A Marriage of Anything but Convenience

by Victorine E. Lieske

  “Perfect. I’m finishing up a few things for your father.”

  Nara froze. He was what? Doing work for her father? Now? She couldn’t believe it. Her father had insisted on this marriage. And now, this honeymoon. Why would he give Derek stuff to do while he wanted them to bond, or whatever his insane plan was for this trip? It didn’t make sense.

  “He’s making you work on your honeymoon?”

  Derek’s cheeks reddened. “Well, no. But I had a few things I wanted to get done…” His voice trailed off, and Nara tossed him a skeptical look.

  Now, that made more sense. The work-a-holic, unable to get off his computer, even at the beach. How was she going to teach him to let go of work, if he was bringing it along? She sighed. “Get them done quickly because tomorrow there’s no work. Just fun.”

  She sat back on the bed and propped herself up with some pillows. Then she opened her sketchbook.

  He gave her a frown. “You’re working. Why is it fair that I can’t work, but you can?”

  “This isn’t really work, though. This is my passion.”

  “What if this is my passion, too?”

  She pointed her finger at him. “Ha! You said work wasn’t your passion.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “No, I said work wasn’t my favorite thing to do. There’s a difference.”

  Nara huffed, but he was right. She was passionate about more than one thing. “All right, you got me. But now that begs the question, what is your favorite thing to do? You never told me. And now I want to know. So, spill it.”

  A funny look came over his face. “You’re so forward. Shouldn’t we get to know each other better before getting so personal?”

  Why didn’t he just tell her? It was almost like he didn’t want to, which was odd. Why wouldn’t he want to? “You’re so funny. Stop changing the subject. What is it? Is it embarrassing?”

  He scoffed. “No.”

  “Then tell me. What were you talking about when you said work wasn’t what you liked best? Is it a hobby?”

  He closed his laptop and swiveled in his chair so he faced her fully. “Yes.”

  “Is it an indoor hobby, or an outdoor hobby?”

  He considered her question for a moment, then answered. “Both.”

  Both? She tried to think of a hobby that could be done both indoors and outdoors, but nothing came to mind. Unless he was being tricky. Like, a person could look at their stamp collection on their back porch. Was that what he meant? She squinted at him. “Stamp collecting?”

  He rolled his eyes. “No.”

  “You don’t get to do that to me. If I make a guess, you don’t get to roll your eyes.”

  “Even if it’s a dumb guess?”

  She slapped the bed with her hand. “Why is that a dumb guess?”

  “How does a person collect stamps outdoors?”

  Now she felt stupid. Did she dare tell him what she was thinking? She could feel the heat creep up her neck. “Never mind. Give me a clue.”

  “A clue?” Derek tapped his chin while he thought. “Okay,” he said slowly. “I like this hobby because it lets me be artistic.”

  Nara sat up straight. Artistic? Emperor Derek? She couldn’t even imagine him being the tiniest bit artistic. He was kind of a fussy person. He didn’t like to get anything on his hands. But maybe he’d outgrown that as an adult. “Painting?”

  “Nope.”

  “Sculpting?”

  “No.”

  “Jewelry making?”

  Derek made a face. “Me?”

  Nara shook her head. “Okay, no. I can’t see you working with tiny beads. You’d go crazy if they weren’t all lined up or something.”

  “That’s kind of true.”

  “Okay, let me think some more. Artistic but not messy.”

  Derek smiled, and Nara couldn’t believe the transformation it gave his face. “That’s exactly what it is. Maybe you do know me more than I thought.”

  “Ha! That’s right. I do know you. Now, let me think. Artistic.” She stared at his laptop, and for the first time noticed the skin that was on it. It was a photograph of a building, and she squinted to see it better. It was her father’s building, but the photo was taken in such a way that showcased the symmetry of the windows, and the way they grew smaller in perspective as they got further away from the camera. It looked cool. Artistic.

  She jumped up from the bed, her sketchbook flying. “Photography!”

