by Groovy Lee
“I’m going to need someone to take notes, and type for me while I’m there,” he continued. “I doubt if I can find anyone qualified to my taste in such short notice. Also, where I’m going will be pretty isolated, and I doubt if anyone will accept the job under those circumstances.”
A silent question had her brows lifting sharply. (Is he serious?) Every eligible female from the fifty states and beyond would jump over their mothers to accept a job where they would be in close quarters with him on an isolated island. She brushed the silly thought from her mind and concentrated on his words.
“Ms. Jenkins, I wonder if you would consider being my assistant?”
Her mouth parted in disbelief.
“I know,” he raised his hand as she looked back at him surprised. “You’re supposed to be leaving for your vacation in a couple of days, and rather looking forward to it, I’m sure. But, I’m really in a bind. I need to get my mother settled as soon as I can, and I don’t have time to search for anyone. I know I’m not giving you much of an opportunity to think this over, but I assure you, you will be more than compensated for your sacrifice. Your hours will be short, and your roommates can even join you if they like.”
She sat silent, not knowing what to say. The thought of going to Canada for two months to work with him suddenly felt overwhelming. And yet, he needed her help. Would it be so bad? A job in a beautiful country—with him? She was really looking forward to her trip to London with her friends, but this matter seemed more important. Although he stood patiently waiting for her to answer, she couldn’t help feeling a little pressured to come up with the right one. If she said no, he’d be in a bind. Would she really be able to enjoy herself in London knowing she had left him high and dry?
“I accept, sir,” she finally said. “Your mother needs you. I’ll be more than happy to take the assignment.”
If her decision set him at ease, it didn’t show. His mouth tightened as he turned from her, shoving his hands in his pants pockets. “Before you accept my offer, Ms. Jenkins, I think I’d better tell you the whole deal.” He sighed before turning to face her again. “There’s something else.”
She leaned forward a little in anticipation. (What else can you add to a simple executive assistant post that would evoke such a dire look on his face?)
“Do you remember when my father died?”
“Yes,” she nodded, remembering that all of Farrell Enterprises attended that funeral.
“That was almost two years ago. One year and nine months to be exact. Anyway, he left some conditions in his will for me.” He almost laughed out as he continued. “My father was very old fashioned. He believed strongly in the institute of marriage, and raising a family to carry on the name. Of course, my ideas about life are totally different. I’m all for marriage and a family, but marrying someone just to carry on the Farrell name is, to me, somewhat dramatic. Only when it’s someone very special should that last step be taken.”
He turned back around and walked over to the picture window to look out. Gracie studied the silent figure standing so strong; his black hair styled to perfection coupled with his broad shoulders invited her to soak it all in.
“My father and I didn’t see things quite the same way. His belief was that you simply find someone from a good family, and love would ultimately follow. Of course, he fell head over heels for my mother the instant he set eyes on her. But, I didn’t agree with his view on arranged marriages, and he didn’t approve of my way of life. There was a time when I changed dates as often as I changed my socks. He thought I was a hopeless case; That I wasn’t capable of love. I can’t count the times we would sit and debate the issue until it was exhausted, and we were barely speaking. I felt love would come in time—my time. And, that’s how we spent some of our time together—playing chess and debating my future.” He turned with a wounded smile adorning his handsome face. “What I would give to be able to debate with that old man just one more time.”
The emotion in his voice as he spoke of a dear father he no doubt still misses was quite endearing. The silence that fell was taut with sadness; She could almost feel his pain, and felt the need to go and comfort him, but it didn’t seem appropriate. Still, she wondered what this had to do with her job offer.
He walked away from the window and stood near her; The pain in his eyes had now been replaced by serious regard. “The reason I opened myself up to you this way, is so you can understand the big favor I’m about to ask of you.”
“Yes, sir?” she braced herself.
