Marriage For One

by Maise, Ella

  The number of times Jack Hawthorne smiled: none. (I’ve lost hope. Help.)

  Chapter Thirteen

  Rose

  The rest of the few days leading up to the event was just as weird as that morning. We were both very busy and didn’t catch each other alone that much, but in the evenings when he came to pick me up, if there were people around, he made a show of touching me. It was nothing big, nothing that made me jump out of his arms in panic, but even a simple kiss on my cheek as a hello or a hand at the small of my back got to me. He would casually pull my hair out of my coat and would offer me his hand when there was a puddle in my way while we were walking to the car, as if I would slip and drown in that little puddle of water if he wasn’t holding on to me. I very well could have, but that wasn’t the issue. He was opening my doors, giving a gentle push at my back when I just stared at him with a small frown, and the way he said my name while looking into my eyes, the way it fell from his lips…the way he listened to me so intently whenever I managed to say something…had he always listened to me like that or had I started imagining things?

  I couldn’t be sure.

  Almost every night he asked if I was free for dinner, and almost every night we ate takeout in the dining room where he actually made a big effort to talk to me, and I enjoyed every minute of it, but if I said I wasn’t confused, it’d be a lie. That didn’t change anything; even when he received one-line answers, he kept going. I usually went up to bed as soon as dinner was done, not entirely because I was running away from him, but because I was getting these vicious headaches almost every other day.

  I bought the dress the day before the actual event. I’d put it off as long as I could, but leaving it to the very last day was pushing it even for me. I chose the cheapest dress they showed me, though that wasn’t saying much of anything because it was equal to two months of my rent.

  As much as I’d hated the experience, the dress was beautiful and worth it—so beautiful, in fact, that you’d want to randomly take it out of your closet and wear it in your home while binge-watching The Office. To say I was nervous to go out in public wearing it was an understatement.

  It was an embellished tulle dress with a short tan lining beneath it that ended a little over my knees. The bell sleeves and low back were a statement on their own, but my favorite part of the dress was the fitted bodice that gave way to a full skirt and the thin gold metal belt. The skirt made you want to sway from side to side like a five-year-old with a new princess outfit. It almost reminded me of a dreamy wedding gown.

  I loved it, but I was mostly worried about what Jack would think. Would it be too much? Would it be too simple? When Raymond picked me up on Saturday, it had just started raining, and because of the impossible traffic, it took us longer than usual to reach the apartment. When I asked where Jack was—because I’d gotten so used to Jack always coming inside to pick me up—Raymond said he had work to do but would be at the apartment on time.

  We were supposed to leave at seven-thirty. It was now seven-forty, and not only had Jack already arrived, he had also knocked on my door twice. I’d tried my best to pull my hair up into an effortless ponytail that would look elegant and messy, but my hair wasn’t having it. In the end, I had to put a few waves in my hair with the curling iron and just leave it down. My makeup was as simple as it got. I only added a bit of concealer to what I already had on. I pressed brown eyeshadow onto my eyelids with my fingers then added more blush, and finally I swiped on a burgundy-colored lipstick, again with my finger. Standing in front of the elegant full-length mirror, I put the dress on and found myself staring at the reflection.

  To be fair, I didn’t look so bad, but I felt uncomfortable, like I was in way too far over my head. A deal was a deal, though, so, trying not to overthink it too much, I bundled myself in my dark grey knee-length coat and flew out of my room. High heels weren’t my best friend, so I ran barefoot down the stairs and put on the only pair of heels I owned in the foyer.

  I found Jack right in the middle of the living room, staring down at his phone. I didn’t make a sound as I took him in. His stubble was in great shape as always and demanded your attention when you first set eyes on him, but add a tux to the mix and Jack Hawthorne had become deadly. I swallowed down my groan and cleared my throat. My husband glanced up and met my gaze.

  I didn’t give him a chance to comment. “Yes, I know we’re late and I’m sorry, but I’m ready now, we can leave.”

