by Keys, Sherie
He chuckled to himself and continued. “A man ran into me this morning. Literally. He spilled my coffee all over my shirt, and I started cussing him out before I looked up and saw who he was—Jacob Adamson, the CEO for the company I’m interning at! I was so embarrassed, but he was very gracious. He invited me to lunch. I didn’t understand why.
He is Jacob fricking Adamson, and I’m… just me. But when I got to the restaurant (and it was a fancy one, too!) he had brought his assistant with him. I was even more confused. Why were there two men there? But then the assistant, Jeremy, started explaining the situation, and I couldn’t believe my ears. They needed a nice black girl to marry Jacob—to marry him!—because of a diamond deal he was bringing in from Africa.
It was some sort of gesture of good faith, showing family values and blah blah blah. Anyway, they were offering me this role. It seemed crazy to accept, but then they said it was only for a month, and that I would be reimbursed. And oh my God, how! They are giving me a million dollars to be Jacob Adamson’s wife for a month.
One. Million. Dollars. I can’t believe it! This will pay off my student loans, and maybe the connection will secure me a job in the future. This has been the weirdest day of my life, but if a billionaire decides that he wants to give me a million dollars in exchange for getting fake married… why not take him up on his offer?”
Mr. Kofi Kumi stopped reading then. “There’s more, and I could go on,” he said, “But I am sure you are familiar with the rest. You wrote all about your personal fashion manager, the cook, the wedding… and…” he raised his eyebrows. “The intimate feelings you had.”
Almasi was ashamed of herself, and angry at her own stupidity. Why had she trusted writing in that diary, as if a lock could protect her secrets? And it was bad enough that Mr. Kofi Kumi now knew her terrible secret about the marriage. Now, to add insult to injury, he was flaunting her innermost emotions in her face.
“So, Almasi,” continued Mr. Kofi Kumi. He stepped even closer to her. “It would seem that you’re in a bit of a tricky position right now, are you not?” He reached a hand to stroke her face, and she was too petrified to move away.
“You see, I have something that could very easily incriminate you to my brother. If this diary was to fall into his hands, all this,” he gestured encompassingly, “the diamond deal, the business partnership, and I daresay your husband’s good graces—it all would be gone. Your lavish lifestyle would be no more. You would lose your money, your contract, and your reputation.”
“So what are you suggesting?” Almasi asked cautiously, looking at him in fear.
“I want you, Almasi,” said Mr. Kofi Kumi, he took her hand, and held it tight so she could not wrench it away. “Ever since the very first moment I laid eyes on you in the foyer, I have desired you in the strongest sense. You are beautiful, you are clever, you are educated, you know the ins and outs of commerce and business even better than I do…” he paused. “… and now you are also indebted to me for keeping your secret.”
Almasi shuddered. This was too much. “I could never cheat on my husband,” she said firmly. “I could never betray Jacob.”
Mr. Kofi Kumi laughed. “Ah, but you already have betrayed him. You betrayed him the moment you left an open book with all of this arrangement’s secrets sitting right within my reach. And anyway,” he added. “Do you think he even really loves you? Be honest with yourself, Almasi. He is using you. Jacob Adamson is using you. You are his hired help, and nothing more than that, and I promise you that he will not hesitate to be rid of you when this deal is over.
And if he were to find out about your betrayal… I cannot think what he would say. You would never get your million dollars. You would be back out in the world with nothing, not even your precious internship. You would have nothing, and no opportunities to make anything of yourself.”
“So what is the alternative?” asked Almasi. There were tears running down her face now. She had thought that Jacob had loved her, but Mr. Kofi Kumi’s soft voice and harsh words reminded her that everyone could play games, and that those in the higher positions could play others to get what they wanted. It was her turn to play now, to save her marriage and Jacob’s deal, even if it meant betraying him in a most intimate way. “What can I do to assure that my husband and your brother never find out what is written in my diary?”
