The Billionaire's Weekend Bride

by Love, Kimmy

  “You look beautiful,” he said, offering his hand as she got into the back seat.

  “Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself.” She stared out of the window for the next ten minutes or so before either of them spoke again. The tension in the car was obvious.

  “Sonia,” Damian said, resting a hand on her thigh. She tensed up. “What happened yesterday …”

  “Don't,” she said. “I have a job to do. Tomorrow you'll fly home again and then we get on with our lives. Okay?”

  “That's what you really want, is it?” he said, looking hard at her wishing she would make eye contact.

  “That's all,” she said, keeping her gaze outside on the city streets. “This is just business for me, Damian. You have to understand that.”

  “I think I do.”

  The rest of the journey was in silence. It wasn't too far to travel to the Merriman's suburban house. The car entered via tall black gates and continued onto a gravel drive to the house and its grand double door in the front. They each took a deep breath. Damian picked up the large bouquet of flowers he'd bought for Gloria Merriman as well as the box of cigars for Joseph Merriman.

  They were greeted at the door by a butler who showed them into the living room. In this large and richly decorated room, the Merrimans were sitting quietly with some classical music playing in the background. They both got to their feet to greet Damian and Sonia.

  “How lovely to see you again,” the Merrimans said.

  “These are for you, Mrs. Merriman,” Damian smiled as he handed the bouquet of flowers to her.

  “So lovely,” she said. “But tonight, it's first name terms only. I insist you call me Gloria.” She passed the flowers to the butler who took them away. “Come and sit beside me, Penny,” she said to Sonia. Sonia thanked God she'd said her name first because on the way over, she was so preoccupied with how great Damian smelled that she forgot her fake name.

  “Thank you, I will,” she said.

  Damian bowed graciously as he gave Mr. Merriman the cigars.

  “Oh you're spoiling me,” said Merriman. “How did you know I smoked these?”

  “Well, I make it my business to find out who I'm doing business with, Joseph.” Damian gave one of his wide, winning smiles. Sonia wished she could read him. He looked so genuinely happy to be with the Merrimans but all he really was after was their hotels. How could she ever hope to know how Damian truly felt about anything?

  The butler returned, placed the arranged flowers on a side table, cleared his throat and announced that dinner was served. They followed him out of the living room and across the wide marble floored hallway to a set of double doors. He threw them open to reveal a lavish dining room. There was a low hanging chandelier above the oval table that was dressed in a crisp white linen tablecloth. The crystal glasses twinkled under the lights and the table settings were clearly the best that money could buy.

  The butler pulled out the seat for Sonia. She sat opposite Damian with the Merrimans at either end. Not long after being seated the first course was served. Sonia could barely look across at Damian who, himself, couldn't take his eyes off Sonia.

  “This all looks beautiful,” Sonia said.

  “Doesn't it?” said Damian, but he was staring directly at Sonia, trying to catch her eye. She wouldn't look up.

  Rather than launching straight into the matter of the hotels, the four of them made small talk about the weather. Gloria asked Sonia about her work.

  “How long have you been teaching, Penny?”

  “Not very long. I completed my training and got my first assignment last fall.”

  “And no regrets?”

  “None at all.” Sonia smiled.

  “Penny's so dedicated,” Damian chimed in. “I know she'll get a deep sense of satisfaction when she sees them go off to college at the end of the semester.”

  “College?” Mrs. Merriman said. “I thought you taught kindergarten, Penny?”

  Sonia shot a look at Damian. His eyes widened.

  “I do,” she said. “I think what Damian means is that, knowing me, I'll be trying to keep track of all the little geniuses to make sure I laid the foundation to their success.”

  “Well, that's very conscientious of you, Penny.” Mrs. Merriman nodded, but gave her husband a look.

  There was a nervous silence around the room that was filled by two staff members coming to remove the starter plates and being followed pretty closely by two others serving the main course. Mr. Merriman talked at length about his hotels and the family history while Damian and Sonia nodded sweetly and agreed with everything he said.

  By the time dessert was served, they'd all had a lot to drink. The conversation was loud and lively and Sonia had allowed herself to look over at Damian once in a while until eventually they were staring at each other a lot.

  With the amount of dessert wine she'd had, Gloria Merriman's cheeks were flushed.

  “Penny, my dear,” she said in a tipsy voice. “I can't help thinking I've seen a picture of you recently. Goodness knows why. Were you on the television by any chance? I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's nagging at me.”

  “Not me,” smiled Sonia. “I hate to be in the press. Besides why would they put a kindergarten teacher on the television?”

  Mrs. Merriman laughed. “Quite true. Maybe the person looked like you. Whoever she was. Damian, could you pass the jug of water?” Gloria Merriman asked. “I think I should dilute all this wine.”

