The Engagement Game (Engaged to a Billionaire)

by Gardner, A.

  "You mean if we'd walked into his room holding hands?"

  "Yeah," I say quietly.

  "Well," he chuckles. "He would congratulate you and tell me not to screw this up."

  * * *

  I watch Sadie's mouth run wild with hundreds of questions. She studies my vacant expression with a hand on her hip.

  "You're not very forthcoming with information, are you?"

  "What more is there to say?" I ask. "You want a complete diary log of everything I've done the last few days?"

  "That would be extremely helpful." She smoothes her red hair and glances at her watch. "I'm just glad you're okay. Why didn't you tell me perv boy was on your tail?" With Dr. Saxten behind bars the news was out. Everyone knew what had happened, but most people kept their heads down. I felt like a sick puppy, getting sympathetic stares and glances from people I didn't know.

  "That's not something I could have casually snuck into a conversation," I respond, lowering my voice. "And I already told you. I'd rather not talk about it."

  "Alright," she sighs.

  "If you need something to obsessive over try this." I hold up my engagement ring. I couldn't stop staring at it. I would purposely walk past the second floor windows more than usual just so I could see the sparkles on the opposite wall. My hand was like a portable chandelier.

  "Yeah I almost forgot about that giant thing on your hand." She rolls her eyes. "Not. Have you started planning?"

  "Barely," I reply. "Jack has been busy with his apartment project and I've been . . . here."

  "You need to get on that girl." She shakes her head. "Time is going to fly by before you know it." I shrug, grabbing a last sip of water.

  "Kat Artino," the speakers announce. "Paging Kat Artino."

  "Probably another room change," I mumble. "See you at break." I walk quickly through the hallway, looking the other way when I pass Earl's old room. It was still a touchy subject for Jack as I expected it to be for quite some time. My heart still sank every time I thought about the funeral. At least the chapel had been full of smiling visitors all with a story to tell.

  The smell of rubbing alcohol fills my nose as I keep my mind focused on each passing white wall. It was the little things that helped me control the freakouts. If I let my mind wander it would take me back to Leah's apartment. The scene would play out second by second and I'd be a paranoid mess. For a while any noise made me jump and I was afraid to go anywhere by myself all week.

  I round the corner and immediately my stomach churns. My visitor is sharply dressed. His smile reveals pearly whites when he sees me. I look around, hoping he didn't come with an entourage. My parents were still getting phone calls from local reporters.

  "There you are," he casually says.

  "I can't talk right now," I blurt out. "I was just paged so . . ."

  "I know," he chuckles. "It was me." He lifts his chin like he normally does when he thinks he's just made a clever move. He gazes at me like I'm dressed in a dazzling ball gown instead of boring scrubs. He takes a step closer as if the ring on my finger didn't mean a thing.

  "Why?" Did he really have to torture me like this? Every time I saw him I was reminded of Holly, and our screw up of a first official date. Time wasted and time forgotten. The scar was still there, and Rex appearing again just meant he wanted to rip it open. "Did I not make things clear enough for you?"

  "You did." He's still smiling.

  "Then what do you want? A favor or something? What could possibly do for you?"

  "You can reconsider." He leans his arm on the counter.

  "Excuse me?"

  "I'm here to ask if you'll reconsider our engagement." His gaze moves down to the diamond on my finger. "I could give you a ring twice that size."

  "My hand would be hard to lift."

  "I can give you exactly what you want."

  "So can Jack," I reply. "And he didn't sleep with me best friend."

  "And I wish I could fix what happened," he sighs. "But I can offer you an apology and a promise that I'll never do anything to hurt ever again."

  "That's a pretty bogus promise," I mutter.

  "What?" He chuckles. "You don't think I can?"

  "Your history is against you," I laugh. He takes a step closer.

  "Then brush all that aside," he suggests. "A fresh start. What do you say?" He leans in, letting his spicy cologne fill the room. It reminds me of the night we first met - the time we'd spent together in his gorgeous flat. Rex's life was nothing but luxurious and with him my life would be luxurious too. But I was in love with Jack.

