The Engagement Game (Engaged to a Billionaire)

by Gardner, A.

  "Look I have to go but we're not finished with this." I was fuming, resisting the urge to ask Holly what had happened last night. What did she say? What did he say? Did they kiss . . . or more? I try to shake that image from my thoughts.

  "Honestly Kat. I had no idea."

  "Sure." I stare at the glass doors next to me, secretly hoping they'd spontaneously shatter and Holly would have to spend all morning on her hands and knees picking up shards.

  "Holly, can I talk to you about Becca's performance last week?" Mrs. Newman stands up. Her perfume fills the room as she moves. I instantly recognize it. Chanel.

  "Oh of course," Holly replies. "Just a sec, Kat." I heave as she leaves reception. This wasn't the first time Holly and I had issues. Usually they blew over quickly. A buzzing behind the desk interrupts my thoughts. I look behind the desk and see Holly's phone. The screen displays the author of a text message. Rex.

  My head is flaming and I'm overwhelmed with a tightening my throat. I grab the cell phone and look to Holly. She is worlds away in conversation. Before I can talk myself out of it my fingers touch the screen and my eyes wander to an ongoing conversation between Rex and Holly.

  Holly: i had a good time last night. when can i c u again?

  Rex: Thanks for stopping by & thanks for the drink.

  Holly: drinks. lol! r u free later?

  Rex: My free time will be spent at the gym.

  Holly: perfect. i'll meet u for a quick

  Rex: A quick what?

  Swim my mind finished. She better have meant swim or run or spin class or something. She must have been texting that last one as I walked in. My eyes dart to Holly again. That sneaky little . . .

  a game of tennis, my fingers type. In a rush, I hit send. My stomach churns. What the hell did I just do? The reply comes instantly. Excellent. Shall I bring a partner to play doubles?

  ya!

  Holly was going to be pissed. Tennis was the one sport she hated. She couldn't even manage to skate by with enough finesse to fool a dog. Anything with a racket made her look like a ravenous monkey. Another response comes again. See you there.

  I hurriedly erase the texts up to Holly's last one and drop the phone back in its place. Holly finishes her chat with Mrs. Newman and jogs back over.

  "I have to go to work," I say, checking my watch. All I wanted to do was rush out before she figured out what I'd done.

  "Yeah," she sighs. "I'll call you after work."

  "Uh-huh." I jog through the doors, taking in a gulp of fresh air. Oh yeah. She was definitely going to call me.

  * * *

  "You spent how long cooking your ass off and Prince Charming didn't show? Gasp." Sadie was one of the reasons I still worked at Harrison Memorial. We both had been hired at the same time, went through orientation together, and the rest is obvious. She made me laugh and sometimes I found myself questioning how on earth she had a boyfriend.

  "I'm sure he has a good excuse," I mumble. I dig my toes into the soles of my shoes. Sadie would yell like a crazy person if I told her Rex had been with Holly.

  "A good excuse would be nothing short of a diamond necklace and some serious smoozing."

  "Yeah well I'm trying not to think about that." I sort through a tray of medications. "First, I need to bust through this shift." And pray that the sound of Holly's dance shoes never thumped down the hallway.

  "Perv boy at one o'clock," Sadie says under her breath.

  "Ladies," Dr. Saxten chimes in. I hate the way appeared out of nowhere. "You two attending the company fundraiser this weekend?" I completely forgot about that. Mostly because I had no money to donate.

  "Of course." Sadie was an expert at fake smiles.

  "Kat," he continues. When Dr. P said my name I had to refrain from flaring my nostrils. "You going?"

  "Uh-"

  "Who with?"

  "You'll probably stop by with the boyfriend," Sadie butts in. "Right?" I nod.

  "Oh right. Well, I look forward to meeting him. His shiny forehead strolls out of view.

  "You owe me," Sadie quietly remarks. "I just saved you from an awkie convo."

  "What would I do without you?" I joke.

  "We've covered that." She rolls her eyes. "You'd be in splitsville with Dr. Creep over there, and stuck with graveyards." I laugh and grab Earl's chart. My eyes keep checking the time. Any minute I was expecting an angry phone call or a thousand text messages. I lightly knock on the door to Earl's hospital room. A quiet voice tells me to come in. Jack was visiting.