“It’s not just intimacy I want from you, Almasi,” said Mr. Kofi Kumi. “No, it’s more than that. I’ve seen your talents, seen your strong spirit and feisty nature. Such a woman is not to be used and thrown away, as Mr. Adamson no doubt intends to do with you. No. A woman like you deserves to be cherished, to be promised a permanent position next to her husband. That is why what I ask of you is more serious than sexual favors.” He looked into her fearful eyes. “I want you to come back to Ghana with me and be my wife.”
What? What? This was crazy. This was too much. Almasi could never leave Jacob now. And yet, she reminded herself, you would have to leave him at the end of the month anyway. And what was her alternative? Allowing Mr. Kofi Kumi to hold this information over her and eventually take it to Jacob and Mr. Arko Kumi? It would ruin her, and it would ruin Jacob. Perhaps this was the best way. Perhaps this was the choice she would have to make.
Mr. Kofi Kumi could see her thinking. “I will give you time to decide,” he said. “Today is Saturday, and my brother and I will be leaving a week from Sunday. You can think about it. But I warn you, if you say no, I will have no choice but to reveal everything.”
He put his hands on Almasi’s waist, and she could feel his breath, he was so close. “We could be something together,” he told her. “Something more real than anything you have with Mr. Adamson.” He leaned in and kissed her full on the lips. Then he let go. “Just think about it.” And with that, he pocketed the diary, turned, and left.
Almasi sank to the ground. This was an impossible situation. What could she possibly do? Either choice was a complete betrayal against Jacob. She felt nauseous. Slowly, shakily, she stood up, and walked out of the lounge, down the hall, up the stairs, and toward the master bedroom. No, she decided. Jacob might be in there.
So instead, Almasi turned and opened the door of the guest room where she had stayed the night before her wedding. It was still the same as it had been nearly a month ago, the sheets neatly folded, and everything kept in perfect condition. The soft pink of the floral wallpaper and the duvet were comforting. Almasi took off her shoes and threw them aside.
She crawled into the bed and buried herself under the big, fluffy blankets. She wanted to die. Everything was too much. She began sobbing, and eventually she tired herself out and fell asleep. She would deal with this impossible situation when she woke up.
Chapter4
A quiet knock on the door and the turn of the doorknob were what eventually awoke Almasi. Looking up blearily, she saw none other than Yifeng come into the room and close the door behind her.
“Almasi!” the young woman exclaimed. “There you are! I was looking all over for you, and Mr. Adamson said he had no idea where you had gone. You need to get dressed for dinner. Here, don’t worry. You only slept for a couple of hours, and we still have some time to get you all ready. I’ll bring your outfit to this room. Let me know if you need anything! You look exhausted,” she said sympathetically. Then Yifeng turned and left to get the dresses, closing the door behind her.
Almasi sighed. Not only did she have to face her tormentor, Mr. Kofi Kumi, but she also had to look at her beloved husband, Jacob with the knowledge that she would be making a decision about how she would betray him soon. She sighed and stood up, walking to the mirror.
She looked at herself, and saw that she was a mess. Yifeng had left her a basin of water with a washcloth, so she wiped the dried salty tears off her face and began to go about fixing her hair. There was no point in looking sloppy, she decided. Even though she felt awful on the inside, she could still be a beautiful woman on the exterior.
There were seven days
left of the visit before Mr. Arko Kumi and Mr. Kofi Kumi were to return to Ghana, and five more jewelry shop tours before Mr. Arko Kumi would be making a decision. Jacob was nervous to start the meeting, but he was also confident that Mr. Kumi would agree to his business proposal. The diamond company owner had initially seemed severe and very, very intimidating, but he had turned out to be a reasonable man, even if he was a little too staunchly set in his traditional conservative ways.
Jacob reported the day’s events to the ever-faithful Jeremy at the end of each and every day, and Jeremy always had some excellent insights about how to get into Mr. Arko Kumi’s favor. It had, after all, been one of Jeremy’s brilliant insights that had gotten Jacob and Almasi together in the first place, and for that, Jacob was more grateful than he allowed himself to show.