  "Rex, I can't. You know I can't. Now, you gotta stop playing games with me. You and I are done." He didn't seem fazed by my comment. Instead he takes a step even closer.

  "You don't mean that," he says softly.

  "How would you know what I'm thinking?"

  "Look me in the eye and tell me that you don't feel anything. Anything at all."

  "That's not fair." Looking into his eyes meant reliving the pleasure and the pain. At one point I even thought I was falling in love with him. I couldn't wash those thoughts away over night. I stay silent.

  "So you do still have feelings for me," he responds.

  "I'm marrying Jack."

  "Yes," he answers. "But you're not married yet." I narrow my eyes as he grins.

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "I mean there's still a chance I can make things right between us."

  "Make things right between you and the mother of your baby," I add. Rex nods, looking down at his shiny loafers.

  "Okay," he agrees. "If that's what'll make you happy. I'll do that."

  "Good." I glance around reception. "That's the right thing to do."

  "And just so you know I'm not some kind of barbarian. Of course, I was going to resolve things."

  "I didn't mean-"

  "I'm not the bad guy I think you make me out to be," he continues. "And I'll prove that to you." I still wasn't sure where he was going with all this. As long as he didn't keep showing up and forcing me to choose.

  "You'll prove that to me?" I repeat. Whatever.

  "Yes," he grins. "You wait and see. I'm going to win you back." A part of me feels like it might faint. My thoughts buzz uncontrollably. How was I supposed to interpret that?

  "Rex," I sigh.

  "Kat, you're engaged. You're not married."

  "Your mother is really pressuring you now," I joke. Rex looks amused.

  "This has nothing to do with her wishes. This is what I want." His feet move and I assume that's his closing line. But at a quick pace he suddenly takes a giant step forward, wrapping his hand around my neck and kissing me one last time. His touch brings back the fire we once had. My heart races when he pulls away smiling.

  I'm left wondering why I hadn't stepped back - immediately pulled away when I knew what he was about to do. It all happened too fast, and now I was starting to doubt my decision. But maybe that's what Rex wanted? No Jack is the one, you idiot!

  My thoughts were on a different page than my body. I was still drawn to Rex and the way he commanded a room. He gained the praise of everyone he met whether or not he spoke to them. I had to get my head on straight. No wavering. I couldn't do to Jack what Rex had once done to me. Scumbag.

  Why the hell was I still attracted to him?

  Chapter Nineteen

  6 Weeks Later . . .

  The sun is shining and the leaves around the cafe slowly drift in the breeze before falling to the moist ground. The deep orange of the tree next to me reminds me of Halloween. It wasn't far away and the nurses at work usually wore goofy headbands or painted their faces for the occasion. Last year I wore a witch hat. A few patients got a kick out of that.

  Holly had texted me early in the morning. I assumed she couldn't sleep and I too was having some trouble sleeping these days. Jack was keeping himself busy with renovations, and I'd pouring my heart into work hoping to finally step up into an open management position. Things between Jack and were g
ood, but since Earl's passing we'd both been searching for things that keep us busy. Planning a wedding took up a lot of time. More time than I thought it would.

  I take a sip of my warm tea, watching passing strangers. The open seat in front of me would soon be occupied by a woman I hadn't talked to in months. It felt like years. My last words to Holly weren't friendly ones and the haunted my thoughts once in awhile. Holly was a tabloid regular now. That's how I knew what was going on with her. I read the paper.

  I stare at another leaf as it gently fall from a branch. The swirling yellow is enough to take my mind away from reality for a brief moment. I discreetly glance around, hoping Holly and I wouldn't be joined by a crowd of photographers. I hear heels clanking along the sidewalk.

  Holly is wearing sunglasses. Her dress blows in the breeze as she looks around and spots me. Her hair hangs in perfect curls and her figure is slender. No hint of a baby belly. She covers her face a little and carefully sits down. My heart quickens. I feel nervous. Was this meeting meant to be positive or negative? I didn't know.

  "Hi," I say first.

  "Hi." Holly slowly removes her sunglasses, revealing reddened puffy eyes. My heart drops. Something inside me already knew why I was here.

