The Marriage Contract

by Lisa Mondello

  He silently berated himself for thinking along those lines. If the day had gone as planned, he'd be on a flight to Aruba with his new wife at his side.

  The best laid plans...

  “Well, regardless of where you're from, you look a little lost,” she said. “I don't see many tuxedos here at the Coffee Drop. Everyone who's been in here today was wearing shorts and shirts that barely meet proper dress code.”

  “The clothes. Is that what gave me away?”

  “Actually, it was your accent,” the woman said, dropping the notepad on the shiny counter top.

  Heat crept up his skin from beneath his collar. He'd naturally assumed she'd been referring to his clothes when of course, his British accent would be a dead giveaway no matter what he was wearing. All he'd managed to do is draw more attention to himself.

  “Now, since you've already informed me you're not here to eat, how about a coffee? I have to warn you though. Despite the name, I don't serve any of the fancy stuff here. No special blends, no cappuccino or espresso delights. No latte or chai. Only thing on my menu is old fashioned regular and decaf.”

  It was now or never.

  “I'm afraid I don't have...” He shook his head. It was never a good day for humiliation and it was something he didn't do well even if it was. If Catherine had at least left him with his keys when she fled the courthouse, none of this would be happening. “Never mind, it doesn't really matter.”

  She appeared completely oblivious to his bumbling. “Oh, that extends to iced coffee, too. Given how oppressive it is outside, I'm sure you'd prefer that over something hot.”

  She turned and pulled a clean white coffee filter from a plastic bag tucked to the right of the coffee machine and proceeded to make a pot of coffee.

  “No, that won't be necessary...” As she turned around, Jonah took the opportunity to glance at her nametag. “Maggie. Yes, what I really wondered is whether I could use your telephone.”

  She stopped spooning coffee into the filter and propped her slender hip against the counter. She stated the obvious. Obvious to anyone who'd stepped one foot on either side of the coffee shop door.

  “No cell phone?”

  “It’s in my other coat, I’m afraid.”

  “There are pay phones lining Harvard Square.”

  “I know.”

  He dipped his head, embarrassment burning its way to the surface of his cheeks more than the blazing sun he'd escaped outside. If only he hadn't agreed when Catherine insisted they take the car instead of having his driver take them to the airport after the ceremony. Unfortunately, when she walked out on him moments before the ceremony began, she'd taken flight with his car and luggage as well. Since the clerk at City Hall was less than thrilled with the idea of allowing him to call his driver from her phone, given the scene that had erupted in the City Hall lobby, he'd taken the next step and pulled out his pockets.

  Only to trip over them.

  “I don't have any change and...I'm afraid I'm without my billfold at the moment as well.”

  Her eyes grew impossibly wide, the fine features of her face registering panic. “Oh, I see,” she said, quickly lifting an empty cup from beneath the counter and placing it in front of him as if she were suddenly on automatic pilot.

  “Are you hurt? Do you need some water or--”

  He shook his head.

  “I can call the police for you. Are you sure you weren’t hurt?” She was already heading toward the kitchen when he realized she had misunderstood.

  “I wasn't robbed,” he called out to her.

  “You weren’t? You don't need to call the police?”

  He let out a staccato breath and shook his head.

  With a slow gate, Maggie quietly walked back to the counter and resumed the task of filling the coffee filter with coffee grounds. She popped the filter into place and turned on the coffee machine before swinging around to him again.

  “I must admit I'm a bit confused now.”

  “Look, it's a bit of a long story. I would have preferred using my office phone, which, as I said earlier, is just across the street-”

  “Let me guess. You don't have your keys to the building with you, either, right? And there’s no one there to let you in?”

  “I gave them all the afternoon off.”

  “Oh, how nice of you.”

  He shook his head, wishing to God he'd wake up and this nightmare of humiliation would be over. It had been bad enough when he was thirteen and discovered on the run from the London boarding school he'd attended. Now nearly twenty years later, he wished the tile floor would open up and swallow him whole.

  “I just need to use your phone to call for a ride.”

  She nodded. “From the look on your face, this looks like it's one heck of a story.”

  “You have no idea,” he grunted.

  Maggie raised her eyebrows. “People tell me their troubles all day over a coffee and pie. Take a load off. I’m all ears.”

  He was just about at his wits end when he saw the corners of her full lips tilt up to a teasing grin. “Look, this has been a horrific day and... I'll reverse the charges.”

  She smiled again. This time it was full blown and when the light twinkle reached her eyes, he knew he was home free.

  “Follow me. The phone is just on the other side of the swinging door. Careful it doesn't hit you in the butt when you walk through. The coffee will be ready in a few minutes. I just have to finish up in the back office so if it's not done brewing by the time you are off the phone, help yourself. And to a piece of pie from the desert tray, too. I left a clean dish on the counter.”

  “Thank you. You're an angel.”

  “No, I'm just the owner of this coffee shop.” She stabbed a pointed finger at him and tossed him an irresistible crooked grin. “But don't you dare breathe a word to anyone that I'm a softy or I'll go broke passing pie out to every sorry-eyed college student who walks through that door.”

