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My voice is gleeful, despite having just been in a small fender bender that involved one of my most prized possessions. She gives me the address, and I type it into my phone. We agree to meet there in an hour to talk about my offer.
When I hang up, I am overjoyed. The thought about the engagement and the anger associated with all of that has vanished. It is a strange feeling, but I am almost…hopeful.
The coffee shop she suggested is open 24 hours. I decide to head out a bit early in case I lose my sense of direction. I am excited to see her again, even though it's barely been a few hours since we left the scene of the accident.
I arrive at a cute shop that sits on the side of the road, decorated in an old diner style vintage. There are only a handful of customers inside, nursing their coffees and chatting up the waitresses.
I sit there waiting for Josephine to arrive, re-thinking my offer. It isn’t something I would have thought of if I didn’t see her again. It is going to be risky. Still, it is one of those ideas that might be just so crazy, it’ll work.
My father really likes to think he can control me. It has been a problem ever since I was a child. Because of his power and wealth, he feels he is entitled to plan out my and my sister’s future. But that isn’t what a family should be like, if you ask me. A family is supportive, no matter what the dreams and plans are of their family members.
I squeeze the steering wheel with anticipation, remembering how I had hit my head mere hours earlier. Perhaps I can blame the bonk on this absurd idea. But it’s not absurd enough for me to let it go.
I see Josephine arrive, and I step out of the car. Both of our rides look obscene in the dim parking lot, but no one seems to notice. I walk up to her with a wide grin on my face, giving her a polite nod.
“Hello, again.”
She climbs out of the car, gazing away from me timidly. It is a habit I have come to find endearing. Her eyes still look slightly inflamed from crying, but I cast that concern aside for now.
She shoves her hands into her pockets. “Shall we?”
I begin to walk behind her, feeling something spreading over me that I can’t quite put my finger on. I continue onward, knowing that there will be time for that later.
Lots more time for that. I plan to make sure of it.
11
JOSEPHINE
There was something about the way Aiden spoke to me on the phone that gave me a sense of hope. My head had stopped throbbing, and my shoulder was only slightly sore. I think the ice had helped, but I also know that hearing him on the other end of the line must have breathed some life into me.
I climb into my poor, damaged car and head out to the coffee shop. I know a lot of different shops in the area due to being responsible for my own. It was like truck drivers who waved at each other as they passed by. Sort of a mutual agreement that we are all in this together.
I chose the spot because it’s not far from my place, and it is open 24/7. I don’t know where Aiden went, if he even got home by the time he called. Nevertheless, he seemed spritely and adamant on the phone. Hardly the voice of a man angrily deciding I had totalled his car and calling to say he planned to sue.
I feel my heart slamming in my chest as I arrive in the parking lot. It is night, the neon sign of the cafe humming like a halo. Seeing Aiden smile at me sends flutters through my chest and reassures me that this is not a confrontational meeting, but I still can’t meet his gaze.
The nerves I am experiencing are twofold. First, I still feel profound guilt from what happened earlier. But he is also just way too good looking. We walk into the cafe and find a private booth next to a window that looks out over the mostly empty road. Headlights only flash by once in a while at this late hour.
I wring my hands underneath the table, and Aiden jumps to his main topic promptly.
“So, I have a proposal for you,” he says, leaning on the table. “I warn you, it’s a little far-fetched, but I think it's something that can help both of our situations out. Will you hear it?”
I nod. I don’t really have another choice. I am as desperate as they come.
We order coffee and muffins, and he waits until the waitress leaves to continue. The smile is ever present on his face, making me somehow both uncomfortable and reassured at the same time.
I catch a glint of excitement in those blue eyes. He begins to talk frantically.
“I have a situation in my life that is dire, and I am sure you do, as well. I am thinking that I can help you out in whatever way you require…financially, with the damages of the car, or whatever you need…if you do this one thing for me.”
I find myself staring at him. I am captivated, even though my heart rattles in my chest like an angry bird.
His grin becomes a smirk as he leans in even closer. “I need you to pretend to be my wife. My father is trying to set me up with someone I don’t want to be with. So I am thinking in the meantime, if I tell him I’ve already found someone, he will get off my back.”
My body is flooded with a wash of conflicting emotions. The offended part of me takes over first. I stand up from the booth, turning to leave without taking a single sip of my coffee.
“Josephine!”
