The Marriage Contract

by Natasha L. Black

  I almost teared up right then. “Thank you, cuz,” I said. “It’s a long drive. I probably won’t get there until really late, but I’ll text you when I do.”

  “Okay. Hurry up and get here. I want a hug.”

  I smiled, and we said our goodbyes. Then, I held the phone in my hand and stared at it. It wouldn’t be long before they figured out I was gone and that I’d taken a bunch of my things. It was going to be chaos as soon as they put it together, and I simply didn’t want to hear it. Their latest expectation: that I would be home when they got back so we could talk through how I was supposed to act when Adam proposed to me in a lavish and highly choreographed and produced “surprise.”

  My phone would blow up with calls and texts. They would scream and yell and threaten and cajole. Then, if Hannah was any indication, they would convince themselves that this was some phase, try to control me by depositing money in my account, and then track me down and accuse me of being a freeloader. It might not be exactly like that, but my dad and his brother, Hannah’s dad, were very similar. Hannah figured it out by getting a job. It looked like I was going to have to get one, too.

  That was fine. I’d spent too much of my life living off my name and my station. I wanted more from my life than that. I wanted more from myself. I would figure out how to survive, as long as it meant being able to do it my way.

  Holding the power button down, I flipped my phone off. I wasn’t going to be able to handle their calls, not without going crazy and saying everything I’d wanted to say for years. It was better to ignore them, drive to Portland, and turn the phone on when I was safely in the hotel to send a text to Hannah.

  Cranking up the radio and following the GPS built into the dash, I got back on the road. Singing loudly, and badly, to whatever came on next was cathartic, and I was feeling a lot better by the time I passed the California state line. Stopping in Medford, with just about five hours left to go, I decided that if I was going to be on the road, running from everything I knew to start a new life, the least I could do was cheat on my diet.

  My secret obsession was a fast-food pizza chain that I never allowed myself to eat. Now there was no one stopping me, and Medford happened to have one right off the interstate. With a passenger’s seat full of pizza and breadsticks and drinking straight from a two-liter of soda, I got back on the road feeling halfway good about things.

  The remaining five hours of the drive took me into darkness, and when I finally pulled into Portland, I was beyond exhausted. The pizza, what remained of it, was cold, and I really had to use a restroom. The hotel was in the heart of town, and by the time I parked and got inside the lobby, I was about to explode. Bypassing checking in, I went straight to the ladies’ room, and when I came out, I felt the emotion and exhaustion of the day wash over me.

  All I wanted was to stuff my face into a pillow and sleep forever. The girl at the check-in was nice, but I was beyond the ability to return her cheeriness. She told me my room was on the top floor, and I asked if they had someone who could get my bags. It was how I was used to traveling. This was not, however, the kind of hotel that had staff on hand to cater to my every whim.

  I had done that on purpose. If I’d gone to some major hotel, I would be easy to track, and Mom and Dad would be critical of me using their money to live in opulence without obeying them. Hiding away in a generic, corporate hotel kept me hidden and within a budget I could maintain without using their credit card that was still in my purse.

  Slugging back to my car, I pulled out the suitcase, the bathroom bag, and laptop bag. Everything else could stay until the morning. Even the pizza.

  My room was extremely cold when I got in, and I dropped my bags on the table to shiver. Slinging open the suitcase, I found some comfy pajamas and took them and the bathroom bag into the tiny bathroom. I turned up the shower and stepped in, letting the grime of the road get off me, then got into my pajamas and brushed my teeth.

  Collapsing into the bed, I got under the covers and grabbed my phone off the nightstand where I had set it when I got into the room. Hitting the power button, I wasn’t surprised to see a string of missed calls and tons of messages from my parents and then the help. Even the maids got bullied into trying to find out where I was.

  I shook my head and pulled up the last text from Hannah. I typed in a message that I was safe and in the bed at the hotel and hit Send, but it didn’t go. The little circle kept spinning. Groaning, I opened up my contacts and tried calling her.

