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“Are you okay?” he asked. “You look a little pale.”
“I was just a part of a very awkward conversation,” I said with a shake of my head.
Charles raised an eyebrow. “Do tell.”
I hesitated, not sure if I wanted to give voice to my concerns. But Charles seemed like a good guy and I trusted him. “Some of the other guys were talking about how the Hansen women are just breeding stock. It made me wonder if that’s all I am to them.”
Charles frowned. “That’s not true, Theo. You know that.”
“I hope you’re right,” I said, still feeling uneasy. “But I can’t shake this feeling that I’m just a pawn in a larger game.”
“You’re more than that,” Charles said firmly. “You know that. I saw you and Emilie together. You guys have the thing.”
“What thing?”
“The chemistry, the connection,” Charles said, grinning. “It’s obvious to everyone that you two are meant to be together.”
I felt a warm flush rise to my cheeks at his words. He was right—it was clear to anyone who saw us together that Emilie and I had a special bond. But what if that wasn’t enough? What if there were other factors at play that I couldn’t even begin to understand?
“It’s very weird to be looked at,” I said. “I mean really looked at. They’re looking at me to see if I’m good enough to make babies with the beautiful Norwegian princess. What if our kids turn out to be, well, not pretty in their eyes. How horrible would that be if they looked at me like a failure? Like I broke their perfect little breeding stock. Is there really any way to know what a kid is going to look like?”
Charles placed a hand on my shoulder and grinned. “Even if your ugly-ass genes fail, I’m sure hers will be enough to pull you through.”
I laughed. “Thanks for that. I feel much better.”
“You know most of these people here are pompous assholes,” he said. “I couldn’t care less what they say. It’s too stressful to think about all the judgment. Hell, right now, they’re looking at me drinking a very basic bottle of water. They think I’m supposed to drink one of their fancy sparkling waters. Can’t a guy just want water?”
“You’re right,” I said. “I’m sure they’re all just looking for their chance to look down on us. They’re all feeling so cool in their fancy clothes and thousand-dollar shoes. Who needs that shit?”
“Exactly,” Charles said before taking a drink of water. “Fuck ‘em.”
I liked him. I liked that he wasn’t worried about the rules. Now if I could just adopt the same attitude, I would be golden.
40
EMILIE
As I stepped out of the car at the event, I felt a sense of unease settling in the pit of my stomach. There was a feeling I couldn’t shake. Ever since Theo left this morning, I had the strangest feeling. It took me several hours to figure it out, but it came to me while I was doing my makeup for the day.
I was falling in love with Theo, and it terrified me. It wasn’t just because of my father’s teachings, though they weighed heavily on my mind. It was the fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of what lay ahead. Was this connection real?
My father emphasized the importance of securing financial and business success in a match. Love, he said, was secondary to duty and honor. Since Nora left, my parents took every opportunity to remind me how important it was I didn’t screw up. I wasn’t allowed to mess up the match with Theo. I couldn’t figure out if it was considered screwing up if I fell in love with my husband.
Yes, that was the most ridiculous question ever, but it was valid.
But being with Theo had changed something within me. His kindness, his humor, and the way he made me feel alive—all of it went against everything my parents prepared me for. I wanted love. I didn’t think I did, but now that I had gotten a glimpse of what it could be like, I wanted it.
I meandered through the familiar faces from last night. I spotted Theo in the crowd. I would recognize him anywhere. He was talking with Charles. The two of them looked to be enjoying themselves. I slowly made my way to them and touched his arm.
“Hey!” He immediately wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me in close. He kissed my cheek. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“Can I get you a drink?” he asked.
“Water is fine,” I said.
Charles grinned and held up his bottle. “The drink of champions.”
