"I’m taking you home, so that you can settle in.”
“But I have work to finish and hand over to the temp,” she said nervously.
It was all happening too fast, first a yes, then a ring, now she’s moving in, all in one day.
“That’s all taken care of, we need to get the ball rolling, the dinner is Friday evening, and by then we need it all set up.”
"I don't have any of my things," she protested.
"Use the rest of the day to buy new things. Ryan will take you where you need to go."
"Don't be ridiculous. Just drop me off at home so I can pack."
"Jennifer, I'm offering. I'll cover the costs. Buy whatever you want."
"What's wrong with the clothes I wear?" she asked irritably.
Surely he wasn’t going to expect her to transform completely? she still had the right to cling to who she really was. Pretences aside, she was still Jennifer.
"Nothing…" he started.
"Then let me go home, I know where you live. I'll be there by this afternoon.”
"There is nothing in your house that you can't purchase something new of."
Seriously! Why was he so demanding and so impatient? It would take her an hour at most to pack, and at least that way she will have the last few minutes of her freedom without him hovering.
"I have to tell my landlord I am going to be away. I have to turn the refrigerator off. I have to organize for my mail to be delivered to a different address. I have things I need to take care of before moving anywhere, and don't tell me that you can hire people to do them for me."
Justin closed his eyes and sighed and Jennifer smiled inwardly. He was not going to run her life for her.
"Five o'clock. Be at my house by five o'clock," he said tersely. "We have a date."
Four-thirty, and Jennifer stood in front of the elevator in the upper-class apartment block. She had always known where Justin lived but she had never been here herself. She had packed modestly, figuring she would be able to go back to her apartment if she really needed to. Besides, Justin's offer to buy what she wanted was always an option. Since he was hell bent on turning her life upside down, maybe she should take advantage of some of his money after all.
She shook her head thinking about the argument they had had. She didn't want to take clothes from him; the ring was already too much. She didn't want him to turn her into the kind of Fifth Avenue princess that he would ideally be suited to. That was not part of the deal. Pressing the 'PH' button in the elevator gave her a slight rush. What did the penthouse apartment of a billionaire look like on the inside? What would Justin look like when he wasn’t dressed up in his suit and tie?
The elevator pinged as she reached the penthouse level and the door swooshed open, leading into a short corridor, with only one door ahead of her. She felt intimidated by the grandeur of it all. She raised her hand to knock, but it hit air as the door swung open.
“Your impeccable time management is commendable,” he said as he stepped aside for her to enter.
He was dressed in faded jeans and a black V-neck T, wearing no shoes. His hair was still wet, which meant he had time to shower. Jennifer took a steading breath and inhaled his fresh scent as she passed him and her stomach flipped. Why did he have to be so good looking, why couldn’t he just have been an average guy that didn’t look like he belonged on some Men’s magazine cover, she thought as she placed her luggage on the floor.
Being that high in the air meant he had no use for curtains. That further meant that natural light suffused the open, comfortable space of his home. His furnishings were surprisingly light, from the pine laminate floors, to the white of the walls and the upholstery of various creams and off whites. The living space was so big the von Trapp family could have comfortably called it home. It was bigger than a bachelor would have any use for.
“Glad you made it on time, let me show you your room,” he said and picked up her suitcase.
She nearly freaked out when she noticed one of her bra’s hanging out on the side; it was a black lacy bra. One thing she was always pedantic about was wearing comfortable but classy underwear. Her mom always used to insist that a woman’s underwear was her pride.
“Uh… let me get that,” she said and reached for her suitcase, but Justin smirked and pulled it out of her reach.
“I’ve got it,” he said and turned left out of the living room into the corridor, “This is my room,” he said pointing to the door on the left, “This is my study, where you’ll find me most of the time when I’m home, and this,” he said, “is your room.”
Her room was a door down from his, which made her feel awkward but she tucked her emotions away. The room was beautiful, it looked like the rest of the place, perfect for a décor magazine, and in fact she’s almost sure she’s seen it before in a spread. The bed was queen sized, and the bedding was snow white, with embroidered leaves. She was almost too scared to sit on it in case she wrinkled it. At least the bedroom had curtains, which matched the linen. Other than a massive flat screen television that was mounted to the wall the walls were bare.
“This room is beautiful,” she said smiling as she ran her fingers along the smooth surface of the dressing table.
“Thank you,” he said and gestured to the door on the left, “That’s your bathroom, fully fitted with a bath and a shower.”
Jennifer glanced into the bathroom and it literally took her breath away. Gleaming granite tops lined the one side of the bathroom; in the middle was a Jacuzzi sized tub. The shower had no walls or glass; it was an open shower with a decorative tiled floor. Against the wall was an electronic panel where you could regulate the temperature and dispense soap, shampoo and conditioner. White towels were neatly stacked on an open shelf.
She stepped back into the room and smiled awkwardly, it felt as if her cheeks were jumping and she bit the inside of her lip. She had never ever been in such a grand place, not even when she stayed in the Hilton Hotel back when she visited Durban, in South Africa just after she finished college.