  “We’re sorry, your service has been temporarily disconnected,” the message began.

  “Dammit,” I muttered and hung up.

  It was fine. I would just go get a new phone in the morning. It was past eleven anyway. Hannah was either at work or asleep, and there was no reason to bug her. Setting an alarm and sticking the phone under my pillow, I tried to relax and let sleep take me. But despite how tired and drained I was, despite how exhausted the drive had made me, I had a hard time sleeping.

  Flipping over on one side, I pulled a pillow up to my chest and wondered if I’d done the right thing.

  3

  Matt

  Jordan and Hannah were in the back office, going over scheduling with the line cook while I did prep. As much as I liked being involved in the day-to-day aspects like scheduling, I liked having the chance to be in the kitchen by myself to prepare the day’s menu. Our line cooks were both really good, each one having their own additions and styles, but I still ran the kitchen. It was my kitchen.

  That said, I was struggling with the menu. I felt stuck, doing the same pieces we had been doing since we were still in Astoria. Portland was a bigger city, obviously, and had a much more competitive bar/restaurant scene. If we were going to keep up, I needed to be on my toes and get things together. I was working on a new recipe for breading when I heard the front door open.

  “We’re not open yet,” I called through the service window. The bar obstructed my view of who came in, and it took a second before I heard their voice calling out.

  “Hello?” the voice said. It was a woman’s, and I figured it was a customer, wandering in early. Putting down the spices, I walked out of the kitchen and around the bar to see who it was, prepared to let them know they needed to come back when we were open.

  “Oh,” was all I got out, though. The woman, a gorgeous, curvy, brown-haired woman, was squealing as she threw herself into Hannah’s arms. Hannah raised her hand to me to wave me off.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “It’s my cousin, Chloe.”

  “Cousin?” I muttered.

  All I knew of Hannah’s family was that she practically ran away from her parents and their controlling ways, and that her family was really, extraordinarily wealthy. I didn’t know much else, but I decided in that moment that I wanted to.

  Hannah took her by the hand, and they walked away, heading to the back. Suddenly realizing that I had been doing something, I turned and went back toward the kitchen, meeting Jordan on the way.

  “You get the schedule all done?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” he said. “I tried to give you the days off you wanted. Just let me know if something doesn’t work.”

  “Will do.”

  “So, how is it having Mom at your place?” he asked.

  “It’s Mom,” I responded flatly. “You know how that goes.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, but she chose to stay with you. She didn’t even ask us.”

  “Well, I have a guest room,” I said. “You guys have a nursery now. She can’t fit in a crib.”

  “True, though she would try,” he said. “Are you sure you’re okay with her being there?”

  “Yeah, I’m good. So long as she doesn’t keep on about me getting married and popping out kids.”

  “Hey, look, I’m sorry about yesterday, man,” Jordan said. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just giving you shit.”

  “I know.”

  “I really wouldn’t care if you stayed single the rest of your life. As long as
you’re happy, that’s all that matters,” he said.

  “Thanks, bro,” I said. “I appreciate that.”

  He slapped my shoulder in the way brothers did when they needed to break a moment where emotions might have come into play. Then he sighed and turned toward the kitchen door.

  “Well, we need to get service started, and I need to find Hannah before that. If you need anything, I’ll be behind the bar,” he said.

  I snapped off a salute, and he walked away. I went back to my spices and eventually just gave up. When the line cook came in, I presented him with the same menu as before. If it wasn’t broke, I guess I wasn’t going to be fixing it.

  The bar opened up, and people started streaming in. Chloe was seated in a corner, in what I called the observatory seat. One could relax, have a beer and watch the bar, but also kind of blend into the wallpaper.

  I couldn’t imagine her blending into anything, though. From the moment I saw her, I was struck by how beautiful she was. The family resemblance to Hannah was slight, so much so that I had to really strain to see it. But she was absolutely stunning to look at. She was also putting away everything I sent out to her table like she hadn’t eaten in a week.