  "How's he doing?" I whisper. Earl's head is straight back on his pillow. His eyes are closed and a dab of drool is trickling down the corner of his mouth.

  "He's had better days." Jack's sitting so the muscles in his arms are perfectly displayed. His hair is messy like he just climbed out of bed, but his soft blue eyes compliment the sharpness of his face. I check the monitor.

  "You look like you've had better days as well," I comment.

  "I didn't get much sleep last night. How was your date?"

  "Well-"

  "Let me guess," he interrupts. "Perfect?" He raises his eyebrows as I shake my head, staring down at papers.

  "The date was canceled."

  "Why?" Jack leans back looking bewildered.

  "Something came up I guess. He wasn't able to make it." I hold my breath and wait for the teasing, the lectures, a rant about how Jack would never do that to me so I should agree to go out with him.

  "Huh." That's his response? Huh?

  "That's all you've got to say?"

  "Things happen," he continues. "You can't help that." I suddenly realize my jaw is hanging wide open. I shift my focus back to Earl.

  My phone buzzes in my pocket. With wide eyes I check the screen, expecting to see Holly's name. I'd been trying to prepare for this moment but the right thing to say never came to me. My heart leaps when I see Rex's name.

  "I got to take this," I mention, stepping outside faster than Sadie could send out a bulk text invitation. My palms are sweaty as I hold the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

  "Kat, I'm glad I caught you." The sound of his voice makes me forget he'd stood me up just hours ago. Okay . . . I didn't forget. But he was calling me during office hours which meant he really did feel bad about it. And had a horrible time playing doubles with Holly? "About last night. I'm so sorry."

  "You have a lot of making up to do," I reply. "What kept you?" The wheels in my head start spinning, wondering if he was going to lie to me.

  "I'll tell you all about it tonight."

  "What's tonight?" I adjust a strand of hair hanging from my ponytail.

  "I'm making it up to you," he slyly replies. "Charles will collect you at eight."

  "I'll be ready." I hold back a squeal. Now I knew how Leah must have felt when she saw that guy from True Blood at Union Square.

  "I look forward to it," he says before he hangs up. I walk back into Earl's room with a gigantic smile on my face.

  "What?" Jack notices my expression has changed.

  "That was him." I refrain from blurting out hundreds of things at once. "He's going to make it up to me."

  "See," Jack nods. "You'll get to see him this week after all." His compliance confuses me, but I go with it. It was nice to have another person on my side. Earl starts to stir. He sits up, wiping the saliva from his lips. An instant smile crosses his face when he sees me.

  "What did I miss?" he inquires.

  "Kat has a date," Jack answers, speaking a little louder. Earl rubs his thinning hair, looking down at the IV in his arm. It bothered him to be hooked up to "computers and nonsense".

  "With who?" His voice is raspy but blunt.

  "Not me Pops."

  Earl looks at me as I check his drip. "Congratulations," he says with a spritely bounce. "I'm very happy for you." I smile.

  "Well that's kind of rude," Jack adds.

  "It's not," Earl argues. He turns to his son. "She deserves someone who knows which end of the razor is sharp." I quietly laugh as
Jack and I briefly make eye contact. His eyes were always brighter when Earl was criticizing him.

  "Here we go with the shaving thing again," Jack mutters. "I told you Pop, I like the scruff. I'm keeping the scruff." He runs a hand over his chin.

  "It makes you look like a homeless person." Earl throws his hand up in the air like it's hopeless.

  "Okay you two," I interrupt. "I'm out. I've got a date to prepare for."

  * * *

  Rex's apartment was . . . I could hardly call it an apartment. It was more like a palace. It had a foyer that went on for miles, a chandelier made of real diamonds, marble floors that looked like they were hand polished daily. I stand in awe at bay windows overlooking the ocean. I can almost hear the rolling waves and smell the salt water. Charles takes my coat. I smoothe my fitted maxi dress just as Rex comes around the corner with a grin on his face. My heart pounds and I hope the evening starts with a hello kiss.

  Rex's collar is unbuttoned. Underneath, I can see the top of his chest. I wobble a bit in my stilettos. I couldn't lose the ability to stand until Rex's arms were around me. Then it didn't matter.

