by Jillian Dodd
"I think I'd rather be your husband than your agent."
"Let's go back to Vegas tonight. Tell your family. Hop on a plane and just do it. "
"No way. The next time we get married, it's going to be the wedding of your dreams. Let's meet with a wedding planner and set a date, then we'll tell them."
She beams at me. "That sounds like a great plan."
My brother kisses both of Ashlyn's cheeks in greeting then slaps me on the back. "You look like you're going to be sick. Don't worry, I'll handle the negotiation. You can sit back and watch the master work."
He chuckles then gestures toward the conference table for us to sit then he goes over the first contract with Ashlyn.
"So this is for the sequel to The Spy Games. Preproduction will begin in three months. Filming will all be done at the studio here." He goes over the terms of the contract in detail, telling her the items he believes are negotiable and those that aren't. Once he's gone through the whole thing and has a list of points, he starts on the next offer.
"Wait," she says, grinning at me. "No."
"No, what?"
"I want more money."
"But this is a very substantial--"
"I don't care, Cade. I'm worth more than that and we all know it. And, honestly, had they not pulled their offer when I was going through what was one of the worst weeks of my life, I might have taken it. But, now, I want more across the board. If they don't like it, they can find a replacement for me, and I will happily take some well-deserved time off." She glances at me. "I believe in me. They need to show me that they do too."
I know we've been talking about telling my family about us getting married again but the way she just looked at me, was almost like she was telling me that she needs to know I believe in her.
And I don't think she's talking about business.
What can I do to show her that I love her? That I'm serious about marrying her? That I'm serious about her?
She wore the engagement ring in New York because she said she could get away with it there. She's not wearing it today.
That's it!
She needs a serious proposal, not some drunken one.
As soon as we're done here, I'm going to show her the house. I'll take her out onto the balcony overlooking the Pacific, get down on one knee, tell her why I love her, and ask her to marry me again.
Then I'll tell her that I'm buying the house. For us.
Hands On My Ass
Ashlyn
After we get confirmation the studio agreed to my contract terms, Cade asks to speak with me alone.
"Ashlyn, can I talk to you freely about something personal?"
"Like what?"
"Cash."
"Oh."
"Oh, what?"
"What did you want to say?"
"I just want you to know that if he ever acts inappropriately toward you, you need to tell me."
"Inappropriately?"
"The other day after the whole Bart thing, I saw the way he hugged you. When he took this job, I told him he needed to be professional. If he's not being professional toward you--"
"I get what you're saying, Cade, and everything is okay. I wouldn't be making all these changes if it weren't for him, so we should both be thankful for that. He's helped me more than you know, and I value his friendship."
Among other things.
"That's a relief. Congrats on your new deals. They are big ones."
I smile. "I know. I owe you a big thank you too. I feel like I'm finally getting my life in order and under control. It feels good."
I meet up with Cash in the lobby and when he pulls me into the elevator, he kisses me.
"What did my brother say?"
"He wanted to make sure you have been behaving appropriately toward me."
He smirks and grabs my ass. "Have I been?"
"Guess that depends on your point of view. I'm pretty sure Cade would not consider your hand on my ass appropriate."
"And from your point of view?"
"I love it." I give him a kiss back. "Were you serious about the whole wedding planner--doing a big wedding thing?"
"That depends if you want to marry me again."
She looks at the ground. "Cash, I'm sorry I snuck out that morning, but I got scared."
"Scared of what?"
"I promised you it was just a one-night thing. That's what you signed up for."
"I agreed because it's what you said you wanted. But by the time I had proposed, I was already crazy about you."
"Well, I freaked out when I got home. I texted Harper on her honeymoon trying to find you. Got the guest list and everything. I told myself I needed to give the ring back but, really, I wanted to find you. To see if you were as amazing as I remembered. Or if I was just drunk."
"You were drunk. We both were."
"Do you think we're even legally married? We gave fake names."
"I refuse to answer that question on the grounds it might incriminate me," I say, knowing that whether or not we're married might be the least of our worries.
"What does that even mean?" she laughs.
"It means I don't care if we are legally married or not. I love you. That's what matters. And I want to marry you again. Soon. In front of my family and friends. And then I want to go on an amazing honeymoon with you."
"I want that too. And how soon are you thinking?"
"Let's call the wedding planner right away. I'd like to tell my family this weekend. I don't want to wait any longer."
"Do you think they will be mad at you?"
"Maybe a little, but they'll get over it. They want to see me happy, and you, Hotass, make me happy."
Top of the World
Cash
On the drive home, she calls the wedding planner and sets up a meeting for tomorrow. When she gets off the phone, I lie and tell her I want to take her out for dinner to celebrate her new contracts. While she was talking to Cade, I messaged the realtor and got everything set up. Told him that I wanted to make an offer but wanted her to see it first.
She curls her hair and puts on a sexy lace dress. One that looks almost bridal. Perfect.
And, thankfully, she's wearing the ring. I want to give it to her again.
"You look beautiful," I tell her. "We'll have to stop by my brother's on the way, so I can put on something worthy of that dress."