  When I finished up the second batch of onion rings, I decided I needed to know a bit more about her. Turning to the line cook, who was busy fiddling with his phone, I cleared my throat to get his attention. When that failed, I did it again, louder, and sounding a bit like I was gargling rocks.

  “Yeah?” he asked, putting the phone away.

  “You’re in charge for a bit,” I said. “I’ll be back in a little while. Just try not to Snapchat everything, okay?”

  Grabbing the onion rings, I headed out, hearing the snickering of the young cook as I did. I knew I probably said something dumb, but I didn’t care. I had better things to think about. Like getting a good look at Chloe.

  “Your onion rings,” I said as I sat them down on the table.

  “Oh, thank you,” she said, her voice sing-songy and cute. “I don’t think I met you yet. I’m Chloe.”

  She held out her hand, and I shook it gently.

  “Matt. Jordan’s brother.”

  “Oh, hi. Nice to meet you.” She paused like she was contemplating something and then seemed to make a decision. “Do you want to sit with me for a little bit? I’m kind of bored.”

  “Sure. I have a break. As long as you don’t mind if I get some of those rings.”

  “Not at all. I know I should stop, but they are just so good,” she said.

  “I know,” I said. “I make them. My recipe for the breading.”

  “No way. They are delicious.”

  “I have to keep my cool, or else I’ll eat my weight in them while I’m working,” I teased. “I’ll be right back.”

  Smiling, I headed back to the kitchen, my mind in a whirlwind. She wasn’t just beautiful; she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen in my life. Her eyes were bright and cheerful, and her smile had a hint of mischief to it that made her wildly attractive. And that body simply did not quit.

  “Hey, I’m going to go on my break. You good?” I called into the kitchen.

  “On it,” the cook said, raising his hand but not looking away from his phone. Considering I had done all the mise en place for him, it wasn’t like he had to do a whole lot. Tapping the doorframe, I turned and went back to the bar. Cris was working there with Jordan, and I snuck up to her without him seeing me.

  “Hey, I need a soda and a beer,” I said.

  “What table?” she asked.

  “It’s for Hannah’s cousin, Chloe. I’m going to take a break and hang out with her for a minute.”

  “You are, are you?” she asked, raising her eyebrow suggestively.

  “Not like that,” I lied. “Welcoming Committee.”

  “I bet.” She filled a soda for me and then grabbed one of the bottled beers. “Enjoy, be a good boy.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said, heading back to Chloe.

  When I reached her, I realized that maybe the beer wasn’t the best idea. Despite the impressive set of trays she had put down, it looked like she was rather buzzed, and when I sat, she did the lazy, drifting smile I knew all too well.

  “Well, hello again,” she said. “Is that for me?”

  She reached for the beer before I could protest and was already knocking it back.

  “Yup,” I said. “So,” I began, but she cut me off.

  “You know what sucks? Phones. I got my phone cut off today. Not because of a bill either. Because my parents. My parents are… are… my parents are dumb.”

  “Oh,” I said. “Is that so?”

  “Yup.” She swigged back the beer that I now regretted bringing her. “Jerks. Just like Hannah’s parents. Her dad is my dad’s brother. Brothers. Like you and Jordan. But not like you and Jordan, because you and Jordan aren’t assholes.”

  “I see.”

  “My parents just push me around. Tell me what to do. But guess what? I’m a full-grown woman! I can do what I want. When I want. I just got in my car, and I drove all the way here. Staying at the hotel with the two trees right beside the park.”

  She sat back with a self-satisfied smile on her face, but it almost instantly turned into a frown, and tears formed at the corners of her eyes. My eyes went wide as I searched the bar for Hannah. She had to be around somewhere.

  “Maybe I should go get—” I started.

  “They just expect me to be this… this thing. Not a person. A… metal thingy. What is it?”

  “A robot?”

