“Well, Ms. Phillips, I have heard your explanation of events, and I have spoken with the other people who were there. I will think on the situation and come back to you with a fitting course of disciplinary action. You may go.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. Thank you for coming in.” With that, he turned his attention to the computer, a silent dismissal, and Jada stood up from her chair.
The rest of the day went by in a blur, as Jada did her upmost to avoid seeing Matheson, or any of the coworkers who’d witnessed her meltdown. Hours later, as she drove back to her small apartment, she was still utterly puzzled. Why hadn’t Hays just fired her on the spot? What was he waiting for? And what had so intrigued him about her henna tattoo? Her family’s customs had always been respected at work, but when the CEO had seen the markings, it had been like he’d spotted the newest attraction at a theme park.
Jada pulled into her reserved spot and walked to her building. A couple neighbors said hi in passing, but Jada didn’t hear a word. She was like a zombie, unlocking her front door and slipping inside the dark fortress of her apartment. Everything in her life hung on this single decision. Her career, her future, her father’s health, even her continuing presence as a tenant in this building was on up for grabs. If she imagined the feeling of standing at the edge of a cliff, she was sure this would have been it.
After a scarfed dinner of leftovers, eaten standing by the fridge, Jada decided to just call it a night and headed to her bedroom to change into her pajamas. As she climbed into bed and shut off the light, she stared at the ceiling in the dark. She couldn’t see anything in the blackness, and she found it a fitting metaphor for her current situation. The evening turned to deep night, and Jada didn’t sleep at all.
Chapter Four
When no one called to inform Jada that her services were no longer required, she was forced to assume she still had a job and dragged herself to the office with more than a little effort. Upon reaching her desk and sitting down with a thump, Jada saw that she had a message on her phone. The evil green light sat and mocked her for a few beats before she had the courage to lift the receiver and dial her voicemail. It was Mr. Hays, asking to see her at the earliest possible convenience. With a sigh and a lurching stomach, Jada got up and began the long journey to the office on the highest floor.
Evelyn was in no better a mood, but she shuffled Jada into the office much more quickly this morning. Jada entered, and again Hays thanked her for coming. She was getting real tired of that phrase. He gestured to the chair opposite his, and she took a seat, waiting expectantly for the other shoe to drop. However, instead of the icy tone she was used to, Hays greeted her rather pleasantly and offered her a cup of coffee.
“No, thank you.”
“Straight to business. I like your attitude. Well, let’s get to it, shall we?” He didn’t wait for a response. “Yesterday was interesting, to say the least, and your performance certainly left something to be desired. However, when I spotted your henna tattoo, I must confess that I did a bit of research on you.”
Jada sat up straighter in the chair, and Hays must have sensed her concern, because he spoke up.
“Nothing to be concerned about. I was merely curious about your background. It says in your employee file that you are half Qaresman, yes?”
Confused, Jada barely squeaked out her response. “Yes, on my mother’s side.”
“Well, as it turns out, I have a predicament concerning the Qaresman government. I have the groundwork complete for the biggest deal I have yet to close, but in order for me to have dealings with the company, I require a Qaresman business license, and this is where I ran into a bit of a snag. You see, due to an old, isolationist law, in order to obtain said license, you must be a native of the country or the spouse of a native. I have tried working out an alternative arrangement with the government, but they have proven to be most unhelpful. I’m a hair’s breadth from closing the biggest deal of my career, but I need to secure a business license from this tiny Middle-Eastern country before I can do so.”
Jada’s heart clenched in her chest. Hays was far from finished with his little speech, but she had a feeling she knew exactly what he was getting at.
“As you may be aware, Jada, the Qaresman government has little need for facilitating trade with the West, as the country is rich in oil and other resources. When I saw your henna tattoo, I was struck by an idea. I know this is a rather strange proposal, Ms. Phillips, but with circumstances being what they are, I am forced to ask you something. If you can agree to marry me in a month’s time, you would make it possible for me to be eligible for a license. I would certainly compensate you for your part in the arrangement. I can provide you with half a million dollars. That’s enough money to be able to take a long, long time off work, and you’ll be able to take your time deciding what you really want to do with your future.”
Jada almost threw up. Could he possibly be serious? This was insanity. Fake marry him for money?! She wasn’t a whore, thank you very much, and she wasn’t about to sleep with a guy so he could get a license and then walk away with a bunch of cash.
“You understand how wrong this is, right? You’re asking me to do this or lose my job.”
Jada was terrified. If she were to lose her job, she’d essentially be condemning her father to death. But what was the cost of his health? Her integrity?
The CEO shook his head. “I won’t fire you if you don’t agree. While yesterday was problematic for a host of reasons, it’s the first time you’ve ever had a problem like this. My company has a strict three-strike policy; this being your first, you would receive only a verbal warning. However, this deal is important to me, and I will do anything to ensure it goes through. That’s where you come in. It would be strictly a business arrangement, and your job is not at stake—simply the chance to take an extended break and make a large amount of money. Also, if it doesn’t go without saying, I’m not asking you to sleep with me.”
