by Nikki Chase
“Well, it’s not so much work as it is a proposal,” Zeke says.
“What kind of a proposal?” I narrow my eyes at him.
I’m not in any position to enter a business deal. I don’t have any money.
And because I haven’t been a member of civilized society for years, I have no marketable skills. I was hoping to get an entry-level position—admin, assistant, or something like that. It would be a good start.
“You could say that,” Zeke says cryptically. It’s unusual for him not to say what’s on his mind. Whatever he’s about to say, he doesn’t look forward to saying it.
Or maybe I’m wrong. I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in years, so I shouldn’t pretend I know him. It’s hard, though, when he feels so familiar.
“You’re going to have to give me the details,” I insist.
“I want you to marry me,” Zeke says with a serious expression.
I burst out laughing. That was the last thing I expected him to say! And that deadpan delivery—it was perfect.
“Nice prank, Zeke,” I say as my laughter dies down. “I hope you actually have a job for me and this isn’t just an elaborate set-up for the prank.”
“I’m serious, Ali.”
I stare at him, frowning in confusion as I study his face.
His eyes are too sincere for him to be lying, and he’s not even smiling. If this was a prank, he’d be rolling on the floor while clutching his stomach right now.
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” I ask slowly, unsure of what to expect.
I hope I’m wrong and he doesn’t mean the proposal.
On the other hand, a part of me is hoping I’m right so we can pick up where we left off.
Of course that’s not possible, considering how much damage we’ve caused, but maybe we can at least try.
“Dead serious,” he says.
I pause as I grapple with this new information. Zeke wants me to marry him—that’s absurd. I ask, “Why?”
“It’s not going to be a real marriage,” Zeke says. “I need your help. I need you to pretend to be my wife.”
“You haven’t answered my question. Why?”
“Because I’ll give you more money than you need to support yourself for the rest of your life.”
For the rest of my life? That can’t be real, can it?
“That’s your reward for me. I want to know why you’re doing this. It can’t be for an inheritance, because I know you grew up in the foster system.”
“You’re right. You still remember. You’ve always been sharp,” Zeke says. The compliment gets my heart beating faster.
Men have been quick to flatter my appearance, but that only turns me off. That tells me they don’t know me, or they’re not interested in getting to know me as a person.
Zeke, on the other hand, he… He likes my appearance—or he used to. But more importantly, he knows my mind.
“So tell me why,” I ask again. “Flattery won’t get you out of this one.”
“Let’s just say that I need a wife to keep some people happy,” he says.
“What, you need me to come with you to business dinners and such?”
I know my parents used to go out with other power couples. Together, they’d steer the conversation toward business and seal the deal before the meal was over. They were a good team, and I can see why that would be something Zeke might need.
“Yeah,” he says. “What do you say?”
“What are the terms?” I ask.
It sounds like a crazy plan to me, but I need to know what it’s about before I make a decision. It’s worth a listen. It sounds like a lot of money is involved.
But even as these thoughts buzz through my head, I know that I’d already be walking out the door if someone else had extended this offer—someone other than Zeke Harris.
“Ah, you’re really your father’s daughter. Always ready to negotiate.” Zeke gives me a smile. “You’re going to be my wife for one year. For doing that, I’ll give you one million dollars.”
“One million dollars? Are you serious?” I ask with disbelief.
“I thought your father taught you to always negotiate a better deal, Ali.” He shakes his head, more out of amusement than disapproval. “He’d be turning in his grave if he knew you’re eager to take the first deal that’s offered.”
“Don’t bring my father into this,” I say sternly.
“I’m sorry, Ali. I was just trying to make a joke. I should’ve known better,” Zeke says.
He has his flaws, but he has always been quick to apologize if he knows he has done anything to offend me.
“It’s okay. You didn’t know,” I say. “So. One million dollars, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“For one year?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s the catch?”
“You’ll have to spend a lot of time with me,” he says teasingly.
“Anything else?”
“Yeah, but it’s not a catch,” Zeke answers.
“Then what is it?”
“Let’s call it an add-on item.”
“Which means…?”
“If you’ll have my baby, I’ll give you another million.”
Zeke
“A baby?” Ali frowns, making horizontal lines appear in her forehead. Looks like that’s the last thing she expected to hear from my mouth.
“Yeah, a baby,” I answer confidently.
I’ll admit I’m not a baby person. Most people wouldn’t look at me and go, “You know what that dude needs? He needs a baby.”
No. I’m Zeke Harris. I don’t do relationships, much less babies.
But desperate times call for desperate measures.
Besides, this is Ali. I’ve always thought that if I were to ever get married or have kids, it would have to be with her.
I was young when we briefly got together—we both were—and I let her go. I haven’t stopped regretting that, all this time.
I’ve gone through woman after woman, and things would inevitably fall apart, as soon as I compared them to Ali. That’s why I’ve given up on actual relationships. I only have one-night stands now.
