What Nathan Wants

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “Danielle.” Her voice held a hint of warning in it.

  Danielle shot her an apologetic smile. “No. What I meant was that while you are the very wealthy Mrs. Rudolph, you should do what rich wives do.”

  “Sorry. I’m not interested in having an affair.”

  “No. Not that. Look, what fun is having money if you can’t spend it?”

  “You want me to go shopping?”

  “Sure. That’ll show him! And to add insult to injury, I’ll be happy to come and help you blow as much of his money as possible.” Danielle clapped her hands, her eyes twinkling. “And think of all the damage we can do in one day.”

  “That’s exactly what he wants me to do. Once I spend his money, he’ll take that to mean I want to be his wife.”

  “Oh come on, Amy. I really need a hot tub.”

  “You do not need a hot tub.”

  “Fine.” She rolled her eyes. “I want a hot tub.”

  “Well, you’ll have to keep saving for it. I’m not staying married to him.” Amy glanced at the document. “He can’t bind me to this!”

  Her friend groaned, her shoulders slumped. “You don’t have enough fun. Ever.”

  “I’m not touching a cent of Mr. Rudolph’s dirty money.”

  “Who do you think pays your wages?”

  “Paid. In case you haven’t noticed, I now qualify for unemployment checks.” Amy reached her car and unlocked the door.

  “At least get a new car first. I mean, that thing is on its last leg.”

  Amy glanced at her rusty Toyota. “Hey, these things were made to last.” She ignored her friend’s eye roll and slipped into her seat. “I’ll call you once I get everything straightened out.”

  Danielle sighed. “Alright. Though we could have some serious fun first.”

  Pretending she didn’t hear her, Amy closed the door and headed for Mr. Rudolph’s office.

  Chapter Three

  “Well, we’re certainly glad to see that she’s found love again,” Amy’s mother said.

  Nathan smiled into the phone. “I hope you’ll forgive us for not telling you sooner.”

  “That’s how Amy is. She doesn’t like big social gatherings, so it’s not a surprise that she chose to elope with you. We’re just surprised she never said anything about you.”

  “She didn’t?” He feigned shock as he leaned back in his office chair.

  She chuckled. “Who’s to blame her though? She’s always been a private person. But are you sure you want to pay for our tickets? We can afford it.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t think of it. We married without telling you. It’s the least we can do, especially since you’ve been gracious about it.”

  “Well, alright.”

  The door to his office flung open and there stood an irate Amy, holding the document that could only be their marriage license.

  “I just got a business call,” he told Amy’s mother. “I’ll send you an email about the tickets.”

  “Okay. Tell Amy that her parents can’t wait to see her.”

  He glanced up uneasily as Amy stormed over to him, looking like a bull heading for the red cloth. “Will do. Bye.” He quickly hung up and smiled at her. “Hello, honey. Is there something bothering you?”

  “How could you?” she yelled, waving the paper in front of him. “I’m not something you can buy, Mr. Rudolph!”

  He glanced out the doorway where his secretary grinned knowingly at him. So much for loyalty! He turned his attention back to his annoyed bride. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re cute when you’re angry?”

  Amy’s face became red, and if she could, she’d have smoke coming out of her ears. “This can’t be legal!”

  “Oh, it is. I went to Colorado yesterday and made it happen.”

  “But I didn’t go with you.”

  “I don’t need you to go with me. Someone stood in your place.”

  “But you need my permission. I never gave you permission to marry me by proxy!”

  He pulled out the papers he had her sign when she’d been there before. “See for yourself.”

  She gasped as she read the contents of what she really signed. “You...! I was told I was signing up for a job!”

  “You did. You signed up to be my wife.”

  “No, I didn’t! I signed up for something that had to do with marketing!”

  “Oh that. Somehow, that particular paper got mixed in there.”

  She grunted and tore the papers up. “I don’t care what these say. It can’t be legal!”

