Fiance by Fate

by Jennifer Shirk

  David’s expression turned a degree colder. “We’ll see about that. You’re just an infatuation, but she still loves me.”

  Jack watched him storm off, more than sorry he’d kept his hands at his sides. Words were useless with a guy like that. Dr. Personality needed to be knocked down a peg. Or twenty.

  He had to find Sabrina. Damn it. She couldn’t be in love with that jerk. Was she that blind? He couldn’t keep it to himself any longer. She had a right to know what a mistake she’d be making.

  Looking around, Jack found her in the corner of the room talking to an elderly couple, and slowly released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. There was no describing the way his mood lifted when he saw her. Sabrina had the weirdest effect on him, provoking rushes of protectiveness and tenderness and…something else he wasn’t entirely sure he liked.

  She looked stunning tonight, the way the soft waves of her hair brushed her shoulders and her long dress flowed over her delicate curves. She reminded him of an angel. Sabrina seemed to be everything that was good, and honest, and loyal. But she was also passionate and fiery. Things that stuffed shirt of an ex-fiancé obviously didn’t appreciate.

  Her face lit up as she smiled, listening to every word the couple was saying. She had a smile that drew them in, as it did him. Jack wanted to be over there—just to be near her. Touch her again. It was an odd feeling for him. He was so used to holding part of himself back so he wouldn’t ever have to want or need.

  We’ll see about that.

  His jaw tightened remembering David’s parting words. Jack couldn’t let her go back to a guy like that, agreement or no agreement. This whole jealousy scheme was going on the backburner tonight, he decided, as he made his way through the crowd. Sabrina needed to have her eyes opened.

  Jack just hoped she wouldn’t hate him in the process.

  …

  Sabrina turned around and ran directly into Jack’s chest. “Oh, Jack,” she said, chuckling, “you startled me. Do you have a request?”

  “Yeah, I do. It’s called let’s get the hell out of here.”

  She smirked. “Nice try. Let me just put in some requests of my own and then we’ll go sit down.” She took out a few index cards and began jotting down her favorite songs.

  “We’re not sitting at David’s table,” he growled.

  She stopped writing and looked up. “Why? You didn’t say anything stupid, did you?”

  “Why do you automatically assume I would say something stupid?”

  She flashed him a grin. “Basing it on your track record.”

  Jack folded his arms. “Well, he’s the one who said the stupid things. You should have heard him. He said—”

  “Just lay off, okay?” She shot him what she hoped was a withering glance and picked up the bowl again. “Come on, I have to hand these to the singers.” Walking over to the stage, she saw a man wearing a tuxedo and gave him the bowl of requests. Not realizing Jack was so close on her heels, she ran into him again when she turned around.

  “What is with you tonight?”

  “I’m serious, Brie,” he said, taking her elbows and steadying her. “David is not the charitable guy you think he is.”

  “Look, you promised you’d behave yourself, so just hold in the animosity toward David for a little while longer.” She searched the room. David’s table was already full, but there were a few seats open at the one next to his. “I see a spot. Come on.”

  Before they could make a move, a woman stepped into their path, aiming a dark, seductive smile at Jack. “And I thought this event was going to be a major snoozeville. Now that you’re here, Jacky, the excitement is guaranteed to pick up.”

  The woman was beautiful and athletic-looking, reminding Sabrina of a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader or professional volleyball player. By the way she eyed Jack—like a starving man assessing a midnight buffet—Sabrina safely assumed the woman knew Jack well.

  “Jessica, good to see you,” Jack said in a monotone voice.

  The woman ran her fingers up his lapel, then pouted her overly made-up pink lips. “I think you can do a little better than that for an old friend.”

  Jack hesitated, then leaned in and kissed her chastely on the cheek. “We need to go find our seats. See you later.”

  “Wait. A couple of friends and I are meeting at O’Leary’s Bar after this. Lisa and Kyle from the yacht club will be there, too. Why don’t you join us? I’ll have your favorite drink waiting.”