But as I put my offer of a one-year marriage on the table, it doesn’t seem like long enough.
We’re talking about Ali her. I’ve never been able to forget her, even though so much time has passed. What makes me think one year would be enough?
I’ve spent many years yearning for her, regretting my decision to let her go. Now that she’s here, I want to make her stay.
But after the way things ended, I don’t know if she’ll ever agree to having a real relationship with me.
I’ve been worried that she’d still hate me, so I was relieved when she walked into my office with a smile.
But right now, she’s not smiling.
Considering I just gave her such a crazy offer, after seven years of nothing, I’m lucky she’s even still sitting there. I fully expected her to bolt so fast there’d be an Ali-shaped hole in the wall.
“You’re not just pulling my leg, are you?” Ali asks, her perceptive hazel eyes studying me. Even though she has lived here since she was a teenager, there’s still a hint of a Spanish accent in her voice.
“No, Ali.” Joking is the last thing on my mind right now. This is serious. It’s a matter of life and death. Literally
I wish my first meeting with Ali could’ve happened under better, more normal circumstances, but I’m glad she’s here at all. Otherwise, I’d have to find some other woman to be my fake wife, and that sounds about as appealing as a kick in the nuts.
“Two million dollars?” Ali asks.
“Yes, if you have the baby.”
“So, uhh… Will we have to… Uhh… Will it be an artificial insemination?” Ali asks, choosing her words carefully.
That’s adorable. After everything we’ve been through, she’s obviously still uncomfortable about mentioning sex.
“Sure, if that’s what you want.” The corners of my lip
s pull up. It seems I can’t help smiling when Ali’s around.
“And if we can’t have a baby?” Ali asks, ignoring my implication that we could have the baby some other way if she wants—the natural way.
“Then you’ll still get the one million dollars.”
“What happens after the one year is up?”
“We’ll get divorced, and you’ll get the money,” I say, my heart clenching at the thought of separating from Ali. But I push that worry to the back of my mind. There are more urgent things to take care of right now.
“Why one year?” Ali asks.
“Because if I can’t close this deal in one year, then I would’ve lost the opportunity.” Technically, I’m not lying. But guilt creeps into my chest regardless, just like it used to, when I was hiding Joanne from Ali, all those years ago.
“And if I can’t help you close the deal?”
“You’ll still get the one million dollars,” I assure her.
In reality, this is less about the result, than just knowing that I’m making every attempt I can. There’s no guarantee this is going to work, but it’s my best shot.
“Why do you need a baby?”
“The baby is not necessary,” I admit. “But it will give me a better chance of closing this deal.”
“And if you don’t close this deal, you’ll have paid me one million dollars for nothing.” Ali smiles. At least it’s not an outright no.
“Not for nothing, Ali. I’ll have spent a whole year with you,” I say in a voice that sounds more sincere that I expected.
“Zeke,” Ali says in a serious tone. “Are we… Does getting married also mean that we’ll actually be seeing each other again?”
“Not necessarily. Not unless you want to,” I say, again hinting at the ball being completely in her court. I’ve wronged her in the past, so it’s only right that I let her make the decisions now.
“Where will I live?”
“At my apartment,” I say.
“And if it turns out we don’t make good roommates?” Ali asks. Her tone sounds more casual. Now that she knows exactly what I’m offering, she has relaxed a little.
“I don’t know. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” I say, deliberately keeping my answer vague.
I used to get into a lot of trouble with my big mouth, saying everything on my mind right away. But thanks to Aiden, I’ve now learned the art of dodging unwanted questions.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Ali says, to my surprise. “There’s no use worrying about something that may or may not happen.”
“Exactly,” I say. I draw breath into my lungs as my heart keeps thumping in my chest. “So what do you say?”
“I’ll have to think about it, Zeke,” she says.
“I understand. Let me know in twenty-four hours.”
“That’s all the time you’re giving me? This is a big decision, Zeke.”
“It doesn’t have to be. Like I said, it’s only on paper. Besides, I’m running on a deadline, so it’s not because I don’t want to give you more time to think.”
“Okay,” she says quietly, obviously already coming up with a list of pros and cons in her head.
“I’ll call you when it’s time,” I say.
“Okay.” Ali draws a deep breath and squares her shoulders. She asks, “Do you have any other work for me to do today? Like, at the office?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll speak to you tomorrow,” Ali says as she gets up from her chair.
“Talk soon,” I say to her full, perky ass while she walks away.
I hope she says yes. That’ll make it so much easier for me to claim her for myself. For real.
Ali
I’m a lucky girl—at least I think I am.
Most people would gasp in horror when they hear my life story, but I’m not most people.
All alone in my one-bedroom apartment, I wish I could be bad-ass enough to do everything on my own. But I know I’m lucky to be surrounded by so many good people.
A few of my parents’ old friends are helping me get back up on my feet.
An older lady, called Mrs. Williams, has been kind enough to keep my mother’s jewelry for me. For the past few months, I’ve been living off the proceeds of selling a couple of pieces from the collection.