"Where are you taking me?"
"It's a surprise," I say, barely able to hide my excitement.
I feel on top of the world. I don't think I've ever been this happy in my entire life.
There's a car I don't recognize when we pull into Carter's driveway. I figure it's probably Vale, but when Ashlyn and I get through the door, I see my ex, Kelli, instead.
"Cash!" she says, ignoring Ashlyn and trying to give me a kiss.
I pull back. "What are you doing here?"
"I screwed up. It's fine if you're not ready to get engaged, but we can't just give up on each other. We were together for four years."
"I'm not in love with you, Kelli. And you aren't in love with me either. You packed your bags and left. Never even cried. Why are you here now? It's been over a year."
"I saw a photo of you with her at Fashion Week." She nods her head toward Ashlyn. "I realized how much I missed you and called Jared. He told me you were here. Carter let me come in and wait. He told me you haven't been dating anyone." She looks at Ashlyn again and holds out her hand. "I'm sorry if I'm being rude. I'm Kelli, Cash's girlfriend."
"Ex-girlfriend," I stress.
Ashlyn smiles and flashes her ring. "You can't be Cash's girlfriend. He's already spoken for."
Kelli's eyes get huge as she grabs Ashlyn's hand and stares at her ring. "Are you saying that ring is from Cash? Are you engaged?"
Fuck it. I grab my hot-ass wife's waist, pull her close, and then flash my wedding band. "We're not just engaged."
Kelli looks very confused and is shaking her head, so Ashlyn clarifies the situation. She holds out her ha
nd like Kelli did earlier and says, "I'm sorry if I'm being rude. Let me introduce myself. I'm Ashlyn, Cash's wife."
"But how could you be?"
"It's really none of your business, Kelli," I say, leading her toward the door. "I think it's time for you to leave."
She stands in the doorway, pissed. "Why didn't Carter tell me?"
"Because he didn't know," Carter replies from behind us.
I turn around and mutter, "Shit," as Ashlyn bursts into tears and runs out the back door.
"What the hell is going on?" Carter demands. Kelli hasn't left yet. She's still standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips and a bitchy look on her face. It's the same look she used to give me when I suggested doing something fun.
"Yes, Cash," she says. "What the hell is going on?"
I point to her. "It's none of your fucking business. I gotta go."
As I'm running after my wife, I yell back to Carter, "Don't you dare tell Mom."
I sprint as fast as I can down the beach toward her house and find her sitting in the sand, sobbing.
"Why are you crying?" I ask her, even though I feel like crying too. I didn't want my brother to find out that way.
"I shouldn't have said that," she cries. "I just felt so jealous and it slipped out. I swear, I didn't mean for it to come out like that."
I stop her rambling with a kiss. "Shut up."
"Don't tell me to shut up."
I kiss her hard, again.
She kisses me back and then sighs into my mouth. "God, you kiss good. You can tell me to shut up any time you want if you kiss me like that."
"I don't kiss good, we kiss good," I tell her, pressing my lips against hers.
My phone starts ringing loudly.
I ignore it.
It stops, starts ringing again.
"You should answer that," she says.
I see Cade's name on the screen and shake my head. "No."
She grabs the phone out of my hand, presses the button to answer it, and then holds it up to my ear.
"Hey, Cade."
"You and Ashlyn are fucking married?! When did this happen? Were you the guy she fucked on the plane? Did you go to Vegas with her that night and get married? And then when I told you about your job and how you couldn't sleep with her, you lied to my fucking face? Actually, it doesn't matter. You're fucking fired. F-I-R-E-D. Fired. Do you hear me? I took a chance on you. And you fucked up this one thing?"
"I can explain."
"There is no explanation," he continues to yell. "It's bad enough you lied to your boss, but it's a hundred times worse that you lied to your brother. Mom just called me. She was crying."
"Mom? How the hell did she find out?"
"Kelli called her."
"That little bitch."
"She may be a bitch, but at least she's honest. Go pack up your shit and go the fuck back to Seattle."
"But, I--"
I hear a click.
"He hung up on me," I say to Ashlyn, hanging my head.
"Good news travels fast, huh?" she says with a sad chuckle.
I hold my head in my hands, trying to figure out how best to handle this. "You could say that."
"I heard what Cade said. I'm sorry you got fired because of me."
"It's okay. We were going to tell them this weekend. I'll just explain what happened. They will understand. Eventually."
I look up at her. She's a mess. Black mascara tears are running down her cheeks. The ocean breeze is blowing her hair, causing it to stick to her face.
I brush it back and kiss her forehead.
She cries harder, her whole body shaking. Then she takes the ring off her finger, hands it to me, and says, "Cash, I want a divorce."
"What? No! Why?"
"I can't do this anymore."
"Ash, my family will get over it, I swear. Cade is just shocked."
She's still shaking when she says, "I thought I loved you, but I don't. Not enough to deal with all of this."
"I don't believe you."
"I'm sorry," she says again as she stands and then runs to her house.
I should run after her again, but I can't.
I'm devastated.
So I sit in the sand, stare at the ring, and do something I haven't done in years.
