Modern Arrangements: Complete Trilogy (Modern Arrangements #1-3)

by Sadie Grubor

Devlin began to read the specifics of my conditions.

  "Well, as you know, you need to be married within a year from tomorrow." He looked up, meeting my eyes as I rolled them. "Okay, well it must be a valid marriage. Meaning, it must be equally joined into as well as consummated and monogamous. Infidelity will immediately violate the terms." He cleared his throat. "The…um…marriage has to last no less than four years."

  For a moment I thought my eyes might pop out of my head.

  "Four years?" I shouted. Viola placed her hand on my arm in an attempt to calm me.

  Devlin cleared his throat again.

  "The infidelity goes for both you and your spouse." He took a deep breath. "Now, for the terms of the child. Your heir should be conceived within the first year of marriage. Your heir is to be a biological child, unless it is impossible, and must be given the Iverson name." Devlin looked up, again.

  "Is that it?" I grumbled.

  He shook his head and I sighed.

  "Living arrangements are as follows: You will live in the same house with your spouse and child during the four years of marriage and reside in the same bedroom for at least three nights a week."

  "Jesus Christ, did we want to regulate how many times I am supposed to fuck her too? Did he pick her out already?" My anger seething, I gripped the side of my chair to the point where I thought I could snap it at any moment. I was ready to launch my fury on Devlin.

  "No, no, none of that," he breathed. "I told you, your grandfather was all about the specifics."

  "Yeah," I growled. "Is that it? Can I go?"

  "Aidan, if you have any questions then now —"

  "Oh, I don’t have any questions, Devlin! It's pretty clear what a ridiculous arrangement he made." I shot him a nasty glare.

  "Aidan it’s not Devlin’s fault, so control yourself," Viola spoke softly and rubbed my arm.

  Standing abruptly, I left the room with a slam of the large oak door behind me.

  Chapter Three

  First Date(s)

  Aidan

  "Holy shit! Are you kidding me?" Dixon practically fell out of the old ratty recliner he loved. Though, I wasn't sure if it was from shock or amusement. Either way, it annoyed me.

  "Yeah, I’m fucking joking." With an exaggerated roll of my eyes, I put the beer bottle to my lips.

  It hadn’t taken long for Oscar, James and Dixon to start their unfunny jokes about my predicament. Everyone had an opinion, a suggestion or a snarky comment. My family was desperate for me to not fuck all their lives up, so that meant that everyone had someone ‘great’ they wanted me to meet and now even my friends were trying to help.

  "Well I could set you up with a friend of mine, she is single and she’s cute. She lives—"

  "Look, I don’t even know what I am going to do. Seriously, how am I going to make this work?" When I heard James snort, I looked at him. "What?"

  "Oh come on you big fucking baby! So you have to get married, big fucking deal. It’s not hard to find someone who will marry you, just go back through your little black book and pick your favorite ex. Problem solved." He shrugged and took a drink of his beer.

  "He has a point," Oz offered up from the other side of me.

  "So you don’t think that I should attempt to find someone that I could actually stay with?" They all bursted into hysterics. "What?"

  "Did you just really try to put you and a serious long term relationship in the same sentence?" Oz barked out in laughter.

  I punched his shoulder.

  "Screw you," I growled.

  "Oh come on, Aidan. We’ll help you out. Let’s see, Oz help me with the ex girlfriend list." I was about to object but then we heard the door of Dixon’s apartment. We all turned as Lilli walked in.

  She was in a pair of baggy jeans, a large sweatshirt and her hair was in a high ponytail. She must have realized that we were all looking at her ‘cause she slowed her pace and looked over to us.

  "Umm…hi," she waved "Just ignore me, I’ll be out of the way in a second." She smiled, went to the fridge and then disappeared down the hallway.

  "She’s ridiculously hot." James stared after her, leaning off the couch to look.

  "Quit ogling my roommate asshole!" Dixon threw a pillow at him and we all started laughing, even James.

  "Claire?" Oz shouted. We all looked at him.

  "What?" Dixon wore a perplexed expression.

  "You remember Claire don’t you, Aidan? She was nice and she was a lot of fun." Oz nudged me and I nodded.

