by Vivian Wood
“I don’t think so,” Jack said honestly. “I didn’t, you know, see any evidence of that.”
“Oh, thank God. Here’s my shirt,” she said. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. You’re hot as hell, but … we just met.”
“No offense taken. I think your jeans are balled up in the corner there. And by the way? I think we should be a little more concerned about the fact that we apparently got married drunk instead of thinking about whether we had sex drunk.”
“You’re probably right,” she said. She balled the clothes up in her hand and headed into the bathroom.
Jack listened to the shower turn on and started to think about how to get the marriage annulled.
That was a thing, right? In Nevada? It happened all the time, didn’t it?
“Hey, is this your laptop out here?” he called.
“I don’t know. What does it look like?” her voice was muffled by the water.
“Silver with a yoga sticker.”
“Yeah, that’s mine. Apparently, I was Type-A planner enough to get that out of the trunk before getting hitched to a stranger.”
The laptop was at two percent and had started to shut down. Still, he caught a glimpse of Jeremy’s Instagram page before the screen flickered to black.
Addison slunk back into the bedroom, her hair wrapped in a towel.
“Feel better?” he asked.
“A little. I threw up the French toast, though. I … I should have known better than to drink tequila.”
“I hate to say this, but … I think we should head back to Tahoe,” he said. “We can, you know, figure out the legalities later.”
“Right,” she said, and nodded. “That’s probably for the best.”
He could smell both of them as they huddled into the small elevator. Outside, the sun was blinding and painful. They both groaned and shaded their eyes, neither of them with sunglasses.
“How did we get here?” she asked as they surveyed the empty parking lot.
“I think a taxi,” he said.
“So we’re stranded?”
“So it appears.”
She sighed and trudged forward, and he followed her.
4
Addy slammed her hand across her phone when the alarm started at five in the morning. She and Jack had just made it back to town five hours ago, after they both realized they’d lost their credit cards. They got the hotel’s help tracking down a phone charger, and then wrangled an Uber.
She’d been energized on sheer adrenaline yesterday, but now reality started to sink in. Addy texted both Dawn and Kenzie, though Kenzie was just down the hall and wasn’t scheduled for her shift until lunch.
I can’t make it in today, she wrote. Not feeling well. Dawn, can you handle all the opening tasks? Kenzie, please get there early if you can.
Addy pushed the phone away and pulled the pillow over her head. She’d never called in sick for work in her life.
When the Uber had dropped her off at her car in the deserted Dusty’s parking lot, she didn’t even say goodbye to Jack. She’d just climbed into her car, dog-tired, and drove home. She was mostly thankful that her dad was already passed out and Kenzie was nowhere to be seen.
She heard the buzz of a text but couldn’t bear to look.
They’ll just have to handle it one day on their own, she thought as she crawled out of bed to fill a water bottle from her en suite bathroom.
Addy fell back asleep until noon. When she finally awoke, she was acutely aware of the awkward weight on her ring finger.
She couldn’t believe that she had gotten drunk enough to get married the night before. She was always so on top of everything, so prepared. And of all the people to pick, she had chosen Jack, a veritable stranger. What had she been thinking?
Sure, he was handsome. Beyond handsome. And he paid attention to her. She remembered him calling her beautiful at the bar, remembered how hard she’d blushed.
But now she had to extract herself from a marriage. The thought of taking off the ring, of the fact that it would mean that she’d be invisible once more, hit her hard.
I have set myself up to fail, it looks like.
As she pulled on a clean pair of denim shorts, she pried off the band and put it in her pocket.
You’ll have to deal with Jack and the whole annulment thing today one way or another, she thought. No point waiting around.
It was barely noon, and already she was soaked in guilt. From calling in sick to putting off tackling the Jack marriage situation head-on, this was the most procrastination she’d ever indulged in. It didn’t feel good.
You can do this, she thought. If you can handle Mom’s death, Dad’s alcoholism, the restaurant … you can handle this.
There was just one problem. She realized she didn’t even have Jack’s number or know where he lived. But you do know where he works.
It was hard to miss the sparkly new hospital located right off the interstate. It was the first new building in that part of town in years, and she’d been blinded by the shine of sunlight off its glass walls for weeks.
After she showered, she started to blow out her hair for the first time in months. Even as she spent extra time grooming, swiping on her good mascara and digging out Kenzie’s old MAC lipstick she’d borrowed last month, she tried not to think about why she was trying so hard.
What are you supposed to wear for an occasion like this? she thought. There weren’t any tips in Cosmo about proper attire for an annulment discussion with a total stranger.
She popped an ibuprofen from the glove box as she drove to the hospital. This was, by far, the worst hangover of her life. Addy just wasn’t sure how much of it was pure hangover and how much of it was shame.
As she walked through the doors, she scanned the area for Jack. Several people she vaguely knew, all locals, said hello and looked at her speculatively.
Do they know, or am I being paranoid? Does the whole town know?
“Addison! How are you doing, baby?” A short, squat woman rushed toward her.
“Mrs. Koppel, hi. I’m alright.”
