by Claire Angel
She took a long deep breath and I could see she was trying to calm herself down, so I gave her space and time she needed. The lobster was delicious, but somehow, I couldn’t concentrate on the flavor. All I was thinking was how desperately I wanted her to agree to help me so that I can help her. More than helping, I think I wanted that kiss.
“It’s okay; I don’t think there is a manual for this type of thing exactly, so we will have to play it by ear. I just feel like your end of the bargain is hollow and that I’m just going to use you for your money. My mother didn’t raise me like that. I’m not someone who appreciates lies or any form of deceit. Yet, here I am considering a great false marriage, going to court to get custody for your child and then just raise the curtains afterward. I don’t know if I can do that.”
“I see. In that case, let’s agree to be friends, because I really do enjoy your company.” That was all I could say. Each and every word she just had said was true and I respected her for that, but I was selfish.
She smiled apologetically and then nodded her head gently. “Agreed.”
The rest of the evening, we talked about the weather, the staff on the yacht, my business, my father and what I was planning for the future. I knew she didn’t know that I was a billionaire. She was surprised when she first saw my limo and boarded this yacht. Her innocent green eyes had widened and she was trying to hide her reactions. I was falling for her innocent reactions and questions. Each time I stopped talking, she had another question ready. So, I ended up talking about myself the whole time.
“We should leave now. I don’t want you to be tired for the whole day.” It was already too late, as she had to open her café the next day and I knew the reason behind her red eyes.
“Oh no! I didn’t realize it’s so late.”
We got inside the limo and on our way back, I could see that she was getting tired and sleepy. “You can have some sleep; it’s almost an hour’s drive,” I offered, as she could easily catch a power nap on the way back home. She agreed and placed her head on my lap. I didn’t expect this. As I looked down on her delicate silhouette, I brushed my fingers through her hair. She liked it and soon she fell asleep. I leaned my head back on my seat, looking above at stars in the night from the sunroof and wondered if there was any way to convince her to help me.
An idea formed in my head and I sent a message to the driver. He replied back with a thumbs up and I relaxed back into the seat, still brushing my fingers through Diane’s hair.
∞∞∞
As the driver stopped, I woke Diane up softly. “Hey, Diane. We’re home. I know this wasn’t part of our agreement, but I wanted to show you something.” She woke up slowly and when she found we were not at her place, she looked at me suspiciously.
“You trust me? I think you’ll appreciate this.”
She nodded in acceptance and allowed me to lead her towards the house.
As we entered the lobby, my butler asked, “Would you like to have some drinks, sir?”
“You want something, Diane?”
“No.”
He turned to leave. Diane, on the other hand, froze on the spot. “You have a butler?”
I smiled at her question. “Yes and there are also four maids, one cook and one nanny on my staff.” For a moment, she just looked at me and then I could see her eyes caught sight of something. I followed her gaze towards the Van Gogh on the wall behind me.
“No way!” she exclaimed, walking towards it. “This should be in a museum.”
“Well, technically, you’re right. This piece does belong in the museum, but it also belongs to me and I have it on loan for a few days a year. Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to announce it, as it is a high-risk piece. But I do enjoy coming home and looking at my favorite painting. The orchard in front of the factories in the back just reminds me that hard work is behind everything that is worthy and beautiful.”
Diane was transfixed by the detail of the painting, then she turned around to face me. “Is this what you wanted to show me?” I just smiled at her and took her hand, leading her upstairs.
As we approached the door, it was only slightly open. I turned around, putting my finger on her lips. She trembled and her green eyes grew bigger again. As she looked into my eyes, I signaled for her to relax.
She shook her head and followed my instructions and we both entered the room quietly. Inside, Kayla was snoring softly. Her nightlight was on and the little soft pink stars danced across the ceiling.
Kayla was lying on her back with her arms spread out next to her head; her mouth was softly sucking on an imaginary pacifier. Her curls framed her cute face beautifully and she did indeed look like a little angel. My heart swelled with pride and I just wanted to hold her tight and never let her go. She really made my world go round.
Diane placed her hand on my shoulder and whispered in my ear, “We should let her sleep.” We got out of Kayla’s room.
Diane turned towards me and said, “I will do this for you. I can see that you love her dearly and she is darling. You are doing this for your family, for your daughter; and I will be doing this for my family, my mother.”
For a moment, I was shocked. I didn’t really think this would convince her this fast. I was hoping, but I had thought it would be a long shot. I stepped closer and gave her a hug, picking her up from the floor. She giggled and I slowly put her down. I could feel her body heat as she was so close and her hands were on my chest. My member twitched at her soft touch. But this time, I didn’t want to repeat the same problem and then say sorry again. I moved back quickly as I didn’t want her to realize how much she was affecting me.
“Thank you, Diane. Thank you so much for understanding and helping me.”
“Now it’s your turn to help me. Drop me off at home,” she said smiling. We made our way downstairs and returned to the limo to drop her off.
∞∞∞
It was the day for signing the papers and I had the strangest feeling. I knew every time we were together, I had to control myself to keep it formal. She looked fantastic in her pencil skirt and suit jacket. I had provided her with an advance so that she could afford to hire more staff at the café. The extra sleep and rest had done something good to her. Her face was fresh and her smile was actually full and authentic.