Although Jeremy had initially been snarky about it, it was true that this madcap scheme had found Jacob real love at last. Jacob had been doing a lot of thinking, and no small amount of planning, too. He decided that after all of this was over, after the deal with Kumi Diamonds was sealed and the business partners had left for Ghana, Jacob would have a special diamond engagement ring made for Almasi.
Even though they were already married, he was going to propose to her properly this time. He was going to look his beautiful wife in the eyes and ask her to stay with him forever, and this time, he was going to mean it.
He would take her honestly, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, and all the rest of it. All of the vows he had mindlessly made when they had had their quick chapel wedding… they were going to really mean something now.
They had come to mean so much to Jacob, and if he was reading it right, Almasi felt the very same way toward him. So he would propose to her again, and they would be wedded not just lawfully, but lovingly. Jacob smiled just to think of it. He was so, so deeply in love.
Dinner was served at 7:00 as per usual, and Almasi showed up just in time to be kissed on the cheek by her husband and to smile wanly at him before Mr. Arko Kumi arrived, with Mr. Kofi Kumi coming right behind him.
Throughout the meal, Mr. Kofi Kumi did not treat Almasi any differently than usual, but she could feel his eyes on her as she ate her grilled chicken with apricot glaze. Leave it to Mr. Kofi Kumi to spoil one of my favorite meals, she thought angrily.
Her heart sank. This was the man she would have to leave this house with in order to save Jacob’s business deal, his partnership with Kumi Diamonds. This was the man she would have to spend her days with, in order to save the one she really loved.
So she bravely smiled back at him when he smiled at her, and she laughed at his jokes and answered his questions. If she angered him, Almasi knew that she and Jacob would both pay for it. It would be best to just play along. She didn’t know how long she could make this charade last, but as long as she had to, she would do it for Jacob. There was too much at stake to abandon him now.
As long as Mr. Kofi Kumi had her diary, he had all of the power over her in this game. So Almasi miserably chewed her food and played along. This was agony. The worst part was that nobody else even had so much as an inkling that Mr. Kofi Kumi’s intentions were so sinister. He was a charming man, far more friendly than his brother, and Almasi knew that everyone liked him, and so, therefore, she could find no easily explainable reason to avoid him.
He was smiling at her again, and she had to smile back through clenched teeth. He made a joke, and everybody laughed. Even Jacob. Poor Jacob. If only there were some way to know about Mr. Kofi Kumi’s true intentions, he would not be laughing. But there was nothing, not one single thing that Almasi could do. She was completely stuck.
“What is on the agenda for tomorrow, Mr. Adamson?” asked Mr. Kofi Kumi in a totally amicable and innocent tone. Damn him, thought Almasi. Damn him and his false charms.
“We’re going to visit the jewelry shop in Campbelford. It is about an hour’s drive away, but it is worth it to see one of the biggest stores in the Adamson Jewelry Inc. franchise,” Jacob replied.
“Yes,” added Mr. Arko Kumi. “I hear that it is one of your most prolific chains. We will see if it lives up to its reputation,” he said meaningfully.
“Oh, believe you me, it will, Mr. Kumi,” said Jacob jovially. “Campbelford is such an interesting little town. It’s tucked a short distance away from the city, but it’s full of affluent people who love to spend money on jewelry. And,” he added pointedly, “It’s a demographic that would very much be interested in buying diamond rings, earrings, necklaces, tiaras. You name it. Diamonds are the trend in that area.”
Mr. Arko Kumi nodded. “It sounds promising,” he said. “We shall see.” And with that he launched back into a story about mine negotiations, and Mr. Kofi Kumi did not speak any more for the rest of the meal. Almasi avoided him on the way back, and she managed to spend the rest of the evening without any contact. By the time she got to bed, she was tired, and after a little bit of kissing and fooling around with Jacob, she said that she needed to sleep for the next day’s visit. Jacob kissed her fondly, saying that he was proud of his wife for making such wise decisions. He went to sleep smiling, and a tear rolled down her cheek as she laid awake, listening to her wonderful husband breathing. What was to become of this?
