Joshua Wilkins: Arranged Marriage

Chapter 4: Joshua

I would be lying if I said she wasn’t pretty. She was drop-dead gorgeous. Her piercing green eyes looked like the most brilliant emeralds I had ever seen. Her strawberry blonde hair was tucked away behind her in a bun, with a few strands cascading down and framing her face. Her sexy, slender, and toned figure, which would make even Aphrodite jealous, was hugged by a black velvet dress that accentuated every curve.

“Joshua.” The greeting from Brian Conner was cold and calculated, but with a hint of relief. “We didn’t hear you come in.”

“Julie greeted me at the door and showed me the way.” The resemblance between mother and daughter was uncanny.

Brian walked around the table and extended his hand to greet me. He looked exactly as he always did: in a green suit, with grey streaks in his hair, and thin frames lining his dark eyes.

“Let me introduce you to my daughter,” he said, gesturing to Lydia, “Lydia Conner.” I extended my hand to her, but she looked like a deer in headlights, as if she had been caught off guard. “Lydia, this is Joshua Wilkins.”

As if something finally clicked in those green eyes, she suddenly moved. With a graceful step, she approached me, her hand locking around mine. “It’s a pleasure meeting you,” she said, her voice more calm and collected than before. “I’ve admired the way you built your company from scratch; very few can do that in this city.”

My brow raised, truly taken aback by her words. Did she follow business news? I wouldn’t have guessed she knew about that, but since she was to marry me, perhaps her father had filled her in. She didn’t know about me until a few seconds ago.

“The pleasure is all mine.” We released each other’s hands, and I could see her assessing me, looking me over as if I were a horse at an auction, and she was contemplating whether or not to place a bid.

I knew I looked good. My looks had never been a problem for me, but somehow, because of her stare, I actually got nervous.

I carried myself proudly. Standing at six feet and five inches, my height and strong build, maintained with good genes and a disciplined workout routine, usually gave me confidence. Wearing one of my best Armani suits added to that confidence, but it seemed to have no effect on her.

When her emerald green eyes met my sky-blue ones, I could see the determination in them, and I could tell she had already made up her mind. However, I couldn’t tell if she was pleased or not.

She doesn’t have to be pleased! You just have to marry her and stay that way for three months, and then you’re free!

“Let’s join Julie for a drink in the living room,” Brian Conner said as he left the office.

With one last glance at me, she looked away and walked around me. Suddenly, air filled my lungs again, as if she had sucked out everything from me. I turned on my heel and followed her. I couldn’t help but watch how her hips swayed as she walked. She carried herself through the room like a queen, commanding attention from everyone around her.

When we returned to the extremely white living room, Julie was standing at the bar cart, which offered a variety of drinks.

“The regular for you, Lydia?” Her mother smiled warmly at her daughter, who moved towards the cart and put her hand on her mother’s back.

“Thank you, I would love that, Mom.” Her smile warmed something in me, even if it wasn’t directed at me. I got the feeling that you had to earn her smiles; they did not come easily.

“And what about you, Joshua?” Julie looked at me with interested eyes.

“Macallan neat if you have it.” A big smile spread across her face, but Lydia had the opposite reaction; I think she rolled her eyes at me.

“Of course! If we didn’t, Brian would go under.” A soft laugh escaped her lips while Brian sent her a small smile, but a smile nonetheless.

Lydia walked past me and sat on the couch before crossing her legs. She took a sip of her drink, which looked like a gin and tonic but had an orange wedge in it.

“How did it go with Sebastian Phillip?” Julie handed me my drink before I made my way to the couches. I sat down next to Lydia, but the space between us was so large you wouldn’t think we were engaged. “I assume you have it under control?”

“Of course, Father,” a sly smile worked its way onto her lips. She leaned back against the couch, still holding her drink, looking like a lioness closing in on her prey. “He made a little drama, but that’s why I chose Carmine’s; they know him and his whims.”

“Sebastian Phillip? The thriller author?” I hadn’t imagined my grandfather would find me a working wife, especially one with high goals and ambitions.

“Yes,” Brian nodded, and I caught a glimpse of pride in his eyes when he turned towards me, away from his hard-working daughter, who might as well have been a socialite like so many others but chose to work instead. “Lydia made the deal three years ago, straight out of college and already so far ahead.”

Lydia took another sip of her drink, studying her father’s words. It didn’t go unnoticed that she called him “father” and her mother “mom.” She knew exactly how to play this game; she had it figured out.

“It is also impressive,” she started before turning her eyes on me, “that you climbed all the way to the top of the Fortune 500 with your company in just ten years.”