  He gave me a sharp nod, eyes moving up and down as he put his phone up to his ear. “Raymond, we’ll be there in a minute.”

  My coat was all buttoned up and I had my hands in my pockets, so the only thing he could see was a few inches of the hem of my embellished skirt. He made no comments as he joined me. Trying to avoid his gaze, I walked ahead of him, and we took the elevator down.

  “Good evening, Steve,” I said as we passed the doorman and my now friend.

  He winked at me and, as nervous as I was, I couldn’t hold back my smile. “Have a fun night out, Mrs. Hawthorne.” He always called me Mrs. Hawthorne whenever Jack was around, but in the mornings when it was just me and him chatting for a minute or two as I waited for Ray to pull up, I was always Rose. Jack’s hand found my back and I straightened.

  “Have a good night, Steve,” Jack added, and my surprised gaze flew up to him. Since when had he started talking to Steve? Evidently it was a fairly new thing because for a moment there, Steve didn’t know what to say.

  “Ah…you too, sir.”

  Then we were out in the cold evening air, the rain now only a drizzle. I was very conscious of Jack’s hand on my back up until I got in the car and scooted all the way to the other end. Nothing changed once he got in after me. I was still very aware of his presence, his scent, his eyes whether he was touching me or not.

  “Hello again, Raymond.”

  He looked over his shoulder to offer me a smile. “You look beautiful, Mrs. Hawthorne.”

  I blushed and, out of the corner of my eye, noticed Jack tense.

  “We’re already late as it is. Let’s go,” he ordered in a harsh tone, cutting me off before I could respond to Raymond.

  I would’ve apologized again for making us late, but he was being a jerk to Raymond so I chose not to say anything during the entire car ride to where the event was being held downtown. It took us an hour to get there, and being quiet in a car for an entire hour required some serious patience on my part.

  Exiting the car, we stood side by side at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the brightly lit building.

  “Why do you sound weird?” Jack asked into the silence.

  “You and your compliments. Always sweeping me off my feet.” I said, distracted, my eyes still on the building.

  “I’m being serious, Rose.”

  Surprised at the tight tone of his voice, I peered up at him. “What?”

  “Your voice sounds different. Is the cold getting worse?”

  “Oh.” I touched the side of my nose and looked forward again, a little embarrassed that he’d noticed. “The cold, yes. It’s not that much worse, actually, but I do have a small cotton ball in my nose. I thought it would be a better idea than sniffling the entire time.”

  “You need to see a doctor.”

  “I will.”

  “Ready?” Jack asked, holding his hand out in between us.

  I stared at it for a few seconds and then, left with no other choice, had to put my hand in his very big one. I took a deep breath and took a step forward only to be tugged back gently. When he shifted our hands and linked our fingers together, causing my wedding ring to shift slightly, I had to close my eyes for a second and ignore the heavy thump in my chest. Every single time he touched my wedding ring, my heart did a happy little jump.

  We were ready to go, but neither of us was taking the first step. Our hands gripping each other, we stood motionless.

  “What is it, Rose?” he asked softly, and I closed my eyes tighter this time. He was standing to
o close, smelling too good, and being nice again.

  I couldn’t think of a legitimate lie, so instead of just straight-up admitting that simply his presence was affecting me, I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind. At least I was telling the truth.

  “I don’t like it when you act like a jerk.”

  When I said the words out loud, I wasn’t looking at him. As a couple passed us, climbing the stairs and, from the looks of it, arguing with each other, I had to wait for Jack’s answer since I had no intentions of meeting his gaze to see what he was thinking.

  He only spoke up when the couple’s voices had trailed off and we couldn’t be heard either.

  “When was I being a jerk?”

  That had me looking back at him. “You can’t be that unaware of it. You were a complete jerk to Raymond, Jack.”

  “Is that why you didn’t say a single word to me during the ride?”