  “It doesn’t matter what you say. Those documents will hold up in court.” He pulled out his desk drawer and took out more papers. “I have my own copies, so feel free to tear these up too.” Then he held them out to her.

  She stamped her foot on the floor and grunted.

  He blinked. “I didn’t realize you were so stressed out about this whole thing. You know what you need? A day at the spa. It’ll relax you.” He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and handed her a credit card. “You have access to my accounts. Go out and treat yourself. Take along that friend of yours too if you want. Make a day of it.”

  She screamed, threw the card on the floor and stomped on it.

  His eyebrows rose. He thought she might be upset, but he didn’t realize she’d go ballistic.

  Tyler came to his doorway, looking panicked. “Is someone dying?”

  “No,” Nathan called out. “My wife is having newlywed jitters.”

  She stopped stomping on the card and glared at him. “Newlywed jitters?”

  “Look, you just need to give this marriage time. You’ll learn to like me. I promise I’m not that bad.”

  “Believe me, Mr. Rudolph, you don’t want to know my opinion of you.”

  “Nathan.”

  She looked startled. “What?”

  “My name is Nathan. Mr. Rudolph is what people under me call me. However, you are now my equal. Therefore, you may address me as Nathan.”

  Tyler groaned and rolled his eyes. “Smooth, Nate. Real smooth.”

  “What?” Nathan didn’t understand what the problem was. It wasn’t like he married her and then set her in a dark, cold dungeon somewhere. It wasn’t like he hit her over the head and told her she was now his slave. He was lifting her from the low level job she had and exalting her to the position of his wife. What was wrong with that?

  She glanced at Tyler. “You were in on this too.”

  “And I warned him that this would happen,” his friend said.

  “There’s no need to get him involved,” Nathan told her. “I’m his boss. Tyler has to do what I say.”

  She huffed. “And I suppose that I have to do what you say too?”

  “Well, it would be nice,” he admitted. “At the very least, it would make things easier.”

  “Let’s get one thing straight. I’m not your wife.”

  “The document proves otherwise.”

  “That’s a simple fix. I’ll request an annulment.”

  He gasped and straightened in his chair. “What? Why?”

  After rolling her eyes, she turned to leave.

  He leaned forward and pressed a button on his phone. “Get security up here.”

  She spun on her heel and turned back to him. “What are you doing?”

  “Keeping you from making a big mistake.”

  Tyler looked at the amused secretary and said, “Help me get rid of all the sharp objects in his office.”

  The woman shook her head. “She has every right to do whatever she will.”

  “Without him, there’s no check.”

  She loudly sighed and stood up. As she passed Amy, she placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered something.

  Nathan frowned. “What are you telling her?”

  She shrugged and innocently said, “Nothing.”

  Right. Nothing. As if he believed that one. But for the moment, he couldn’t afford to waste his time. “There’s no need to remove anything from my office. I’m
going home early to celebrate the day with my wife.”

  “What?” Amy screamed.

  “Celebrate?” the secretary asked.

  “You’re nuts,” Tyler added.

  He waved his hand. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.” Amy crossed her arms in open defiance. Her jaw jutted out and she narrowed her eyes at him.

  “Oh, that’s a shame since your parents will be arriving here tomorrow.” He logged off his computer and grabbed his briefcase.

  “My parents?” Her face grew red. “You contacted my parents?”

  “Yes. They sound like lovely people. Well, they did from the time I spent on the phone with them.”

  She gasped. “You were talking to them when I came in here?”

  “Of course. You know, they were shocked to learn that you were married. They wonder why you didn’t tell them you were dating again.”

  Tyler groaned and left the office. “I give up. Carmen, arrange for Nate’s funeral.”

  The secretary nodded and ran to the phone.

  Nathan sighed. “There’s not going to be a funeral.”

  Carmen glanced at Amy who practically had steam coming out of her ears. “That’s what you think.” Then she picked up the phone.

