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“That makes sense.”
“As promised,I’ll pay you three million for this… deal? But as a form of insurance, I’ll pay you two million as soon as we announce our engagement and the rest when our deal is done and we get divorced, along with some other settlement. Do you agree?”
“That works, I guess.” She played with a nail until it chipped.
“To make things, uh, less complicated, we avoid any intimacies, except, of course, when it’s absolutely necessary.”
“Define absolutely necessary, sir,” she said smugly.
The nerve of the woman. She was toying with me, maybe I did deserve it, but she was still my employee, and I was doing her a favor. Although, quite frankly, she was also helping me. I exhaled and said, “For show. Whenever we need to make it look real. Normally, a kiss should do the trick, but if it doesn’t, we might have to take it up a notch. If you have an issue with me touching you, let me know now.”
“No. It’s fine.”
Because my mind was racing through several possibilities, I added, “Of course, confidentiality is key. You can’t tell anyone this. Not your friends, not Jason, no one.”
She threw her hands out in what looked like frustration. “Contrary to your opinion of me, I’m not a blabbermouth.”
“I never said you were.”
“You didn’t have to. You implied it.”
“I’m sorry, Zoey.” I didn’t know for what I was apologizing exactly, it just felt like the right thing to do at that moment, and it seemed to work as her face softened considerably. “For this to work, we need to at least keep up a level of civility; otherwise, anyone with a pair of eyes would be able to see through us.”
She gave a small nod, and I stole a glance at my watch. “If you agree to all, then just sign your signature over here,” I instructed. She skimmed through the one-page document and then appended her signature. “Thank you.”
“I have a request. Can you not tell the kids yet? I want to be the one who tells Jason, you know. To ease him into the idea.”
“Of course. That reminds me, going forward, I’ll be responsible for everything concerning Jason. Financially, at least.”
“You really don’t have to do that,” she muttered.
“Nonsense. He’ll be my stepson. That’s the least I can do. You’ll still get your salary as well. You can regard it as a monthly allowance or whatever.”
At that, her stoic mask crumbled into dust, and there it was again. That look like she knew something that I didn’t. The secret danced in her eyes, swirling in their beautiful blue waves. She lowered her head and fiddled with her dress while keeping her eyes on the desk—a habit I found out she did whenever she was nervous. Whatever it was, I hoped she’d tell me when she was ready.
I fished into my jacket pocket and fiddled with it. Mom had dropped it off during their last visit. “No one is ever truly ready. But when your heart feels full, and you cannot take it anymore, there’s your cue. I hope it’s soon. Here, this used to be your grandma’s. It’s been passed down to the daughter-in-laws across several generations. Your dad proposed to me with it, and now it’s your turn,” she’d said. “Give it to her if she’s worthy.”
“I’ll get a ring, and we’ll inform the girls and my parents at dinner.”
12
- HURTFUL REVELATIONS
ZOEY CARTER
Fake and unplanned, it may be, but it was a wedding, regardless. And Olivia was the only friend that I had. Heck! Other than Jason, she was the only other family I had. It was for this reason that the girls and I set out to our spot for some breakfast and companionship. The kids were all thrilled at our announcement. Even little Aurora had said, “Does that mean you will be our mom now, and we can call you mommy?” I had teared up a little and caught them in a hug. Jason, however, still seemed to be having a hard time coming to terms with the change. I do not blame him, though. It had been just me and him for a long time, and Malcolm hadn’t exactly helped matters when we were together. Although Jay admitted to liking Adrian, he was still skeptical around him.
I pulled up to the huge parking space in front of the café and killed the engine. I then got the door and undid the car seat belts for each of them. I was supposed to meet Olivia by 10 am, but it was already past ten when I walked into the overcrowded café. Traffic was more than usual, and I had to wade through a large pool of sweaty people while also pulling the twins along by hand. She sat in our usual seat, nursing what I assumed to be her usual steaming mug of coffee, three cubes of sugar, and one creamer. She gave an easy smile directed at the girls; she was pissed at me for being late again.
“Aren’t you two the cutest angels?” she crooned softly. “You must be Rose,” she turned to Rose, who had invited herself to the seat closest to the window. “And you must be Aurora.” Aurora tightened her hold on me and cowered behind me.
“Girls, say hello to Aunty Olivia.”
“Mommy, is she your friend?” Aurora asked.
“Mommy?” Olivia gasped. “I didn’t know that you guys are that cozy.”
“I was getting to that part,” I muttered under my breath and then turned to the girls. “Yes. She is my friend.”