  “It’ll be our secret.”

  As he followed her through the double swinging doors to the phone, she smiled back at him, then walked into what looked like a supply closet at the far end of the kitchen.

  If the day had gone as planned, he'd be married to Catherine by now. He'd be on an airplane, sitting in first class, heading to Australia for a three-week honeymoon he hadn't wanted to go on in the first place. All his problems would be over. Not only would he have a wife, but he'd have his car, his keys, his wallet...

  And his pride.

  * * *

  Maggie tucked the bank slip in the moneybag and zipped it closed with a trembling hand. She'd already finished tallying up today's register totals and counting the money in the drawer when her tall, dark and sinfully handsome stranger waltzed into the Coffee Drop. As she straightened up her desk, her mind kept wandering to the gorgeous Englishman with the adorable accent now eating blueberry pie at her counter. Who would have ever thought a sensible girl like her would go weak in the knees over a few well strung out syllables?

  She pulled at the waistband of her skirt and grimaced at the sudden tightness. Okay, so she never thought that a levelheaded girl like her would end up pregnant before marriage either. But there you have it. She’d done a lot of praying from the time she’d found out about her unplanned pregnancy and made her peace that with God’s guiding hand, she was on track again. She was determined to do right by her child.

  She snapped the light switch off in her office and closed the door, giving the kitchen a last once over in conjunction with a silent reprimand. It would do no good to berate herself any more than she had over the last few months for being so careless. Regrets over the past took too much time and energy, and she didn't have any spare energy to waste on self-deprecation.

  Money bag in hand, she peeked through the glass window of the kitchen door into the dining area out of habit to make sure no one was on the other side before she swung through.

  There he was. He sat at the counter hunched over a blue stained plate t
hat had a bite or two of pie left. Not many men could fill out a tuxedo the way this man did. He almost looked too tall to sit on the stool. His dark hair was cut short, but the ends still curled around the nape of his neck, most probably from being out in the heat in that tux.

  Maggie fanned her face with her hand, telling herself she was just sympathizing with the man. But she knew she was lying to herself. She'd seen many people come and go in her coffee shop, but none of them gave her a jolt of lightning with just one look like he did.

  He glanced up at her as she pushed through the swinging doors.

  “What's your name?” she asked. She sounded a little breathless, even to herself and all she was doing was talking to a handsome stranger. Maybe the heat was getting to her, too.

  Deep cobalt eyes smiled up at her and pulled her into his gaze. It wasn’t the heat. She was breathless. And over a guy!

  Geesh. She had no business being attracted to this man, or any man for that matter in the condition she was in. She sucked in a deep breath and reached for the coffee pot, which was just about done brewing.

  “My name?”

  “You know my name. It seems only fair that I know yours.”

  “Oh, right. Jonah Wallace and this blueberry pie was the best I've ever had in my entire life. Did you make it yourself?” He clanked the fork on his empty plate.

  She shook her head. His compliment was probably just general small talk, but it flattered her just the same. She liked pleasing her customers. And as her grandmother always said, there was no better way to get a man’s attention than by plying him with good food.

  “Anything is good when you're hungry. You ate that piece of pie like it was the first thing you had all day.”

  He glanced away and appeared to be thinking, and then he chuckled. It was the first time she'd heard his laugh. It was rich and full of character like the tone of his voice. And it was nice. Too nice.

  “Oddly enough, it was,” he said. “I don't usually leave the house without breakfast but it's been a...”

  “Horrific day. I know, you told me,” she finished for him. “As flattered as I am, I can't accept the compliment for the pie, though. Virginia, my morning manager, does all the baking.”

  “Then I'll have to make it a point to stop in and pay her the compliment in person.”

  “I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”

  Mr. English would be paying the Coffee Drop another visit. She wasn't quite sure why that pleased her so. Maybe because men in general weren't on her list of priorities for the coming year, possibly not for a long time to come.

  He'd said he worked across the street but she didn’t recall ever seeing him before. Sure, there were thousands of people who worked in the square. And yes, he stood out now wearing a tuxedo on the hottest day of August like a big pumpkin at an Irish festival. But Maggie had the feeling even in simple casual wear Jonah Wallace would stand out among a crowd of men. He had a presence that commanded attention and that was rare. At least among the men she'd known in her life.

  Oh, dear Lord, please give me strength.

  Maggie fidgeted with the zipper of the moneybag. “I take it your ride will be coming soon?”

  “Yes, I can't thank you enough for the use of your phone. If it wasn't for your kindness, I'd still be baking in the sun.”

  “It was my pleasure. I hate to throw you out of the air conditioning and onto the street, but I do have to lock up here and make the bank before it closes. I'd be more than happy to give you an iced coffee to go while you wait for your ride.”

  He slid off the stool and dabbed his mouth with a napkin. Instinctively, she took the dirty plate from the counter and slipped it into the gray tub filled with soapy water under the counter.

  “You've been more than gracious. I don't want to keep you. But I'm afraid I won't be able to pay the check until--”

  Maggie waved him off. “Don't worry, it's on the house.”