Jada was in shock. She had been sure he was going to fire her. Now that he wasn’t? Well, it changed everything. Her source of income wasn’t going to be ripped from her. She’d still be able to help pay for her father’s medical bills.
Images of X-rays flashed in her mind. The illness had done terrible things to her father’s kidneys, and he was becoming jaundiced. He was supposed to start dialysis soon, but that would only last so long. Eventually, the doctors had said, he was going to need a kidney transplant. Over the past year, her parents had used up almost every bit of money they’d had, and that was before the transplant scenario had been given to them. There was no way they could afford it, and while Jada could help, she couldn’t just drop thousands of dollars on the spot. She simply didn’t have it.
But she could.
If she had the money, Jada could fast-track her dad’s transplant and it would only be a matter of time before the hospital confirmed someone as a donor. He could be better this year. He could be better.
Tears threatened her eyes for the second time in as many days, and she suddenly felt beyond exhausted. Jada sat back a bit farther in the chair and looked down at her hands. She had been twisting the fabric at the hem of her long shirt, and it had left crinkles in the linen. Jada took a deep breath. She needed more time.
“Can I think it over?”
“Of course. Take the rest of the day off. You can get back to me tomorrow.”
Jada nodded absently and stood up. Quietly, she walked to the door of Hays’ office.
As she opened the door, ready to leave, Hays spoke again. “I promise that I will respect the boundaries we set forth. This is truly just about the license for me. I will not try to sleep with you.”
The words hit Jada like a slap. They were meant to be comforting, she assumed, but the fact that she was considering something which required having those words spoken was pure insanity.
“Okay.”
Chapter Five
Jada couldn’t go home. It felt too stuffy and
hot indoors. For a while, she just drove with the windows open and tried not to think. In the end, she ended up where she always did when she didn’t want to go home and needed to think long and hard on something.
After parking in one of the many available spots, Jada got out of her car and walked to the sand that edged the San Francisco Bay. The water was active, and tiny waves danced like bits of lace and then disappeared into the deep blue of the bay. Jada reached down and took off her flats. The sand felt cool and rough beneath her feet, and the breeze lifted her dark hair to float around her shoulders. In any other moment, it would have been beautiful.
“What on earth am I thinking?”
Jada’s heart hadn’t come with her to the water. In fact, it hadn’t left the building with her when she’d left Hays’ office. She imagined it was somewhere on the floor of his huge suite, being crumpled as he paced around, entertaining important businessmen on the phone.
A broken heart was nothing new to her, though. Jada had never had much luck with men, and now here she was being asked to marry someone for the absolute worst reason possible. Not that she wanted Hays to propose in the first place. She didn’t even know the man, aside from the fact that his parents were apparently Greek gods.
When Jada had been a small child, she’d dreamed of being proposed to. Nowhere in any of her fantasies was the clause that it would be purely for business and would end as soon as the ink dried on the guy’s business license. Hell, for that matter, nowhere in her wildest dreams had she imagined marrying a billionaire. Nope, not on her list. Jada had never been interested in money, and she’d always pictured the rich as being rude, arrogant assholes. So far, she’d been right.
And yet, none of that seemed to matter when she took her father’s health into account. She would do anything to help him. That was what she’d always said, and here she was with the opportunity right at her fingertips. What would he say about it all, though? Jada imagined he would be less than thrilled to know she’d essentially sold herself to pay for his medical bills. But at least he’d be alive to complain about it.
How the hell had this happened? Jada looked down at the henna on her arm and scratched at it.
“Stupid ink! I’m never getting henna again.”
The whole situation seemed so shady. Who was Jackson Hays to challenge an age-old law just because he wanted to make a bunch of money? It was just money! But no, that guy was going to break the law to land a deal. How selfish could you get? He was already a billionaire; why did he need to add more to his collection of presidents?
Unfortunately, all this internal debating had brought Jada no closer to an answer. She still needed the money, and her dad was still sick. Sometimes the world really sucked, and sometimes it picked a particular person to be a jerk to. This time it was her.
In her pocket, her cell beeped, and she reached inside to take a peek.
It was a text. From her mother.
“Honey, everything’s fine, but Dad’s in the hospital again. The dialysis doesn’t seem to be working anymore. He’ll need the transplant. Doc’s got him on the list. Just waiting for a match. Aunt Ida says she can help pay for hospital stay and surgery. Not sure what. Just keeping you in the loop. Love you.”
Jada fell to her knees in the sand and stared out at the churning bay. For the first time in a long while, she let the tears come, and what began as a slow trickle turned into raking sobs in minutes. Her father didn’t have much time. He’d never see her get married, or have kids, or sell a painting. Jada felt like she’d done nothing for him to be proud of. All she did was marketing for tech companies that just wanted to make money. She hadn’t made the world a better place like he had said she would. She hadn’t done anything.
But she could now.
Jada wiped away the tears and walked back to her car. She turned over the engine and drove back to the small apartment she called home. In the morning, she would meet with Mr. Hays. In the morning, she would tell him her answer.
