by Lauren Wood
“Yeah, I got that from the messages. All six of them.”
“Sorry.”
“I am on my way home now.”
“Good how long is it going to be till you get here? I am right outside.”
“You're outside my place?”
“Well yeah. We really need to talk. Do you know why?”
He was asking me how much I knew without really asking me and I agreed that we needed to talk. Really badly.
“Yeah, I know why hubby.”
“Well I just found out from my brother, so like I said…”
“I know, we really need to talk.”
“Right.”
“Well, I will be home in a few minutes. I am on my way now with a couple of bags of groceries. I will see you out front in a minute.”
“Great, see you then.”
He didn’t sound as desperate as he had on the messages that he’d left while I was in class. I guess that was encouraging, but I was still remembering my own feelings when I’d found out. I had about swallowed my tongue and even now, I felt like I was sinking into the floor when I did.
I was not looking forward to this conversation. The truth was that he hadn’t been so nice this morning. The guy I’d met the night before had been a kind gentleman, but in the morning, he’d been just a jerk. That’s what bothered me the most. It had was the fact that I didn’t know which Scott I was going to get. That overshadowed the whole marriage thing.
The marriage could be taken care of quickly. We’d just get it annulled. It’s not like we did anything anyways. So that would be done and over with, never to be worried about again. I wasn’t going to let it bother me. But if he was a jerk about it like this morning, talking down to me, this wasn’t going to be a good visit.
I walked down Sycamore and I saw him standing in front of my house. He was leaned against the car in the driveway that I assumed was his. The guy that was sitting in the car, looked to be a driver and I knew that I’d underestimated him. Maybe I should have done an internet search first like Cindy did. He was rich and powerful, the kind of guy that I had to work with, but tried to stay away from in my personal life.
He finally saw me walking up and I plastered a smile on my face. It was fake as hell, but I figured that Scott was used to seeing that sort of sentiment.
“Here, let me get your bags.”
I was ready for bear and then he goes and does something like that. Why is he helping me?
“Yeah, sure.”
He takes several grocery bags from my hands and I fiddle with my keys for a minute to open the door.
“You walked?”
“Yeah, everything is close and it’s good exercise.”
I couldn’t afford a car with tuition and rent, but I wasn’t going to say something like that to Scott. He’d most likely never had a problem like that. I was trying to gauge how he was going to act, but he didn’t give much away. I don’t know why, but I was noticing how cute he was, instead of other things that I needed to learn.
I knew now the exact color of his eyes and the dimple that appeared on his rigid cheeks when he smiled. Or the wisp of smoke that I caught when I got a little closer.
“I can’t imagine life without a car.”
“And a driver it looks like.”
“Yes, Ernest is a godsend.”
I didn’t comment, because it wasn’t going to be nice. We were from two very different sides of the track and I didn’t know how to relate to him. It was impossible really.
“Well, come on in Scott, though I guess you remember this place. Was Ernest waiting outside for you this morning?”
“Actually, he was.”
“Well I guess that takes care of how we got home and didn’t remember driving.”
“Yes, it does and if you give me a few minutes of your time, I will be able to shed light on the rest of it as well. I’m sorry for being so curt with you this morning. It was a lot to take in.”
I guess that it was as close to an apology as I was going to get. There was nothing else that he was going to say and if he did, it would probably sound as rude as it did now.
“Well please, shed light away. I am just going to start dinner. Are you staying?”
The car outside was running, and he had a look on his face that told me that he hadn’t even thought about it. That was most likely because of the type of girl I was. He must have really hated to find out that we were married.
“Um, yes, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course not Scott. What sort of wife would I be, if I didn’t take care of my husband?”
His smile was forced and mine was finally legitimate. It was the first humorous thing that I’d seen all day.
“Good, at least you’re not a complete stiff.”
Scott
I was still trying to figure out how I felt about Anna. She was a trip. That’s all I could say about her at the moment. She knew about the marriage apparently and she still had the wedding ring on her hand. Did that mean that she knew about it all, because my brother had brought her in on it? Had he paid her to marry me?
I don’t know why, but that thought was highly disturbing, and I didn’t want to think about things like that.
“So, tell me what you know about what happened last night? I found out the highlights from my friend Cindy. She was one of the other people working your party last night. Do you remember her? She had blonde hair?”
I shook my head in response. “All I remember is you.”
That got a little bit of a blush on her face and it felt like I was seeing the softer side of Anna. There had certainly been a softer side to her this morning. That was before I found out she was my wife.
Well she told me that we got married by some priest that was there. “I am trying to track him down and figure out if it is even a legitimate marriage. I don't actually think it is. Maybe it was just some guy dressed up, you know, like a gag.”