  “You're very kind,” he said in a low voice that stirred something deep inside her. “But I've never left a bill unpaid in my life. I don't intend to take advantage of your generosity now.”

  He dipped his gaze, hiding from her view the most incredible blue eyes she'd ever seen, as if he were embarrassed. She was sure that was the case. She'd had her share of Dutch treat dates for the brief time she'd attended Boston University, but she'd bet this week's register tally that Jonah had never allowed a lady he was with to go Dutch.

  She couldn't help but chuckle. “It's just a cup of coffee and some pie. In some parts of the world people call that being neighborly.”

  Jonah stared blankly, and then his eyebrows knitted together.

  She pointed to the building across the street. “You said your office is in that building.”

  His lips stretched into a slow grin. “I guess that would make us neighbors then.”

  “Exactly. So, don't worry about it. Where I come from we look out for our neighbors.”

  “And where do you come from, Maggie?”

  His question as well as the genuine interest in his eyes caught her by surprise. This man was an enigma for sure. But it didn't take much to figure out they'd lived their lives worlds apart. Not just geographically, but socially. Despite not having two nickels to rub together at the present moment, Maggie could tell this man was from money. Either that, or he was a good impersonator.

  “Across the Charles River,” she said. Not quite the other side of the track, but far enough to make their differences evident. He was money, she wasn't. End of story.

  She locked the door behind them and walked out into the sunshine of Harvard Square, wilting immediately under the cruel sun. The choking smell of fuels and garbage from a nearby trashcan made her stomach roll. Every little smell seemed magnified lately, just like this sudden attraction to a stranger.

  Hormones. That's what this is, Maggie decided instantly. Not that she'd had this kind of reaction since she found out she was pregnant two months ago, but she'd never liked the combination of pickles and chocolate sauce either and that had been a regular treat of late.

  “Thank you again, Maggie. I didn't catch your last name.”

  “Bonelli.”

  Jonah gripped her hand. She was struck by how small her hand felt in his stronger one, how snug his fingers curled around hers. Safe and strong. For a moment, she found herself drawn even closer to this stranger. Abruptly, she snatched her hand away.

  “It was nice to meet you Maggie Bonelli. You've made an otherwise rotten day...almost bearable.”

  “I'm just glad I could help. Make sure you stop by again.”

  She turned and walked next door to the bank, muttering to herself she shouldn't look back at Jonah Wallace. And she didn't. She made her deposit and decided her day had already been too long.

  * * *

  “Congratulations, Sir. How was the--” his driver said, opening the door to the back seat of his shining black limo.

  Jonah put up his hand. “Hold that thought, Michael. Did you remember to bring the petty cash for me?” he asked, tossing the tuxedo jacket to the leather seat.

  “Yes, Sir. It's in the--”

  Rummaging through the console deck, he found his wallet and his spare set of keys.

  “I have it, thank you. Be right back.” Twisting around, he walked back the way he’d just come.

  He slammed the back door of the limo just as he saw Maggie push through the bank door, and walk out into the heat, moving in the opposite direction.

  A few quick strides through the crowd and Jonah fell into her stride.

  “I want to thank you again for your kindness.”

  With the sound of his voice, Maggie did a double take, and stopped walking. His heart did a flip-flop as she peered up at him with wide eyes like she had inside the coffee shop.

  “Didn't we do this already?” she asked, her brow crinkling slightly.

  “Yes, but I see that you're still here and I've retrieved my billfold--”

  As he held the leather
billfold up for her inspection, she laughed. Little beads of sweat were already forming on her forehead and matting stray ringlets of hair to the sides of her face.

  “You have a hard time letting people help you, don't you?”

  He lifted a shoulder. “I'm use to taking care of things myself. I don’t think you full appreciate how unusual today was for me. I'm grateful for your help.”

  Shaking her head, she said, “It was a cup of coffee and a phone call. You're making too much of this. “

  “Don’t forget the pie. And I’m really not. I'd been to three other shops in the square before I came through your door. No one so much as offered up a smile. With you, at least I got a bite to eat while I waited.”

  She rolled her eyes and grinned, pursing her lips. “It's genetic. I'm a softy. So was my grandmother.”

  She continued walking again, this time passed him, and dropped her bag on the wooden bench in front of the bus-stop sign. She glanced back once, just to see if he was going to follow? He took it as an invitation. She glanced down the street toward the shiny black limousine that was now double parked outside her coffee shop.

  She nodded toward the limo. “Yours?”

  “My ride, thanks to you.”

  She tried her best not to look impressed, but he could see that she was. He was used to it, but not many people were used to having a chauffeur at will. He generally didn't ask Michael to take him anywhere but formal functions. He'd hired him mainly for his housemaid, Mary, since she detested driving in the city on her own.

  “If your friend doesn't want a parking ticket, I suggest he pull into a parking space...or two. The meter maid can be scary, I hear.”

  “I'll have to remember that.” He glanced up at the bus-stop sign and then back at her. “Can I give you a lift?”

  Maggie pulled at the waistband of her skirt. The white cotton top that she'd seemed cool enough wearing inside the coffee shop was now clinging to the swells of her breasts, compliments of the heat and humidity.