  "So . . . how have you been?"

  "Okay," she mutters. I glance at the diamonds sparkling on her ears.

  "Nice earrings. They new?"

  She places a hand on her ear and nods. I take another sip of my tea, wondering how long it would take her to get to the point.

  "Kat I-"

  "I know," I say for her. "I sort of had a feeling." I hear her swallow as she fights tears.

  "I mean what with the stress of everything," she sniffles. She rubs her forehead. "I can't believe I lost it." A tear drops down her rosy cheek.

  "Holly," I respond. "I'm so sorry." The news was official and I felt incredibly guilty for what I'd said at my parent's house. Holly had lost her baby, and I couldn't help but wonder if our fall out was partially to blame. "Those things I said."

  "It's okay," she says in a quiet voice. "You were upset. Kat, I miss you." I smile.

  "I miss you too."

  "I don't expect you to ever fully forgive me for what happened but-"

  "How could you have known I'd met Rex that same night," I finished. "I shouldn't have blamed you the way I did." She nods. "Is that a new dress?"

  "Of course," she laughs.

  "Now the real culprit here," I say through my teeth.

  "Rex is a guy, Kat." Holly adjust the glittering bangles on her wrist. "But we've moved past all this." More secrets?

  "So you two are . . . together?"

  "Oh no," she says, waving her hands. "We figured out a long time ago that the two of us could never get along."

  "But you guys are on speaking terms?"

  "Before the sad news," she replies quietly. "We agreed on a settlement. It was more than enough more to take care of me and the baby for . . . well the rest of my life." She breathes out a sigh of relief. "And even after I told him about the baby, he insisted I keep the money."

  "Wow." My eyes go wide. In a way Holly had gotten what she wanted. Without a man attached. "Holly . . . oh my gosh!"

  "I know," she giggles.

  "That explains the new Dolce."

  "It's bittersweet," she answers. "That's the only way I can really describe it." I start to warm up to our friendship again. Maybe we could move on and be the same friends we once were?

  "So you really are okay?"

  "Yeah," she sighs again. "I'm not going to lie though. There are times when I feel depressed. You know, my demons get to me. I was going to quit at work but I decided it would best if I stayed. Being around people helps."

  "And the paparazzi?"

  "Still dig through my trash." She rolls her eyes. "But hopefully that all will die down when I move." I let my cup of tea warm my hands.

  "You're moving too?"

  "To that cute little neighborhood we used to drive around," she excitedly finishes.

  "That's great." I nod and smile. Things were already falling back to normal. Holly was still all about Holly.

  "Yeah." She looks around at passing strangers. Her eyes fall to the ring on my finger. She looks a little surprised by the size of it. "You're engaged?"

  "Yes."

  "Really," she gasps. "To whom?" She curiously tilts her head.

  "Jack."

  "That guy from the hospital you told me about?" Her eyes get wider. Please don't bring up the list. Red flags. Ripped jeans.

  "Yeah," I hesitate to answer.

  "That's-" She stops herself from blurting out her first thought. "That's wonderful." I'm shocked by her response. Obviously she was thinking something different, but it was nice of her to be happy for me. Even if the guy I was engaged to was, to her knowledge, an unemployed frat boy.

  "Thank you," I say, accepting her congrats. "He's actually not the guy I thought he was." Thinking about Jack made me smile.

  "And that's a good thing, right?"

  "A very good thing," I respond. She'd freak if I told her he was a secret billionaire. If I decided to tell her. Maybe I'd see what her real thoughts were first. Come on, Kat. No more games.

  "I'm happy for you." She smiles - her teeth a perfect white like Rex's.

  "I do have one question though." I change my expression to that of the crabby librarian at our old high school. She would shush us to making the floor creak.

  "What?" Holly looks a little apprehensive. She fiddles with the bracelets on her thin wrist.

  "Will you be a bridesmaid?"

  Her face lights up and I can tell this was a welcome distraction she'd been searching for. Was asking her a good idea? I wasn't sure. Because now I would be getting seating arrangements and table cloth patterns via text every night. Her enthusiasm however, was just what I needed right now. I needed someone to gasp (maybe even cry) when I walked out the dressing room in my to-be wedding dress. I needed someone to help me pick out flowers, sample cakes, and persuade my mom to let someone else do the catering.