Justin looked at her curiously and then opened the closet door, “I’ve have taken the liberty of getting you an evening dress for dinner.”
Jennifer looked at the champagne colored dress. She looked at the tag and smiled, he had been smart enough not to leave the price on it, but he definitely knew her dress size. The name 'Elie Saab' didn't mean too much to her but she knew it meant the dress was foreign-made and expensive.
“You really didn’t have to go through all of this,” she said and closed the closet door, “I have clothes.”
“I know, but I thought I’d treat you to a new dress.”
Jennifer bit back a sneer. It’s already starting, Justin wasn’t happy with an average looking plane ol’Jane, and he was slowly going to try and transform her to fit into his glamorous life. It was something she was going to have to accept, and at least it would only be for a few months. Before she knew it, she would be back in her apartment with her cat Ratchet. At least she was able to get her neighbor to babysit Ratchet while she was pretending to be Miss Priss, and she had promised to visit him daily if possible.
“I’ll let you get ready,” he said and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.
* * *
Click here to read the rest of this story
Texan Tycoon’s Bride
Chapter 1
Hunter stood at the window overlooking the city and rubbed his hands frustratedly over his face before turning to face the members of the board.
“So the Johnsons will not sell the Old Stone Ranch to a detached, uncommitted man, simply because of their moral standpoint on family values?” he said incredulously.
“It looks like it,” Adam said as he shoved the proposal towards Hunter, “Mr. Johnson insists on selling it to someone who has a strong sense of commitment.”
Hunter scanned over the proposal and tapped his index finger metrically on the desk. If he was going to secure this deal he was going to have t
o play the game according to Gregory Johnson’s rules. Old Stone has long since been one of Stanton and Son’s greatest competitors and if they can manage to buy the ranch, it means that they will be one of the largest beef exporters in Texas.
“Give us a minute,” he said addressing the other members of the board, and gestured for Adam, his curator, to stay behind.
Once the door closed behind the last board member, Hunter leaned forward pressing his hands firmly on the desk.
“So this is what’s going to happen, you are going to find a woman preferably one with a child who I will marry, then seal the deal and once we have secured Old Stone, she can go on her merry way with a good paycheck to cover her expenses and we’ll have what we want,” he said confidently.
Adam gaped at him and then shook his head, and stood up dragging a hand through his hair, “Where the hell will you find a woman who would settle for that? It’s far too risky.”
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Hunter stated determinedly, pinching the bridge of his nose; right now he was willing to risk paying a willing woman to pretend to be his wife. The problem was finding such a woman, one who would be willing to play the dutiful wife for at least four months.
“I don’t know Hunter, I understand risks, but this is a little absurd.”
“Craigslist, or better yet, mail-order-brides,” he said, looking at Adam, “It’s simple, they all want money, it shouldn’t take you long to find one that’s willing to play the part.”
Adam rubbed his forehead, “You’re making a mistake, and besides, we can’t just take any woman, she will have to look the part, and women on these sites are desperate women with low self-esteem not at all your type and if Gregory finds out you’re duping him, you’ll lose more than just Old Stone. You’ll lose your credibility and honor, Gregory has a lot of contacts in high places, a stunt like this, can ruin you.”
Hunter was aware of the risks, and perhaps he was acting too impulsively but he was determined to make Old Stone his, even if it cost him his freedom for the few months while he pretended to be the loyal husband. How hard could it possibly be, he thought to himself, four months, maybe six, give the woman an offer she cannot refuse just to keep the façade believable, and by the time Old Stone is his it will be a simple matter of divorcing.
“Let me handle the fall out, you get the girl,” he said and left the boardroom.
Chapter 2
Paige was snuggled up in her bed with her laptop on her lap and her son Joshua still fast asleep next to her. Over two months ago, her best friend Jess convinced her that being single is not going to get her a ticket out of Lakewood, and on top of that having a child, made it even more difficult. After countless failed attempts at dating, and disastrous blind dates, she finally gave up on hunting and placed herself in the firing line. She decided that she would no longer go out to clubs and places hoping that she would find prince charming, no sir, this time they can find her. After much contemplation and weighing up the odds she went ahead and registered on Rose Brides, a website where in her opinion, desperate women – like her – offered themselves to become brides for similarly desperate men, who are too lazy to find the right woman to marry. There was an upside to this, she got to scrutinize each one herself, and if she didn’t like what she saw, she could simply move on to the next.
She signed in and while she waited for her profile to load she glanced over at Joshua. He was her life, and all she really wanted was to be able to provide for him, give him everything his little heart desired, but working as a waitress, living on tips, there were nights where they had nothing but dry bread to eat. Sure she could go to her mother, try and make amends, but it was her mother who kicked her out of the house after she had fallen pregnant, and that day she vowed to never set foot her mother’s house.
The page loaded and like every other day there were at least four messages in her inbox, she clicked on the first one and like so many others the profile pictures was missing. She hated those, if she couldn’t see the person’s face, and see if there was at least some attraction towards that man, she didn’t even bother with a reply.
