One Bride for Five Mountain Men: A Reverse Harem Romance

by Jess Bentley

  But it was not as if she could refuse the orders. They were already paid for and the money would be transferred to her checking account in a day. It was then that the realization hit and a huge smile came upon Rory’s face. I don’t have to ask my parents for money anymore.

  The grin grew and Rory couldn’t help but laugh out loud. It felt as if she was freed from jail. For her, this little success and the financial freedom that would result from it was more amazing than anything else. She was relieved as now she could keep her grandmother’s house without having to grovel to her parents, without the threat of her sister taking it over.

  “What’s so funny? Why are you laughing?” Lizzy asked, finally prying her eyes away from her cellphone screen.

  “Maybe you were right,” Rory said as a huge smile spread across her face. “Perhaps this day will end better than it started.”

  “Of course it will. I just know it. But before that, please go and get ready.”

  “Yes, I will. Right now, I’m willing to do anything. I am so happy I could cry.”

  And for a moment, as she stood in the shower, Rory did cry a little. A huge weight had lifted off of her shoulders. Maybe this was just a one-time windfall or maybe it would expose her work to a large number of people; it didn’t matter. She was just thankful that for now, she was safe.

  Instead of worrying about the future, as had become a secondary habit to her, Rory decided to focus on the present and enjoy the day as much as she could. Nothing could spoil her good mood today, and since she had a party to go to, Rory decided to make the most of it.

  Lizzy was done with her own makeup as Rory stepped out of the shower and instantly, she sat Rory down in the chair and started doing her up too.

  “I don’t need this, Lizzy. It’s not my wedding!” Rory protested.

  “Yes you do. You should be the best-looking person at the wedding.”

  “Er… shouldn’t that be the bride?”

  “No,” Lizzy replied sternly, focusing only on Rory’s face, juggling between different makeup brushes.

  “Seriously, how are you even so good at makeup, Lizzy? Who taught you?”

  “Well, there is this little thing called the internet. Also if you don’t keep quiet and let me work, I will paint you like a clown.” The way Lizzy was taking it so seriously made Rory chuckle. She just closed her eyes and ran an image of all the money she had made in her head again. This is how it must feel to live without worry.

  When Lizzy was done, Rory could not believe what she saw. She looked stunning. It was subtle, natural makeup, but Lizzy just knew how to accent Rory’s best features. The cheeks, the brows, the hair, everything was perfect.

  “Oh Lizzy, my Lizzy. This is amazing!” Rory said.

  “Thank you. This is the least I can do for you,” Lizzy smiled.

  “I feel so bad putting on that hideous dress with such good makeup.”

  “As you yourself told me, it’s just one day. Let’s just get this over with and we can get back to our nice, beautiful life in Montcove. I, for one, can’t wait,” Lizzy sighed.

  “Amen, sister. Amen.” As she slipped the dress over her head, and Lizzy zipped it up, she was thrilled that it closed. And it didn’t look quite as bad as she’d feared, though it wasn’t the most comfortable.

  Rory decided not to travel to the church with her sister’s entourage. Every moment away from Tara and her parents was a relief and she didn’t want to spoil her good mood.

  As Rory and Lizzy entered the room the bride’s party had been assigned, all they heard was Tara’s voice, ordering everyone around. She was still getting last-minute things fixed and was an absolute nervous wreck. Rory had never seen her like this before and knew enough to get out of her sister’s way.

  “Could’ve come even later,” Tara said sarcastically, as she spotted Rory.

  “Hello to you too, sis. You seem to be in a chirpy mood.” Rory smirked, making Tara roll her eyes.

  “Not today, Rory. Not today, okay? Please!”

  “Stop bothering your sister and go do something useful instead,” Rory’s mother said from behind her. Even today, she has to pick on me. Whereas otherwise, such comments made Rory frown, today she just grinned. She was in a happy place and nothing could destroy that.

  As Rory went to sit in one corner, wearing the ridiculous dress, she pulled out the phone and checked her sales page again. T-shirt sales had been increasing steadily and she realized that she had plenty of money to live comfortably for the next few months. Rory smiled as she thought about how she was going to fulfill all the orders. This is a welcome challenge, she thought.

