Ethan’s scowl deepened. “Girlfriend?”
“Uh…”
((+
“There is something else. Come with me.”
“Huh?”
I trailed behind him. He stepped into his office,
but then stopped abruptly, causing me to crash.
into his back.
My face. Ouch. “Why did you stop…?” I started
to ask.
“How many times do I have to tell you, don’t come looking for me, and don’t just barge into my office?” Ethan’s voice cut me off.
The beautiful woman stood up from the sofa. “Ethan, I’ve changed my mind. Let’s give it another try.”
<
10:08
484
“Don’t you think you’ve played this game long
enough? You can’t just treat me like a toy,
picking me up and discarding me whenever you
please.”
“But you’ve been single…you were waiting for
me, weren’t you? Ethan, I know you still love
- me. I’m back now.” The woman’s voice was
laced with desperation. She reached out to hug Ethan, but he dodged her easily.
He dodged her, which meant I was exposed, standing awkwardly behind him. The woman glared at me. “Why are you still here?”
…
35
Lady, you think I want to be here?
“Ashley, we’re over. If you continue to harass
me, I’ll have security escort you out.” Ethan’s voice was tight with anger.
“Ethan, just hold me.” Her voice was
sickeningly sweet, and I was about to make a
run for it when Ethan arahbad my arm and
enna
run Tor it when Etnan grabbed my arm and pulled me to his side. His arm snaked around
my shoulder, pulling me closer.
Me: “?”
“Her?” Ashley shrieked, incredulous.
“Her.” Ethan tightened his grip on me. I froze.
“You’d better leave now, or I’ll call security.” Ethan’s tone left no room for argument.
Seeing his resolve, Ashley finally gave up,
shooting me a venomous look before storming out.
For a long moment, it was just Ethan and me, the silence thick with tension.
“She’s gone,” I whispered. “Can you let go of me now?” He was holding me so tightly. I’d never been this close to a man’s chest before.
It was
unsettling Sarah and I our idea of
<
10:08
484
It was…unsettling. Sarah and I, our idea of
“wild” was hiring a male stripper for a
bachelorette party, strictly for looking, not
touching. We might have talked a big game, but
actual physical intimacy with the opposite sex? Pretty much zero experience.
“Ahem… Lisa…” Ethan paused, and then
another deafening silence descended.
“I’m giving you tomorrow off. We’re getting married.”
“2”
“Are you insane?”
“I’ll reinstate all of Sarah’s credit cards, and we’ll sign a contract. You pretend to be my wife.”
This…wasn’t a bad deal. Those credit cards
held limits that could pay off my debts and set
<
484
me up for life. Marriage meant nothing to me
anyway; I never expected to find love, and now I could actually get paid for it.
Why not?
“The condition is that we don’t interfere in each other’s lives. But to keep up appearances for my parents, you’ll have to move in with me. I won’t bother you.” Ethan laid out the terms like we were closing a business deal. I absorbed it all like a sponge.
“I’ll think about it,” I finally said.
“Don’t discuss this with Sarah. She’ll never
agree.
…” He knew me too well.
…
“Let me know by tomorrow.”
く
That afternoon, I made up an excuse and left
work early. I needed to go home and process
this. As ridiculous as it sounded, I desperately needed the money. Ethan’s offer was too good
to pass up.
I wasn’t like Sarah. I’d grown up poor, scraping by. My mom died giving birth to me, and my dad, heartbroken, tried to follow her by jumping off the hospital roof. He didn’t die, but he was paralyzed. My arrival had shattered our family.
I never really had a home, bouncing between relatives, always careful to read their moods, to protect myself. I met Sarah in college while working as a barista. We bonded over being from the same hometown, but she was from a. different world. Being around her showed me
that girls could be carefree and happy.
We became true friends when she got
scammed by some jerk in college. I chased him
く
down for five blocks, got her five thousand
dollars back, and gave him a piece of my mind.
Five grand. That was more than my four years
of tuition and living expenses combined. I
wasn’t about to let him get away with it.
After that, Sarah looked at me differently. She started including me in everything, dragging me along to parties and dinners. I went along because she was also willing to spend hours with me in the library without complaint. Sarah was a true friend. Lisa Miller certified. (I’d
borrowed that phrase from her, originally it was the other way around.)
After graduation, I wanted to try my luck in the big city. Sarah went back home. She wanted me to come with her, but I refused. I needed to earn money for my dad’s treatment, even though there was little hope.
I struggled in the city for two years, sending most of my meager earnings home to keep my
く
10:09
paralyzed father alive.
494
Then, a few months ago, he died. I wasn’t devastated, just…lighter. The burden of caring for him was finally gone, although the mountain of debt remained. My duty to my parents was fulfilled. I was ready to lie down and let life happen. I told Sarah I was coming home. Being poor didn’t matter anymore. Happiness did.
I’d suffered for twenty–six years. Year twenty-
seven was going to be for me.
So, Ethan’s proposition? It was a lifeline. The
money would wipe out my debt and give me actual freedom. Marriage wasn’t on my radar anyway. And now it was a way out.
