Married By Circumstance

CHAPTER 4

I feel my heartbeat racing rapidly in my ribcage as I take in the expression on her face. She looks shocked. The shocked expression on her small oval face makes me stand still as I try so hard to compose myself. I may not have noticed this the first day we met, but she is a beauty.

Her almond-shaped eyes, the color of twilight’s deepest blue, framed by long, ebony lashes that cast soft shadows against her fair skin, hold an enchanting mystery that seems to draw me in with every glance. A cascade of silken blonde hair, like spun gold touched by sunlight, flows down her back in soft waves. Her complexion is porcelain, with a luminous glow that seems to originate from within.

Her cheeks are instantly adorned with a soft flush of color evoking the image of a fleeting blush, as if she has been touched by a delicate bloom of emotions the moment her eyes locate mine.

“Mr. Harrison?”

Her soft little voice asks delicately as she looks like someone who is trying to understand the reason for my coming to her place of work. Little does she know that her unresponsiveness within the past three days has been messing with my head seriously.

I tried so hard not to let her actions get to me, but I just cannot help it. I expected her to jump at my offer. Jessica, my former employee, says her family is in dire need of money, hence the reason she came to my house in the first place. So, I am finding it hard to understand why she hasn’t agreed yet.

“Can I have a moment with you, please?” I ask curtly after accessing every little bit of her body and beautiful hourglass shape.

“Maybe getting married to someone as beautiful as her will not be so bad after all.”

I smile inwardly as the dirty thought of the thing I will do to her the moment she becomes my wife and belongs to me flood into my mind.

“Oh, okay.”

She replies reluctantly as she looks over to someone whom I didn’t notice standing around the counter until the whole eye-talking thing happens between the two ladies. The other lady looks to be around Sarah’s age. She looks pretty in her Black-on-Black outfit, but not as pretty as Sarah.

“Did I just assume that?”

I quickly caution my roaming thoughts as I look over to Hayden to help keep the company of the other lady while I have decisive conservation with Sarah. But with the look on Hayden’s face, I know I need not convince him any longer because he already has his flirtatious smirk on his face as he walks sophisticatedly towards the lady who also seems to be enjoying the attention with a shy smile on her face.

“I just need about 20 minutes out of your time. I won’t delay you.” I say to Sarah as I take a sit on one of the chairs in the café.

“Um, first off, how do you know where to find me?”

She asks the most obvious question while I also give her the most obvious answer I can.

“You seem to have forgotten that I am pretty influential in Los Angeles. I just made a phone call.”

“Oh, right.”

She says as if she is trying to understand how influential I am in the city. And just the expression of confusion on her face makes me feel a little bit insulted. Does she really not know me? I have made the first page of Forbes countless times as the most eligible bachelor in Los Angeles.

“Anyway, I am here to ask for your answer to my proposal. What do you say?” I ask plainly, trying so hard not to let any other thought distract me.

“Don’t you think you may be rushing me a little bit?”

“I will not call it a rush. I proposed and I am just demanding an answer.”

“It’s just been three days.”

“I believe three days should have been enough for you to make a decision.”

I reply to her curtly again. I don’t understand why she is talking as if she has the time to be dilly-dallying around.

“No offense, Mr. Harrison, but I cannot help but think you are handling this matter as if it is a business.”

“I am a businessman.”

I give her another answer that seems to stun her as her blue eyes widen a little bit. But I don’t know why she seems to be putting a lot of unnecessary concern into the matter. It is a business for both of us after all. I get what I want while she does also.

“Still, it is a marriage we are talking about. It feels weird for me to be getting married to someone I don’t love.” She expresses.

“I believe that will make the relationship easier,” I say.

“What do you mean?”

“We will be able to end easily the marriage after the agreed time if no feelings are attached.”

At the mention of my last sentence, I see the instant change in her mood as she looks instantly relaxed to hear about the fact that the marriage will later come to an end. What else does she expect? Getting married to her for the rest of my life?

“Don’t be delusional!”

My thought is interrupted when her soft voice speaks eagerly.

“So, how long is this marriage supposed to last?”

“Two years. During this period, I will keep to my end of the bargain. I will pay all your bills and debts and give you a monthly allowance of $10,000 every month. And at the end of the marriage, I will give you an alimony of $120,000 as we go our separate ways.”

As I explain the information about the marriage to her, I watch as she looks at me in shock. She looks like someone who has a lot of questions for me but is still in shock at the benefits I just explained.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why do you need a wife?”

“I believe I am not obligated to tell you that, the same way I am not obligated to interfere in your life.”

“Fair enough.”

She agrees instantly as she finally rests her back on the chair while I pull out the contract for the relationship we are about to have from my briefcase and hands the document over to her.

“So if you agree with the terms in this document, we will get married in two weeks. So what do you say?”

I ask the main question I came to the café to ask. Again, my heart seems to be on a relay race as I wait impatiently for her answer while watching her blank face as she goes through the contract patiently until she finally gives her reply.

“I agree, Mr. Harrison. Let’s get married!”