  “Actually, I can’t,” he said, drawing Sabrina to his side.

  Jessica flashed a grin that probably brought most men to their knees in zero to sixty seconds and toyed with her hair. “Oh, come on, Jack. It won’t be the same without you. I’ll make it worth your while.”

  Sabrina’s cheeks ignited. It was one thing to have to witness the way women threw themselves in Jack’s path, but it was a slap in the face when one knew he was with someone else and still did it. She obviously wasn’t deemed worthy competition. And maybe the woman was right on that aspect. After all, Sabrina knew she wasn’t Jack’s type. But this was the first time she ever truly felt that way.

  Hot all over with embarrassment, Sabrina tried to free herself from Jack’s hold, but his grip grew firmer with her struggle. “If you’ll excuse me,” she told him curtly.

  Jack’s eyes burned into hers, but he smiled down at her as if nothing were amiss. “You can’t leave without me, honey.” He turned back to Jessica. “I’m sorry. I forgot to introduce you two. This is Sabrina Cassidy, my girlfriend.”

  Jessica frowned, then blinked at Sabrina as if seeing her for the first time, which was most likely true. “Oh. Nice to meet you.” She looked back at Jack and pasted on an overly bright smile. “Well, I should go. If anything changes, give me a call. Ta-ta,” she said, waving two manicured fingers.

  “Ta-ta?” she asked Jack, once Jessica was out of earshot. “I can’t believe you went out with a woman who uses that interjection.”

  “I can’t believe I’m ‘going out’ with a woman who uses the word ‘interjection.’” He wove her arm though his and nudged her forward. “You know, you could have played the part of the devoted girlfriend a little better. You backed off of me like pork barbecue was emanating from my pores.”

  “I wasn’t sure if you wanted her to think we were dating or not.”

  “Why would you think that? Everyone has to think we’re dating if it’s going to be believable.”

  “Well, she’s very beautiful. I figured you wouldn’t want to miss a chance to meet up with her.”

  Jack stopped walking and gazed directly into her eyes, his face right above hers. “Believe me, I’m not missing anything. She’ll find a replacement for me before this event has ended.”

  “Then why do you hang out with someone like that if she’s so shallow?”

  Jack looked away. “Because I’m equally as shallow,” he murmured. “Come on.”

  She was silent as she tried to interpret that. Maybe she would have believed Jack a few weeks ago, but not now. Not now that she knew him better. Underneath that superficial facade he portrayed, Jack was thoughtful and had a sensitive core. Traits—along with his obvious love for his family—she happened to admire about him.

  They found two empty seats at the table in front of David’s, and it turned out she already knew one of the couples sitting there. As she made the introductions to Jack, he pulled out a chair for her. “Mr. Hubert is the chief of staff at Boston General where David works,” she explained, as Jack shook hands with the man.

  They sat down, and the waitstaff began serving the different food specialties donated by various restaurants in town. It was family-style, so Mrs. Hubert shifted to pass the scalloped potatoes to her. “I was sorry to hear about you and David, dear,” she whispered.

  Inwardly delighted to have Mrs. Hubert bring up the topic, Sabrina tried to keep her expression even. “Oh yes, it was very hard. But I’m sure that David and I—”

  “—are completely
done with each other,” Jack supplied.

  Mrs. Hubert’s gaze traveled over to where Jack was sitting. Her eyebrows raised an inch up her forehead. “How do you know?”

  Jack grinned in return. “Sabrina and I are seeing each other now.”

  “Really?” the woman asked, eagerly leaning in.

  “Good timing on my part, I guess. I’ve been looking—searching—for years for that special someone to settle down with. Then all of a sudden, David gets cold feet, I get a job transfer, and Sabrina and I just clicked. You need to have that special chemistry to truly make a relationship last. That’s why Sabrina finally dumped him,” Jack went on, swinging his arm around Sabrina’s shoulder and giving her a tight little squeeze. “That connection was missing.”