  Derek’s smile widened as he hopped out of the chair and picked up her book. “You guessed it.”

  “Ha! I win!” She was feeling so elated from guessing his hobby that she did a little victory dance, forgetting who was in the room with her. When she came to her senses, Derek was staring at her.

  She reached for her sketchbook but Derek pulled it to him and opened it. “Now that you know my hobby. I want to look at yours.”

  She suddenly felt self-conscious, with him looking at her designs, which was silly, because it was only Derek, for Heaven’s sake. What did it matter what he thought? He didn’t even know anything about women’s fashion, did he? And yet, she held her breath, waiting for his reaction.

  He turned through the pages, taking more time on each page than she would have thought a guy would. Then, he nodded. “These are really good, Nara. I mean, it’s easy for me to see that you love this. You put your heart into each design.”

  She let out a breath and smiled. “Really?”

  “Yes. You’re very good. Have you made any of these into real clothes?”

  Nara couldn’t help but bounce on her toes. “Yes. My favorite thing in the world is creating something I’ve designed. When I lived with Dad, I had my own sewing room. There wasn’t enough room in my tiny apartment in New York, so I had to make clothes on my kitchen table. But I have a lot of things I’ve made. I’ll show you when we get to California.”

  Derek handed her back her sketchbook. “I’d like that.”

  It felt weird to be proud that Derek liked her work, but she couldn’t tear the beaming smile from her lips. That meant a lot to her, for some odd reason.

  “What about you? Do you have a photography studio or something? Do you take portraits?”

  He shook his head. “I have taken some indoor still life shots, and I do have some lighting for that, but I don’t have a studio. I mostly take pictures of landscapes, wildlife or architecture.”

  That seemed to fit his personality. She didn’t see him as a people person. “Did you bring your camera?” Grand Cayman was filled with fantastic views.

  He seemed sheepish as he tugged on his collar. “Yeah. I just thought it would be better to spend time with you, instead of focusing on my hobby.”

  “Nonsense. Let’s do something tomorrow that gives you some great photo ops.”

  He brightened. “Okay.”

  “Can I see your photos? Do you have any on your computer?”

  He shifted his weight. “I do, but it’s kind of getting late.”

  Disappointment flickered through her, before she waved it off. “That’s fine. I’m tired now.”

  Derek went to the closet and brought out the extra bedding. He spread it out on the floor next to the bed. Nara brushed her teeth, then climbed under the sheets. Once again, the cloud-like mattress enveloped her, and she was asleep before Derek was even out of the bathroom.

  Chapter 8

  Derek woke to the sound of a bird outside on the patio. He wasn’t sure what kind it was, but it kind of had a raspy sound to its song. He thought about getting out his camera, but he didn’t want to wake Nara, so he rolled over and stared at the ceiling.

  His muscles hurt from sleeping on the hard floor, but he’d never tell Nara that. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel bad. Or guilty. Even though the king-sized bed was big enough for both of them, he didn’t want to make Nara feel uncomfortable.

  Derek slipped into the bathroom and took a shower. The hot water felt good on his muscles. Soothing. Ten minutes later he felt more li
ke himself. He applied his gel and combed his hair into place. Then he dressed in another horrific “vacation” shirt. Did Nara pick out the worst ones in the store just to humiliate him? He was starting to wonder. This one was red, yellow, and green and looked like a florist was trying to assassinate someone.

  The soft sounds of Nara snoring came from the bed as he walked past. He couldn’t help but stop and look at her, curled up in the white comforter. She looked so peaceful. Like she wasn’t just forced into marrying a man she hated.

  He sighed and shoved his nightclothes into the drawer. Maybe hated was too strong of a word. Nara didn’t like him, but he’d seen her trying to get along with him over the past couple of days. At least she wasn’t forcing him to get his own room. And she did say she wanted to do something fun today. Maybe he should figure out something before she woke up.