“How’s your father doing?” Addy had placed her as the former librarian from her own elementary school days, but she hadn’t seen Mrs. Koppel since she was a kid.
“He’s alright.”
“That’s good to hear.” Mrs. Koppel glanced down to Addy’s ring finger. Although it was bare, she instinctively shoved her hands in her pockets. Her fingers felt the brush of the metal at her fingertips.
“Can I help you?” She was thankful for the low voice and an excuse to turn away from the old woman’s prying eyes. A young nurse stood before her. “Are you looking for someone?”
“Hi, yeah. Is Jack working today? Jack … Stratton? I think?”
He glanced at Mrs. Koppel. “Dr. Stratton’s in the ER. Just head down the hall there and to the right. You’ll see the sign. Mrs. Koppel, you’re still here? Is there something else you need?”
“Thanks.” She gave him a grateful smile and rushed down the hall.
As she stepped into the ER, she was immediately engulfed in the trauma. Through the separate glass doors of the ER entrance, she saw Jack astride a patient on a gurney. His baby blue scrubs were wrinkled and stained, and he leaned over the patient, doing chest compressions. Jack barked orders she couldn’t comprehend to the people who buzzed around him.
Addy pressed herself against the wall as the entire affair rode by her. Suddenly their little situation didn’t seem so dire. The massive waiting room of the ER was filled with people whose eyes brimmed with fear and pain.
Somewhere in the opposite corner, a woman sobbed, the animalistic noises becoming a soundtrack for the room.
Jack caught her eye as he passed. For a second, he faltered and she felt an electric fire between them. It was over in a second, but left her breathless.
“Move!” Addy jumped at the sound.
From the opposite direction, a stunning blonde in purple scrubs rushed past her and Addy again flattened
against the wall. The blonde doctor bent down over a boy with an obviously broken leg. His father screamed over him.
Addy caught a glimpse of bone, snow white and glistening, that protruded from the boy’s calf. Although the boy’s cheeks were streaked with tears, he no longer cried. He simply sat in shock.
Jack was gone, but as Addy swept her gaze across the room, she saw a familiar face. Philip headed toward the blonde and the young boy, who was being lifted onto a bed in a small curtained area.
Geez, he’s gorgeous, too. Is being insanely hot a requirement for employment here? Stop it, Addy. You’re already married.
She shook her head and walked toward Philip.
“—get the splint started. Mr. Holton, if you’ll follow Nurse Bostian here, he’ll get the paperwork—Addy. Hi!” he said as he saw her approach.
His face lit up as the nurse ushered the father away. “It’s good to see you survived the wedding night.”
She could have sworn the blonde doctor shot her a look, but she wasn’t certain. After all, it seemed like the whole town had their eyes on her.
“Er, yeah—”
“Jack said you hadn’t got out of bed yet. He’ll be glad you’re up and about.”
“He did? He will? How did he …”
Philip looked at her oddly. “Uh, yeah. Everyone around here has been dying to meet the woman who ensnared Dr. Stratton. He’s a hot commodity, you know. Handsome young doctor, small town. Well, actually they weren’t dying since nobody really knows him around here. But then after he charmed them all with some stories from your wedding night, and bam! You hooked him, alright.”
“That’s me,” Addy said awkwardly. “I’m magic.”
The blonde stood up straight and squared off with Addy, though she kept a hand on the boy’s shoulder.
“Addy, you’ll be glad to meet someone from Jack’s past. This is Rosalie Crane. Rose, meet Mrs. Stratton! Also known as Addison.”
Before either woman could react, Philip reached out and gently pushed her toward Rosalie.
“Hi,” Addy said and held out a hand. “I’m, um … how do you know Jack again?”
“I’m Jack’s ex-girfriend,” Rosalie said with a frown. “We went to med school together.”
“Oh. Um…”
Jack entered the main room from the trauma area and pulled off a gown and mask. He stopped short at the sight of Rosalie and Addy side by side. Quickly, he made a beeline for Addy.
“Hey, the man of the hour! I was just telling these two—” Philip started, but fell silent when Jack grabbed Addy tight and bent her backward for a kiss.
“Ew!” Addy could hear the young boy say from somewhere behind her, but there was too much fire between them to stop.
“Please just go with it,” Jack whispered in her ear before he pulled her back up.
She was too shocked to say anything.
“You must have finally climbed out of our bed!” he exclaimed. “I was worried I’d worn you out permanently.”
She blushed and saw both Philip and Rosalie give him startled looks. Addy worked her face into something close to neutral, though she worried that her heart pounded so loudly the entire ER could hear it.
“Hey, where’s your ring?” Jack asked.
She bit her lip and dug it out of her pocket. Addy held it out like an offering, flat in her palm.
“I told you not to worry about damaging it, darling. People want to see it on you!”
Addy blinked and obediently put the ring on her finger. It was strange to have a virtual stranger do something so … personal. Command something so intimate.
Jack grabbed her hand and extended it out to Philip and Rosalie, along with a few nurses who had gathered around the commotion to see. Addy heard the oohs and aahs all around them, but it was Rosalie’s deadly gaze that held her attention. Rosalie blanched, then made an excuse and fled.