Chapter Six
“You have a deal.”
Jada watched the excitement pass over the CEO’s face, and it was as scary as it was fascinating. When the man wasn’t glowering over people like the proverbial Grim Reaper, he was actually quite beautiful. Sure, he had the classic tall, dark and handsome thing going most of the time, but seeing him smile was a whole other thing. The blue in his eyes became less stormy and looked more like clean water. Jada wondered how many people had seen him genuinely happy.
“Amazing! I really appreciate this. You’ve truly saved this deal, Jada.” His voice was less gruff now.
“Well, you’re welcome, but I do have a few things I want to go over first.”
“Of course. Whatever you need to know.”
“As you mentioned yesterday, this is to be 100% business. No sexual favors, and no personal expectations. We’re not friends, I’m not your assistant, and you’re not my sugar daddy.”
“Well, that was blunt, but yes.”
Jada nodded and walked up to Hays to shake on it.
“Also, I have a few suggestions.”
Of course he does.
“Okay.”
“We shouldn’t tell anyone about this arrangement; not family, not friends, nor anyone here. I can’t risk anyone telling the Qaresman authorities that this is not a genuine marriage. Agreed?” At this, he extended his hand.
“Agreed.” Jada took the CEO’s hand in hers and shook it, meeting his firm grip with her own. They were meant to be equals in this after all.
“Great. The ceremony will take place in two weeks’ time. If you’d like to meet after work, we can begin planning.”
Jada half-ripped her hand out of his, taking a step back in surprise. “Two weeks! How do you expect to get everything ready in time?”
“Well, I do have quite a bit of money. It tends to make people move quickly.”
Jada rolled her eyes at him. “That’s not always a great thing, you know. You’re just buying the time for now. You haven’t earned anyone’s loyalty.”
He seemed a bit startled by her comment, but regained his composure in moments.
“Well for this, that’s all I need.”
“I guess I’ll see you after work, then.” Jada turned to leave, and as she reached the door, she looked back and said, “Mr. Hays.”
“Please, call me Jackson. We’re engaged, after all.”
The smile he offered was more devilish than she would have liked, but its appearance burrowed into her.
“See you this evening…Jackson.”
“Jada.”
Chapter Seven
Jada’s day was boring and long. By the time her shift was over, she was almost excited to meet with Jackson, because at least it would be a change of pace. He’d called earlier to say she should come up to his office once everyone had left for the day, and when that time finally came, Jada gathered up her purse and jacket and trekked to the top floor. Evelyn sat at her desk, looking as thrilled to see her as she had the first time. Someday, Jada would figure out what was up that woman’s ass, but tonight she was busy.
She entered Jackson’s office, shut the door behind her, and took a seat in her usual spot. Jackson was on the phone, speaking yet another language that she didn’t know. Finally, he noticed her and drew the conversation to a close.
“All right, so the 14th. Yes. Great. Talk to you soon. Goodbye.”
As Jackson hung up, he smiled over at her and released a breath.
“Hostile takeover?” she asked.
“What?” he said. Jada had again managed to surprise the boss and leave him a little off balance. “No. I was confirming the location and date for the ceremony.”
“Well, you never can be sure with you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?’ Jackson sat up straighter in his chair and adjusted his tie.
“Never mind.”
“No. What it is?”
“You honestly aren’t aware of your own reputation? I mean, you’re hardly seen
as a fluffy bunny around here.”
“Oh.” If she didn’t know better, Jada would have thought Jackson was actually a bit hurt. “Well, as I said, I was confirming the venue has our date set. I’ll be doing most of the wedding planning. That way you can focus on your own job.”
Wow, quite the way with words. It was Jada’s turn to sit up straighter.
“So, why’d you want me to come up here?”
“Well, I wanted to let you know the schedule for the next few days. As I said, I’ll take care of most of the planning, but I’ve scheduled a cake tasting, flower approval visit, and a chance for you to get fitted for a dress. You’ll need to be present for these events, and there may be a few more along the way.”
“All right. When’s the cake tasting?” Jada asked, not even attempting to conceal the annoyance in her voice.
“Tomorrow. After work.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”
Before Jackson could say anything more, Jada got up and went straight out the door.
Day one: total disaster.
The next day, Jada continued to work as if she had nothing to hide, nothing going on just beneath the surface. But every time she stepped out of her office, including her lunch period, she was bombarded with questions about what had happened with the boss. To the best of her ability, she told the truth: how this was her first infraction and she’d been given a verbal warning, how she was off the Ka account and instead working on a project for Mr. Hays in addition to her regular duties.
No one seemed suspicious, and many had said that her situation “totally blew.” She had to agree. Jackson proved to be as cold as ever, calling her fifteen times a day. He was so brash, and as far as she could tell, enjoyed putting people in their place. Every word out of his mouth was condescending and verged on rude. In all honesty, Jada wasn’t sure if she could go through with the “marriage,” but her father’s declining health and the ever-shortening two-week time period was keeping her on course.
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