  Derek left their room and walked down to the lobby where he’d seen a display full of pamphlets. There was a wide variety of excursions, trips, and activities to do on Grand Cayman. He stood there and pulled pamphlet after pamphlet, reading them. There were so many, he didn’t know which one Nara would like.

  After reading about a hundred pamphlets, he sighed. How hard was it to pick one? He felt like he’d been standing there for an hour. Why couldn’t he just decide?

  The red-headed woman came out from a room behind the desk. Kay, was her name, if he recalled. She grinned at him. “Bored and looking for things to do?”

  “Yes. What would you recommend?”

  Kay leaned forward on the desk, her hands clasped together. “I loved the fishing excursion. You boat out to a little-known spot where the fish are always biting. The scenery is great.”

  Derek’s stomach lurched and he shook his head. “Sorry, I get seasick.” He was not going to make that same mistake again. He’d shout it out to the whole world if it meant that he didn’t have to get on another boat.

  “Oh. Well, then the cave tour is fun. There’s also quite a few tours of the island. And a wonderful garden tour if you like beautiful photo opportunities.”

  Derek grinned. That was more his style. “Thanks. Those are good suggestions.”

  Kay pointed to one of the pamphlets he held, her long fingernail sporting a bright blue polish. “This one in the mangrove wetlands is nice, too. You get to see a starfish garden, with hundreds of live starfish.”

  Derek had even brought his lens for close-up photos. “Nice.”

  She fiddled with her turquoise ring. “I just love it when newlyweds come stay here. I’m a hopeless romantic myself. Where did you get married, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  Where did they get married? He gripped the pamphlets and tried to think of a good answer. “It was kind of a quick decision.”

  Her eyebrows raised. “You eloped?”

  “Kind of. Her father was there…” Did that sound weird? Probably sounded weird. Who kind of eloped? But he didn’t know what else to say.

  “I think eloping is so romantic.” Kay swept her hair behind her shoulder. “Was it at the courthouse?”

  “No. Accelerated Marriage Chapel.” The words almost stuck in his throat.

  Kay simply stared at him, her green eyes clouding over. “Oh. Do you have any pictures?”

  Heat seared his face as he shook his head. “No.”

  “Did she have a dress?” Kay asked quietly.

  Derek kind of hoped that someone would walk in and need her assistance. Maybe a family of seven, with loud kids and a dog. He glanced at the door, but no one came. “Uh, no.”

  A look came over Kay’s features, but he wasn’t sure if she was sad or simply pitying him. Or, probably more accurately, pitying Nara. “This isn’t a normal marriage, is it?”

  What was he supposed to say to that? He knew Nara’s father wanted everyone to think it was a real marriage, but he didn’t think Kay would have any contact with the board members. Who would she tell? Finally, he sighed and rubbed a hand over his forehead, which was now sweaty. “Not really.”

  “But you love her.” Kay said it so plainly, so matter of fact that Derek was taken aback.

  “I do,” he said, admitting out loud something he’d kept to himself for his entire lifetime, with the one exception being that night five years ago in Mr. Claymore’s office.

  Kay simply nodded. “I can see it.”

  Derek leaned on the counter, unable to help himself. “How did you know? You can see it, how?”

  A smile crept onto Kay’s face. “I kind of have a sixth sense about these things. You and she are good together. I can tell. Things will work out between you. Don’t worry.”

  For some reason, these words from a complete stranger lifted him and made him feel better. She was probably just saying things to make him happy, but the fact that she’d seen his love for Nara, even though they had essentially only seen each other two brief times made him want to believe her. “Thanks.”

  Kay patted his hand. “It’s fate, honey. You two are fated to be together. Even if she doesn’t see it right now, she will.”

  Derek didn’t know what to do other than to nod.

  “Okay, take those back to her and find something fun to do today. I think you two will have a great time. And I’ll make up your room special for you.” Kay winked, and Derek left, wondering what in the world that meant.

  When he entered the suite, Nara was sitting on the bed, her wet hair in a towel, a leather sketchbook in her hands. She wore a yellow sundress that accentuated her slim figure. When she saw him she snapped the sketchbook closed. Was that a blush crossing her cheeks? “What’s that? More of your sketches?”