  “Of course,” he said getting to his feet and walking the jug to her end of the table. “Allow me, Gloria.” He poured for her despite the butler edging his way.

  “I must say, your husband is very gracious.”

  “I do my best,” Damian said, walking the jug over to Sonia's side. “Sonia,” he said. “Would you like some water?”

  The second she realized he'd called her by her proper name, Sonia started coughing and pretending to choke in the hope that the couple hadn't noticed his mistake.

  “Are you all right?” he asked her, putting down the jug and patting her back. She shook her head 'no' and got up.

  “Damian, come with me a moment,” she wheezed through her fake coughs. “Walk me outside. I need air.”

  “Here,” said Mr. Merriman, rising quickly and gesturing to the butler. He promptly opened the patio doors onto the garden. “Take Penny out this way,” Mrs. Merriman instructed Damian. “Shall I come with you?”

  “No, no,” Sonia exclaimed, pretending to cough again. “Maybe something went down the wrong way.” She grabbed Damian's hand. “We won't be long.”

  “You'll find us in the living room on your return,” Merriman said after them. “Take your time. I'll have them serve coffee.”

  A few paces into the moonlit garden and Sonia rounded on Damian. “You idiot. Are you trying to blow your cover?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “You just called me Sonia!”

  “I didn't.”

  “You did,” she said in a stage whisper, looking over her shoulder to make sure they couldn't be overheard.

  “Oh my God. I'm sorry. Thanks for saving me.”

  “That Mrs. Merriman doesn't miss a trick. You need to be careful.”

  “Well you need to loosen up, Sonia.”

  “Me loosen up?” she exclaimed.

  “Yes, we're supposed to be a loving couple and you're barely acknowledging my existence.”

  “What's that supposed to mean?”

  “I mean why won't you look at me?”

  “Is that what this is about? Your ego? You want me staring at you all night like one of the lovesick women you screw on a regular basis? I've been looking at you plenty.”

  “What's your problem? Why does it matter to you who I sleep with? You made it perfectly clear that last night was all about sex.”

  “Yes and how does it feel with the shoe on the other foot, Damian? This time the woman is in charge.”

  “Is that right?”

&nb
sp; “Yes it is. I'm the one who walked out last night and I'm the one you have to pay to be here, so don't forget that.”

  “Is everything all right?”

  They both turned around, stunned. Mrs. Merriman was right behind them. Suddenly, the garden lights came on.

  “I thought it might be a little dark out here for you,” she said. “So I had someone activate the outside lights.”

  Damian and Sonia were both speechless. The same thought ran through both their minds: How much did she hear?

  “If you'd like,” Mrs. Merriman went on with a serious expression, “I could have the coffees served on the patio. It's a warm enough night for it.”

  “Oh no, we'll be right in, Gloria,” said Sonia. “Just catching my breath. We'll come straight into the living room in one second.” She held Damian's hand and swung it back and forth with a loving smile on her lips. Damian responded by kissing the hand holding his.

  “Fine. I'll see you inside.” Gloria Merriman turned to leave but stopped after a few paces. “By the way,” she said.

  “Who's Sonia?”

  “Um,” Sonia said.

  “My mother!” Damian blurted out. “Penny reminds me so much of her, I sometimes mix up the names.”

  “Sweet,” Mrs. Merriman said, going back to the house, still with that serious expression.

  “Do you think she heard what I said?” Sonia whispered when she thought Mrs. Merriman was out of earshot.

  “No,” Damian inhaled and blew out a long breath. “If she did, she would have come right out with it. I don't think our cover is blown. I'm going to have to wrap this up quickly. I'll say you're tired, if that's all right with you.”

  “Fine,” she replied.

  “Okay, good. I'll get Merriman to sign and we'll be on our way.” They began to walk back to the house, still holding hands. Sonia slipped her hand out of his.

  By the time the two of them entered the living room, they were all smiles again.

  “Oh, Penny,” Gloria Merriman said, rising from her chair. “All better?”

  “Yes. Thank you.” Sonia took a seat on a sofa upholstered in kingfisher blue. Damian sat very close beside her. They were instantly served black coffees and offered cream and sugar.

  “Just black for me, thank you,” Damian said. “So, Joseph, I hope now we can get down to business.”

  “Business. Yes,” Merriman said. “I don't have to repeat how important family values are to me, do I, Damian?”

  “Of course not. We both know that about you and completely admire it, don't we darling?” He lightly touched Sonia's thigh and returned his gaze to Joseph.

  “Well, then, Damian. You will also know that honesty comes hand in hand with these values.”

  “Oh, definitely,” Damian replied with a wide grin, taking Sonia and Gloria Merriman into his scope of vision. “But what has that got to do with the matter at hand? I mean, I am right in thinking that you've made a decision. Aren't I?”

