by Tiana Cole
“If I was pregnant I wouldn't be drinking, silly,” I answered with a grin while shaking my head. “He just doesn't want to drag the engagement out, and my brother's coming into town tomorrow. He's staying for a while with his wife and my niece. It would make things easier on them if we had the wedding while they were in town.”
Jeannie gave me a concerned tilt of her head, her brown eyes cautious, and spoke to me in a serious tone that was uncharacteristic of her.
“Don't call me a jack-ass for saying this, but because I'm your friend I have to at least throw it out there.” Her voice lowered as she leaned across the table and whispered, “He could be trying to marry you for citizenship or something.”
My heart froze in my chest. Did she really just suggest that? The music was blaring loudly, but I was sure I hadn't misheard her. I already knew she was astute, which was why she fit in so great at the firm, but she'd just proven to be more observant than I'd given her credit for.
“What?” I squeaked and fidgeted with my straw.
“You have to at least consider it, Jess,” Jeannie replied, reaching her hand across the table to hold mine. “What if he's just marrying you for citizenship? I mean, think about it. This is all so…sudden. I know he's only here on a worker's visa or something.”
“Yeah, you're right,” I nodded woodenly. “Holy shit, what if he's only doing this to…”
I played my panic off as concern at the thought of Bastian using me, which he was, but I couldn't let Jeannie know that. I had to keep up my act, and continued to feign worry as Jeannie went on.
“Hey, it's just a thought, it doesn't mean it's true. if I were you, I'd look into his legal status. If he's pending visa renewal or deportation, then we have something to worry about. If not, then we know he really loves you.”
“Okay, I'll look into it…” I lied, knowing there was nothing for me to look into. I already knew the truth—I just hoped she didn't go snooping around.
Jeannie told me how badly she felt about 'ruining my mood,' and I considered becoming an actress if I ever got disbarred. Our waiter returned with our food and two shots of tequila, and Jeannie ordered another round after we ate. We wound up getting fairly drunk in Jeannie's attempt to lighten my mood, which definitely worked.
Now that she'd stopped prying into my relationship, I found myself having a tremendous amount of fun with her, and was glad I wasn't out with Bastian somewhere all but reading from a script. We danced, drank, and sang along with the singers on stage until two in the morning. After stumbling to a cab to head home, I sobered up just enough to remember that I had work the next day.
When the cab pulled up to my building, I handed enough money to our driver to get Jeannie home. I slowly made my way up to my apartment, gripping the railing tightly to prevent me from falling, and had done a good job of remaining mostly upright until it came to unlocking my door. They key just wouldn't go into the hole since the alcohol had me seeing double.
I started to giggle at some inappropriate inside joke, and suddenly Bastian was standing in the open doorway, shirtless and wearing nothing but boxers. I glanced up at his face, which wore an amused expression, and smiled wide.
“Have I ever told you how pretty you are, Sebastian?” I slurred, and he tried not to laugh as he pulled me inside.
“It's 'Bastian,' and, no, you've never told me,” he answered as he caved and began to chuckle. “How about you tell me while I get you dressed for bed?” he asked. I nodded, which proved to be a bad idea as my head wasn't exactly screwed on tightly to the rest of my body. I started to fall forward, but Bastian easily caught me in his strong arms.
“You'll make a good husband, you know that?” I drunkenly mumbled, and Bastian smiled in bemusement. “Like, an actual husband to the woman you fall in love with someday,” I explained.
Bastian looked at me strangely—a look I couldn't quite identify though my intoxication—as he carried me into the bedroom. I vaguely remember him stripping me down and dressing me in one of his baggy, long-sleeved shirts before tucking me in and climbing into bed next to me.
“I'll make a good husband to you, too, Jessica,” he said softly as he brushed the hair out of my face and kissed my forehead gently. “Now try to get some sleep, okay?”
He turned off the lamp and pulled me against his warm chest. Before I fell asleep, I heard him mutter something that didn't sound like English, and I could only assume was Greek. I was unconscious in seconds, falling asleep with a smile on my face as he held me tightly.