My attorney had prepared all of the paperwork and Michael was there to assist us with any questions and to sign as a witness. Diane was also glad to see another familiar face, as she looked slightly nervous. And I was relieved that I didn’t have to face her alone. As usual, the contract was long and each page had to be signed. But with each signature, I was getting one step closer to having full custody over my daughter.
“Well, that’s all. The paperwork is complete. So, how does it feel to be legally married?” Michael asked.
We both looked at Michael with uncertainty and I then looked over to Diane. I could see her head tilted slightly to the right. It made me laugh and as she turned to look at me, she started laughing as well.
“Well, we’re not going to do the ‘you may kiss the bride’ part, but it sorts of feels the same as before,” she replied.
I knew what she meant, but I was still regretting missing a chance to kiss my bride, especially when she looked extremely sexy. I didn’t really want to skip over that part so quickly. “Can we go out and celebrate?” I saw her smile fading and the cute knot formed on her brow.
“Not sure why we should celebrate a fake marriage?”
“Well anything sounds stupid if you say it like that, but I was thinking more along the lines of celebrating a successful business agreement. Michael, what do you say? Are you game for a drink?” Maybe by inviting Michael along, Diane could understand that there was no hidden agenda or questionable intentions. With that thought, I turned back to Diane. “Please invite your friend Mimi; I’m sure both Michael and Jared would love to catch up with her again. If you want to invite someone else, you are welcome to.”
Her face lit up and she excitedly agre
ed. “Yes, I’m sure she would love to join us. So, do you have a specific place in mind?” Michael came up with a suggestion and we all agreed to meet at six. Michael escorted Diane to the entrance and jokingly congratulated her again on her fake marriage. She left and my heart was sinking to the bottom of the ocean.
I turned my attention to my phone and dialed Jared’s number. “Hi, Jared. I’m legally married now; the contract has been signed and the divorce will be handled once the custody case gets closed.”
Jared could hear that I was not entirely thrilled by the event and it never took him much time to know if something was bugging me. “So, you want to go out and celebrate your fake marriage to your fake wife that you want to not fake fuck?”
“Jared, please don’t make it harder for than it already is. She is in it to help me and herself and she is not interested in me. I’ve tried to kiss her and every time it backfired. I’m confident that she has no feelings for me. This sucks and I fucking hate women, but I need to do this.”
Chapter 8
Diane
“Diane, why is your hand is shaking like that? Is everything okay?”
I looked down at my hand. I was reaching for my brush and my hand was uncontrollably moving. “I think everything is fine; I’m just a bit rattled by everything that happened today. I’m still not sure if I’m doing the right thing. I almost feel like I’ve made a deal with the devil.”
“Well, I’ll tell you this; he is as handsome as hell, so maybe you did make a deal that you will regret for the rest of your life. Instead of agreeing to a fake marriage, you should have bargained for the real deal.” I had to laugh at her play of words, but I knew that the real deal would not be possible. I was not ready to get my heart broken into pieces again.
“Maybe if circumstances were different and we didn’t need each other as we do and we could have taken things slowly, sure. I would have fallen for him. But as things are, we have a rigorous agreement; we will remain friends and only friends till the end of the contract, then we will get divorced without any major issues or publicity stunts.”
Mimi started laughing and said, “That is the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard.” I just waved her off. She liked to stir things up, but there was nothing in the proverbial pot. Everything was set in stone; a neat package, conveniently wrapped in legal paperwork. Now, if I can only cover my heart and hide it away.
∞∞∞
As we arrived at the cocktail bar that Michael recommended, we found the boys had reserved a table close to the dance floor. Xander looked impressive in a black, loose fitted shirt and jeans that fit tightly around his ass. His muscular legs were visible through the denim and I took a moment to appreciate his body. Xander was a god among men and as I started drooling again, the siren got on in my head again.
Damn my self-imposed rules; he is my husband. Why can’t I at least appreciate him?
As if he heard my thoughts, he turned around and welcomed us to the celebration. He placed his arms casually around my shoulders and introduced me to everyone as his new wife. I felt my cheeks turned red and the heat was reaching my ears. I had butterflies in my stomach.
Xander turned towards me and asked, “Can I get you a drink?”
“No, thanks.” Next moment Mimi nudged me in the ribs with her elbow, indicating that I was being rude. “Sorry. Yes, please. Can you get me a gin and tonic?”
Xander just grinned at me and then turned towards Mimi. “And for you?”
“You can get me the same. Thank you.” He looked quite pleased with himself and walked off to the bar. “Why are you so difficult? Even if you are only friends, he can still buy you a drink. Loosen up. Otherwise, this trip is going to be a very rough and uncomfortable ride for all of us.”
I felt guilty and realized that everyone in the group knew what was the truth and they were all willing to play along so that we could help each other. I had been so narrow-minded that I missed the support and encouragement that was surrounding me. I leaned towards Mimi. “I’m sorry; I didn’t realize that I’ve been acting like a bitch. I promise from now on, I’ll be on my best behavior.”