  "Hi," I quietly greet him.

  "Hi." His eyes take in my entire figure.

  "So last night?"

  "I know." He shrugs, looking disappointed. "We should talk about that." Our eyes meet, locking together and desperate for sweet fulfillment. "But first . . ." He takes a step closer. My legs feel even weaker as his hand moves around my torso. I stare at his cocoa eyes, and my lips yearn to be touched.

  He grasps me tight, pulling my body towards his. The tingles return, surrounding my chest. A hand moves through my caramel locks and finally he kisses me. Our lips press firmly together and I close my eyes - drifting to the place I fantasized about. The foyer is silent aside from the faint moan that escapes my mouth. My chest burns as his hand wanders. I don't want him to stop. I want him to pull me to the nearest sofa and undo the zipper on my side.

  "Haha! You're hilarious Helen!" My entire face flinches and the fire in my chest is drenched with ice water. That laugh. No!

  "Mum?" Rex seems just as startled as me.

  "Wooley!" She pulls Rex in for a hug.

  "Wooley?" I whisper.

  "I was a bit husky in primary school. That's all I'm going to say."

  "I was just having a lovely chat with your friend here," she laughs. My stomach feels nauseous as Holly smiles.

  "Hi," she says in her upbeat hostess voice, acting as if we'd never met. "I'm Holly." I stare at her beaming face. It was like being stung by that one annoying mosquito beneath layers of clothes. As Rex politely asks his mother what on earth she's doing in San Francisco, I feel a pinch on my arm.

  "Payback is a bitch," Holly mutters through her teeth. Her sting was worse than her buzz. And with Rex's mom in Holly's favor, I was on the verge of losing it all.

  "Oh deary," Helen coos, placing a hand on Rex's cheek. "I haven't seen you in ages."

  "Yes mum," Rex replies. "I told you to give me ring."

  "I thought a proper visit was better." Helen looked how I expected. Her sleek, brunette hairdo was the same shade of brown. Her royal blue blouse and matching skirt was nothing short of posh. "And who is this?" I break my gaze away from Holly's ridiculous ensemble. Not that her outfit was trashy. It was ultra conservative compared to mine. So not her. It went all the way up to her collar. If Holly's plan was to make me feel like a hooker, she'd succeeded.

  "Mum, this is . . ." Rex stumbles over his words. Was I just a friend, a lover, a coworker? I was even confused.

  "I'm Kat," I answer for him.

  "Oh nice to meet you." As I shake Helen's hand she studies my dress. That was one for Holly, zero for me. Holly puts her arm around Helen as if they're old friends. It's apparent the two of them had been drinking. I can smell the faint scent of alcohol in the hall, but Helen seems to carry herself well. Something her and Holly had in common. "How about the four of us go for a delightful meal?"

  "That sounds like a fabulous idea," Holly encourages her. I sneak a glance at the horrified look on Rex's face.

  "Charles!" Helen shouts down the hall until Charles appears. "Get the car!"

  "Rex," Holly steps in front of me and kisses him on the cheek. My organs practically liquidate and melt down my sides. "I hope you don't mind. I recognized her from that photo you showed me last night." My hand shook. I wanted to slap her.

  "How did-" Rex attempts to avoid eye contact.

  "I spotted her walking around The Four Seasons and thought I'd introduce myself." What the hell was she doing at The Four Seasons. That should have been my next line but I was still waiting to wake up on my couch in a pile of drool. This didn't seem real.

  "Oh." Holly pulls out her innocent look. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

  "Actually-"

  Holly glares at me the instant I open my mouth.

  "Cocktail time," Helen chimes down the hall.

  "Mother," Rex yawns. "I'm actually pretty knackered."

  "Oh nonsense," Helen shakes her head. "You're going. We're all going." I attempt to exchange glances with Rex. I needed reassurance. A wink. A look that said "I'm sorry". Something. I tilt my head but Holly is in the way.

  "The car is ready mam," Charles nods. Helen's face lights up. She follows Charles to a stretch limo and slides in first. I force a swallow as Holly joins her. All smiles and giggles in her cute yet conservative getup. I hesitate when it's my turn. Rex gently touches my arm.

  "I didn't know she was in town," he whispers.