  "Hell yeah I will!" She leans over the table to give me a quick hug. I move my hot tea just in time.

  "Great," I reply. "Because I still have a lot of planning to do."

  "I'll get right on it." She stands with liveliness in her step.

  "I didn't mean right-" She grabs my hand. "Okay?"

  "How much have you had to eat today?"

  "Uh." I raise my eyebrows. "A piece of toast?"

  "Perfect," she responds, pulling me down the street. "There's a bridal shop around the corner. We're trying on dresses."

  I lowly laugh to myself. An impromptu dress fitting. So Holly. As I speed walk to keep up with her, my phone buzzes in my pocket.

  "Geez," I tease her. "I always forget that you move faster in stilettos than regular shoes." Holly laughs. I pull my phone out my pocket and squint at a text message from Rex.

  I told you I'd make things right.

  Thank you, I reply. Then I quickly open up a new message and add on - but I'm still marrying Jack. Rex responds immediately as if knowing I'd say that.

  Then let the games begin.

  An excerpt from book two, The Engagement Duel.

  Chapter One - Leah

  Needle-like pain pulses in and out of my brain as I struggle to breathe. Two sweaty hands are pressed against my neck. My throat tightens, as does the rest of my body. My spine feels as if it's locked in place. I'd only experienced this feeling of intense terror once before and it happened to be two weeks ago. My big sister's psycho stalker dragged me out of bed by my hair. It was the only time in my life I wished I didn't look like Kat, but we had the same wavy, caramel hair and olive skin.

  My shoulders are pinned against a brick wall and my hands scratch at the arms of my attacker. My thoughts go fuzzy, unable to settle down. I wasn't a stranger to this feeling - dreading a permanent trip to the other side. It was like the horror movies Jenna and I watched weeks ago. I was the slutty cheerleade
r about to get her throat ripped out. The only non-virgin character left. Only I wasn't in a podunk town in the midwest, my attacker hardly spoke english, and I probably deserved this.

  "Consider this a warning," Leron mutters, finally letting me go. My hand immediately rubs my aching throat. I cough, my eyes shifting around the darkened street like a paranoid asylum escapee. Why did I let things get this out of hand? "You have one week. Understand? One week to pay LeRoux back." My hands shake and my muscles remain frozen. I never saw Leron coming. His lanky body blended into the night.

  "Please," I whimper, a tear rolling down my cheek. "Where am I supposed to get that kind of money?"

  "Not my problem." He stares straight through to my soul, making me wish I'd never set foot in France to begin with.

  "I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to mess up, but there were too many rules to remember."

  "You cost him almost half a million euros and you will pay." He lunges forward and waves his giant hand in front of my face. He stops just centimeters from my cheek then chuckles. "See you in a week."

  I'm left standing alone with an ocean breeze blasting through my hair. I thought I was untouchable having escaped a gruesome fate just weeks ago. Turns out I wasn't. I was an idiot. I try to relax, forcing my mind to think of things that didn't involve blood, guns, or disgusting forms of torture. What the hell was I gonna do? Call Mom and Dad and ask them to wire me three hundred thousand euros asap? They would kill me.

  I gulp, looking over my shoulder as I cross the street. My feet take me to the safety of a street lamp. I'd tried out the Bond girl thing. I'd dressed up in one of Jenna's expensive ball gowns and thought I could get away with helping some richy cheat at a high roller's table. Hey, it worked for Halle Berry. But turns out I couldn't even charm my way out of a losing streak.

  I focus on nothing but my steps as I hear waves crashing behind me. I enter the hotel lobby, still in awe that I was staying at a five star resort with decor that included actual diamonds. It was a hotel owned by Jenna's fiancé's uncle. A family I was almost a part of not too long ago thanks to my big sis Kat. She'd almost married hotel billionaire Rex Kinlan. Then he got her best friend pregnant. Reporter's still showed up on my porch asking me what Kat was like in high school. A drag with a loser boyfriend.