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“You can’t tell them the truth. You’d be lying to them.”
I shrug. “It’s a little white lie. I’m going to be marrying a good man. A man who will make sure I’m taken care of and protected long after we’re divorced. I want them there because life is messy, and sometimes things don’t work out. I might never find my one true love, and I’d like for my parents to witness me getting married. This might be my one and only wedding, and I’d hate for them to miss it.”
“So, no guilt?”
“We’re going to be married, Legend. I care about you. We’re friends. There have been marriages based on less. We’re both going into this with our eyes wide open. It’s not going to be miserable. We’re not tied together by obligation. I’m offering to do this of my own free will. We get along well. It could be fun. We can look at it as an adventure.”
“You’d have to move in with me.”
“Most married folks live together,” I tease.
“I live in a tiny one-bedroom house. Well, there are two bedrooms, but as you already know the second was the size of a closet, so I tore out the walls and made a larger living area. It was just me, and works for me.”
“What size bed?”
“What?” He tilts his head to the side.
“What size bed do you have?”
“California King.”
“Perfect. That’s big enough for both of us. You can stay on your side, and I’ll stay on mine. What else you got for me?” I raise my eyebrows in question.
“You want to sleep next to me every night?”
“Do you have cooties?” I chuckle. “Legend, come on. We’re adults. We can do this. Does it suck hairy donkey balls? Yes. Absolutely. I hate that they’ve put you in this position, but that’s okay, because we have a solution. We’ll announce that we’ve been dating, then our engagement, and then the wedding.”
“What kind of wedding?”
“Honestly, Em and Rome’s was perfect. Small and intimate. Huge weddings are more for the guests than for the couple. Our friends, our parents, and we live happily married for the next year. We get your inheritance, and we get divorced. Easy.”
“I’m going to have to hold your hand, hold you, kiss you, touch you. We’re going to have to sell this.” He takes small steps until he’s standing before me. His large palm rests against my cheek. “Can you handle that?”
I smile up at him. “I can. Can you?”
“Of course.”
“Our friends know. When we’re with them, here or at Forrest’s, which are our two usual hangout spots, we don’t have to pretend. We can be us. It’s when we’re outside in the world we have to put on a show. It will be minimal at best. We both work full time. We can do this, Legend. You deserve the money. Your mom deserves the chunk that I know you’re going to give her. What bigger fuck you to your controlling grandparents? Scam their fucked-up rules, and let’s do this.”
“If we do this, Monroe, we do it right. I’m going to buy you a ring. I’m going to ask your father's permission, and I’ll treat you like a man should treat his wife.”
I swallow hard. “That’s not necessary. I know you’ll be good to me.”
“Damn right. Anyone who knows me knows that if I’m with someone and asking her to marry me, I’m all in. It will be to sell it to everyone and because you deserve nothing less.”
“Fine.” I roll my eyes dramatically, as if the notion annoys me. When in reality there are a swarm of butterflies taking flight inside me. “There is one small thing.” I hold up my thumb and index finger about a half an inch apart.
“What’s that?”
“Other women.”
He rears back as if I’ve slapped him. “Mo, if I’m with you, if you’re my wife, and you take my last name, there will be no other women. I don’t cheat.”
“But this won’t be real.”
“It will be in all the ways that matter. We might not be sleeping together, but we’re going to stand before our family and friends and take a vow. I take that seriously.” He pauses, those ice-blue irises holding my gaze. “Is that the kind of man you think I am?” There’s hurt in his tone.
“No.” I’m quick to assure him. “I just know that a year, well, more like a year and a half, is a long time to go without sex.”