“If only that were true Anna. I think the marriage is real and the priest was too.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because I think I know what really happened.”
She didn't prod me to tell her, but I could see in her eyes that she wanted to know. It was all of the questions that I had asked her this morning and neither one of us had the answer to.
“So, I don't know if you know who I am, but my family has a very large company in the city. My brother is a couple years older than me and was supposed to take on the company when my father retired. Then things have come to light about Jeff and my father doesn't think that he can handle it. He told him that if he didn't straighten up, he was going to give the company to me.
“That seems kind of cruel.”
“You haven't even heard the worst part about what Jeff did.”
“No, I mean your dad. It seems wrong to pit brother against brother. How are you ever supposed to get along?”
Her words were not off topic, but they threw me off just the same. I had never thought about it like that. I had always blamed my brother for the way he acted, but it did seem rather strange that my father set it all up to happen. Surely, he must have known that something like this would occur from competition.
“He wanted us to have competition and conviction.”
“Well by the looks of it, you have done pretty well with both of those things.”
It should have been a compliment, but it wasn't said in a way that made me feel like it was. It was like she was bothered by the fact that I had money.
“Yes, I guess we have. But like all clichés, a lot of them are true and my brother is greedy. He never has enough and even though the trust funds that we both have will sustain us for the rest of our lives and whatever endeavor we want to accomplish, he has decided that all he wants is the company. My father's company means a lot to us and Jeff is convinced that he has to sabotage me and my life, to make sure that he wins it.”
“I can sympathize with that. It doesn't seem like too many people are actually ha
ppy for you when you're happy, you know?”
“Yeah, I do know. So, while Jeff didn't tell me everything, I can pretty much figure it out. He most likely stuck something in our drink, but I really have no idea what it was. I was thinking about going down to the clinic and getting tested. My doctor will let me know what was given to us.”
“I am not all that worried about it. I used to not drink at these parties at all and I think this is just a reminder of why. I will make sure that it doesn't happen again.”
“That isn't enough though Anna. And that's not all. We got married and now I can't get married. I can't even talk to my fiancé. Lexie is not the type of girl to forgive and forget. I don't think she's ever going to talk to me again. But more than that, I'm going to look bad in the eyes of my father. It is one thing to make a mistake, but it is another thing to get married to a stripper the day before your wedding. It is going to look bad on the family.”
Her face changed a little bit and I sort of wish that I would have said it a different way. I needed her as an ally, not an enemy and it wasn't starting out very well. Most likely it was my fault. Sometimes I have been told that I was a bit too abrupt with people.
“It really has nothing to do with the fact that you’re a dancer Anna. It has nothing to do with that at all. It is the fact that we got married at all, right before I was supposed to get married to someone else. The fact that we're going to have to get divorced and it's going to be all over the press. This is going to make a shit storm and my brother knew it. My father is planning on stepping down in two months and there is no way that he is going to give it to me now. I would have done good things with the company, but now it will go to Jeff.”
“I bet more than anything, you hate that he won.”
“I would like to say that it is more than that. That it has to do with the principle, but I think you're right. Worse than anything else, is the fact that Jeff is going to win. He always did find a way to get what he wanted. And it never did matter what he had to do or who he had to go through to get it. I always hated that, and I hate it even worse now that it worked.
“Why does it have to work?”
Of other things that she said, that surprised me the most. She was talking like this wasn't a big deal. Like my brother had not just single-handedly destroyed my entire life. There was no coming back from this.
“How could it not work?”
“We don't get divorced.”
“Huh?”
Now I am the one that is confused.
Anna
The more I heard the story from Scott, the more upset I became. I didn't even know his brother, but I didn't like him at all. Not only had he caused me a lot of trouble, but it was all because of something that he had with money. I didn't understand that, and I didn't like being used in such a way.
“What do you mean, we just don't get divorced?”
“Well, why does it have to be that way? If you get divorced, your dad is going to be upset with you, so why do we have to get divorced right now?”
He just wasn't getting it though. I tried to explain it another way and that seemed to help a little more.
“What I'm saying is, that we just stay married for a little while. At least until your father retires and you get the company.”
He got a little red faced and I wasn't sure why.
“That is not going to change the fact that I married a stripper that I just met at my bachelor party. I don't think there is a good way to spin that.”
I could tell that he was trying to not upset me. Considering how rude he had been before, I actually appreciated it. It wasn't the sort of situation that was going to be easy to deal with.
“Right, well I know that he is going to find out I am a stripper, but it's actually exotic dancer. That's what I call it anyways, because it sounds a hell of a lot better.”
“I don't think changing the name is going to help too much.”
“So what else is the problem? You can never marry a dancer?”
