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"What?"
"What? You haven't heard? I've heard that we are to be in an arranged marriage like Romeo and Juliet. Wait, were they an arranged marriage? If they were in an arranged marriage, why did they want to kill themselves?" She looks at Sarah. "You’re pretty. But your outfit looks very cheap. Are you poor?" Sarah blushes, and Ethan rolls his eyes. I can see he’s about to say something when my grandma walks back into the dining room again.
"Oh, great, you're all chatting."
"Grandma.”
"Yes, Ethan?"
"There's something I need to tell you before we go any further tonight."
"Yes, darling. You can tell me anything."
"I'm engaged." There's silence in the room. Ethan's gawking, Sarah's gawking, Louisa's gawking, and my grandma looks shocked. I grin.
"You're what?"
"I'm engaged. I have a fiancée, someone I love, someone I'm going to marry. I didn't want to mention her before, but…"
"We must meet her." My grandmother uses the wall to her right to hold herself steady. "I cannot believe you're engaged, and I didn't even know you were dating."
"I didn't want her to be overwhelmed, Grandma. I…" My voice trails off. I feel bad for lying but cannot let this go any further.
"We're going to the Hamptons next week for the summer. Your fiancée must join us."
"I don't think she will be able to."
"She will join us, Jackson Pruitt." Her eyes are shooting daggers at me. "If you're to marry her, the family must meet her."
"Fine. I know she's excited to meet you all anyway," I lie. I don't know what I'm thinking or saying, but the words keep coming. “She’s a beauty.”
"Hmm.” My grandma looks suspicious.
"So what does that mean for me?" Louisa sounds pissed as she looks at my grandmother. "I thought you said that…"
"Not now, dear," my grandmother dismisses her and heads toward me. "What's her name?" I can tell she doesn’t believe everything I say, but I don't care.
"Zara," I say without thinking. "Her name is Zara Hathaway. Ethan met her last week."
My grandma looks at Ethan for confirmation. "You met her?"
"In passing," Ethan says quickly. "I believe she was at the Owl and the Pussycat bar we went to the other night." He raises a single eyebrow, questioning, and I nod.
"Yes, that was her. Sarah was also there, but I didn't get to introduce them."
"No, you didn't," she says, shaking her head, looking dazed.
"She's wonderful, beautiful, and we have an amazing chemistry," I say, looking back at my grandma. "I'm sure that you'll love her as well. I mean, why wouldn't you? She's the woman that I've chosen. She's the woman I'm going to marry."
"Well, then," my grandma says slowly, trying to find the right words. "This is a woman I must meet. The woman who has tamed my grandson, Jackson Pruitt."
I nod slowly at her words and realize then that I've gotten myself into a world of trouble. I know that as soon as this lunch is over, I'm going to have to head over to Zara's. I'm going to have to offer her a proposition to make her agree to pretend to be my fiancé. The thought thrills and scares me. I don't know why I’ve put myself in this pickle.
Well, that's a lie. I want to be around her. I want to touch her. I want to see her. I want to figure out who she is, what makes her tick, and why she's such a doormat for everyone in her life.
I looked her up. She worked at a construction company after graduating from Columbia University. It appears that she is the only one in her home currently working. Her best friend was in some crappy play that looks like it has already been taken off its off-Broadway run, and her sister is a deadbeat who hasn't worked since she's been in New York. From what I can tell, Zara is taking care of everyone in her household and isn't financially able to, based on her bank records, which I will not tell her I've seen. I used a private investigator who may have used illegal methods to get that information. But I know she was hurting. I know she needs money. And I’ll offer her a large sum to play my fiancée.
I have a feeling she won't want to do it. I mean, she wouldn’t even give me her phone number. But I know that I am a closer, and with enough negotiation, I get the deal done, so I'll get her to agree. I'll get her to spend a couple of weeks with me in the Hamptons and make love to her every night. Not that I’ll tell her that when I make the offer. I will make the most of this situation. I have to ensure that everyone in the family believes we are engaged, and I will also get my fill of her so that she no longer occupies my mind.