  "Rex, I don't think-"

  "Please," he mutters. "Please come."

  "And that explanation?"

  "As soon as we're alone." That was it. That was my reassurance. I tug on my dress. A week ago, I never thought I'd be dining with a sexy billionaire on a Tuesday night. Now I had a potential mother-in-law to impress and a best friend to crush. So far I wasn't doing too well.

  "Okay," I sigh, hanging onto my dress as I duck into the car. My fist clenches as Holly's fruity perfume fills my nose. Rex sits next to me.

  "So Kat is it?" Helen was finally directing all her attention at me. My forehead felt like it was being fried on a skillet. "What is it that you do?" I gulp. My answer probably wasn't what she was looking for in a future daughter-in-law.

  "I'm a nurse," I politely answer. Holly nods as if it's the first time she's heard this piece of information. It makes me sick.

  "Oh." Helen breaks eye contact. Dammit. "Holly dear, what is it you do again?"

  "I run a dance studio," she proudly responds. A load of bull. She wasn't the owner. Far from it.

  "Yes." She puts her hand on Holly's knee. "I did dance at university. That's just lovely." I feel like sinking into the fabric of my seat.

  "How long will you be staying," Rex asks, looking a tad annoyed. He pulls at his shirt collar.

  "Don't you worry about that." Helen chuckles and looks out the window. Sometimes I thought I knew what she might be thinking, and other times I had no idea. But one thing I did know? She was hard to please.

  "Will you be staying at the flat?"

  "No," she tells her son. "I couldn't be bothered." The car rolls up to The Four Seasons. I feel underdressed. Dressed up but with too little clothing. "Brilliant." Charles opens the door and Helen steps out. She takes Holly's hand and proceeds to tell her all about her last stay in San Francisco. I narrow my eyes, directing them at Holly.

  "Ready to kill me yet?" Rex mumbles, touching my arm.

  "Just about." My brain is stuck on one thing. My competition. "Who is she?" This was it. I gaze at Rex's expression looking for signs of hesitation. A twitch even.

  "Actually we just met," he answers.

  "Really." I pretend I'm not threatened. "I thought maybe she was a cousin or relative or something." Total lie.

  "I'm afraid not," he sighs. His eyes wander through the front doors where Holly is entertaining Helen. I start to feel uneasy. Maybe Holly was the better future fiancé? Snap out of it Kat!
r />   No. She wasn't. I saw Rex first. I was the sensible one. The responsible one (minus the Chad years). I was the friend more frequently described as wife material. Holly could barely butter toast let alone make it perfectly brown instead of a burnt black. We walk inside The Four Seasons. Soft music fills my ears and I'm surrounded again by decor I could never afford myself. I stare at the back of Holly's blond head. A fire lights in my belly and suddenly it feels like high school all over again. I'm studying my opposition, thinking up a strategy before I pounce. Well . . . it worked in lacrosse.

  Helen walks right past reception and into the hotel restaurant without taking instruction from the host. She strolls right up to an open table by the window and sits down. The seating host doesn't object.

  "Their most acceptable table," she says, waiting impatiently for her water to be poured. "Not the best but it's the best they have." I reluctantly take my seat. If this place isn't fancy by Helen's standards she was probably used to dining at Buckingham Palace. I felt completely out of my element. Mostly because I wasn't prepared. There are four forks in front of me. Four.

  "Will you excuse me for a minute?" Holly leaves her napkin on her chair and delicately stands up. She heads towards the restrooms. My lungs are flaming like the rest of me. I'm surprised my head hasn't turned bright red.

  "Me too," I add. "I'll be just a minute." I smile, almost curtsey, and follow behind Holly. I can hear myself breathing as I reach the women's room. My arm pushes the door so hard, I'm startled to see it zoom open. Holly is fixing her hair in the mirror. My heart pounds as I finally confront her. She turns to me with hands on her hips.

  "You have no place to talk," she says before I can open my mouth.

  "Me? What happened to friendship first?"

  "I never said friendship first," Holly points her finger. "We agreed to give each other a fair shot and let Rex decide the rest. You broke that agreement."

  "What!"

  "You messed with my phone this morning," she accuses me. "Admit it!" My cheeks turn red. I knew that was a bad idea.

  "Come on. It was kinda funny."