  The elevator door opened and the security guard emerged from it. “Is there a problem, Mr. Rudolph?”

  Nathan turned to Amy. “I need to explain things to you, but I’d rather do it at home.”

  “I’m not going home with you. I have my own place.”

  “You had your own place.”

  Carmen spoke into the phone. “Yes, I’d like to purchase a burial plot by the city dump.”

  “What do you mean I had my own place?” Amy demanded.

  “I took the liberties of hiring a moving company as soon as the agency opened this morning,” Nathan said. “I didn’t want you to worry about paying movers or trying to lug all your stuff by yourself. There’s no need to thank me.”

  “Thank you?” she snapped.

  Carmen drummed her fingers on her desk. “I don’t know. Do you have a tombstone in the shape of a rat?”

  “I’m not going home with you,” Amy said. She stared at the guard. “Are you going to make me go with him?”

  The guard winced and shot a pleading look at Nathan.

  Nathan sighed. Obviously, Amy had a slight aversion to this marriage. “Alright. Let her go. I guess I’ll explain everything when her parents come in. And they sounded excited too. I really hate to disappoint parents, especially since mine are no longer alive.”

  “Why don’t you just call them and cancel?” she asked.

  “They’re excited to see you. I figure the least I can do is let them see their only child. Besides, I can’t refund the tickets. I’m not thrilled with the idea of losing money.”

  “Then I’ll call them and cancel.”

  His eyebrows rose. By the way her parents talked, he knew they were close to her, and he didn’t think she’d have the heart to tell them to stay in Florida. “Alright.” He stepped aside and motioned to the phone.

  She marched over to it and picked it up. “Don’t think I won’t do it.”

  “Oh, I have no doubt you’ll call.” He crossed his arms and watched in amusement. She really was cute. In a lot of ways, she was pretty, especially when her cheeks were flushed and her hair slightly out of place.

  She narrowed her eyes at him, as if gauging whether he mocked her or not. Then she dialed the number and stared straight ahead at the wall.

  He glanced at his secretary who also waited to see what she’d do. His gaze fell to the security guard, and he indicated that the man could go, which he did.

  Amy cleared her throat. “Hi, Mom.” She paused. “Oh, yes. Well, you see... What?”

  The corner of Nathan’s mouth twitched upward. He liked her parents and wanted to meet them.

  After a moment, Amy said, “We’ll be there.” She hung up.

  He glanced at Carmen whose eyes nearly bugged out of her head. And his secretary didn’t think he understood women! He shot her a triumphant look, but she rolled her eyes and returned to the phone.

  “So we are going to be at the airport tomorrow?” he asked his new wife in interest.

  Amy spun around and shot him a glaring look. “Don’t think for a minute this means we’re married.”

  “I don’t need to think it. I know it.”

  “I mean, don’t think we’re staying married.”

  “Of course not.”

  “I don’t care much for the tone in your voice.”

  His eyes widened innocently. “What tone?”

  She stormed up to him and placed her hands on her hips, not seeming to be disturbed by the fact that he stood nearly a foot taller than her. “The tone that says that you’ve won. You haven’t won. This isn’t over.”

  “That remains to be seen.”

  She grunted and brushed past him.

  “Remember, all your things are on their way to my home. If you feel inclined, you may take my limo. I can call if you wish.”

  She pressed the elevator button. “I’m not going to your home.”

  “Not today then.”

  She loudly groaned as the elevator doors opened. She stepped into it and pressed the button to go down.

  “I hope you have a good night. I’ll see you at the airport tomorrow afternoon,” he called out.

  The doors closed as she scowled at him.

  His secretary hung up the phone and muttered, “You are asking for it.”

  “She’ll get over it. I’m not that bad.”

  “That depends on who you ask.”

  Deciding to ignore the remark, he returned to his office and shut the door.