Chapter 8
Jessica
Waking up was a chore. My alarm wouldn't shut up, and Bastian slept like a rock when it came to alarm clocks, typically sleeping through them for upwards of fifteen minutes before slowly springing to life. I reluctantly opened my eyes and hastily closing them again as a headache speared through my skull. My temples started to throb, and I had to force my heavy body to take breaths as I threw my arm out and knocked the clock to the floor. Surprisingly, Bastian actually woke up and stretched like a cat against my side.
“Good morning,” he said softly and kissed my pounding temple. I simply groaned, and with his body pressed against mine I could feel him silently chuckling. “Are you going to open your eyes any time soon?” he asked, and I took a deep breath.
“I don't think so,” I groaned, and Bastian laughed at me again.
“How about I make you an oatmeal shake while you take a shower?” he offered. I mumbled an incoherent protest and pulled a pillow over my face. “I take that as a yes,” he replied, a bit too chipper for my liking.
Bastian climbed out of bed, and when he left the room I forced myself to my feet. Given how much I'd drank, I wasn't too surprised by the severity of my hangover. I took a quick shower, trying not to fall over in the process, and decided to leave my hair down for the day, even though I knew I'd get hot at some point. Putting my thick mane up would just be too much work at a moment when I was struggling just to think straight.
I clumsily dressed in a simple blue blouse and black slacks, then made sure I grabbed my darkest pair of sunglasses before heading out to the kitchen. I smelled bacon, and saw the blender was full of some creamy, light tan liquid.
“This will be your cure-all,” Bastian announced, “and it doesn't taste like any hair of the dog, or eye of the cat, or however the saying goes.”
I smiled as he poured me a glass of his magical shake, then served me three strips of bacon to go along with it. He disappeared down to the hall to get ready for work as I forced down the bacon and thick shake that tasted like cinnamon porridge. While delicious, my hangover made it hard to stomach and it was a struggle to keep it down. I popped a couple of aspirin, and minutes later I began feeling a bit more like myself. I wasn't sure if it was the shake or the medicine—I was just glad the hangover had subsided.
When Bastian reappeared, he was ready to go and I tried not to slow him down. I glanced at the time, noting that it was already eight thirty. That meant there were only twelve hours left until my brother's flight landed, and that realization, mixed with the lingering hangover, almost made me puke. I'd soon find out if Bastian and I could pull the wool over Jay's attentive eyes.
“You look anxious, Jessica,” Bastian observed as we got into his waiting car downstairs. I sighed, then shrugged without replying. I could see my brother arriving, taking one look at Bastian and I together, and immediately piecing everything together. He'd call immigration for sure and have Bastian deported without hesitation. “Just breathe,” Bastian spoke soothingly. “I thought you trusted me?”
I stole a glance at him, and he exuded a steady calm that I found myself envying.
“In theory?” I replied, and he chuckled.
“Well, put it into practice,” he smiled and took my hand to kiss the back of it gently. “Everything will be fine if you just play the part like you have been. He won't suspect anything. I won't blame him if he thinks we're rushing into this, but we'll prove to him our love is real and will last
a lifetime. I can do this, Jessica, and you can, too.”
I nodded my head as if he were a coach giving me a pep talk before a huge game. I closed my eyes and debated catching a few minutes of sleep along the ride when I suddenly recalled my conversation with Jeannie the night before.
“I, um, I, uh…” I stammered, partially due to my hangover, and partially due to my mind still lagging from exhausted. “Last night I got drunk with Jeannie…” I trailed off as worry spread across Bastian's face.
“Oh, God, what did you tell her?” he asked tightly, his brow furrowing in agitation.
“I didn't tell her anything, I swear,” I assured him with sincerity. “But she's really smart, you know. That girl she sees everything. She knows you have a green card, and warned me to look into your citizenship in case you're using me to get it.”
Bastian took two deep breaths before he turned his head to stare out of his window. I could tell he was every bit as concerned as he was furious, and I rubbed my temples as my head began throbbing again.