“You see, the condition in the will stipulates that if I’m not married within two years of my father’s death, then my inheritance will go to charity. You can imagine my shock when his lawyer read this out to me. And yet, I have to admire that sharp move of his. He still manages to debate me, even from the grave. So here’s my problem,” he took a seat at the edge of the desk. “I’ve been ignoring that will for as long as I possibly could. Now, I only have three months left to meet those conditions, or I lose everything. Frankly, I can’t afford to let that happen. It takes more than a good head for business to run this company. We’re implementing a new division of bottled coffee, and I need capital for that. My employees depend on me to provide them with secure employment and a stable retirement. That’s why my inheritance is so important.”
“I can understand that, sir.”
“Then you’ll also understand what I’m about to ask you, and why.”
“Whatever it is, sir, I’m more than willing to help.”
“Then, will you agree to marry me?”
It was a good thing she was seated, otherwise she would have crumbled in a heap to the floor. She lost all feeling from head to toe, her eyes locked on the man that just asked her of all things, to marry him.
“Ms. Jenkins? Are you all right? Did you hear what I said?”
“Yes—yes, I think so,” she leaned forward in her seat. “Did I hear you say marry?”
“Yes,” he nodded. “I asked you to marry me. If you agree to come to Eden’s Cove, you must come as my wife.”
As numb as she was, she could only watch as he stood from the desk, then felt his hands enclose around her arms, lifting her to her feet. Her dazed eyes finally lifted to his concerned ones.
“I know this comes as quite a shock, but it’s important. I need your help. Go home and think about it, o.k.? I can only give you a few hours to arrive at an answer though. I’ll be at your place around seven. We can go to dinner and discuss this further.”
**************************************
Gracie was stretched out on her couch in her small living room, her eyes closed to her surroundings in the pitch black. She couldn’t explain how she drove herself home covered in a cloud of confusion and shock, her mind still in a daze. She felt relieved her roommates decided to eat out, enabling her to have the house to herself. How will she explain this to them? She can’t even explain it to herself. Is it a dream? It would sure be easier to understand and a lot less stressful. ( Marry) Indigo Farrell just asked her to marry him. Not for love, the only reason two people should embark on such a deep journey, but to help him out of a bind; Now she’s in a bind. She’s willing to help her boss out, but all of a sudden the stakes are too high, and she can’t stop herself from falling into this overwhelming abyss.
Marriage is supposed to be forever, not for a period of time, or for a mere summer. You just don’t marry someone because they have abilities you can use. But apparently to Indigo Farrell, you can. He needed his inheritance and he needed her help in getting it. After that, who knows? He proposed marriage in the same breath one would use when asking for the time—if you call that a proposal. He made it more of a condition; a must-do ultimatum. She had to admit his reasons weren’t entirely selfish. It would benefit Farrell Enterprises and the future of his employees. How could she possibly say no when future jobs depended on her decision?
She rose from the sofa to get dressed for the evening. Maybe they could come to a better s
olution over dinner. She definitely needed to talk about this more in depth before giving him a definite answer of any kind.
**************************************
They sat in a cozy restaurant at a white laced table with a thin, floral candle in the middle. Gracie wasn’t aware that Mr. Farrell was admiring her in the pale-yellow dress and how it set off the brilliance of her copper-red hair. She could only stare aimlessly at the seasoned fish and rice sitting before her on the finest of dinnerware. Mr. Farrell assured the waiter that everything was fine, then broke the awkward silence so dominant throughout dinner.
“I realize how unfair this is, Ms. Jenkins, but there’s no other way. If I’m to get my inheritance, I have to get married before the deadline. Will you help me?”
Despite his rather businesslike manner, she sensed his desperation. Did she have the heart to turn him down? To let so many others down?
She lifted her gaze to him seated across the table. “There’s no other way?” she made one last attempt to assure herself before giving her final answer. “No hotshot lawyer who can find some kind of loophole?”
His smile was crisp, as if he expected some more resistance from her. “I could find a brilliant lawyer to search for loopholes and contest the will, but that takes time; time I don’t have. I can’t afford to lose my inheritance. Surely, you can understand that.”