Addy felt like she’d done something hurtful to Rosalie, even though she’d only just met the woman.
“Hey! What about my leg?” the boy cried after Rosalie, and a nurse immediately began to tend to him.
Addy searched Jack’s eyes.
“Can I talk to you a minute? Privately?” she asked.
“Ooh!” one of the nurses said, and made kissing noises in their direction. “Stratton’s got dibs on christening the new break room, I think.”
Jack took her hand and led her to a private, curtained room that was empty. He perched on the small bed with paper sheets that crinkled beneath him. “What’s up?”
“What’s up? What happened to dealing with the legal stuff when we got back?”
“Well, hello to you too, love. That plan went out the window when I thought about it a bit.”
“I’m sorry. What?”
“I was working on this guy who came in with chest pains, and the idea struck me. We should stay married for a bit.”
She gaped at Jack, who smiled at her expression.
“Hear me out,” he said. “My mum has been breathing down my neck, wanting to partner me with some dimwitted blonde. In this deal, I get to say, “Sorry mum, I’ve been married, it’s all been arranged”. Which will both delight me, and relieve me of some of my mother’s expectations.”
“Okay but… where does that leave me?” she said, confused.
“You get to show your ex how wrong he was when he ignored you. I will make sure that he realizes what a mistake he’s made. This was your idea, after all!”
“Jack, I was drunk. We were both drunk. And besides, I meant that we should pretend to date, not get married!”
“Keep your voice down, people might hear.”
“Right. Anyway, we can probably annul—”
“No, no. We have to stay married for a while. I’m thinking … two, maybe three months.”
“What?” Addy crossed her arms over her chest and started to vehemently shake her head. “No. You’re crazy!”
“Just think of it! I’m not the only one getting something out of this little arrangement. Imagine how miserable we can make Jeremy. So much PDA in public… And my mum will look at pictures of us together, and get so angry…. I’m sure the vein she has in her forehead will pop out.”
He had her there. It was insane, but the damage was already done.
What difference does it make if we’re married two days or two months? An annulment is still an annulment.
“Okay, how about this?” Jack asked as he considered the frown on her face. “You stay married to me for two months, I take care of the annulment, and you don’t do anything.”
“Oh! I don’t know …”
“Addy, the hard part is done! We’re already married. All you have to do is stay married to me for two months. I promise it’s not that much of a hardship. I’m not that bad, alright?”
But if it sounds too good to be true…
Jack grinned at her. “C’mon. I’ll even help you move after my shift.”
“Help me … what? Move?”
“Well, yeah. If this is going to work, we have to look married. And married people live together. Unless you’d prefer I move in with you?”
A rush of panic flooded her. The idea of Jack even meeting her father was enough to put her in a tailspin. She couldn’t fathom telling her father she was married.
“No. Definitely not,” she said quickly. “We’ll, uh… we’ll move to your place.”
“Dr. Stratton?” A nurse popped her head into the makeshift room. “They need you in 2-C.”
“Alright, great,” he said as he swiftly switched to what she’d figured out was his “doctor voice.” Jack stood up and kissed Addy firmly on the lips. “I’ll call you when I get off work.”
The nurse rolled her eyes good-naturedly.
“Okay,” Addy said quietly. “Hey!” she called after him. “Wait! I need your number.”
Jack turned around and grinned. “It’s already in your phone. Don’t you remember?”
“My phone? No …”
“You were
quite insistent that you would remember. You put me in as Dr. Hottie.”
Addy felt her face flush red. “Oh, God …”
“But I think you changed it on the wedding night. See you later, wifey.”
As Jack left, Addy pulled out her phone. There was nothing under Dr. Hottie, but there was a new recent contact. “Husband.”
Addy hung her head. I have no idea what I’m in for.
5
Jack put Addy’s last box in the Jeep. He frowned down at the four boxes, and glanced at the additional two piled in the backseat of her car.
Either she lives a really disgustingly minimalistic life, or she’s not planning on keeping this up for long, he thought.
He crossed his arms and gazed up at the front porch of her house. Jack hadn’t known what to expect when she gave him the address. He still didn’t. She was adamant that he stay outside, and already had the six boxes neatly lined up on the front steps ready to go.
“What if I have to use the toilet?” he’d asked when he arrived and she physically blocked him from the stairs.
“Use the bushes!”
“Why? What are you hiding in there?”
“Nothing,” she’d stressed, and pushed one of the boxes into his hands.
From the outside, it looked like a typical, classic Tahoe house. Designed like a large cabin, it had plenty of rustic charm and a porch swing that could use a paint job.
“Big house for just three people,” he told her. “It looks like a bed and breakfast.”
“It wasn’t always just three people,” she’d muttered.
He’d backed off then, reminded that her mother was still a sore spot for her.
“What do you mean you’re moving? What’s gotten into you?” Her bewildered little sister, Kenzie, faced off against Addison on the porch. Kenzie’s eyes were wide.
“Who goes off and marries a total stranger? Especially you! You were always the responsible one, the planner. I look away for two seconds at the bar, and you’re halfway to Reno with someone who could totally be a serial killer for all we know. No offense,” she called down to Jack.
