by Piper Rayne
“I could say the same.”
I whip my head back in her direction. Our eyes meet and neither of us looks away as though we’re in a staring contest and the first one to blink is the weakest.
“Let’s just agree to disagree,” I finally say.
Luckily, the elevator dings and I step forward before remembering that my mom would smack the back of my head if I didn’t let Lena go first. So rather than stomp off angrily, I hold out my arm for her to go first.
She does with a smug look and whispers, “Smile. People are watching.”
“You’d know,” I grit out, smiling and waving to a few people who say my name.
“Ford!” My dad’s assistant, Frida, rounds her desk and looks me up and down. “You’re so big.” She waves me forward. “Come down here, you’re too tall.”
“Hi, Frida.” I give her a smile. It’s been a long time since I saw her.
Lena sits on the couch, waiting to be called in.
“Hi, Lena dear. How nice to have Ford escort you here,” Frida says.
I’m pretty sure Lena is probably choking on her tongue as she tries not to say what she’s really thinking, and I chuckle.
“Yeah, it was a peachy ride,” Lena says sarcastically.
Frida doesn’t seem to hear it though, and her hands pinch my cheeks. “You used to have the chubbiest cheeks, but look at you now, all grown and handsome.” She steps back and I stand straight, my back stretching. “Where’s the baby?”
“With my mom,” I answer, and she frowns.
The buzzer rings and my dad’s voice comes through. “Send them in, Frida.”
Her eyes open as though she forgot momentarily that she’s working. She hurries around the desk and picks up the receiver, telling my dad we’re coming as she shoos us with her hand to get in there as though we’re late or something.
We both walk to the door until I realize again I need to let Lena go first, so I wave her in.
“Always the gentleman,” Frida says, smiling at us.
Lena rolls her eyes and steps in.
“Close the door,” my dad says, standing and rounding his desk. “Drink?”
Lena sits at one end of the couch, crossing her legs and sitting up straight. “No, I’m okay.”
“I’m good,” I say on the opposite side of the couch in a much more relaxed fashion.
My dad grabs a bottle of champagne and three glasses. Lena and I share a confused look, then look back at my dad.
“Thanks for coming down here today,” he says.
“It was right around the corner from my place. Not inconvenient at all.” I’m sarcastic.
My dad drills me with a disapproving look. “I’m sure the private plane was comfortable enough.”
He always reminds me of what he still does for me. I nod. Okay, my dad kind of schooled me there.
“Is there something I’m not aware of, Mr. Jacobs? I felt like things were under control.” Lena reaches into her bag and takes out a notepad and pen.
“It is, but I have some exciting news and I wanted to celebrate.”
I glance at Lena, and she looks at me briefly before we both turn back to my dad.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“You two are getting married.”
My heartbeat hammers in my head and my pen drops to the floor, but it takes me a minute to reach for it because of the words that just left my boss’s mouth.
“I’m sorry,” I say, leaning forward like those men who can’t hear out of one ear so they’re always putting their good ear toward you. “I thought you just said Ford and I are getting married.”
“I did.” Mr. Jacobs leans forward and opens the champagne bottle. “It’s like this… people have embraced Lena as the new woman in your life.”
“Since when is being called a bitch embracing?” The words are out of my mouth before I can think better of it.
Ford snickers next to me.
“What I mean is that they were okay with another woman besides the baby’s mother being in the picture. That got me thinking—”
“Why?” Ford asks, clearly not as baffled as I am as to why Mr. Jacobs would even suggest such a thing. “What’s in it for you?”
Mr. Jacobs pours the champagne into three flutes and leans back. Ford is a mini version of his dad. Well, only mini because he’s the younger version. They share the same blue eyes and darker blond hair, although Mr. Jacobs now has gray around his temples. Both of their bodies are strong and tall. And they both intimidate me.
Mr. Jacobs sets his gaze on his only son. “I’m assuming you still have no interest in running Jacobs Enterprises?”
I do not want to be here to listen to this conversation. I stand from the couch. “Maybe I should leave.”
“Please sit,” Mr. Jacobs says, his eyes never leaving Ford.
“You know I don’t.”
“Your mom wants me to slow down. To retire from running the day-to-day operations. The only way I can do that is if I sell someone controlling interest of the company and make sure I have a spot on the board. Since you’re the next heir, you will also have a spot on the board.”
“I don’t want any of it.”
Mr. Jacobs shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. You’re already listed on all the paperwork. You’re on the board. I have a very interested party, but not all men are as liberal as I am.”
Ford cracks up. “Liberal?” He raises his brows.
“Some people are more conservative with their values, and having a son who blatantly picks up women, impregnates a one-night stand, and gets in bar brawls isn’t considered trustworthy in a lot of circles.”
“Why is where I put my dick any concern to your buyer?” Ford leans back in the couch, his ankle resting on his knee just like his dad is across from him, and they exchange an intense and challenging stare.
“I don’t make the rules, but we do have to follow them. I need you to clean up your image for this deal to go through. And an engagement to a woman like Lena will go a long way toward doing that.”