If she hadn’t realized how important this was to him before, she does now. The despair in his eyes was so deep, she could barely hold them.
“I know this whole thing sounds selfish and very unromantic,” he continued. “But, there’s nothing else I can do. No one else I can ask.”
Did he have to put it that way? She closed her eyes and sighed, still battling with her conflicting emotions. The absence of any sentiment made everything seem so cold; Nothing like the romantic dreams she had of accepting a proposal from the man she love. She had always envisioned the moment to be perfect, her heart bursting to say, YES! And yet, this isn’t a real proposal, is it? Call it for what it is, a marriage of convenience; A temporary business arrangement. A heart bursting to say yes will have to wait.
“One more question. Is there a certain length of time we have to stay married?”
“Good question, but that’s not a problem. For some odd reason, my father failed to include that in the will—thank goodness. Well, Ms. Jenkins,” he urged. “What’s your answer?”
Another possibility came to mind just then: Felicia. Why didn’t he ask her? After all, they came close to marrying once. And from those daily visits of hers of lately, one would think she’d be more than eager to say yes to that. So, why didn’t he ask her?
She took a deep breath and she looked around the restaurant, as if the answer was written on a wall, or a stranger was waiting to whisper the answer to her from across the room. She then grabbed up her glass of red wine and took a gulp. It was then her eyes met the ones across from her and began a slow examination along his shapely jawline, his soft, inviting lips, those eyes. The light from the candle cast a strange glow on his flawless face, causing him to appear mysterious and desiring; A sharp craving clutched her insides. The thought of being his wife for two months felt kind of exciting and yet it spelled a kind of danger, too; A kind of danger that had her heart flipping somersaults.
She sat her glass down with a deep thud and answered resolutely, “Yes, Mr. Farrell, I’ll marry you.”
Relief swept over his face, a warm shy smile she had never seen since she’s known him widened his mouth transforming him into an entirely different man.
“Thank-you,” he said. “I have a good friend who’s a judge. He’ll agree to conduct the ceremony. I’ll make the arrangements. In a couple of days we’ll be married. As far as I’m concerned, this is between you and me; It has nothing to do with anyone else. I understand you have to tell your two friends, but the fewer people involved, the better. That way when this arrangement ends, no family members, or old friends will be upset.”
She thought about her grandmother and couldn’t agree more. Though eventually, she would have to tell her what she did, and why.
“Getting from the United States into Canada is fairly simple. A valid form of identification such as a birth certificate or a driver’s license will do. If you have a passport that’s even better. If I’m not mistaken, you have one for your trip.”
“Yes,” she replied, remembering when the three of them went to have theirs made. How happy they were about their upcoming trip. They could barely stop their giggling excitement long enough to take their photos. Everything is going so fast now. Yesterday, she was a carefree, single woman of the twenty-first century. Today, she’s engaged to be married. His voice interrupted her far away thoughts.
“As of now, you no longer work as my executive assistant, you’re my fiancée. And you must learn to call me Indigo from now on—understand?”
“I’ll try, sir—I mean, Indigo.” His tone reminded her that this was business, nothing else. Is it too late to back out? She cleared her throat to add strength to her weakened voice. “Uh, sir, since we’re being so straightforward with one another—well,” she cleared her throat once more before asking, “This is a marriage in name only, right?” As soon as that question came out, she regretted it.
He leaned back in his chair, a sly twist to his mouth; brown eyes now twinkled seductively as they traveled over her hair, her face, and down to the point where the table wouldn’t allow him to go any further. “What would you have it to be, Ms. Jenkins? A marriage of convenience with benefits?”
She heard him chuckling when she looked away to finish the rest of her wine.
“Don’t worry, Gracie, you can be sure that you’ll be safe in your own room at night without having to worry about me exercising my husbandly rights over you.” His voice then lowered to a playful but rather seductive note, “If that’s what you want.”