  "Born again Christian," James announced and took another sip of beer.

  "What?" I asked.

  "She got all religious and became a born again Christian," he said again.

  "How do you know that?" Oz asked.

  "Her father is on the board of directors at AIS, idiot," he directed the derogatory comment toward me. "You should really pay a little attention to the chicks you screw around with." He chuckled.

  "Okay, how about Leann, she was always chasing after you in college" Dixon offered.

  "Lesbian," I shook my head.

  "And that’s a deal breaker?" Dixon laughed.

  "I have to have kids with her and don’t think she wants the equipment I can offer," I snorted.

  "Hmmm…" James sat thinking. "What about that Amanda chick you actually went out with more than once? What happened to her anyway?"

  "She was a tad too shy," I winked and he shook his head. "She’s married. I got an invitation to the wedding a year or so ago." Sighing, I sat back in the couch.

  "What about Channa?" James beamed proudly.

  "She was decent. Though, I wonder how she will react to the conditions."

  "You're going to tell them?" Oz asked incredulously.

  "Um...yeah. I think I have to so they don’t think I'm insane for instant marriage and baby." I sat quiet for a minute. "Oh God, I have to get married and have kids." Tipping over onto my side on the couch, I felt no shame for whining.

  "What’s the matter, feel like you are getting up there in age, Aidan?" Sitting up quickly, Lilli's brows teased me with the way she arched them over her eyes.

  "Not exactly," I groaned. She just laughed. James eyed her in her work clothes. I threw a pillow at him. "Focus, James."

  "I say we try Channa. I mean it’s the only positive response you’ve given yet," shrugging as he spoke, his eyes still on Lilli’s ass in tight jeans.

  "Okay, hand me my phone." I bumped Oscar’s arm.

  "You’re going to do it over the phone?" Dixon questioned.

  "No, I need to see if she’ll meet me though."

  "I’m actually glad that I have work today. I don’t think I want to hear anymore about what's going on with you guys." Lilli laughed as she grabbed her bag from the kitchen counter.

  "Later, Lilli," Dixon shouted to her as she headed to the door.

  "Peace out Homey!" she yelled back.

  Dixon cracked a large smile. "She’s fucking crazy," Dixon laughed.

  Oz nodded.

  "Who says that?" James asked with a furrowed brow.

  "Lilli," Oz and Dixon said in unison. James shook his head.

  I moved off the couch and away from their conversation, I could still hear them, though.

  "Didn’t she just get home?" James asked.

  "Yeah, she was at the library studying," Dixon took a sip of his beer. "Now she has to go to work," I turned and caught Dixon’s expression. He looked unhappy for a moment.

  I hung up my phone and sat back down on the couch.

  "So?" James asked.

  "I am going to meet her tonight at that little café down the street from my apartment," I shrugged.

  "That’s my boy!" James reached over and fist bumped me.

  "What if she turns you down?" Dixon broke the feel good bubble that started to form.

  "Who would turn me down?" I joked and sat back on the couch.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Evening arrived quickly and I found myself getting nervous, waiting till the right
moment to leave my place for the small café. I didn’t want to show up too early, but I sure as hell didn’t want Channa to get there before me.

  After being seated, I was only waiting for about five minutes when Channa arrived. I stood from the table as the hostess brought her over and pulled her chair out.

  "Aidan," she smiled. "It’s been awhile, how are you?"

  Channa was always a nice girl and I was sure she hadn’t been happy when I broke the relationship short and never called her again. I couldn’t help it, I tended to get bored quickly. Now, there was no other option. This was it and my gut was churning.

  "I’ve been good, busy with work," I answered, giving a half smile.

  “I’m so sorry, Aidan.” Channa’s eyes dropped to the table.

  Confusion washed over me.

  "About your grandfather—I read he passed away." She placed a hand on mine.

  "Thank you," I gave a small smile. "Um, Channa, I was wondering…are you seeing anyone?"

  She looked a little taken back, pulling her hand from mine.

  "Uh, no. Why?"

  Launching straight into my situation, I watched her face go from finding it funny, to depressing and then what I was afraid of—disgust.