  “What are you smiling about?” Lizzy asked her, visibly uncomfortable in the surroundings.

  “Well…” Rory paused.

  “Well what?”

  “I finally sold a whole lot of T-shirts,” Rory excitedly whispered in her ear.

  “Wow. Really?”

  “Yes. See.” Rory showed her the phone.

  “Oh my God, Rory! I’m thrilled. Finally, things are happening for you. Oh my God! This is so awesome.” Lizzy hugged Rory, but was careful enough not to spoil her hair or the dress—that one Rory was so worried about fitting into.

  “Isn’t this the T-shirt Arsen wore at that gig?” Lizzy asked.

  “Yes,” Rory replied sheepishly. She didn’t want to even think about Arsen, let alone say a kind word about him.

  “That was nice of him, don’t you think?”

  “Whatever, Lizzy, I don’t think he was knowingly doing me any favors. He probably didn’t even know what T-shirt he had on. You know how these rockstars are. They couldn’t tell you what day it was if you asked them.”

  “But Arsen isn’t like that.”

  “They’re all like that. They don’t seem like that, but they are. Have you not learned that lesson by now?” Rory was getting slightly irritated.

  “Yes.” Lizzy blushed. “Still, I don’t think Arsen is like the others. I bet he wore that T-shirt purposely.”

  Rory chose not to reply. Arsen Ford was out of her life for good and as for the T-shirts that she had sold because of him, she considered them a thank you for all the things she did for him and his band while they were in Montcove.

  With Lizzy constantly busy typing into her phone, Rory decided to wait out the hours quietly without getting in anyone’s way. She sat in a corner, and when they were told to head out for the wedding ceremony she followed obediently and did as she was told.

  “Finally, you look presentable,” her mother said, as she looked her elder daughter up and down. Rory knew that this was as close to a compliment as she was going to get.

  “Thanks, Mother.”

  “Now you know what to do, right? I don’t suppose you go to too many weddings on that island of yours.” Her mother raised a brow.

  “Yes, Mother. I’ll just stand there quietly. You don’t have to worry about me ruining it.”

  “Don’t be sarcastic. It’s all about Tara today and I want it to go as perfectly for her as possible.” Is it ever not about Tara? Rory wanted to ask.

  “And Rory, Mr. Carroll’s son, who works in New York, is in town, so I invited him as well. He’s a good boy with a good job and I think you’ll like him.”

  Here it comes. The unavoidable matchmaking.

  “Mother. It’s okay. I can...”

  “No, you can’t. It is high time you had a family of your own. Isn’t it embarrassing enough that your younger sister is getting married before you? People are beginning to ask questions.” Her mother had a dark look on her face. She’s nine minutes younger, Rory wanted to protest.

  “You aren’t capable of finding the right man for yourself and that’s why even in my old age, I have to do all the work. All I ask is please be nice to that boy. Don’t make a fool of yourself and I will pray that it works out. You cannot be alone all your life. Are you gonna die a spinster? See what happened to your Aunt Melissa? The wretched woman died with nothing but cats surrounding her.”
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br />   Rory stood silently. If it were any other day her anger would’ve reached its peak, but not today. Just one more day and I will be back home.

  Rory decided to go through the whole ceremony and the party as silently as possible. She had decided long before that she would stick to the shadows and not interact much with people. It wasn’t a difficult task to lie low considering how many people were invited to the event.

  She put on a smile as Tara walked down the aisle, clapping as her new husband Paul kissed her. Rory even stood in the crowd of women when Tara threw the bouquet, but made no effort to catch it.

  Just a wedding party to get through and you will be done with this. Just a little more time, she reminded herself as yet another relative of hers asked her about her own wedding plans. You don’t see these people ever. Doesn’t matter what they say or what they think.

  Rory was content and she liked this feeling. She didn’t need a big wedding or the spotlight like her sister did to feel happy. Small things in life, like not worrying about the future and being able to fend for herself, were good enough for her.