She was about to click on the next message when a chat popped up at the bottom right corner of her screen.
S&S: Hello
Paige bit her bottom lip, she was always very careful to respond to live chats and by the sound of the name it sounded like one of those sickos who were into dodgy sex fetishes. She hovered over the X with her mouse cursor, but then the next message popped up again.
S&S: My name is Adam, how are you?
At least he introduced himself, she thought, and click on the message box and replied.
PaigedLit: Hi there
The next message popped up almost immediately.
S&S: I like your screen name.
She quickly muted the sound to prevent it from waking Joshua. She sat for a second and contemplating if she should respond. He seemed sincere and normal in a way, but then they all do at first until you get to know them, she thought but responded anyway.
PaigedLit: Thanks, I like to write.
S&S: Lit=Literacy?
Well at least he wasn’t an idiot, he quickly caught on what the Lit in her screen name presented, she thought and replied.
PaigedLit: Something like that.
S&S: Nice wordplay.
Oddly she found herself smiling, but now was her turn.
PaigedLit: What does S&S stand for?
S&S: Company name
Paige frowned at the response and replied.
PaigedLit: ??
S&S: It’s the company’s name.
She stared at her screen confusedly for a moment, why on earth would someone want to sign up with his company name, she wondered, but then Googled it and found Stanton and Son exports of Beef. She found it a bit odd that he signed up with a company name profile; it’s almost like inviting a stalker into your living room by giving away your physical position.
PagiedLit: Not very clever to give away your place of work, what if you picked up a stalker.
A big LOL popped up on her screen and again she couldn’t help but smile. There was something about this person that made her feel comfortable and exited at the same time.
PagiedLit: I could become a stalker.
S&S: I highly doubt that. I have to go unfortunately, but I will be in touch.
And just like that S&S was gone.
Chapter 3
Paige spent the rest of the day working at the bistro, and by the time she picked Joshua up from her neighbor and got home she was too tired to bother logging into Rose Brides, although she spent all day thinking about the stranger she chatted to earlier that day.
“Mommy,” a little voice broke through her thoughts, and she smiled at the little replica of herself curling up next to her.
“Hey sweetheart, did you have fun today?” she asked tucking a finger under his chin.
“We played games,” he said and yawned, “I also want games like that.”
Paige smiled and kissed the top of Joshua’s head, “I will make a plan to get you one, maybe for your birthday,” she said, even though she knew that at the current state of affairs, she’d be lucky if she could buy him a cake.
Joshua turned onto his side, and fell asleep again, and Paige was left staring at the ceiling. Sleep was going to avoid her tonight, simply because of the fact that she had no idea how she was ever going to make her son’s dreams come true.
She was about to go to the kitchen to make some coffee when her phone pinged with a message alert and when she read the text she was a little unnerved.
I hope you don’t mind me contacting you directly, but I would like to propose something to you. Adam.
How the hell did he know her contact number? She wondered slightly panicky and replied.
How did you get my number? She texted back, and bit her lip.
Can I rather call you to discuss the proposal?
Before she could respond, her phone vibrated and she quic
kly answered.
“How dare you call me when I have not agreed to anything?” she whispered annoyed.
“Miss Carr, I’m Adam Muller, from Stanton and Son in Dallas, I’m calling you in connection with your online profile on Rose Brides,” he said casually.
“I, yes, um, I didn’t really…” she started but was soon cut short.
“I’ll get straight to the point, the request is somewhat unorthodox, but my boss would settle for no less,” he started, and continued to tell her about the proposal, explaining in detail that his boss needed someone to play the part of a wife for a few months, and then after that she would be free to live on her own, with all expenses paid until she eventually decided to marry someone else.
Paige was dumbstruck and quite confused by the request, she stared at her phone for a brief moment and then said, “I think you may have the wrong candidate, you see Mr. Muller, I have a child and I doubt your boss would be keen on me filing the shoes of being his wife.”
“On the contrary Miss Carr, you are exactly the candidate he insisted on, you see, you are whole package, and for the purpose of the deal, it’s nothing short of perfect,” Mr. Muller stated almost excitedly, “and believe me, if Mr. Stanton promises to see that you are well taken care off once the deal is concluded, there is no doubt that you and your child would have more than enough. What’s even better, your son will also be schooled at a private institution here in Dallas, and that alone will open many doors of opportunity.”
For a moment Paige had no idea what to say, this was all just too surreal, what man in his right mind would make such an offer, it sounded like something out of a movie. She glanced over to where Joshua was asleep on the bed they shared in the shoddy one bedroom apartment. What if this was in fact, her ticket out of here, she wondered quietly.
“Miss Carr, I know it’s sudden and under normal circumstances, a decision like this would require much thought, but Mr. Stanton would like to have our answer urgently,” the man on the other end said derailing her train of thought, “If you accept the offer, I will arrange for someone to collect you at your home in two days, and take you straight to the airport.”
Cowboy's Fake Fiancée: A Single Dad & A Virgin Romance Page 12