  "Aidan Iverson, you think you could buy me? That I'm just something you could use to get what you want, again!" she tossed her drink in my face and stormed out.

  I rose from my seat to go after her, but couldn’t make my feet cooperate. Slumping back into the chair, I grabbed the white napkin and wiped the liquid from my face. This was going to be a lot harder than I expected.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Telling Oscar was embarrassing enough. But James and Dixon’s wisecracks were pissing me off. This time we met at my place to discuss the demise of my social life.

  "So who’s next?" Dixon wore a big dimpled smile on his face. "This is getting fun. It’s like dial-a-chick!"

  "Shut up," I growled.

  "Aww, poor wittle, Aidan." Dixon teased, lounging back in the overstuffed chair. "You got rejected from one of the girls you fucked and dumped. Who didn’t see that coming?" He laughed, boisterously.

  "Okay, so who else, Aidan?" Oscar patted my shoulder. The couch shifted when he sat next to me.

  "I don’t know," I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "This is pathetic."

  "Yeah, we know," James mumbled.

  I glared at him.

  "Okay what about Hannah? She was hot." James wiggled his brow.

  "Yeah and completely annoying," I argued.

  "Gina?" Oz threw out there with a snicker.

  "Are you fucking kidding me right now? Please tell me you’re joking." I glared.

  "Who’s Gina?" Dixon asked.

  "She stalked me for almost a year after one night together, proclaiming we were "meant to be"." I rolled my eyes.

  "Well, it sounds like stalker was right, dude," Dixon laughed.

  "No way. I’m not calling Gina, not talking to her, not even letting her get wind of this." I got up for another beer, needing a moment away.

  "I say you at least try Hannah then. What other option do you have, unless you want us to start fixing you up on dates?" Oz wiggled his eyebrows.

  "Oh God…is that the only option left?" Putting my head down to my kitchen counter, I grunted.

  "I told you, I have a pretty cool friend," Dixon threw out there again.

  "I work with a woman that I could fix you up with," Oz threw out there.

  "Dude, you are so screwed!" James laughed loudly.

  "Thanks, James." I smacked him in the head on the way back to the couch. "I appreciate the support and apparently you don’t care too much about AIS, since our family will lose it to the damn directors." I snarled.

  He put his hands up in surrender.

  "Okay, okay, I’ll see if I can figure something out. Want me to call one of my friends?" He grinned.

  "No. Can we try for a decent girl, please?" I shot back and he laughed me off.

  "So that’s a ‘yes’ to being fixed up, right?" Dixon wanted clarification. I sighed, nodding by acceptance of blind dates. "You are going to love my friend. I just gotta convince her to do this." He grinned around the beer bottle.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Colored lights swirled over the walls and floor as I sat at Club, Inc., waiting for my blind date courtesy of Dixon. It was only a couple hours after the club opened, so the crowd was still sparse. Sitting with my eyes trained on the door, I sat nervously waiting.

  "Expecting someone?" Lilli stood smiling from behind the bar.

  "You could say that." I gulped my drink.

  "What’s she look like? Maybe she’s already here." She asked nicely as she scooped ice into a large glass blender.

  "I’m not quite sure."

  "Are you on a blind date?" She looked amused, a smirk creeping over her lips.

  "Maybe," I scowled. "Dixon—"

  She burst into a fit of laughter. "You let Dixon set you up? Of all the people…" Her body shook from amusement, walking away to put the ice on the blender stand.

  "Lilli!"

  I spun on the bar stool, and watched a petite woman run up to the bar. She almost threw herself over it.

  She was attractive and super tiny. She couldn’t be more than five foot two, if she was lucky, super thin with a really short platinum pixie haircut. I bet she could easily work for Disney as a fairy or something.

  "Look what the cat dragged in!" Lilli yelled back.

  "Please, nothing drags me anywhere," the tiny woman gave a fake insulted look.

  They embraced over the bar. The way Lilli’s ass was pushed out as she leaned across the bar, I couldn’t help but stare at it.

  "I do the dragging" the tiny girl responded and giggled.