  Chapter Four

  Amy grumbled as she pulled on Danielle’s long nightshirt. She never felt so miserable in her entire life. Her parents were due to come into town tomorrow, thinking that she wanted to be married, and to add insult to injury, she was homeless. Nathan, she learned, didn’t play fair. Well, she’d beat him at his own game. She’d find a way out of this mess if it was the last thing she did.

  Groaning, she left the bathroom and passed the two screaming kids—one two and one four—in the hallway until she reached the spare bedroom.

  Danielle fluffed a pillow on the bed and smiled at her. “Don’t let it get you down.”

  “How can I not? I’m homeless and unemployed. I don’t know how I’m going to tell my parents the truth.” She took off her watch and placed it on the nightstand. “Why did this have to happen to me?”

  Danielle stood up straight and placed a hand on her hip. “You’re not that bad off. You’re married to one of the richest men in Nebraska.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Don’t remind me.”

  “Oh come on, Amy. It’s not going to be that bad. If you insist on getting out of the marriage, turn your parents against him. No man wants in-laws he can’t stand. Trust me. Randy was miserable before I told my mom that she’d better start treating him right.”

  “I guess that’d be worth a try.”

  “You mean, you’re going to try it?”

  “Why not? What have I got to lose? There’s nothing else he can do to me.”

  Danielle shrugged. “I guess not, though it is a shame to waste all that money. Are you sure you don’t want to try the whole ‘spend as much of his money as you can in one afternoon’ idea?”

  “Money won’t faze him. He makes so much of it, it doesn’t even matter. But the in-law thing might work.” She pulled back the sheet and comforter and slipped into the bed as some ideas came to her. “This might really work! Danielle, I’ll need your help.”

  She blinked in surprise. “My help? What for?”

  “You can help me convince my parents that he’s a real jerk. Here.” She patted the spot in front of her. “Let’s make a plan!”

  “Does this plan involve a hot tub?”

  Realizing that a bargain would s
olidify the deal, Amy relented. “Alright. It includes a hot tub.”

  She squealed and sat down.

  ***

  Nathan arrived early at the airport and wondered if Amy would come. He didn’t know enough about her to know where she stayed the previous night, nor did he want to snoop on her. In time, she’d come around. He was sure of it. Sometimes women needed time to absorb a shock. And she, obviously, just needed time. That’s all. And surely, she’d want to see her parents. During that time, he could find a way to smooth out the rough patches in their marriage.

  Yep, it was just a matter of time before she admitted she was glad he picked her.

  People began emerging out of the gate. He straightened as he and the others who expected loved ones to come off the plane waited down the corridor past the security personnel who manned the scanners. It’d been a long time since he had to deal with parents. From talking to Amy’s mother and father on the phone, he was confident that he’d get along with them. They seemed like nice, normal people. He glanced around the airport again, wondering if Amy wasn’t going to welcome her parents after all.

  Turning his attention back to the sea of passengers, he caught sight of a man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and straw hat. He had a white mustache and a big smile. A chuckle rose in his throat. That had to be her father. Her mother said he always wore those clothes when he traveled anywhere. He claimed it made him feel young. Surprisingly, her mother wore a nice light green pant suit. She wore her light blond hair back with a clip at the nape of her neck.

  In Nathan’s opinion, the pair couldn’t be more mismatched. They didn’t look like they belonged together at all, though by the way they talked to each other, they looked like two newlyweds in love. A flicker of envy swept over him. What was it like to experience that kind of love? One not built on possessions or service but on mutual respect and friendship.

  Pushing aside the longing, he stepped forward and extended his hand as they approached him. “Hi. I’m Nathan.”

  Her father was the first to shake it. “Good to put a name with a face. Marge and I are glad to meet you. If our little girl chose you, then you ought to be something special.”

  Her mother laughed and nudged her husband in the side before she reached out to shake Nathan’s hand. “Now Terry, don’t embarrass him. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nathan.”