“No, it's the fact that we just met and got married. Or the fact that it was at my bachelor party. I don't think there is any good way to spin that.”
“What if we knew each other beforehand?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that we tell people that we knew each other before and we found each other again at the party or something.”
He cocked his head to the side and smiled at me. Now I could tell that he was starting to get it.
“So, you think if we pretend to be together and some long-lost loves, then maybe it would work?”
I shrugged and acted like I didn't really care. “It has to be better than getting divorced and shaming your family and losing everything. Right?”
I knew what would happen if we got divorced and nothing good would come of it for either one of us.
“Are you sure that it's something that you can do?”
“What do you mean Scott?”
I mean you were young and beautiful. I am sure that you have a boyfriend that is going to be mad to find out you're married.”
I liked the idea that he thought I was beautiful. I would have thought that yesterday, but to hear it after this morning was even better.
“No there is no one. I don't really date all that much because I have a lot going on. I take double course loads and then I work, so that pretty much takes up all my time.”
“So, what are you going to get out of this? I can see that I'm going to get my father's company and get to save some family face ,but what do you get out of it all?”
When I had suggested it, I wasn't really thinking about anything like that. I was more reacting to the nerve of someone trying to take advantage of me in that way. Sometimes revenge was a good enough reason.
“I really don't want anything Scott. I just think that people like your brother need to have a comeuppance every once in a while. You know, to settle out the world. Sometimes it is so off, that it needs a little balancing.”
“I couldn't agree more.”
He smiled at me and I handed him a plate of pasta.
“That was really fast.”
“It's just a quick carbonara, it doesn't take but a minute. Considering that your driver has the car running outside, I didn't want to keep you too long.”
“Well if we're really going to do this Anna, then some things are going to have to change.”
“Like what?”
“Like maybe it is time for you to move in with me. You know, since we're married and all.”
I blanched a little bit at the idea. I didn't even want to think about living with a guy. Especially one that I was married to, when I didn't even remember doing it. We didn't know each other that well.
“That seems like a big step.”
“Well if we are going to really be married Anna, than we need to live together. What would people think?”
I sighed out loud and agreed, even though I didn't want to. He was right of course. We couldn't pretend to be married and live separately. That would never work, and it wouldn't be convincing at all. Then it would make no sense to even pretend that we were married.
“Why do we have to move to your place? Why can't you move here?”
He looked around the apartment and even though it was small, I didn't see what was so wrong with it. It would be a tight fit, but it certainly wouldn't be a problem to add another person. It wasn't that small after all.
“I just think it would be better at my place because I have more space. There is also extra rooms. We wouldn't have to sleep together.”
I was all for starting an argument about this. I don't know why, but I felt like it was something that I needed to put my foot down about. I didn't want him running all over me after all. But he did have a point and my bed was looking a hell of a lot smaller, when I thought about him lying next to me, naked in it.
“Fine, you have a deal. Give me the address and I will come over tonight after work.”
“You can’t go to w
ork.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re married for god sakes!”
“I have to work for tuition.”
“Okay good. Now I know what you can get out of it. I’ll pay your tuition and whatever else you need, and you be my wife until I get the company. Deal?”
It was a shaky deal at best, but it had to work, or it wasn’t going to work. If he wanted to pay me instead, to pretend to be his wife, I figured that was a much better gig, than the one I had. I never liked it much anyways. Not at all, if I was honest with myself. Who would?
“Okay hubby. Deal.”
Scott
It was true what they said about bad news traveling fast. I wasn't even halfway through the bowl of pasta, before I got the call I knew I was going to get. It was a call that I was dreading, because nothing good was going to come of it.
I saw my father's number go across my phone and I told Anna that I had to take it. I knew exactly what this call was about. He wanted to know why I didn't marry Lexie today. And I didn't know what to say. I couldn't tell him the truth. He would never believe me, if I told him what Jeff had done. It was hard for me to believe it myself.
“Scott tell me that what I am hearing is wrong. Tell me that you did not just walk away from her?”
The remark about him knowing one way or another if that was true, if he had just come to my wedding, was on the tip of my tongue. It wasn't like I hadn't gone to all of his weddings, but he couldn't be bothered to come to one of mine. The fact that it hadn't worked out didn’t matter. It was the fact that he had not wanted to come at all that still got underneath my skin.
“I did not walk away from her father. I am sure what you are hearing is not quite the truth.”
“So, did you marry Lexie today?”
“No, I did not.”
I knew that it was best just to be truthful with him or as truthful as I could be. I had a lot of lying to do in the next few minutes and I had to make sure that I didn't waste it on something so insignificant. I had to pace myself.
“Do you want to tell me why the hell you did not? You know that her family is very close to ours.”
