance and her heart skipped a beat. It was difficult to believe the attractive stranger seated beside her was about to become her husband. A spark of excitement pulsed through her body.
This was definitely crazy.
Chapter 5
The wedding ceremony at the local courthouse passed in a blur. Before long they were legally married. John had filed the paperwork as soon as the two of them had agreed to the union, so everything was in order. He’d even bought her a car to drive, decorated a room for her in the apartment, and done everything else he could think of to welcome her into his life. Just not his heart.
He studied her profile as they drove home, his driver seated silently in the front, questions unspoken and unanswered hovering in the air between them. Hector knew most of what went on in John’s life. Between him and his wife, Josie, they took care of John’s apartment, car, and anything else he needed them to do. But he hadn’t told them much about Eve, only that he was getting married and bringing her home. They respected his privacy enough not to ask more, but the confusion lingered in their eyes.
“Is Atlanta a big city?” asked Eve suddenly. “I mean, I googled it — and I know it gets hot, and it’s really green here. I know that people like to drink iced tea…”
“Sweet tea,” he corrected her.
“Right, sweet tea. And that there are a lot of churches. But otherwise, I don’t know much about the city at all.” She peered out the window, gesturing at the high rises that loomed on either side of the wide road. “It seems big.”
“Yeah, about six million people live here.”
“What?” Her eyes fixed on him, wide with surprise. “Wow.”
“How long have you lived in the States?” he asked. “You never mentioned that in our email exchanges.”
She resumed her posture — leaning against the window and staring out at the city beyond. “About three years.”
“And you’re from Brisbane, Australia?”
“Yep. That’s right.�
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“Do you like it here?”
She faced him with a nod. “I love New York City. It’s so vibrant, full of life, and there’s so much going on. And the food…” Her eyes slid shut for a moment. “The food is so good. I mean, we have great restaurants in Brisbane too, but it’s just not the same atmosphere and variety as in New York.”
“Yeah, I loved it there too.”
“Are you from Atlanta?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I’m actually from New York state, a town called Ithaca.”
“I thought the accent sounded familiar.” She chuckled.
“My family still lives there, they have a condo in the city as well. But I wanted to get away, make a home for myself somewhere else. A place where people didn’t know who I was and didn’t expect anything from me.”
She arched an eyebrow but didn’t speak.
He sighed. “I grew up between Ithaca and New York and went to school in the city. In fact, one of the first events I’m going to take you to is a high school reunion there. So, we’ll be flying back next weekend.”
She smiled. “Great. I’m looking forward to it.”
Eve followed John into the elevator. He pressed a finger to a pad inside the elevator, and the door slid shut with a soft whir.
“Wow, impressive.” She chuckled.
He smiled. “We’ll get you added to the list.”
The elevator stopped at the top floor and the doors opened directly into a luxurious and spacious penthouse apartment. She stepped across the threshold, trailing after John who marched inside, dropped his phone and keys on a side table and continued into a large, open living area.
He spun around in place and held his hands aloft. “This is the living room. The kitchen’s in there. Down the hallway are the bedrooms. I took the liberty of furnishing one for you, but you’re welcome to make any changes you like, or completely redo it if it’s not to your taste. I’ll give you a credit card for that. And um…let’s see…my office is over there, looking out over the pool.”