I cry.
Perfect Girl
Cash
I went back to Carter's house, locked myself in the bedroom, and slept for fifteen hours straight. I'm pretty sure it was my body's way of ignoring the hurt.
Now, I'm packing. Carter hasn't said a word to me since I came home last night, so I'm going to fly back to Seattle in the morning, lick my wounds, and figure out my next step.
I want to talk to my family, but I can't.
If I do, I'll have to admit to defeat. I'll have to admit that she didn't love me enough to stand up to my family with me.
I can take my family being mad at me. I know they'll get over it eventually.
But I don't think I'll ever get over her.
And that's the part I don't know if I can explain.
How did I fall for her so fast?
Why did I marry her?
Why do I still want to be married to her?
Why do I love her?
That one, I know the answer to. Because she's the perfect girl for me.
I'm absent-mindedly grabbing the little bit of stuff I brought with me and throwing it into a suitcase.
But I stop suddenly and look at what's in my hand.
It's the conch shell I found on a family trip to Belize when I was young. I remember there were piles of them on the beach, but this is the one that I had to take home.
"Look, Mom. Isn't this one pretty?"
"Are you sure you want that one, Cash? It's cracked. Why would you want to take it when there are so many perfect ones to choose from?"
"Because it's my favorite," I say.
I've taken this shell with me everywhere. It has sat on a nightstand next to my bed since I was nine. When Kelli moved in with me, she tried to throw it away.
I stare at the shell and know why I've kept it all these years.
I run down the beach to her house and bang on her bedroom window.
She turns on an outside light, illuminating me, and opens the door with a questioning look on her face. "Why are you here?"
I thrust the shell at her. "This is why I'm here. Please let me in. I need to explain."
She stands in the doorway, blocking it and not even allowing me to step inside. If I have to do it this way, so be it.
"I found this shell when I was nine. My mom told me it was cracked and I should find another one, but I didn't. This shell has laid next to my bed since that trip. At my house, at my dorm, at my apartment in Seattle. I know now why I kept it. This shell is like you. It's a pretty shell, but the crack is what makes it beautiful. All my life, I've been looking for the girl who matches this shell." I flip it over. "And look at all the twists inside it. Underneath the exterior is something crazy, wild, fun, and unpredictable. Just like you. I love you, Ashlyn."
I get no response, so I get down on my knees and beg. "Please, take the shell. I want you to have it. I want to marry you again, just like we said."
Tears stream down her face, but she doesn't say a word.
I desperately pull the ring out of my pocket and hold it up. "Will you marry me?"
"I can't, Cash. I'm sorry. Vegas was amazing and crazy, but all it will ever be is a good story."
Then she shuts the door in my face.
Divorce Papers
Cash
The next morning as I'm getting ready to leave for the airport, I find an envelope on my doorstep. Inside are divorce papers that she printed off the Internet. I can see the website address sprawled across the top of the document. She's also included a copy of our marriage certificate, our napkin prenuptial agreement, and a note from her asking if I would please sign and return, along with her promise to handle our divorce as discreetly as possible.
&n
bsp; I study the marriage certificate. Granted, I've never been married before, but this thing doesn't look legal.
I grab my computer and pull up a frequently asked questions page about getting married in Vegas.
Most all chapels will perform a ceremony without a marriage license so that you can have the fun experience of a Vegas wedding, but if you want that marriage to be legally binding, please go to the License Bureau first. They are open 365 days a year from 8am until midnight.
"We're not really even married," I say out loud. "That's just a--"
"She thinks you are," Harper says, startling me. I turn around to find Harper and my sister Chloe, along with Carter and Maddox.
"Harper told us the truth about everything," Carter says. "I'd just like to go on record and say that Chloe owes me five hundred bucks."
Chloe smacks Carter on the back. "I do not! We redid our bets, which voided our original agreement."
"No way. You owe me. No fancy schmanzy purses for you," he teases.
"I hate you," she says, laughing.
I roll my eyes because I'm not in the mood for their stupid joking around. "I'm going to finish packing."
"No, you're not," Harper says. "I talked to Ashlyn. I know why she told you she wants a divorce."
I run toward her. "You do?!"
"I'm pouring some drinks first," Maddox says.
"Good idea," Carter agrees. "This is going to take a while."
I sit down next to Harper, but Chloe squeezes between us. "I'm in on this too."
Harper agrees. "We're working together on this. All of us. Because we love you both. Think of this as an intervention."
Carter hands me a glass of amber liquid on ice. "Scotch, first. Intervention, second."
"Intervention?" I ask.
Maddox laughs. "Kind of funny that we're drinking scotch at an intervention. Aren't these things usually reserved for addicts?"
"Cash is an addict," Harper says with a smirk on her face. "He's addicted to Ashlyn."
"I'm not addicted to her. I love her. And nothing you can say is going to make me stop, so don't bother."
"We want to help you get her back," Chloe says sincerely. "I mean, we're mad at you and all, but we still love you."
Her words touch me deeply. This is what I wanted Ashlyn to experience--a family who loves you unconditionally.