  Perplexed, I just peered at him. “You snapped at him for no reason.”

  “He complimented my wife,” he argued. “We didn’t have time to sit around and chitchat for an hour.”

  “Your fake wife, and he knows that.”

  Fascinated, I stared as the muscle started ticking in his jaw.

  “Is that supposed to help your case? I do—”

  “He just said one sentence as he was starting the car.” I lifted one finger up to make my point. “He was being nice, and he is my friend. You’re the one who acted like a jerk. I think it’s expected that I wouldn’t want to talk to you.”

  “Great,” he bit out.

  “Great,” I shot back, terser.

  He stared down into my eyes and I stared right back, not backing down. I must’ve imagined the lip twitch, because a second later he barked out another order for us to head inside and we were trotting up the stairs.

  Still hand in hand.

  It was a big problem that I didn’t mind holding his hand.

  The second we stepped through the doors, the soft classical music hit my ears, replacing all the horns and sirens.

  Here we go.

  We stopped in front of the coat check as the couple who had just passed us was still lingering in the corner, arguing in hushed tones.

  “I’m sorry,” Jack grumbled, stopping right next to me, eyes focused on the couple. “It wasn’t my intention to be a jerk. Forgive me?”

  Shocked at his words and the softness I heard in his voice, my head snapped to him and I took in his profile. God, he was so good looking. I really had no chance, not from the very first day.

  “That’s okay,” I mumbled back still a little surprised at what I felt when I looked at him, and his hand gave mine a quick squeeze. Just when I was pretty sure it was going to be easier not to like him, he did something like that and left me at a loss for words.

  “You don’t have a purse?” he asked, leaning into my ear. I had to lean away just a little so I wouldn’t burrow myself against his chest. For that little piece of idiocy, I blamed his breath, which I’d felt on my neck, causing a shiver to move up my spine.

  He let go of my hand and stood at my back, ready to help me take off my coat. “I don’t have anything that matches,” I answered softly, angling my head to the left so he could hear me as I slowly started to unbutton my coat with cold fingers and then gently shrugged it off.

  “Why didn’t you buy something?”

  “You said to get a dress, and I don’t need a purse. Don’t worry, the dress alone cost a fortune already.”

  He handed off my coat to the girl and when he forgot to say thank you, I spoke for both of us and offered a small smile. A second later I heard Jack grumble a thank you too as he was taking off his own coat.

  It made me smile and I walked ahead.

  Thankfully, inside the ballroom where the event was being held, it was much warmer, so I didn’t think I’d have much problem with freezing in my dress. Discreetly, I touched my nose to make sure the little cotton ball I’d pushed in back at the apartment was still there. How fun was it that my runny nose had decided to stick around? Tugging the bell sleeves of my dress and trying to make them look good, I stood still and waited for Jack to stand next to me again.

  When he reappeared at my side, I caught him staring at me. I looked down at myself.

  “What? Is it too much?”

  “Rose.”

  I met his piercing gaze with an arched brow and waited for him to go on, but he just stared. Starting to feel worried, I tried to pull down the tan lining underneath my dress.

  “No. No, it isn’t,” he whispered. “You look incredible,” he said, and my eyes snapped up to his.

  This time when he offered his hand, it was a welcome distraction.

  “I…you look incredible too, Jack. You always do,” I murmured feeling myself blush a little.

  He opened his mouth to say something, but right at that moment, an older man put a hand on his shoulder and drew his attention away from me.

  Jack introduced us, but after the initial shock of hearing Jack had gotten married, the guy wasn’t really interested in me. They started talking about a company I believed Jack was representing. Keeping the fixed smile on my face, I tuned them out, taking the opportunity to look around the room.

  When I spotted two tables full of kids toward the back of the room, I couldn’t hide my curiosity. Some of them were talking to each other, while some of them just stared around in wonder. Their clothes didn’t fit in with this snazzy crowd, so I doubted they belonged to anyone who was in this room. It looked like each table had one adult sitting with them.