“Fuck,” he growled and shook his head angrily. “What did you say to that?”
“I told her I'd check it out…”
“Okay. Tell her I've already renewed my green card and took my citizenship test a while back,” Bastian instructed, his calm composure bouncing back quickly. “Next time, if there ever is a next time, don't allow any inferences like that. If anyone asks about my citizenship, shut them down immediately by telling them it's already taken care of.”
“Okay,” I agreed, wondering how many people knew he was here on a green card. If Jeannie knew, I was sure others had to know as well. As long as my brother didn't know, I figured we'd probably be okay.
“I hope you know that this creates a liability now,” Bastian groaned after a long moment of silence. “You need to convince her extraordinarily well, Jessica.”
The car crawled to a stop and he remained quiet as he got out. I followed behind him, also not saying a word, as we rode the elevator up Bates Tower together.
“I'm sorry, Bastian, I just thought it would be better not to deny it outright,” I blurted, breaking the silence as the elevator ascended. “Jeannie knows me so well…” I reminded him.
“Let's just hope she doesn't let anything leak to the media,” he sighed. “If she does, we'll have immigration up our asses for sure.”
The elevator doors parted and we went our separate ways. He headed to his office, and I crossed the floor to mine. I found Jeannie waiting on the sofa I'd had delivered days earlier, and spotted a cup of coffee on my desk.
“Morning, sunshine,” she greeted with a smile, then rose from the sofa to give me a hug. “I knew you'd have a hangover, so I brought you some coffee.”
“Thanks,” I smiled, which took every ounce of strength I could muster. “You were right. Remind me not to drink that much ever again. I feel like I got hit by a bus.”
She sunk back into the sofa and watched me expectantly as I removed a handful of files from my briefcase. I could feel her eyes on me, and I lifted my eyebrows at her.
“Yes?”
“So?” Jeannie asked eagerly. “I know you. You would have looked into it already,” she said, speaking vaguely but knowing I'd understand what she was talking about. I rubbed my temples for the umpteenth time as I nodded.
“Yeah, I actually did, and it turns out he renewed his green card a year ago. He even took the citizenship test just last month,” I lied, and Jeannie exhaled in relief as a genuine smile spread across her face.
“That's great, Jess! That takes a huge load off of my shoulders. I didn't want to have my brothers whack him, then go through the stress of having to get rid of the body,” Jeannie joked.
“That won't be necessary, Jeannie,” I snickered.
“Hey, all you have to do is give me the word. I have the Salvadoran mob on speed dial,” she said with a wicked grin, and I burst out in laughter that was cut short when Bastian stormed out of his office with a demeanor reminiscent of his former self. He was barking orders wildly, and talking down to people like he'd done before our arrangement.
“Jessica, I need your comments on the notes I forwarded to you regarding the Tall Tale contingency clauses,” he snapped impatiently as he marched into my office. I looked up at him in confusion since he'd never sent me those notes. A quick check of my e-mail, however, revealed that he'd just sent them to me moments earlier.
“I'll get them to you soon,” I replied with a smile, albeit a somewhat confused one, and resisted the urge to snap back at him. He nodded curtly and walked off without another word.
“What the fuck was that about?” Jeannie hissed in a whisper. “I thought he gave up the whole Kraken act?”
“We had a disagreement on the ride to work, so it's probably just that,” I sighed, hoping I was right. “It's nothing. He'll get over it.”
She flashed me her wicked grin again, and I wondered if she really did have any Hispanic mobs on speed dial. Jeannie could be secretive and vague when she wanted to be. After making sure Bastian had returned to his office, she rushed back to her cubicle and I got to work on the comments he'd demanded. It was relatively simple work, yet took all day thanks to my hangover and sleep deprivation. The coffee Jeannie graciously got me was good, but it didn't do the trick.
“Jess, it's quitting time,” a familiar voice sounded from my office door.
“Just a second,” I mumbled as I focused on typing the last few words. With an accomplished sigh, I e-mailed the extensive document, now marked with my comments, back to Bastian. Realizing somebody had spoken to me a moment earlier, I looked up into Nick's clear, blue eyes.