Ford stands and shakes his head, hands on his hips. “You’re asking me to marry her?” He points at me.
I feel the sting of the incredulous way that sentence leaves his mouth.
“Excuse me, but I think you could do worse,” I say.
Mr. Jacobs laughs. “I like the way you two challenge one another.”
“I’m not doing it, Dad.”
“Then you come home,” he says matter-of-factly. “Come home and take over for me.”
Ford scowls.
“That’s what I thought. If I sell this company, all you have to do is hold a board position. You can play hockey until you retire, and after that, your life is yours. So I guess the question is how bad do you not want to run Jacobs Enterprises?” His dad stands, never looking at his son.
Meanwhile, Ford paces and runs his hand through his hair. I have so many thoughts running through my head that it’s hard to make sense of them, but they all come down to one word—no.
No way can I marry Ford. Why would I? The only thing that could possibly happen is that one of us would kill the other or eventually we’d give in to temptation and I’d be left heartbroken. Because Ford Jacobs is not a forever kinda guy. No bueno. No way. Not gonna do it. I love working for the Jacobs family, they’ve been good to me, but this is asking too much. And it’s definitely not part of my job description.
“I can’t believe this. No one will believe it,” Ford says.
I scowl at him. “I’m starting to take offense here.”
Ford looks over and his gaze locks with mine. “I’m not saying it because of you. It’s me. Who would believe that Ford Jacobs would fall to bended knee?”
“No one thought you could raise a daughter by yourself either,” Mr. Jacobs say.
“I have to. I don’t have a choice.”
“You have enough money to hire full-time nanny service, yet you’re with Annabelle every minute you can be.”
“Car
eful, Dad, you almost sound proud of me,” Ford says and leans on the edge of the desk, his head hanging down.
“Excuse me,” I say, raising my hand. “You’re all forgetting that I haven’t agreed.”
Mr. Jacobs looks at his son then at me. “Excuse us, Ford. I want to talk to Lena on her own.”
Ford straightens from the desk. “Why? If I’m going to be her husband, I wanna know what you’re offering her to marry me.”
Mr. Jacobs sits in the chair he was in before. “No. It’s a fake marriage. It’s Lena’s business and her decision to share it with you should she choose.”
My stomach tightens. As ridiculous as this idea is, I’m afraid he’s going to make it hard for me to say no.
“Whatever.” Ford storms out of the office and slams the door.
“I apologize for my son,” Mr. Jacobs says, a comment he’s made plenty of times before.
“No need.”
“Lena, I know your situation. I’m sure that takes you by surprise, but I vet all my people thoroughly before letting them into our lives. I know about your father. About your upbringing.”
My heart drops into my stomach with a huge thud and lands there like lead. I suck in a breath, and tears of embarrassment prick my eyes.
He gives me a soft smile. “There’s no reason to be upset that I know. If anything, it only makes me respect the fine young woman you’ve turned into more. But if you agree to marry Ford for a small time, I’ll offer you enough money to start your own PR firm, enough that you wouldn’t have to worry about paying for your rent or your dad’s facility for many years. Depending on how well you managed the money, you could set yourself up for a long time. I understand what I’m asking. My son isn’t an easy man. You’ll be obligated to show up at events together, but I’m willing to give you a third now and the rest after it’s over.”
I tear my gaze away and walk over to the window and stare at the streets of New York City. A city full of possibilities. A city where things can go downhill really fast and I could go back to living out of my car. “What happens to my position after you retire?”
“I think you know that we will no longer need your services.” His voice is soft, as though he feels bad saying the words.
I nod, confirming what I already knew, and turn back to him.
“How much?” I hate asking, but I have to put a number to it. That’s the only way to know if it’s worth it.
He smiles, goes to his desk, and pulls out a pad of paper with his name on it. He scribbles a number and slides it across the desk.
I walk over and pick it up to read it. My eyes widen and I stare at the number for a moment, speechless. “This is too—”
“It’s not. Ford won’t make this easy even if he agrees to it. I want to make my wife happy, and to tell you the truth, I’m tired. Tired of fighting my son. Tired of it all. I want to spend whatever time I have left with my wife, traveling and experiencing the things I can afford to do but never had the time for. I honor my promises, and I promised my wife I would step aside when I was sixty. I had hopes my son would take over, but since that’s not an option, I’m going to sell. Unfortunately, in this industry, there are a lot of conservative people who don’t look kindly on a man raising his daughter alone after a one-night stand.”
I set down the paper and walk back to the window. “You can’t change that. They already know it.”
“You know as well as I do Lena that business is all about perception. The minute your engagement is announced, as sad as it is, people will forget the past. Most people don’t care if things are actually the way they seem, just that they seem the way they want them to. As long as you two look and act like a couple in love, the new narrative will be what a wonderful family you’re going to make. I’ve been in these circles a long time. Trust me on this.”
“But how would we get out of it?” I turn to face him again.
“I’ll have that conversation with you and Ford, but first you have to agree.” He nods toward the piece of paper on his desk. “Is that enough money?”
