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Without this loan, there isn’t any way I can pay the first and last, plus the deposit required to lock in Jerrin’s spot.
I open my mouth to ask for some kind of exception but he hangs up, or the call drops, I’m not sure which one.
“Damn it,” I mutter to myself, staring down at my phone that shows “Call Ended”.
Then the memory of last night and what Ryker offered comes flooding back.
He said he can guarantee the contract for me if I agree to marry him. This man is a complete stranger to me, but he has more to lose if he doesn’t hold up his bargain.
It isn’t the ideal solution to my problem, but I’m on a time crush here and my plan A just fell through.
The deadline for the facility is the day before the Hawkeyes said they would make their decision, February sixteenth, and the facility has already been kind enough to extend the deadline a couple of weeks while I waited to hear from the bank. There’s no way they’ll extend again.
The way things are looking now, I don’t have another choice. But there’s one more condition I’ll need in order to make this deal work for me and my hands shake as I pull up my phone to text Ryker. I hate seeming so desperate but I have to swallow my pride and do this for Jerrin.
It's for my brother.
The elevator doors open and I exit as I type up the text before I chicken out.
Now this really feels like I’m taking money for services rendered. Even though he said this isn’t for sex, it still feels like a grey area.
The bubbles to his incoming text come have me gripping my phone tighter
The second I send it off, I hold my breath. I’m not sure whether I want him to agree or tell me the deal is off.
Really?
That easy?
I googled stalked him last night. I couldn’t help it.
Ryker got recruited right out of high school. He’s been playing for the NHL for almost two decades. His contract salary is public knowledge and was listed on a website ranking the highest paid hockey players in the league. With all those zeros for so many years I suppose it’s not shocking that thirty-five thousand dollars is easy to come by for him.
I hold my phone in my hand and get cold feet at the last second. I can’t pull the trigger just yet. I need one more day to wrap my head around what I’m about to do.
Two years married to a man I don’t know.
Tomorrow’s game… the idea of having to give him an answer tomorrow has my heart racing.
Even if I wanted to take more time to overthink this… I can’t. Both Ryker and I have impending deadlines. His meeting with the immigration officer and my brother’s lease contract are all due in a few days time.
Thank you for understanding that I need more time.
I smile at the text. He’s teasing me because I didn’t pay attention to the game the last time I was in the stadium.
I catch myself grinning again as I text back.
My stomach flips unexpectedly.
I read the text over and over again, half expecting that the text is a mirage, or I read it wrong but it doesn’t change.
My thumb hovers over my screen’s keyboard, debating if I should respond back… and how. Conflicting emotions flow through me as the reality of what Ryker and I are about to do soaks in. A marriage of convenience… a decision from both of us because of our desperation.
And yet…
There’s a thrill in the uncharted territory of doing something spontaneous. Letting down my guard a little for a new adventure.
But any bit of excitement I feel is overshadowed by the uncertainty of how Ryker and I will pull this off.