***
The next morning, Almasi and Jacob woke up at the same time, and after a few kisses, took their breakfast in bed, got up to shower and get dressed, and prepared themselves for the very important day ahead. They had taken to showering together, lathering each other’s bodies sensuously with the fancy scented soaps from the mansion—lavender, rose, pine, vanilla, olive oil, and rosemary—and making love gently in the warm, humid shower.
Jacob loved the way Almasi’s breasts gleamed in the water, how wet and supple they would get, and the feeling of her soft skin. He would watch her as she moisturized afterwards, rubbing lotions sensually over her skin. When they were together in the shower, Almasi enjoyed running her hands across Jacob’s sturdy body and making him get hard in excitement.
It was so spontaneous, and they both felt so safe, that they would make love right then and there, throwing caution to the wind and allowing the water to caress them as they caressed each other.
Almasi sometimes sighed just thinking about the times that they often shared in that hot, wet place. It was like a sanctuary in each other’s arms, a safe oasis where they could be one without the cares of the business deal getting in their way. It felt safe, and it felt like being at home.
This morning was busy, but they still fit in time for a quick session of lovemaking in the shower. Then Almasi went to her dressing room and put on the dress that Yifeng had selected for her, a soft green silk thing with a halter top. Almasi put a matching clip in her hair—a golden dragonfly studded with emeralds. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She knew she was beautiful, and she felt like she was in her own right as the lady of this fancy house.
Her good mood was a little bit dampened by the knowledge that she would be seeing Mr. Kofi Kumi today, and that she had come one day closer to having to make her choice. But she refused to let that thought ruin her morning. She was too beautiful and happy for that.
The limousine ride was long, and even though they were mostly going straight on the freeway, Almasi felt nauseous for the entire ride. She could not wait to get out of the limo. She made small talk, as was expected of her, but her mind was wandering elsewhere. God, why was she so nauseous? It took all of the power she had not to throw up right then and there, in that fancy limousine.
After about half an hour, she disengaged from the conversation, and nobody seemed to notice. Finally, they arrived in Campbelford, and she managed to regain her composure after a few minutes in the fresh air. The town of Campbelford was small, but full of wealthy seniors and young married couples with plenty of disposable income. There were lots of trees around, and Almasi could hear a river babbling somewhere nearby. It was a pretty place—she could see
how someone might want to spend their summers there, or even their retirement.
The store that they were inspecting was large and spacious, with a number of different departments and a whole other section upstairs. The staff members on duty there were well prepared for this visit—they had all been strictly briefed by Jeremy, who had visited a few days before to make sure that everything would run smoothly, because this was the store inspection that would seal the deal.
Jacob was more than just a little bit nervous, but there was no use in letting his mind unravel with the anxiety he was feeling inside. Instead, he channeled his energy into making the day go as well as it could. He glanced at Almasi and smiled. This was going to be okay. As long as he had his beautiful wife with him, Jacob could do anything he set his mind to.
He reached for Almasi’s hand and squeezed it in his own. She looked up at him and smiled wanly. This was going to be okay. They just had to get through this, and then everything would be fine. It would all be fine.
The store manager greeted the group at the door with a wide smile. She was a short woman, probably only about five feet and two inches tall, and her platinum blonde hair was cut in a short bob.
“Welcome!” said the store manager. “My name is Alison Thompson. I will guide you all through the shop today. Here at Adamson Jewelry Inc., we pride ourselves on our customer service. Feel free to ask any questions you’d like, and to look around. There’s no need to be shy! My staff members and I are all here to serve you. We hope your visit is everything you hope for and more!” With that, Alison Thompson opened the doors wide and guided the group of them in.
The store was beautiful. Almasi had reviewed the layout plan beforehand, but it was completely different in person. She gazed around in awe at all of the beautiful jewelry. There were necklaces, and rings, and brooches, and bracelets, and tiaras, and… Almasi got lost in the glimmering of all of the different colorful gems.