She smiled at me and said, “Good girl.” We hugged and laughed out loud.
And the mean time, Xander returned with our drinks and after a few sips, Mimi asked if I would join her on the dance floor. Xander was just about to say something to me, so I told her that I will join her shortly. Michael offered to join her and Jared followed closely behind, not wanting to be left out.
We started talking about how weird it was that everything was still the same as before. “I wonder if real married couples also experience the same thing and if getting married really doesn’t change much between two people?”
I could see the question made him think, but he just shrugged and added, “Don’t know, as I haven’t been truly married before. Lolita and I moved in together for Kayla only. That was over so quickly, I don’t even think I really noticed the change in my lifestyle.”
This time it was my turn to be left with thinking about his comment. It felt so natural to talk to him like we had been friends for years and even the short silence between us felt so comfortable and warm. Even though I kept fighting my naughty thoughts every time he was around.
“Thank you for everything that you are doing for me. I really do appreciate it. I have been able to rest this past week, sleeping in a bit and catching up with the outstanding accounting.” As I looked into his eyes, I felt he was doing this just for his daughter. I smiled softly and he raised his hand towards my face, but he pulled it back and he ended up brushing my knee with his knuckles. This was the first time when he completely froze, looked at me like he did something terrible.
I instinctively reach out and touched his hand, “It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
His expression changed from guilt to self-righteous in a second from his flat and expressionless face. “I know.” He looked away towards his drink and took a sip.
Slightly unsure of how to respond to his comment, I turned towards the dance floor to see if I could spot Mimi and I saw that they were having fun; laughing and dancing and making moves according to the beat of the song. They almost looked like teenagers trying to fit into their own bodies. Wanting to be part of the fun, I turned back to Xander, touching his forearm. “Please, come and dance with me.” Giving him my winning smile, I was hoping I could convince him to relax and to join me.
But instead of the reaction that I expected, he pulled his arm from my hand and said, “No, thank you. Dancing isn’t part of the contract.” He stood up and just walked away in the opposite direction from the dance floor.
What on earth just happened? Did I say or do something wrong? How was it possible that we were casually chatting one moment feeling like friends and then the next moment, he turned ice cold and just walked away? I was really confused about his behavior and I hoped that the rollercoaster of emotions wouldn’t be the norm in the future as I knew I was not going to stand that. I had to confront him because dancing wasn’t explicitly stated in the contract, but even just talking in a civil and respectful manner wasn’t expressly stipulated. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to complete my end of the deal if I was going to be treated like this.
Irritated by his sudden change in behavior, I was upset and I didn’t feel like going onto the dance floor, so I turned back towards my drink and wondered if I shouldn’t just leave altogether.
“What just happened? You all right?” Mimi was standing next to me; she must have noticed me from the dancefloor.
I shook my head and looked to her with disbelief written all over my face. “I have no idea.”
“Ah, men. They are sometimes so sensitive and maybe he just needs some time to adjust. Come dance with us. Don’t let him get to you. The music is entertaining and I need a wingman. Jared is really trying hard to get with me and I don’t want to leave innocent Michael all by his lonesome.”
I followed her to the dance floor looking back
over my shoulder to see if Xander was back, but I didn’t find him anywhere.
As we joined Michael and Jared, we noticed that there was some tension between the two and Mimi tried to dissolve it by teasing them. “Just remember, boys. When two dogs fight over a bone, a third will walk away with it.”
Michael just gave a half-hearted smile and Jared gave a fake laugh, “No one is fighting over a bone. We were just fooling around.”
Jared grabbed Mimi and twirled her around; she laughed and I could see that Jared was really captivated by her. Michael was a gentler soul and would probably not be as aggressive in his pursuit, but he was struggling to take his eyes off of Mimi.
I leaned towards him and whispered in his ear, “If you really want to catch her attention, be at her next game and cheer her on. She loves to be supported and cheered on and it’s the encouragement that she values very highly.”
He smiled at me in a gentle manner and whispered back to me, “Is it that obvious?” I just laughed at him and nodded. The laughter quickly brought Mimi’s attention back to Michael and we were dancing as a group again.
Chapter 9
Xander
The only place I could think to escape to was the bathroom. Luckily, it was relatively empty. I hated public toilets and I hated women. What the fuck was up with Diane? Was she trying to seduce me? She was so fucking hot and sweet; her touch made me burn for her and I could barely contain my desire. She had to know how much power she had over me. Otherwise, why would she taunt me like that?
I looked at my reflection in the mirror and I noticed that I was snarling. Man, I hoped I wasn’t too rude to her. But she needed to keep her distance, I couldn’t get emotionally involved with her.
I realized that I was acting like an idiot, as there was the possibility that she had no hidden agenda or had meant to make me hot. Maybe we should just talk about it like adults and perhaps I should just explain to her that I wasn’t interested in a relationship. I had seen before how marriage could destroy a relationship. Look at my parents. Mom had loved Dad’s gentle side and enjoyed the love he gave her when they were friends and even in their relationship before the marriage. But when they got married, that same gentleness became the flaw that she could not forgive and she wanted him to be a ruthless and ambitious businessman.