“Hard work, I reckon,” Julie smiled at me.

“Sure,” I tried to smile back at her, but it felt so forced. This whole situation felt so forced.

“I had a conversation with your grandfather,” Brian suddenly started, making all our gazes meet his. “On Friday, you will attend a party at Wilkins House, where you will announce your engagement. The wedding will take place in late August. You may have full control over the details, but the date has been set.”

“Father-”

“You will move into Joshua’s penthouse within the week. However, you decide to arrange it is up to you. This is a real marriage; both Lucien and I want this marriage to succeed.”

There was no room to argue or interfere. I knew I had to follow my grandfather’s wishes, or I would have to give up the company altogether.

Just eight months. Five months to plan the wedding, and then I could be divorced by Christmas. That way, I would have held up my end of the bargain. Being married for just three months, and then that was it.

I glanced at Lydia, who sat looking down at her drink. This is a real marriage. That might be all she heard, but all I heard was that everything would be back to normal in eight months. Should I tell her?

“So, Joshua, do you travel a lot?” Julie tried to make friendly conversation, perhaps to start things off well for me and her daughter, or perhaps because she was the hostess and couldn’t handle the awkward silence after Brian’s words.

“Some, not a lot.” I had been given two weeks to get my head straight. Two weeks to process this whole thing, while Lydia had been blindsided. She handled it better than I thought she would.

“How nice, Lydia loves to travel, especially to Italy.” She smiled at her daughter, but her expression changed when she saw the look on Lydia’s face.

Lydia looked like someone trying to solve a puzzle, like someone given a bunch of pieces but needing to create a few extra ones to make it fit. Like she had to read a page in a language she didn’t understand.

I had been confused by the match when my grandfather told me earlier.

“Lydia Conner?” I had asked, furrowing my eyebrows. The publisher’s daughter?

“Yes, she will become your wife, and you have to get going.”

“Of all the women out there, why her?” It didn’t make sense. We wouldn’t benefit from a deal with the Conners, they - however - would.

“Just trust your grandfather on this one.” A mischievous grin crossed his face before he took a sip of his drink.

But I guess I saw it now. He knew I would rather die than listen to women ramble on about socialites, events, dinners, and gossip. Lydia was a worker bee, just like me. “I do not have time to become a wife! I want to work!” Her voice echoed in my head.

“Don’t you, sweetie?” Her mother tried to pull her out of it.

Lydia shot her gaze up and it met mine before a clearly fake smile plastered her face. “Yes, I love to travel. Do you have any favorite places?”

I could see her going into work mode, the same mode I went into when I tried to find loopholes. She would nod along and smile, but she wouldn’t really be here. She was far away in her head.

I mentioned something about the Caribbean and she nodded, before her mother led us into the dining room. Dinner went by smoothly as I chatted with Brian, discussing how my company could assist them in their work. It was inevitable; I knew Conner Books would want my technology to streamline their processes and help with their manual labor.

After dinner, Julie made an excuse so she and Brian could leave us alone for a few minutes. Something about an emergency in the kitchen, which I couldn’t see how Brian could fix.

“So you sought out my father?” Her green eyes finally latched onto mine, looking like she could see right through me, into the depths of my soul.

“My grandfather did,” I clarified, letting out a breath. This was a strange conversation, and I didn’t really care for it. “He sees you as a perfect match for me.”

“And what about you?” Her intense stare held me down, fixating me to the chair, unable to move or think.

“I don’t know you, so it’s hard to answer.” There was no point in leading her on. There was no point in trying to hide the truth from her.

“Right,” she looked down at her hands gathered in her lap. “Well, I guess I should get your number?” Her voice sounded strange, like someone who had given up. “I’ll start packing tomorrow morning.”

I reached into the inner pocket of my suit jacket, grabbing my card before handing it to her. “If you have any furniture you would like to bring, just tell me. I, of course, have everything decorated, but if you have a certain taste-”

“Can I be honest?” She interrupted me with an almost pleading look. I nodded at her, not able to do anything else. “I do not care about furniture, parties, or social standing. But if I have to, I will do what I must.”

It only confirmed my beliefs. “I want to work!” She wasn’t like the other ladies I had met; she didn’t care about how many zeroes or how many travels I could offer her because she could do that on her own.

“If you don’t force me to social gatherings, I won’t force you. Deal?” I held out my hand.

She looked at it puzzled, but then a shadow of a smile crossed her face, as if she understood what I was saying. “Deal.” She shook my hand.

Maybe I wasn’t as doomed as I thought.