  As Jack finished his conversation with the guy, Ken something, I leaned closer to him so nobody could hear us. He leaned down at the same time to make it easier for me, and my nose got a pretty good whiff of his cologne when my nose bumped his neck. It was the one I hated because it made me go all wonky around him—not a good look. “What charity is this event for?” I asked, managing to focus after the initial shock of the smell.

  “An organization that supports foster kids.”

  I pulled back and looked up at him in surprise. “You didn’t tell me that.”

  “I didn’t?”

  Slowly, I shook my head.

  “I thought I did. Is that a problem?”

  My entire childhood spent with the Colesons was rough. I was unwanted. For a kid that age, that knowledge was a hard pill to swallow. I knew what these kids were going through, how alone they felt, how abandoned and sometimes worthless. I’d always have a soft spot for kids and probably would have for the rest of my life.

  Steeling my voice, I whispered, “I’d like to donate too. Where can I—”

  Jack cleared his throat and looked away from me, his eyes moving across the crowd. “I’m already donating.”

  “I understand that, but I’d like to donate as well.”

  “I’m donating, so you don’t have to.”

  He started walking, but this time holding hands worked in my favor and I was the one who tugged him back. He gave me an incredulous look as I raised my brows and waited for him to give me the answer I was looking for.

  I didn’t know why he chose to lean down and whisper it in my ear, but I couldn’t exactly push him away. Before I could stop myself, I was tilting my head to the side and closing my eyes. Savoring the moment.

  “We’re married, Rose. My donation is in both of our names. Let me do this.”

  I heard his unspoken words as if he had spoken out loud.

  For you.

  Let me do this for you.

  As he was pulling back, I reached up with my free hand and held on to his neck so he would stay put and listen. “Married or not, that’s your money, Jack. I love that you’re doing it in both our names, that means the world, but I want to help, too. We can both donate.”

  For a long moment there was no answer, but he stayed bent like that, looking into my eyes. After a few more seconds passed in silence, feeling awkward I started to drop my hand from his neck, but he captured my wrist w
ith his left one before I could and kept it on his shoulder.

  I swallowed as I realized we were basically standing in an embrace in front of everyone, though it didn’t matter much to me whether anyone was watching or not. When I felt Jack’s nose brush my neck, my fingers tightened on his shoulder and a small shiver went through my body. I smiled.

  “Does everything have to be a battle between us? Do you despise me that much? I’m taking care of it, Rose. Trust me. I’ll be donating one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in both our names.”

  He finally pulled back and peered into my eyes. Like a fish, I opened and closed my eyes. Despise him? What gave him that idea?

  “I could never despise you, Jack,” I whispered, feeling out of my depth.

  Satisfied, he nodded once. “Let’s find our table.”

  I closed my eyes for a quick second, trusting him to steer me away from any obstacles, and let out a deep breath. For the time being, playing the role of husband and wife was going to play some real tricks with my mind, and I wasn’t sure if I was gonna handle it all that well come the end of the night.

  I opened my eyes and noticed we were passing the kids’ table. One of the little girls—she couldn’t have been over eight—was looking up at us with wide eyes, so I winked at her and watched her quickly drop her gaze back to her lap as she played with the edge of the white tablecloth.

  When I faced forward again and Jack came to a halt, I still had a smile on my face. Maybe tonight won’t be so bad after all, I thought, but then when I saw who was standing in front of us, I wasn’t so sure about that anymore.

  Bryan smiled at us, not a happy smile like you’d expect from someone you’d considered family for long years, but a mocking one.

  “What a great coincidence to run into you two here!” Bryan exclaimed, looking from me to Jack. “Oh, this is a good night indeed.”

  “Bryan,” Jack returned tightly.

  I couldn’t say anything because I could see the couple standing right behind him, talking to an older woman. I was paralyzed.