  Sabrina smiled pleasantly at Mrs. Hubert, even though she felt like biting through steel. What is he doing? She wanted to ask him that exact question, but the MC started introductions to the group of singers gathered at the center stage.

  The group broke out in a chorus before the piano player randomly picked a song from the bowl of requests Sabrina had collected from the room. Jack slanted her a look when the first song turned out to be “Suppertime” and the singer started off howling and pretending to be Snoopy from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

  Sabrina chuckled despite the desire not to, then gave him a good-natured poke in the ribs. She knew Jack was more bark than bite, and as much as he complained about coming, he would enjoy the show.

  The show did turn out to be very entertaining. And after twenty-some-odd songs and an intermission, the president of the club finally took the microphone, giving a hearty thanks to everyone who helped put the event together, as well as to all the sponsors.

  “Now we’re going to do something a little different,” the president announced. “In an effort to raise our fund-raising quota, we’re going to auction off one last song of the winner’s choice. I’m sure a few of you out there have a favorite song that you’d still love to hear tonight. So why don’t we start the bidding at one hundred dollars.”

  Sabrina raised her eyebrows. But apparently she had underestimated the generosity of the crowd, because before she realized it, the bid had reached five hundred dollars.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw David raise his hand. “One thousand dollars,” he said.

  Sabrina was stunned, and the crowd broke out in loud applause. She knew David was charitable, but that was still a lot of money to donate on top of all the time and money he had already given. She looked over at him and beamed her approval.

  “Two thousand dollars,” she heard from the deep voice seated next to her. The crowd broke out in applause again.

  Her head whipped to Jack. “What are you doing?”

  “Bidding on a song,” he answered evenly. “Two can play David’s game.”

  “What game? You don’t even know any Broadway songs.”

  He glanced over his shoulder at David. “Sure I do.”

  “But—but you said you don’t like musicals.”

  “Just because I don’t generally like Broadway show tunes doesn’t mean I don’t have a favorite or two. In fact, right now, I have a certain hankering to hear something from Mamma Mia.”

  She held a hand over her eyes. “Mamma mia,” she groaned.

  “Three thousand dollars,” David called out.

  Sabrina turned and saw him laughing as he received a few hearty pats on the back from the people around him. Above the cheering, he grinned and gave her a confident wink, but she was too concerned about what Jack was going to do next to smile back.

  She grabbed Jack’s arm. “Okay, that’s enough. David’s chairman of this event. Don’t outbid him.”

  “Don’t worry,” he told her, patting her knee. “I know exactly what I’m doing.”

  Uh-oh. She knew enough of David’s personality that he wouldn’t tolerate being embarrassed in front of his peers, but for some crazy reason it seemed like Jack was making that his personal mission. “Look, don’t—”

  Before she could finish her thought, Jack jumped up out of his seat and the crowd fell silent. “I’ll donate five thousand dollars,” he said, aiming his challenge directly at David, “in the name of Brenner Capital Investments.”

  Sabrina’s jaw dropped as the crowd cheered and clapped, clinking their glasses. She slunk farther in her chair. This was so not good. She almost couldn’t look at David, but when she finally gained the courage, it was just in time to catch his brooding glance as he allowed the bid to stand.

  Unfortunately, that didn’t end the commotion in the room, and Jack played up to it by taking her hand.

  “Sit down,” she snapped, when he kissed the back of her hand to the encouragement of the crowd. Cameras flashed, and she was certain Jack was making sure he not only embarrassed David but assured himself a prominent picture on some society page as well. She was going to kill him.

  “My, your young man has certainly made an impression tonight,” Mrs. Hubert remarked brightly.

  Sabrina couldn’t comment. Jack’s antics had sucked the ability to form words right out of her. But when she got it back, she was going to make darn sure she made her own kind of impression on Jack.

  …

  “I cannot believe you did that.”

