The Contracts

prolouge

"Gabriel, its time for you to settle down with someone"

I glanced up from where I was resting on my VIG Chesterfield sofa, mid shift to keep from indenting the material, as I'd trained myself to do. At the foot of it stood my grandma, who was giving me such a deep disapproving look that I almost, almost made a move to sit up properly. Her expression was the definition of disappointment. Slim nose upturned, devil red lips twitching. I already knew where this conversation was heading to and I let my cheek fall unto the cool leather with a sigh.

"This again?" I said

"You are almost thirty, Gabriel," she says,folding her arms across her chest, the many bracelet lined with diamonds on her arms jingling as she moved. Her dark hair was tied in a tight bun on top of her hair, giving her an all round stern aura.

I raised my eye brows at her. " I am twenty five. I don't really think that's close to thirty."

Your late grandpa and I married when we were twenty two," she said matter of fact. "it is time for you to stop fooling around and creating scandal making our family look bad__"

"I don't want our family look bad granny, besides I could probably never do that or rather think of that, being a son and heir to this family, I can not sit back on a couch all day and create scandals or watch some else do so, I am not that foolish grandma__"

"__And it is time for you to start your own family just like every one else's boy so we can give a head start to the next successor of our family business," she pressed on.

I pushed myself into a sitting position,making sure to smooth out my waist coat, least I gave her some thing else to complain about. "so,you expect me to meet some one today and fall in love with them, get married, and have children? its doesn't work like that. well, maybe it's works nowadays with all the dating apps going around, but I am not like that."

"There are plenty of young women interested in you. Susan's daughter have been asking for your hands in marriage since you two were five. she's very beautiful, too."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Legal arranged marriage aren't a thing in American any more. it's 2015 not 1756. I don't want to marry some one or rush into any damn forsaken wedding just because it helps our business."

"You want a marriage made out of love?" she asked her voice taking on a hard edge.

"Rich families marry into other rich families to keep their wealth. it is what all our ancestors have done before us and what we will continue to do. That's how we keep our business alive"

Arguing with her is fruitless. "I am not interested in marriage right now, that's all."

she closed the little distance between us, hovering above me intimidatingly. "I have given you twenty five years of freedom. I have given up every thing that you ever asked for and ever wanted all this years, all I ask is for you to repay me with the promise of keeping our business alive."

"And I will, just not right now," I responded firmly. The business wouldn't be going anywhere in a long time. We are basically the new Santos. What was eating at her? Why was she suddenly trying to force this on me

"You have no more choice in this matter. If you don't settle down now, I will take your car and your house."

"Really granny, huh? I owe this house and the car, you can threaten me with that."

My grandma smiled cruelly and I felt a chill run down my spine. "You think I can't find a way around that?"

As much as I wished she was joking, I knew she wasn't. I scrambled off of the sofa, placing my hand over my pocket where the keys were. " wait a second."

Walt for what?

"Isn't this a bit abrupt? I need to think about it first. You can't just barge in here and expect me to go along with this."

"It shouldn't come as a shock, Gabriel. You can thank your sister for that."

A surge of heat shot through my body,I bit my lips, clenching my hands so tight my fingernails bit into the skin of my palm. Don't fall for it, I warned myself. She just wanted me to back down.

And she knew where it hurt the most.

"Your sister wouldn't give me this much of a hassle."

"How can you use Hera against me?" I asked tightly.

"It's your choice, Gabriel."

"I'll....I'll find someone." it wasn't like I had a choice. I just had to think of a way out of it. Quickly.

"Will you?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"However I want you to give me a year."

Her eyes narrowed. "A year? for what, exactly?"

"I would like to find some one on my own. Then when the year is up, I'll bring her to you , and we will talk about marriage. You can't really expect me to just meet some one and marry her, can you? At least let me meet a few of the other candidate first."

The room was deathly Silent as grandma took time contemplating my offer. I could feel her sweat forming on the back of my neck. If only she would agree to my proposal, then I could have more time to figure out what to do about the altimatum she had given me. If she say no... what could I say against her when she use Hera as leverage.

one month." she finally said

"one month?"

"You may have one month to court some one," she permitted. "Not a day more. When the time is up you must bring the girl you choose to me and I will be the one to decides if she will be allowed to Marry into our family. If she fails, you will marry who I choose."

of course there would be condition. There were always conditions. "Fine," I agreed, knowing she would get her way no matter what. I had to take what I could get.

The wrinkles on her fore head relaxed and she smiled. "Good. You may keep your car. Make sure you come to work today. There is some one you need to fire today."

"I understand," I responded, watching ad she turned in her heel and clicked away from me.

As soon as she left, I collapsed back unto the sofa feeling a headache coming on. Why was she so adamant about marriage? I was perfectly content with the way I was living my life_satisfactory and alone. I didn't feel the need for a girl friend. And even if I did have any of these needs, I could find a willing partner from the local bar.

From now I had to find some one to at least trick my grandma into thinking was my girlfriend. It wouldn't be too hard. it wasn't like I didn't have the physical appearance to goad some one into doing it. I was on the cover of multiple business magazine. paired with my conditioned polite and charming personality, I knew I was a good catch. And if that weren't enough, I'd just show them my bank account.

If only money could buy me a girlfriend, I thought wistfully.

Then it hit me.

****

The plan was simple. Find a woman, hire her to date me for six months ,fake a break up right before I brought her to meet my grandma, and then claim I was too heartbroken to move on. That way I wouldn't be forced into marriage with any stranger and I would be forced to stay single till I met the person I was meant to be with. surely my grandma would feel pity for her grandson going through his first heartbreak. it would be easy.

I grinned to myself,adjusting my tie.

let the fun begins.

__________________

Hey everyone! my name is Michael and I'm the author of Falling For The Playboy's Game! I hope you enjoy the story! it's a product of my love for romance and sweet relationship tropes lol.

please note that I wrote this book with my own creativity and knowledge and no part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system ,or transmitted in any form or by any means. The writing will get better as the book goes on, hopefully, though it's till good enough for people to enjoy it.

Thank you all.

Lovelots

Michael.