Paid To Love

. Paid To Love “Henry, despite what happened i still feel you should find someone and settle down with.” I knew where this was going, i got up from where I was resting and grabbed my glass of scotch, i looked away from him. My father stood behind me with a deep disapproving look, “Henry” he bellowed my name, with that I turned around to look him in the eye. His expression was the epitome of disappointment. He looked me dead in the eye, the look on his face told me where this conversation was heading and I dropped on the sofa and took a sip of my scotch. “This again?” I said. “You’re not a little boy anymore Henry, you’re almost thirty” he said, still giving me the look, his arms across his chest, in his designer two-piece suit moved. His tall frame almost shadowed me, his beard perfectly lined with his chin, slightly muscular body, i have to admit i always wanted to be like him but i could never pull it off, he was perfect. But still he was a stern man and I, his only child, heir to his first love, his company. I raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m twenty-four. I don’t really think that’s close to thirty.” “I married your mom when we were twenty-three” he said, “It’s time for you to start acting mature and focus on the family business, you’ve fooled around for way too long and i won’t allow it anymore. You’ve created enough scandals, no more.—” “When was the last time i got in the news for any scandal?—” “—And it’s time for you to start your own family so we can get the next heir to the family business” he pressed on. I sat up and looked at him, i tried to take another sip but he quickly snatched the glass from my hand. I knew i couldn’t say a thing so i just let it go. “So, you expect me to meet someone fall in love and get married?. It doesn’t work like that. Besides, ever since the incident i don’t think i deserve to be with someone.” I said worryingly. “Yes i know what happened but it wasn’t your fault, you didn’t do anything so why blame yourself. There are plenty of young women interested in you. My friend Janette’s daughter has been asking for your hand in marriage since she got back from the United States and She’s very beautiful, too.” Dad pushed his point. I knew what he was up to. “You just want me to marry her for business relationships with her parents, I don’t want to marry her!.” “You want a love marriage?” he asked, with a bellow in his voice. “Rich families marry into other rich families to keep their wealth. It’s how we stay rich.” Arguing with him was not taking us anywhere “I’m not interested in marriage right now, that’s all.” He sat next to me and took a deep breath, he seemed to relax. I looked away, “All your life I’ve let you do what you want, date who you want, go where you want. I’ve given you everything you’ve ever wanted. All I ask is for you to repay me by 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. Why was he pushing so much? Why was she suddenly trying to force this on me? “Enough of this. If you don’t settle down, I will take everything you own and throw you on the streets.” “Those things are all in my name, You can’t take them away!.” I said confidently. Dad smirked cruelly and I felt a chill run down my spine. “You know i can do anything to take it away from you?” I knew what he was capable of, I’ve seen it first-hand. I knew he would do it. I looked to the table where i leave all my keys and to my surprise i saw nothing there. “Wait, where are my...” “Wait for what?” Dad said “Isn’t this a little hasty? I need time 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, Henry. As for the keys don’t worry, your personal assistant Gerald is handling them for me.” I was irate, i always suspected something was off when Dad hired Gerald as my personal assistant . I bit my lip, held my fists together. Stay calm, I tried to relax myself. He just wanted me to back down. And he knew where it hurt the most. “So that’s why you hired Gerald, to use him against me?” I said angrily. “It’s your choice, Henry.” “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.” He glared “A year? For what, exactly?” “I would like to find someone myself. 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 suddenly meet someone and marry her, can you? .” He waited a while, i knew he was contemplating whether it would be smart or not, Dad was always very meticulous about his decisions. I was very nervous about his decision, i couldn’t even move, If only he would agree to my proposal, then I could have more time to figure out what to do about the ultimatum he’d given me. If he said no... what could I really do? “Six months,” he finally said. “Six?” “You have just six months to find and bring back someone for marriage,” he permitted. “Not a second more. When the time is up you must bring the girl you choose to me and I will decide if she will be allowed to marry into our family. If she fails, you’ll marry who I choose.” Of course, there would be conditions. There were always conditions. “Fine,” I agreed, knowing Dad would get his way no matter what happens. I had to take what I could get. The tension in the room finally broke and i could see a smile on his face. Your keys will be brought by Gerald in a few minutes. “Gerald, really?” i asked angrily. “ Yes, he will continue to work for you so i can keep an eye on you.” “Make sure you come to work today. There’s someone you need to fire.” “I understand,” I responded, watching as he turned around and left. As soon as he left, I collapsed back onto the sofa, grabbed my drink and continued from where i stopped. Why was Dad so adamant about marriage? I mean he knew what happened with Janna and how much that broke me. I still feel like it was all my fault and her Janna's lover, the one that died, I can still see him in my dreams. I was just getting over that and now this, really?. I was perfectly content with the way I was living my life— i had many lovers, i was what you call a “playboy”, all i wanted was one night of fun and that’s it, no strings attached. I leaved alone, and when ever i needed someone i would go to a club and go get any random girl that was willing. For now, I had to find someone to at least trick my father into thinking was my girlfriend. It wouldn’t be too hard. I thought i would probably just go to the club and find the most decent out of the girls i usually carry back home but no Dad would see right through them, i had to get someone who was proper and decent. I know i have what it takes to find someone, it wasn’t like I didn’t have the physical appearance to get someone into doing it. I was on the cover of multiple business magazines. I was tall, handsome with a perfect jaw line, my broad shoulders and big chest were to die for and i had the most charming eyes, I knew I was a physically attractive. And if that wasn’t enough, I’d just show them my bank account. If only money could buy me a girlfriend, I thought. Then it hit me. The plan was simple. Find a girl no matter what background she had, hire her to date me for six months, bring her to meet my Dad, then some days to the wedding, we fake a breakup and then claim I was too heartbroken to move on. That way I wouldn’t be forced into a marriage with a stranger and I would be allowed to stay single until I meet someone i like. Surely my father would feel for me and try to console me. It would be easy. I got up, grabbed my drink, took one more sip and grinned . Let the fun begin.