  Her giggle was almost musical. By looking at her profile, I could tell her fine, delicate features matched the rest of her tiny frame. A little tiny for my tastes, but she was pretty.

  "So, what are you dragging in here tonight, hooker?" Lilli slid off the bar and started pouring a drink before placing it in front of the tiny girl.

  "Dixon set me up with one of his friends—" Lilli burst into laughter.

  It took me a moment, but I realized this was my date.

  "What’s so funny?" Tiny blonde narrowed her eyes.

  Lilli shook her head and pointed at me.

  "Aidan?" The girl looked over to me with a smile and headed in my direction.

  "Yeah. Phoebe?"

  She nodded and stuck out her hand.

  "Can I get you guys anything before you go to a table?" Lilli appeared.

  "I’m good, what about you?" Phoebe looked from Lilli to me.

  "No, I think I’m good, too."

  Lilli smiled an incredible smile and went back down the bar. My eyes were still attached to her ass, it took everything in me to look away before my date noticed.

  "So you know Lilli?"

  "Yeah, sort of. I’m friends with Dixon—obviously—so I’ve met and hung out with Lilli a couple of times through him."

  She smiled at me in a weird way. Then she led us to a black table with a rounded red booth. Dance music started to kick into full gear but Phoebe didn’t want to dance. Instead, she insisted on talking.

  "So, why did someone as attractive as you agree to a blind date?"

  "I could ask you the same thing," I turned her question around on her.

  "Hmm…you could but I asked first," she argued.

  "Touché. Let’s just say I’m having a hard time meeting the right girl." I answered as honestly as I could without telling her too much. Taking my drink, I was mid gulp when she responded.

  "So, it’s hard for you to find someone who will marry you, huh?" She giggled when some of my bourbon shot out of my mouth and nose. "Ewww," she screeched.

  "He told you about it?"

  Phoebe was already nodding and laughing.

  "And you still agreed to meet me?" I raised my eyebrow as I wiped my face on a paper napkin.

  "Oh, ho
w could I not come and see this situation in person? It’s just too good to pass up." She laughed again. "Besides I get to visit Lilli for the night," she motioned over to Lilli, waving when Lilli looked over. Lilli smiled and flipped her off. Phoebe giggled.

  "So, this is not something—"

  "Oh, there is no way I am marrying you or having your babies," she smiled. "No matter how hot our children would be," she nudged me with her elbow. I laughed.

  Phoebe and I talked. While, she was really cool, there was nothing more than friendship building between us. After an hour of hanging at the table, we moved to the bar. Phoebe and Lilli went back and forth with stories about Dixon. Turns out they all had gone to the same high school and the girls came to New York together for college.

  "Oh hey, how’s your dad?" Lilli’s face dropped.

  "He’s good." She answered quickly.

  "Lilli?" Phoebe used a warning tone.

  "He’s fine. He’s healthy and that’s what matters." Phoebe was about to speak again but Lilli put a finger up and went down to help some people.

  "Damn girl is so stubborn!" Phoebe huffed.

  Finishing a text to Oz and James to come meet me at the bar, I figured they could help me scan the bar. Especially since Phoebe and I were not going to be getting together. I knew it was a desperate act. But I only have ten months. And while that seems like a lot of time to most people, for me it was ticking away quickly.

  Dixon bound up to the bar in a pair of black jeans and long sleeve white shirt.

  "How are things going?" Dixon smiled.

  I smacked his arm.

  "Thanks for disclosing my ridiculous life to strangers, asshole," I laughed.

  "Hey, I can’t help it if the evil elf is an interrogation specialist. She wanted details, and she gets what she wants," he chuckled.

  "It’s true." Phoebe shrugged, unashamed.

  Oz and James came strolling in about thirty minutes later. James, in one of his dark suites and blue ties, raised his eyebrow at me and shifted his gaze to Phoebe then back to me. I shook my head. He tried not to laugh and I flipped him my middle finger.

  "What do you guys want?" Dixon yelled over the music.

  "Beer us!" Oscar yelled.

  Phoebe turned around surprised by the voice so close behind her. She scowled at him for yelling over her but Oz’s face fell into a trance as he looked down on teeny, tiny Phoebe.