A Marriage of Anything but Convenience

by Victorine E. Lieske

  She closed her eyes and dramatically let her head fall onto her arms. “Levi texted me.”

  “Levi? The jerk who dumped you?” Nara sucked in a breath and flinched at her words. That might not have been the nicest way to put that. Why were her words always faster than her brain?

  “Yes,” she said, her voice muffled.

  “What did he say?”

  Brielle lifted her head. “He wants to get back together.”

  “No,” Nara said, her mouth dropping. “He didn’t!”

  Brielle’s face contorted. “He did. And you know what’s worse?”

  “Don’t tell me you said yes?”

  She shook her head. “Not yet. But, Nara, I want to. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

  “You’re human.” Nara stepped to her and put her hand on her shoulder. “You cared for him.”

  “I loved him.” The conflict inside her was plain on her face. “But when he broke up with me, it destroyed me. I don’t want to risk that again. Yet, I can’t stop thinking about him. I don’t know what to do.”

  “If you don’t ever see him again, will you be okay with that?”

  She sniffed. “I don’t know.”

  “Why did he break up with you?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know that either.”

  “Maybe you need to find out the answers. That might help you figure out what you need to do.”

  Derek walked into the room, a camera around his neck, and sporting a pair of jeans. Nara almost swallowed her tongue. When had he purchased jeans? Must have been yesterday when he went shopping. Dang, he looked mighty fine in them. What was he trying to do? Kill her? Her heart rate tripled.

  “What you need to do about what?” he asked.

  Nara glanced at Brielle, waiting for her to tell Derek. It wasn’t her story.

  Brielle groaned and buried her face in her hands. “Levi wants to get back together.”

  Derek stiffened, his back muscles showing through his T-shirt. “That’s easy. Tell him to jump off a cliff.”

  Brielle huffed and hopped off her stool. “Thanks, but Nara had much better advice. Maybe you should stick to taking pictures.” She exited the room, brushing past Derek.

  He turned to Nara, frowning. “What did I do?”

  “Nothing. Just let her figure it out. She still loves the guy.” She took a swig of her drink, then pointed to his camera. “Where are you going? I thought you’d be at work today.”

  “Your dad doesn’t want me back until next week. He said we should still be on our honeymoon, so he wants me to stay away from the office.” He lifted his camera. “I thought I’d go out and take some photos.” He paused, then said, “Want to come?”

  Was that a pity invite? She wasn’t sure, but she nodded anyway. What else was there to do? She didn’t want to lounge around the house all day, waiting for her father to call, bemoaning the fact that Derek didn’t love her. Although, the thought of spending the day with Derek sounded a bit like torture. But what could she do? She’d already nodded. “Sure,” she said, already regretting the decision.

  “Okay, great. It’s supposed to be a nice day. In the seventies.”

  Nice. The perfect weather to spend time with someone who thinks of you as a sister. She rubbed her forehead. “I’ll need a few minutes. Can you wait for me to get ready?”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  Nara went upstairs, glad her headache had subsided a bit with the caffeine. She didn’t want to fight a headache all day. She already was setting herself up for a terrible day. She should go back downstairs and tell Derek she didn’t want to go after all. Make up some excuse. But in the end, she couldn’t do it.

  Maybe it was dumb, but she wanted to spend the day with him.

  She quickly dressed and slipped on her good walking shoes. She wasn’t sure how long they would be out taking pictures, but she thought maybe it would be a good idea.

  As she joined him back in the kitchen, passing by several framed photographs, she realized they may not be Ansel Adams prints. They might be Derek’s. She stopped short to take a closer look. Sure enough, his signature was in the bottom corner. She entered the kitchen, pointing at the picture in the hallway. “You took all these photographs?”

  He shrugged. “Yeah.”

  “Derek, these are fantastic. I thought you paid a lot of money for them.” Her face heated. “Wait, that didn’t sound as great coming out of my mouth as it did in my head.”

  He did his little smile-not-smile thing. “It’s okay. I know what you meant.”

  “They really are wonderful. You captured the light perfectly. The images are moving. You could totally sell these.”

  He seemed to grow self-conscious. “I don’t know. I’m not really a professional.”

  It struck her that she and Derek weren’t so opposite. He lacked confidence in his skill as a photographer, just like she did in her fashion design. At least he’d pushed her to enter that contest. She felt good about it.

  “You could be. Just sayin’.” Nara slapped his shoulder and headed toward the door, hoping to keep the atmosphere light. “Let’s go. You can show me your favorite picture-taking spots.”

  An hour later they were hiking along the trails of Griffith Park, Derek snapping shots as they walked. Nara tried not to pay too much attention when he squatted down, his muscles straining against his T-shirt. She didn’t want to think about how attracted she was to him right now.

  I’m like a sister to him, she repeated in her mind, so she would stop ogling. He was nothing more than a temporary means to an end. After the two years, her father would give her what she wanted, and she could be out.

  Except…she kind of didn’t want to be out. Was that stupid or what? She shook her head, trying to clear it. What was she thinking? That she wanted to stay married to Derek? That was dumb.