  “No,” she said quickly, hiding the book.

  “Then what is it?”

  “Nothing. Just a diary.”

  Curiosity peaked in him, but he wasn’t about to go reading her private thoughts behind her back. And she obviously wasn’t going to share it with him. He dismissed it and placed the now-mangled pamphlets on the desk and smoothed them out. He hadn’t realized he was crushing them.

  Nara crossed the room, put away her diary, and pulled the towel off her head. Her long, black hair spilled down her shoulders. She used the towel to dry the ends of her hair. “Where were you?”

  “I went to get some of these.” He held up the pamphlets. “Excursions. I thought we could look at them to decide what to do today.”

  “Great idea.”

  “You hungry for breakfast?”

  “Starved.” She stood and crossed the room to the fridge, opening it and grabbing a Diet Coke.

  “You’re drinking that before breakfast?”

  “Yes.” She opened it and it hissed out the pent-up pressure. “Are you saying I shouldn’t? Huh? Wanna fight me?”

  Derek held up his hands. “No way, sister. I wouldn’t come between you and your Diet Coke if I had an army behind me.”

  Nara pointed at him after taking several long swallows. “You got that right.” She took another long swig and moaned.

  “Should I go do something so you can have a private moment with your soda?”

  She snapped her towel at him, and he ran to get out of the way. “Just you wait. I’m going to find your Achilles heel and use it against you.”

  He clenched his jaw, unable to say anything back to her. If only she knew. She was his Achilles heel.

  Nara finished her Diet Coke, then slipped into a pair of sandals. “Come on. Let’s go. My stomach has hit critical and you were gone forever.”

  “It was nice of you to wait for me.”

  Nara gave him a funny look. “Why would I have gone to eat by myself? We’re on our honeymoon.”

  Derek didn’t want to admit he was afraid his wife hated him. In fact, she’d been insisting on calling this trip a vacation. Hearing her say the word ‘honeymoon’ made him want to smile, even though that was silly. This wasn’t a true honeymoon. And Nara wasn’t his real wife. He had to remember that, before he allowed himself to believe the fantasy. No matter what Kay said, this marriage was end
ing in two years.

  Chapter 9

  Strolling through the botanical garden was like walking through a rainbow. Pink flowers turned into red, then orange, then yellow, traveling through the full spectrum of colors created by the fragrant blossoms. Nara could smell the strong almost citrus scent of the orchids as the gravel trail crunched under their footsteps.

  She watched Derek as he squatted low and clicked his camera. Had she ever seen him so happy? His lips pressed together as he checked how the picture turned out on his screen. She’d come to realize this was the beginnings of a smile for him. How had she never seen his tiny, almost smiles before? She’d always thought he was so serious. But spending the last couple of days with him had opened her up to new possibilities. Maybe he did smile a lot. Just in that I’m-an-Emperor-and-I-can’t-show-emotions kind of way.

  “Let me see.” Nara craned her neck to try to get a glimpse of the back of his camera.

  Derek moved the camera closer to her and shielded it from the sun. The photo of a wild banana orchid took up the whole frame. He’d caught it at a great angle, the contrasting yellow and purple colors almost more vibrant in the photo than in real life.

  “Wow, that looks great.”

  “Thanks.”

  “How do you make your photos look so good?”

  “A lot of it is lighting. And angle. You have to be willing to take the shot from a different viewpoint than you would normally see. We are all used to seeing flowers from here,” he said, motioning a person’s height. “But rarely do we get down on the ground and look at flowers from down here.” He crouched down to prove his point.

  Understanding hit Nara and she grinned. “You’re right. Taking the photo from down there makes it so much more interesting. You’re a genius!”

  Derek chuckled, and a full smile spread across his lips. “Hardly.”

  Nara pointed at him. “Ha! I made you laugh. I can’t believe it. Is my evil plan actually working? Is Emperor Derek loosening up?”