  Sabrina fumed the whole car ride back to her place, but now that they were pulling into the parking lot of her building, she couldn’t hold it in any longer.

  Jack shrugged a shoulder as he put the car in park. “It’s for a good cause, but if you’re feeling particularly grateful I won’t hold you back from showing extra appreciation.”

  “Appreciation? Ha.” Flinging open the car door, she then jumped out. She couldn’t believe that Jack thought nothing of his ridiculous bidding war with David. She found it even more amazing that he thought she’d be pleased with that over-the-top floor show he’d provided as well.

  “Hey!” Jack sprang out of the car and followed her up to the building. “What’s your problem?”

  “My problem? You completely embarrassed David—not to mention me. That’s my problem.” She stormed into the building.

  She was only a few feet from her apartment door when he grabbed hold of her arm and gently swung her back around again. “How did I embarrass you? I donated five thousand dollars to David’s charity. I thought you’d be happy.”

  “Happy? I told you not—”

  The door at the end of the hall opened up and Mrs. Metzger stuck her bottle blonde head out. “Everything okay, hon.?”

  Sabrina held in a sigh. “Everything’s fine. Couldn’t be better.”

  The older woman nodded, smiling at Jack, but took her time closing the door.

  “Just go,” she told Jack when the woman disappeared. “You’re embarrassing me again. My landlady probably has her ear to the door as we speak.”

  He lowered his voice. “Then let me in so we can talk in private.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “Please. Let me explain.”

  “No. We’re done talking.”

  “I’ll sing ‘Mamma Mia’ at the top of my lungs if you don’t,” he threatened, amusement in his eyes.

  She blinked. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Just try me.” His eyes narrowed and they stared each other down for several long seconds. Eventually a laugh bubbled from her lips. Then he laughed, too.

  Damn him and his ABBA singing ways. The man was incorrigible. She hated the fact that he had just successfully robbed her of all her fury. Even now as she stood across from him, the humor in his clear blue eyes was swallowing her up. “Fine,” she said, making herself sound stern, “you can come in. But this better be quick.”

  Jack followed her inside and immediately made himself comfortable, taking off his blazer. “Isn’t this cozy?” He grinned, rolling up his sleeves. “You can yell at me all you want now.”

  She wasn’t about to let him charm her any further. “Jack, what were you thinking, outbidding David like that?”


  “Yeah,” he said, looking pleased. “That really got Dr. Too Little.”

  That remark earned him her fiercest glare.

  “I’d say I got off cheap.” Jack leaned against the back of her sofa, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Charity donation…five thousand dollars. Look on David’s face…priceless.”

  “David was donating money to help his organization, not to make you look bad.”

  “Don’t be too sure about that,” he shot back. “All David wanted was to look good in front of you and all his networking friends. The guy’s a capital P phony.”

  “He is not. And whose side are you on anyway? I thought you were just supposed to make him jealous, not go around judging and embarrassing him.”

  Letting out a huge sigh, Jack stepped closer and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Sabrina, I’m sorry, but I had to do it. You needed to see what a mistake you’re making trying to win him back.”

  She shook off his hands. “You had no right. We had a deal.”

  Wearily, Jack rubbed his face with both hands. “I know. But…how can you be so sure he’s the right man for you?”

  She held his gaze a long time before looking away. She had never spoken what she was thinking to anyone. It was almost as if she were afraid she would jinx her own thoughts. But maybe it was time.

  Gazing into his compassionate eyes, she took a deep breath. “Well, there are things,” she began slowly, “about David, our engagement, that just makes it feel right. Like a sign.”

  “Sign?”

  She smoothed her lips together and went on. “Well, I told you how we met, how great he and his family have been to me. But there’s more. When David proposed, he had no idea—still has no idea—but he proposed on the anniversary date of my parents’ death. Don’t you think all that is more than a coincidence?”

  Jack’s eyes narrowed, but several seconds went by before he responded. “You want to get married to David because of some crazy superstition?”