  Rory pulled out her phone and smiled. The sales were still increasing. She was so happy she could cry, but she did not want to spoil the amazing makeup job that Lizzy had done.

  Chapter 25

  At the lavish party, Rory found a quiet corner to sit in. Her feet ached in the tall heels and she drank more champagne than she should have. As she watched her sister and her new husband in the middle of their first dance, she looked at their glowing faces and wondered if they were truly happy or whether this was all part of the show.

  Her parents seemed the happiest they had ever been. Is marriage the road to eternal happiness? She hadn’t thought about her own wedding since she was a teen, but in that moment Rory wondered if there was a Prince Charming for her too somewhere.

  Jeez. What’s wrong with me? Why am I thinking of love and romance? Rory knew that in her case, it would not be a grand wedding like this or a Disney love story like Tara’s. For her that kind of thing was not genuine. This tradition of inviting hundreds of people and spending tons of money to “celebrate love” was a facade. She’d rather get married in a small ceremony in her grandmother’s house.

  But first I need a groom to get married, she smiled to herself. If there was a Mr. Right for her, she was going to wait for him. She wasn’t going to rush into anything and she wouldn’t let other people’s opinions mess with her head. Rory had been fooled by Arsen, but there was no chance in hell that she was going to make the same mistake again.

  A random thought of Arsen appeared in her head. His voice, his touch, that smile. Goddammit, that smile. Damn, this champagne is making me think stupid things. Lizzy seemed confident that Arsen wasn’t like those other celebrities, but she was too naive. Arsen would marry Tanya Cox. They would have great celebrity babies and be a famous couple like Brad and Angelina.

  What a fool I was to think that Arsen Ford would give a damn about me. Rory almost blamed herself as much as she blamed Arsen. Regret simmered inside her. She could not deny that Arsen had ignited something deep in her, something much more important than a sensation of desire. But she also knew that she would get over him soon enough. Or will I?

  “You’re Rory, right?” A man’s voice startled her out of her thoughts.

  “Yes. And you are?” She did not recognize the man.

  “Tim Carroll. Mr. Carroll’s son. We’ve met a couple of times before, I think.”

  “Yes. I believe so. Hi,” Rory replied, cursing her mother in her head.

  “Your mother sent me to look around for you. She tells me that you have a house up in Montcove.”

  “Yes I do,” Rory replied.

  “Incredible. I hear it is quite the place to get some sun and sand. It was number three on Getaway Magazine’s top ten places for summer vacations. That must be something, huh?”

  Rory noticed his good-boy haircut, his clean-shaven face, and the expensive suit he was wearing. His disarming smile, the black glasses he wore, and his timid gestures spoke of a home life. Mother was right—this guy looks like classic husband material.

  “If it didn’t rain there every other day we’d probably see a lot of sun and hit the beach,” she replied nonchalantly, and for some reason it made him laugh. It wasn’t that funny.

  “Well, in NYC, we don’t get much of anything really, except traffic and a lot of fast-talking people.”

  “Big cities are not my thing,” she said dismissively.

  “Oh yeah, me neither.”

  “So you don’t like living in New York?”

  “Oh yes, I do, it’s pretty nice,” he said.

  He’s just agreeing with everything I’m saying. Rory thought. Perfect trait for a future husband.

  “What do you do in Montcove, Rory?”

  “I run a bookshop.”

  “Wow! That’s so charming. Must be a lot of fun.”

  “Not really. Not many people read books nowadays. What do you do, Tim?” She changed the topic as she picked up another glass of champagne from a passing tray. She thought Tim seemed like a nice enough guy, but he was awfully boring. Well, boring guys make the best husbands. No surprises, no drama, and no worries.

  “I work in garbage disposal,” he said, and Rory almost spit out the champagne that was in her mouth, thinking of another similar conversation.

  “I mean, I’m not a garbage man, but I work with a company that designs garbage trucks and provides innovative solutions for garbage disposal.” He was clearly rather proud of his position.