  The park was the perfect place for photos. The trees gave enough shade that it wasn’t too hot, but yet let in enough light for some amazing shots. The path they followed was paved, a nice width so they weren’t crowded. Nara breathed in the scent of the sycamore trees. Living in California did have its perks. New York didn’t feel like this in January.

  The path turned and forked, one side hugging the hill, the other side branching off onto a bridge. “Which way should we go?” she asked.

  “Let’s cross the bridge. I know of a great place down this way.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  As they started across a bridge, her toe caught a loose board and she tripped. Derek reached out and grabbed her arm, catching her before she face planted. “Hey,” he said. “You all right?”

  She stood there, inches from his face, her heart racing so fast she couldn’t breathe. And when she finally did suck in air, it was filled with the masculine smell of Derek. Her knees grew weak and all she could think about was how much she wanted to kiss him right now. She was such a loser. “I’m fine,” she said, her voice sounding like she’d breathed in helium.

  He stared at her. “You don’t look fine. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  She tried to stand back from him, but her feet wouldn’t work. “What do you mean?”

  “Your face is white.”

  “It is?” She about slapped her forehead at the stupid words coming out of her mouth.

  Derek nodded. “Yeah.”

  She swallowed, trying to think of one intelligent thing to say. Anything. “I just tripped.” And nope, she couldn’t even do that.

  “I know.” His gaze held a weight she couldn’t put her finger on.

  She gave him a weak smile. “I’m fine, really.” She backed away from him, and he let her go. Man, what was wrong with her today? She really couldn’t handle herself. Why was she so clumsy and stupid around Derek? It wasn’t like she was a teenager in love.

  She walked to the middle of the bridge, her heart still hammering. She wasn’t a teenager. And she wasn’t in love. Right? Even though she was just thinking that staying married to him might be nic
e. That didn’t mean she was in love.

  Derek stepped up beside her and lifted his camera to his face. He took a couple of shots, then leaned toward her, showing her the digital screen. “Look.”

  Every muscle in her body tensed as she angled closer to him. She became acutely aware of every smell, every sound, every sensation that she took in. And of course, Derek had to go and put his arm around her. His warm hand pressed up against the small of her back. “Really great,” she said, stepping back from him. She had to get away from him.

  Why did she agree to go anywhere with Derek? She should have known all she would do is get herself into trouble. And now she couldn’t stop wondering if she had somehow fallen in love with Derek.

  They hiked for another hour, Nara desperately trying to ignore the tingling sensations each time they brushed fingers, or he touched her back. She shouldn’t torture herself with thoughts of being in love. He had no such feelings toward her. She had to keep her head on straight.

  They reached a park bench, and Nara motioned to it. “Let’s sit.”

  Derek nodded. “All right.”

  “Do you think you got any shots that you can blow up into a print today?”

  He pursed his lips. “I’m not sure. I’ll have to look at them more closely.”

  “What determines which ones you make into prints?”

  “A lot of things, but mostly the mood.” His phone chimed and he pulled it out of his pocket. He stared at the screen a moment before he turned to her. “It’s a text from your father.”

  Her stomach clenched. “What does it say?”

  “He’s coming over in an hour. We’d better get back.”

  Nara nodded, her mouth suddenly dry. She didn’t want to know what her father would say, but she couldn’t pretend it wasn’t happening. She had to face this head on.

  Chapter 27

  Nara twisted her wedding ring around and around, waiting for her father to arrive. Derek had told him they weren’t home, so he’d given them time to get back. But now she was pacing the family room, waiting for his car to pull up and anxious to hear what he would say, and feeling guilty for how their conversation went yesterday.

  Derek motioned to the empty space beside him on the couch. “Do you want to sit?”

  Nara nodded and sat. She twisted her fingers, staring at the blank TV screen. Then, she stood again and shook her head. “I can’t. I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

  Her father’s limousine pulled up and his driver opened the door. This was it. She’d find out either way what the prognosis was.

  She walked to the front door with Derek, and opened it. Her father had more color to his face. Seeing him made the guilt in her chest rise up into her throat. He gave her a nod as he walked in. “Nara.” He held a small box in his hands.

  “Please, come in,” Derek said. “We can talk in the family room.”

  Her father followed them into the other room. He took a seat on the chair. Nara sat next to Derek on the couch. Her father fiddled with the box in his hands.

  Nara couldn’t stand the guilt any longer. It suffocated her. “I’m sorry,” she blurted out. She stared at the brown and green flecks in the carpet. “For yesterday. For what I said.”

  Her father shook his head. “I don’t blame you. I’m sure you wanted to say those things for a long time.”

  “I shouldn’t have.” She swallowed back more guilt. “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m sorry, too,” he said. “For a lot of things.” He took in a large breath, then exhaled. “It’s stage two. It has not spread to the lymph nodes or the surrounding tissue. They can most likely cure it with surgery and chemotherapy.”

  Nara whipped her head up, sure he’d spoken wrong. “What?”

  “It’s curable,” he said, a small smile finally forming on his lips. “It’s going to be okay.”

  Derek breathed out a sigh as relief flooded through her. “I’m so glad,” he said.