  “A robot!” she said, putting one finger on the tip of her nose, albeit with some effort and a missed poke or two, and the other pointing vaguely in my direction. “They want me to be like a business deal. All math. Just a bunch of numbers that end up meaning they have more money.” She hiccupped. “And I’m not numbers, Mack.”

  “Matt.”

  “Matt. I’m not numbers. I’m a human bean. Bean? Being. I’m a human bean.”

  “Right. You are a human being,” I said, finally catching Hannah’s attention across the room. I waved to her, and she held one finger up. When I turned back to Chloe, she was staring directly into my eyes, and my hand slowly dropped to my side. She was welling up with tears, and suddenly, they fell, dropping down her high, sharp cheekbones and speeding toward the corners of her mouth.

  “I am so sorry. I have to go. I shouldn’t have said so much. I am so sorry,” she said, standing. “Tell Hannah I will pay my tab in the morning. I’m sorry. I’m getting an Uber. Just tell her.”

  She ran off, heading outside, and I saw her hail down one of the many rideshare cars that hung out at our bar on a regular basis. Just as the car sped off, Hannah made it to me.

  “Where is Chloe?” she asked.

  “She left. Said she’d pay her tab in the morning. Got an Uber. Is that her purse?”

  A pink purse sat on the seat where she had been, still clasped shut.

  “I guess so,” Hannah said. “I’ll bring it to her in the morning.”

  “I can bring it to her,” I said. “She mentioned she’s at Doubletree. It’s like a half a block from my apartment.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Nah, it’s fine. I don’t mind. She’s going to figure out she doesn’t have it and freak out. Let her sleep off the drinks tonight, and I’ll drop by her hotel in the morning.”

  “She put away a bunch of them,” Hannah agreed. “I expected her to wait to let me take her home.”

  “Well, she seems like the type that does what she wants.”

  “Chloe?” Hannah laughed. “Yeah, you could say that.”

  4

  Chloe

  My head felt like it was going to split like a coconut.

  Everything hurt, including my legs and back, which I attributed to the long car ride more than the drinks. Jordan had been very generous with the drinks, and while I appreciated it at the time, I was regretting it now. I kept my eyes clo
sed, cursing the light coming in from the open curtains that I didn’t bother to close before passing out in the bed the night before. I wanted to pull my blankets over my face or push a pillow over to block the light, but I lacked the energy necessary to do it.

  On top of all that, my stomach gurgled, and I realized I had more calories the day before than I’d had a week previous. It all seemed worth it in the darkness and relief of being free from my parents in the bar. But waking up in the hotel, still wearing the majority of the clothes I had worn the night before and leaving stains from my makeup on the pillows, I was changing that opinion.

  Thundering knocks on my door made me groan. I waited for the sound of a voice announcing housekeeping. When none came, I dared hope they had walked away. Then the knocking came again, and I held my head in my hands to soften the blows to my brain.

  “Go away,” I called but realized that not only was my voice too weak to hear, it also sounded like a frog with lung disease.

  Sighing and clearing my throat, I rolled to my side, sticking my feet out over the edge of the bed. As soon as my feet hit the floor, I raised them back up. It was freezing in my room. I hadn’t even changed the temperature when I came back in. Thankfully, one of the few things I did bring from my parents’ house was a pair of fuzzy slippers. They would look silly under the jeans from last night and tank top I was wearing, but they would have to do.

  “I’m coming, I’m coming,” I said, hopefully loud enough to be heard, as I kept one hand on the wall to guide me to the door.

  When I finally got to the door and opened it, I stood blinking for a few moments before it hit me who I was looking at. Jordan’s cute brother, Matt. The one I embarrassed myself in front of.

  In a wave of terror, the entire evening came rushing back to me, and I had to stand there and pretend like I didn’t remember it.

  “Hi,” I forced out.

  “Hey, Chloe,” he said. “You left this at the bar last night.”

  He held out my purse and I felt like a total jackass. I didn’t even realize I had left it. I was so used to just keeping a credit card with me in my pocket or in my bra that I didn’t usually bother with the purse.