  She was instantly transported her back to that afternoon in Martha’s bakery where Arsen Ford had pretended to be a garbage man. Instantly, the movie of that day started playing in her head, almost bringing a longing smile to her face. What a beautiful afternoon that was. Rory quickly reminded herself to stop thinking about Arsen and focused on Tim instead. Arsen was a mirage. Tim was real and he seemed like a nice guy too.

  “I don’t suppose you have much of a garbage problem in Montcove?”

  “Honestly, I wouldn’t know, Tim, but I know a woman there who could tell you a lot about it.” Rory thought of good old Martha and smiled.

  “In fact,” she continued, “just the other day she was mentioning that she is facing problems disposing of the extra food that is left over at the end of the day in her bakery.”

  “That’s not a problem at all,” he started, and Rory waited to see if he would propose the same solution Arsen had. “We have a machine designed especially for compressing food items in a hygienic way so that it can be disposed of effortlessly,” he said proudly.

  Not the answer I was looking for, Tim, she thought to herself. Tim’s reply paled against Arsen’s idea of giving it out to the poor.

  “I’d love to come down to Montcove. See your bookshop, get whatever sun I can get, and talk to this person maybe,” Tim said hesitantly. Everything about him was rigid. Rory could tell that he was looking for any reason to find commonalities with her.

  “Sure.”

  “How long are you in LA? Maybe we can grab a drink and dinner or maybe a movie sometime?”

  “Fortunately, I leave tomorrow Tim.” She shut him down. “Maybe next time we’re both in LA.”

  “Oh, that sucks.” He seemed disappointed.

  A perfectly nice guy with a stable life wants to take me out and I am shutting him down? And then I sit here looking at all these couples at this party and feel bad for myself? What is wrong with me? Opportunity knocks at my door and I turn it away because he is nowhere close to my idea of a dream man.

  Maybe I should be more practical. Maybe Mother is right. Maybe she knows it better than I do. I can’t die alone. I can’t be alone. It would be nice to have a family, kids, someone to share meals with. A man to cuddle with, watch movies with. How long will I have do everything by myself? I can’t rely on Lizzy to be my family forever.

  Rory wanted to be cherished, to be loved by a man who was there for her every night. Someo
ne who could be a part of her daily life. Arsen was never that man, but maybe Tim was.

  The wedding vibe in the air was getting to her. Everyone was dressed beautifully, busy dancing with their partners. She was sitting in the corner by herself, till Tim walked in and sat by her side. It is nice to be needed by someone.

  “I’ll give you my number, in case you do end up at Montcove. It’s not that far from here,” she said out loud without thinking. A smile came upon Tim’s face.

  “That’d be lovely. I am here in LA for a bit. Maybe I’ll head over to Montcove too.”

  Do you know what you’re doing, Rory? Do you really see yourself with Tim? Are you that desperate? When Tim mentioned that he would visit her she had no doubt that he really would. Suddenly the idea did not appeal to her. It felt as if both of them were trying too hard to make this happen.

  I am not attracted to him. I barely know him and I am already leading him on? Rory had let her mother’s words mess up her head again. She knew she was leading Tim on out of desperation. On any other day, she wouldn’t have shown any interest in him whatsoever.

  It is not fair to him or to me. We can’t force things to happen just because our parents think they should. Or just because that’s how things are supposed to be. I can’t lead a man on just because I am feeling lonely and desperate. Rory knew that she should excuse herself, but she didn’t know how. A sudden exit would be rude, and Tim was a nice enough guy who she didn’t want to be mean to.

  Thankfully she didn’t have to worry about it as a man she had not seen for quite some time intervened, freeing her from the awkward situation she was in.

  “I know you,” the baritone voice said. Rory stilled.

  “Hello, I’m Tim. And you are?” Tim asked, offering his hand to the man who had interjected.

  “He’s the garbage man,” The words slipped out of her mouth as her eyes grew big in surprise and rested upon the slight smile on Arsen Ford’s face. That old deep sense of joy in her heart was followed by confusion. What the hell are you doing here? she wanted to ask, but didn’t.