  “I think I have. But, you know, honesty is everything, Damian. Now, before you leave for DC, there is one more thing I want you to do for me before I sign my hotels over to you.” Merriman replaced his coffee cup. He began to toy with the cigar box.

  “Anything,” Damian said.

  “Well, tomorrow morning, I'm going to call one final meeting at my offices in Manhattan.”

  “A final meeting? I don't understand?”

  “I've been discussing it with Gloria and we've come to a decision. We will be signing over the hotels but we decided that one last meeting would help us seal the deal. I'm very sorry that it seems like we're procrastinating, but this is very important to us and I hope you will allow us to sleep on it just one more night.” He gave a very sincere smile to his guests. “So? Can you be there tomorrow morning, Damian?” Mr. Merriman asked.

  “Yes, of course I can, Joseph.” He gave a confident look. “This is unbelievable,” Damian enthused, looking optimistically at Sonia, who smiled sweetly in return. “I thought by the time I left tonight you would have made up your mind to sell to me and would be drawing up the contracts next week sometime.” Another quick look at Sonia. “But looks like you want to go ahead and sign on the dotted line tomorrow morning!”

  “Yes, that's right,” Joseph Merriman said. “You did still plan to be in New York tomorrow, didn't you?”

  “We should have been flying back in the late morning but we can just as well fly back on Sunday.” Damian was beside himself with pride. He'd done it. He'd gotten the hotels. All these months of patience and his hard work was paying off.

  “And of course, Penny you'll come along?” Merriman said looking directly at her.

  Sonia's mouth dropped. He had caught her off guard and she didn't know what to say. She had already told herself that this was the end for her and Damian. How could she bear to see him yet again?

  “I do have a lot of things to do tomorrow morning, Mr. Merriman,” she managed to say. “Especially as our flight was supposed to be late morning.”

  “Surely, Penny, after all this time you'll want to see your husband seal the deal?” Mrs. Merriman added.

  Damian looked at Sonia with another one of his sweet smiles. “Looks like that's your nail appointment put back by a few hours, darling,” he said.

  “Yes, I know. Oh well, what's a few hours?” Sonia grinned. “Of course I'll be there. At what time?”

  “Will ten o'clock be all right for you both?” Mr. Merriman asked.

  “Perfect,” said Damian.

  They all continued what seemed like a normal conversation, even though it moved from hotel deals to small talk. It lasted for another half hour before Damian suggested they call it a night. They all stood and the Merrimans saw them to the door.

  “It's been a wonderful evening,” Damian said, shaking hands with Joseph Merriman. “Thank you for your hospitality and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning.”

  Damian kept up the loving husband act as he helped Sonia into the back seat of their chauffeur driven car. When they pulled away along the long gravel drive, Damian and Sonia waved to the Merrimans, who stood on the front step, waving them off.

  “I can't believe that just happened,” Damian punched the air. Sonia, on the other hand, was not so happy.

  Chapter Six

  “You could at least look pleased for me, Sonia.” Damian folded his hands behind his head in the back of the car as if he'd just won a gold medal for his country in the Olympics.

  “Pleased? Yes, of course I'm pleased,” Sonia said. “But don't go looking like the cat who got the cream just yet, Damian. Have you forgotten what Mr. Merriman asked us to do? He wants us both to turn up tomorrow at ten in the morning. Both of us, Damian. You paid me to show up tonight, don't forget. Don't assume that the money is good for another day or were you just taking me for granted?”

  “Well, no, I … I just thought … well, that you were on board with me on all of this. But if you want me to pay for you to turn up tomorrow, I will. I'll do whatever it takes. This is really important for me, Sonia.”

  “Yes, I know that, Damian. Forget about the money side of things,” Sonia sighed. “In my head, I'd built myself up into thinking that this would be it – that we'd never see each other again. You're supposed to get on that plane and I'm supposed to stay here and try to rebuild my life.”

  “Rebuild?” Damian sounded surprised. “You make it seem as if your whole life all came tumbling down since I arrived.”

  “Well …” She hesitated and continued in a stern voice but quiet voice. “In a way, I suppose my life has blown up in my face.”

  “Blown up in your face?” He craned his neck to face her to make sure she faced him. “So, you're blaming me for the ridiculous rules of an escort agency and a raid on a bar? That's just crazy.”

  “Well, you would see it like that, Damian. Your life hasn't altered one bit.” She'd raised her voice but then tried to control it. “Look, I'm not blaming you, okay? But if it hadn't been for you …”
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  “I knew you couldn't forgive me,” he said, turning to face out of the window. “I just knew it.” He swung around. “Do I have to get down on my knees and beg you to believe I'm sorry that bad things have happened to you?”

  “No, but you could just get on a plane and stop having me get involved in your business deals.”

  “Sonia, don't flake on me now. I need you. If it's about the money -”

  “It's not about the Goddamn money!” she yelled.