  She nodded, tears pricking the back of her eyelids. “That’s good news.”

  Her father sobered. “I have more I need to say.”

  She wasn’t sure why this startled her. “What is it?”

  “First, I need to give you this.” He held out the box toward Nara.

  She was close enough to him that she extended her hand and took it. “What’s this?”

  “It’s what you wanted.” He lowered his gaze and clasped his hands together. “You fulfilled your end of the bargain. You married Derek.”

  She opened the box, her fingers trembling. Inside the packing material sat a small teacup and saucer. She pulled it out and touched the tiny blue flowers on the porcelain, tears welling in her eyes. This was the one thing she had asked for from her grandmother’s estate. And her father had held it over her head, forcing her to marry Derek to get it.

  Derek leaned over, staring at the saucer. “That’s your inheritance?”

  “No,” she said quietly. “You assumed it was an inheritance. I probably should have corrected you…but…”

  He placed his hand on her knee and sucked in a breath. “No, I get it, now. This was the cup you talked about. The one your grandmother put hot chocolate in.”

  She nodded, remembering how her grandmother’s hands took great care with this cup. A flood of memories came rushing at her. The way her grandmother would hum when she was happy. The comforting feeling of sitting on her lap while she read a story. And the warmth of drinking the steaming liquid from the small teacup. She fingered the chip on the side. “Yeah.”

  Her father cleared his throat. “What I have to say next is going to be difficult for me.”

  That was an odd thing to say, and Nara’s gaze snapped to his. “What?”

  “I was wrong to force you to marry.” His shoulders slumped. “I got the idea in my head that passing on the company would be much easier if you were together. It all made sense in my head at the time.” He motioned to Derek. “Your father helped build it with me. And you,” he said, pointing at Nara. “You’ve never had any interest in dealing with it. But it’s grown to be worth a lot of money. It made sense to give it to you both. As a couple. Derek could run it and you’d benefit financially.”

  He wiped his hands on his slacks. “But I overstepped my bounds when I insisted on this marriage. And I was wrong to withhold the teacup. I knew you wanted it for sentimental reasons.”

  Nara couldn’t believe the words coming out of her father’s mouth. “What are you saying?”

  After a pause, he said, “I’m releasing you from your obligations.”

  “You mean, you’re saying we don’t have to stay married for two years?”

  “No. You don’t.”

  A lump grew in her throat and she blinked, trying to process the new information. Was her father letting her out? She could divorce Derek and move back to New York now? She could get her job back. Work her way up in the company. She could get everything she wanted. Then why was her stomach sour?

  Derek scrubbed a hand over his face. He had a weird expression on his face. One she couldn’t read. “Why…are you doing this?”

  Her father’s face softened, and his gaze bounced between the two of them. “I hope you understand, Derek. I have to mend things with Nara. I made a mistake. I was wrong. And I need to make things right again.”

  Her father was doing this to make things right between them? For the first time in her life, her father was giving her the power. Instead of forcing her to bend to his will, he was letting her go. Letting her take control of her own life. Emotion swelled in her, and she clutched the teacup to her chest. “Thank you,” she said, the words coking on their way out.

  Her father stood. “I’ll let you know when the surgery is scheduled.”

  Derek jumped up and walked to him. He gave him a quick hug. “I’m glad it was good news today.”

  Nara joined them as they walked to the entryway. For an awkward moment she stood facing her father, before she opened her arms and gave him an embrace. Her father hugg
ed her tightly. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “For everything.”

  Tears once again threatened to spill down her cheeks. She nodded, no words able to come out.

  After he left, she walked into the kitchen with Derek and took a stool. She set her teacup down on the counter and stared at it. It looked so small. Delicate. Like she felt right now.

  “You all right?” Derek asked.

  She nodded, her fingers splayed on the cool marble surface. “Yes.”

  “That went well, right?”

  Why was he asking her? He was there. “Yes.”

  “I know things aren’t all better between you, but it seemed like you got a nice start. At least you know he wants to make things right.”

  She looked up at Derek and nodded again.

  He took a step toward her, then hesitated. “What did you think about what he said. About releasing us from this—?”

  “Marriage of inconvenience?” The words just came out before she could stop them, and she immediately felt bad when he flinched.

  “Yeah.”

  What was he asking? If she was happy they could divorce now and go two separate ways? How could she answer that without lying? She stared down at the teacup. They’d only been married for one week, and not even really married. But in that short time her feelings for Derek had grown. That was stupid, right? How could she admit to him that she had actually been looking forward to the next two years?

  She had to answer him, though. “I’m glad,” she said, softly so the lie wouldn’t be detected. “I’ll get to move back to New York.” The empty feeling in her chest went against her words.

  He smiled, but it seemed forced. “Right. You love New York.”

  “It’s where all the top fashion design companies are.”

  “Yes.” He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, even though it didn’t look like they fit very well. “It is.”

  “I’ve never been through a divorce before. I guess we need to contact an attorney…or something?”

  “Right. I’ll get on that.”

  She picked up her teacup and saucer. “Okay. I’m glad we got that worked out.”

  “Do you think they’ll take you back at your old job?”