Last week, Mrs. Williams gave me Zeke’s number and told me to drop by his office because he had a job vacancy and she had made an appointment for me. I was ecstatic—and not just because of the job either.
But now… Now I’m not sure this is the right job for me.
The phone rings, breaking my train of thought.
It’s Seth.
I pick up the phone.
“Hello, Alejandra,” Seth greets me.
Up until I moved out of Seth’s mansion a few months ago, people used to call me by my full given name. But since then, I’ve reverted back to Ali, a name I used to go by when I was younger. Alejandra reminds me too much of bad things.
It has only been a few months, but the name already sounds strange to my ear.
“Hey, Seth. Miss me already?” I ask playfully as I look out through my bedroom window. I like to tease Seth because he’s always so serious. His reactions are too funny for me to ever stop doing this.
“No.” There’s a hint of annoyance in his voice. He pauses before he says, “Okay, maybe a little. But mostly, I’m concerned. How are you doing in the city?”
See? That initial irritated reaction, followed by reluctant admission. Despite his cold exterior, Seth is actually a nice guy, once you get to know him.
“Aww… That’s really sweet of you, Seth. But I’m a grown-up. I can take care of myself.”
“I know, I know. Alice is confident that you’re okay, and she’s been telling me that being a single woman in the city is not all bad,” Seth says. I find it sweet that he always finds ways to insert his wife into the conversation.
“How’s Alice doing?” I ask.
“She’s doing well. A little stressed out because of the baby sometimes, but she’s well.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Have you managed to find a job?” Seth asks, getting the conversation back on track. I can always trust him to do that.
“I’ve gone to a few interviews,” I lie.
I’ve given out my resumés to everyone I can think of, but I’ve only had one actual face-to-face meeting so far. The one I had with Zeke this morning.
I guess it really is hard to find a job when I have such a big, unexplained gap in my education and employment history. It’s not like I can just write, in my cover letter, that I was kidnapped and lived in captivity during that gap.
But telling Seth about how dismal my job search has been going would be a bad idea. I’d just get him worried. He’d insist that I move back into his mansion. But it’s high time for me to go out on my own.
And I won’t even think about telling Seth about Zeke’s proposal. He’d probably call Zeke a creep and a perv, then tell me to stay away. He can be such a dad sometimes.
“Any good leads?” Seth asks.
“Yeah, there’s one promising offer.” This is technically not a lie. My lips form a smile.
“That’s good,” Seth says.
“You sound disappointed.”
“I’m not disappointed. I just don’t understand why you need to do this. You can live and work here.”
“I just need a clean break from my past, Seth. You know I’ll always be reminded of it there.”
“Yeah. So you always tell me,” Seth sighs. “So at least let me cover your rent or something. I don’t want you to end up on the streets.”
“I’m not going to end up on the streets,” I say, a little offended by the suggestion that I can’t survive on my own. I say, “Trust me, I got this.”
“Okay,” he says, although he doesn’t sound convinced at all. “Call me if you need anything.”
“I will,” I say. One last lie before I hang up.
Seth
is like the brother I never had. He has helped me escape my captors. He has even let me stay at his place for way too long.
But how long do I have to depend on Seth for everything?
This is enough. He has done enough.
It’s scary to be on my own for the first time.
But as much as I like Seth, I can’t stand to live in his mansion again. I can’t stand to face the reminders of the darkest time in my life every day.
My gaze falls on my smartphone, the one with the big, bright touchscreen. The afternoon sunlight from outside the window bathes my body in warmth.
And I wonder if Zeke would call me. Staring at the phone, I will the black screen to come back to life and show Zeke’s number. I miss his voice already.
This takes me back. I used to have a smaller phone, with a smaller screen. But I used to stare at it just like this, willing Zeke to call me with the sheer force of my mind.
Sometimes, he called. Most of the time, he didn’t.
I threw away my phone when we broke up, seven years ago. I didn’t want to wonder anymore if he was ever going to call me. Besides, I had the money—my parents’ money—to replace the phone right away.
So to cheer myself up, I bought the latest flip phone. I never gave Zeke my new number, but I still found myself staring at the screen from time to time, repeating in my head, “Call me. Call me. Call me.”
It took me months to stop wishing he’d call.
I was angry at him. I’d had enough.
He was always putting everything ahead of me. He was always busy with something else. I could never reach him on the phone, even though I was always available when he’d call.
I was sick of not being appreciated, so one day I decided I’d take the choice into my hands. I wouldn’t let him dictate when to talk to me. I’d take charge and determine, once and for all, that we just weren’t going to talk anymore—at all.
Up until now, that heartbreak is the second worst thing I’ve ever gone through in my life. The world was black and white for a while. Food was bland. Sleeping became an insurmountable task, rather than a time to rest.
Looking back, we were so young. Maybe too young for a long-distance relationship to ever work. We were both busy with our own lives, and we drifted apart.