To her great relief, the waiter returned to see if they were in need of anything else. As Indigo conversed with him, she took that moment to reclaim her courage for one more question.
“Sir?”
“Yes?”
“After the two months are up, what do you plan on telling your mother and sister? I’m sure they’ll be curious.”
He shrugged with indifference. “That’s something I’ll have to take care of then. I can’t worry about it now. Of course, the money you’ll receive will take care of you for the rest of your life. You’ll be able to own Sugar and Spice outright.”
She almost smiled at the thought that her dream was now closer to reality. That’s some consolation—right? “Thank-you, sir.”
“My name is Indigo, and I’m your fiancé, remember?”
“Sorry,” she began to massage her temple.
“Give me your hand.” He reached across the table for it. “No, the other one.”
“Oh,” she said, realizing he meant the left one.
He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a small circular object and slid it on her finger. Her eyes widened when she studied it more closely. A beautiful, large diamond in a silver setting reflected the light overhead and glittered its approval. She wasn’t expecting any kind of ring or anything, but realized it was necessary. It looked as if it came right out of Tiffany’s.
“Wow,” was all she could manage.
“My father had this made for my mother when he proposed. She gave it to me to give to the woman I chose to marry. The wedding band connects to it. Of course, you’ll receive it on our wedding day.”
Our wedding day, the ring seemed to say with its sporadic twinkling. If the situation weren’t so serious, she would laugh herself into a crazy fit.
“I’ll take good care of it.”
He glanced down at his watch. “It’s getting late. We should leave. We have a lot to do over the next two days.”
When Heather and Bitsy arrived home from their dates later that night, Gracie summoned them into her bedroom and broke the news to them. She knew she could be open
and honest and trust them to keep it confidential.
“Are you serious?” Heather exclaimed in complete shock. Bitsy looked on in equal surprise. “You’re marrying Mr. Farrell?”
“Yes,” Gracie nodded, prepared for this sort of reaction. “In a couple of days.”
“Just to help him out for two months,” was her incredulous cry before throwing her hands up in despair. “I thought I’ve heard of everything. Whatever happened to the sacredness of marriage? Love and commitment? Do those words mean anything anymore?”
“Come on, Heather,” Bitsy said from her special corner on Gracie’s bed. “Aren’t you being a little severe? He needs her help; The company needs her help. And it’s only for a couple of months.”
Heather slid off the bed and paced across the room. “I understand that,” she waved her arms around. “But, what about Gracie here? What happens to her after the time is up? Does everything go back to the way it used to be? Will she be able to go back to being just a personal assistant?”
Gracie was eager to answer that question. “No, I won’t return as his assistant. I’ll receive a huge settlement that will enable us to open up Sugar and Spice without having to take out a loan.”
Heather’s eyes widened and she quickly ran back and hopped onto the bed close to Gracie. “Well, I guess you can’t argue with that, can you?”
“That was a quick turn of events,” Gracie exclaimed.
“I see that changed your mind pretty darn quick,” Bitsy added.
“Well, how can you not see the bright light at the end of the tunnel? In just a matter of months, we’ll be our own bosses,” she declared with a huge grin.
“Sounds good to me,” Bitsy nodded with approval.
“But honestly, Gracie. Are you sure you’re okay with this? Can you say for sure you’ll be able to walk away from this emotionally detached?”
The question hit her with a strong wave of reality. Emotionally detached? No. She wasn’t sure of that at all. Ever since the night Mr. Farrell—Indigo—almost kissed her, the strong feelings she had been hiding since the first day they met were starting to gain strength and not so easy to ignore anymore. Eden’s Cove is an isolated island. Will that compromise her professionally? Is she competent enough to handle being in such close quarters with him every day of the week for the next two months? Well, it’s a little too late to ponder the what-ifs now. She made a deal and others are depending on her sticking to it. She’s a professional, and the next two months will dictate that she act like one. The consequences of it all lacks importance right now.