“You look like a zombie,” he frowned in concern.
“Yeah, I feel like one,” I confessed with a chuckle. “I'm still hungover from last night.”
“I can relate,” Nick looked at me sympathetically. “I used to be quite the partier in my day,” he volunteered with a shrug, then changed the subject. “So, listen, Bastian tells me you guys are having the wedding in a couple of weeks?”
“Yeah, that's the plan,” I nodded. “What's up?” I asked as Nick leaned against my desk in thought.
“Well, I've never seen Bastian so intent on a woman before,” he said as he scratched his chin. “He doesn't care if everyone thinks he's moving too fast, and I just don't want to see the guy get hurt, you know?”
“Wait…you're worried I'll think things are moving too fast and walk out on him?” I asked with a touch of relief. If Nick was this concerned about his friend, it clearly meant he didn't question Bastian's motives. I'm sure he knew about the green card issue, but apparently he hadn't put two and two together.
“A bit, yeah,” he mumbled and averted his gaze awkwardly as if he were embarrassed to be discussing this with me.
“Nick, I wouldn't do that to him,” I assured him with as much sincerity as I could garner. “I love him, and that's all there is to it.”
“Okay, then,” he smiled. “Well, then, I'm really happy for you both and I can't wait to give my drunken best man speech at the reception,” he joked, and I giggled at the thought. He truly was the perfect person to fill the role of best man.
“What's all this giggling I hear going on in here?” Bastian's voice growled out of nowhere. Nick had blocked my view of him approaching my office, and his presence caught me off guard. Although he sounded grumpy, he had a grin on his face as he poked his head into the room.
“You know I have a way of making the ladies laugh,” Nick answered with a smirk.
“Yeah, okay,” Bastian chuckled while rolling his eyes. “How about you save your charm for someone other than my fiancée?” he ribbed as he walked over and pressed a kiss to my lips. I hid my confusion, because I was pretty sure he was still mad at me for the whole Jeannie situation yet he was acting fine now. I packed up my things, filing paperwork into my briefcase as routine while the two bantered amicably. My belly was already trembling with nerves at the thought of my brother landing in a few short
hours. Maybe I need a Prozac, I thought as powered down my computer with a shaky finger.
“You ready to go?” Bastian glanced at me, and I hesitantly nodded an affirmative. We left the building with Nick, who parted ways with us in the parking garage, then stopped by my apartment so I could pack a few things for my stay at Bastian's penthouse. By the time we were driving back to his building, only one hour remained until my brother's flight arrived.
“Jessica, you really need to relax,” Bastian finally spoke after nearly ten minutes of uncomfortable silence.
“How can I relax?” I snapped bitterly. “You're mad at me, my brother is coming, and he's going to figure this all out because he has some weird sixth sense when it comes to me,” I ranted anxiously.
“I'm not mad at you,” Bastian sighed heavily. “Yes, I was upset earlier, but I came around. I put myself in your shoes and realized you did the best you could, given the circumstances.”
“Thank you…” I replied quietly, my nerves still on edge. Bastian had admitted he was wrong in a roundabout way, and this time I didn't need to hear 'I'm sorry' to accept his apology. “I talked to Jeannie earlier and smoothed everything over anyway.”
“Oh?” he asked with a raised brow.
“I told her you already renewed your green card and took your citizenship test. She didn't question it, and seemed genuinely happy for me,” I told him, quelling any lingering concerns he may have.
“You're the best, babe,” he beamed, taking my hand and bringing the back of it to his lips for a kiss. He was fond of doing this while we drove, and I couldn’t help but find it adorable.
When we arrived at his high-rise, I headed straight for his huge, comfortable bed and sunk in deeply to rest my eyes for a moment. I was still feeling traces of my hangover, and the anxiety from my brother's approaching visit had drained me mentally.
“Take a nap, beautiful, and I'll wake you when it's time to pick up your family from the airport,” Bastian spoke softly. I mumbled an incoherent reply as I burrowed into the blankets.