I’m sick at the idea of doing this for money, but why would I do it otherwise? Upend my life and play pretend, for what? And if I’m not going to be employed after he retires, this money will make sure I never have to live out of a car again. It will give me financial security I’ve never before had in my life. Something I desperately crave.
Sure, I’m in PR and I’m used to spinning a story. But an outright lie feels different. If people ever find out it was a sham they’ll judge me, maybe think I have no integrity, no dignity. But those same people likely don’t know what it’s like to wonder where your next meal is going to come from or wonder whether today is the day you’ll be evicted from your apartment.
Then there’s the question of how people will perceive me. Will they think I stole Ford away from Annabelle’s mother? That I broke up what could possibly be a happy family?
And finally, how do I pretend to marry a guy I want to have sex with? That’s the real obstacle here. If I let myself fall for Ford, I’ll be in worse shape after this charade is over and the money won’t matter. But I have no choice. I can’t take care of my dad on my own. He needs to remain in that facility.
I draw in a deep breath, hands on my tummy willing it to calm down. “I’m in.”
A smile displays his perfect veneers. “Great news, Lena.” He leans over his desk and presses the intercom button. “Send in Ford, Frida.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Jacobs. I just have to find him…”
“Frida, Ford is there, right?”
“Um…”
“Frida!” Mr. Jacobs’ voice is sterner now.
“I’m here, relax. I just went to the restroom,” Ford says through the intercom, then the door bursts open. “I can’t believe you. You’re still trying to control me. Too bad I didn’t come with robot mode when I was born.” Ford’s eyes blaze.
While I was processing and getting what I want out of this deal, anger was consuming him.
“It’s a simple question. Do you want me to stop harassing you to take over the company? Do you want to finish out your hockey career without any pressure from me to do otherwise? I guess it comes down to how badly you want it.”
“I think I should leave you two to talk.” I grab my bags from the couch.
“Lena, sit down please.”
I do as he says, and Ford joins me on the other end of the couch.
Mr. Jacobs sits across from us. “Just listen to the arrangement. You announce your engagement at my birthday party next week. You marry at the end of the season, then you give it at least six months as a married couple. At that point, the company will be purchased and all paperwork will have gone through, and you can both do what you like.”
My eyes widen and I sit back. I didn’t think this plan would consist of that long of a time frame, but I guess billion-dollar companies aren’t bought in a day.
“We have to pretend to be in love for over a year?” Ford’s voice hitches. “And I’m sure there are events we’ll have to go to. Who plans the wedding? Why can’t we just be engaged and then break up?”
“The wedding is a must. If we do it at the end of the season, it should be just as everything is coming through. You have to remember, I need to schmooze the guy. If he thinks I’m desperate, he’ll lowball his offer and I won’t let this company go for anything less than top dollar. This is a charade I’m asking the two of you to keep up with.”
Ford leans forward, his forearms resting on his thighs, his head hanging low. Then he peeks at me. “Did you agree?”
I nod hesitantly. He rolls his eyes. That only infuriates me because he doesn’t know why I need to say yes, and frankly, it’s none of his business. He can judge me all he wants.
He looks at his dad. “No more comments. I’m a hockey player. Right wing for the Florida Fury. Not Ford Jacobs, heir to Jacobs Enterprises. No holding it over my head or making me feel guilty for years to come if you sell.”
His dad nods. “
I promise. But—”
“Here we go.” Ford blows out a breath.
“Lena will move to Florida. You two will be photographed—often. I’m sure Lena can arrange things, and she knows how to spin it so people believe it. You two need to sell this.”
“Great, so I’m marrying a world-class liar. Perfect.” Ford shakes his head.
“You’re going to need me on your side,” I tell him.
“There will be events up here you’ll have to come up for. Some with Annabelle and some not.”
“My daughter will not be used as a pawn.” Ford’s tone brooks no argument.
“Okay, then bring Annabelle when you want.”
Ford turns to me. “I’ll remain Annabelle’s primary caretaker. No need for her to get attached to you just for you to leave her after a year.” There’s a coldness I’ve never heard in his voice, and a chill runs up my spine.
“She’s a baby,” Mr. Jacobs says. “She won’t even remember.”
“Nonnegotiable,” Ford says.
Mr. Jacobs nudges the champagne glasses between us. “Deal. So are congratulations in order?” He raises his glass.
I look at Ford and he looks at me, both of our eyes filled with doubt, but we pick up the glasses anyway.
“Deal,” we say in unison.
Lena and I split after leaving Ford Enterprises. She takes her cab to who knows where and I climb into mine to head back to my parents’ penthouse. I’m fairly sure I speak for both of us when I say we’re in shock. Never did I imagine my dad would throw a fake marriage at me. Sure, it’s just another way for him to control me, but sitting on a board is a helluva lot better than having him up my ass every damn day to take over the company. Something I was never going to do.
The elevator dings on my arrival at my parents’ penthouse, and the silence makes me still for a moment. My eyes jolt to the spot where I left the baby stroller and I see that it’s gone. Immediately, I pull out my phone and call my mom.
She answers and I hear Manhattan traffic in the background. “You’re already back?”
“Did you know about this?”
She’s silent for a moment. “I did.”
