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He grins. “Come on, Felicity. You’re making this proposal sound like a business exchange. That’s hardly romantic.”
“Says the guy on the other side of that desk. I feel like I’m at a job interview.”
He waves his head back and forth in a so-so gesture. “If you want to think of it that way, sure. Though it’s more like an onboarding meeting. You have the job already.”
“So what am I expected to do?” I ask.
He snorts. “Marry me. That’s all. Let’s have the wedding two weeks from today. I’ve always been fond of Friday the Thirteenth.”
I blink. “So soon?”
“Why wait? I already have a lawyer drawing up the adoption papers. He’ll expedite the process for us so that Lucy can be ours by our honeymoon. The sooner we become a family, the better.”
I swallow, my mouth dry, but I’m nodding. “Okay. The wedding is in two weeks. What else?”
He smiles magnanimously and puts his feet on his desk. “That’s it. Now, let’s discuss what I’m going to do for you. First, you’ll get a wing of the house all to yourself. Decorate it, trash it, renovate it, I don’t care. It’s yours. Lucy, of course, will be living with us.”
“I’ll have to break the lease on my apartment,” I say.
“Easy enough,” he replies. “It’s not like you’ll have to worry about losing your deposit. I’ll be setting up a nice nest egg for you and Lucy. You’ll never have to worry about money for the rest of your life. The orphanage won’t, either. I’ll make sure it’s fully funded. Those children will want for nothing.”
“What’s the catch?” I ask. Because this is all too good to be true.
He shakes his head. “No catch. Just a wedding.”
I shake my head as if I can’t believe myself, then rush a hand through my hair and hope he can’t see the way it’s shaking. “One condition.”
His posture stiffens and he licks his lips. “Name it.”
“I need you to be honest with me. I don’t appreciate being manipulated, pressured, or guilted. What you did with game day was amazing for the kids, and I appreciate it for that reason, but I know what you were really trying to do. Don’t try to manipulate me or Lucy like that again. Got it?”
He stares at me as though seeing me for the first time. He gets to his feet and shakes my hand. It’s warm and completely envelops mine. His gaze is soft. “Felicity, you have a deal.”
We spend about an hour talking about our plans and expectations. Nothing groundbreaking gets settled, but by the end of our conversation, I’m probably as comfortable with the situation as I’m ever going to be.
As I’m turning to leave, he calls out. “Wait!”
I stop. “Yes?”
He’s rummaging through his desk. With a triumphant sound that I try not to think of as adorable, he pulls out a small box. “It’s not an engagement without a ring,” he says, opening it. The silver forms delicate vines inlaid with small diamonds around a large stone. It’s stunning. I dutifully hold out my left hand.
I hold my breath as he slips it on, half expecting the ring to be enchanted. I tend to catastrophize, so potential scenarios of me being unable to take it off or burning my hand when I talk back to him run through my head. But it feels like an ordinary ring.
“It’s beautiful,” I say with a sincere smile.
“I knew you’d love it. I’ll call you later this evening so we can start formally planning the wedding.”
I swallow, my mouth dry. My stomach is filled with butterflies, but I’m pleasantly surprised to realize it’s out of excitement rather than fear. “Okay. We’ll talk later.”
As I leave him, I discreetly take off the ring just to make sure that I can. It slips off as easily as it slips on, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Now that I know it’s only metaphorically binding me to him rather than magically bound to my hand forever, I can admire the way it sparkles in the sunlight.
As I make my way back to the orphanage to tell Lucy the good news, I review my conversation with Argoss in my head. Demons are notorious for making deals with unforeseen consequences, and even though he said several times that there’s no catch, all I have is his word.
Did I cover all possible scenarios? Were there any loopholes to what he said that I missed? Should I have hired a lawyer? Had him put the terms of the deal in writing? I came up with some stipulations, but there’s no way I’ll have thought of everything. I just wish I knew him better.
There’s one thing I do know. Argoss does good things when most people just talk about it. He helps people. He’s helping the orphanage, and he’s helping me and Lucy. Who cares if he has selfish motivations if he’s making the world a better place? The results are the same either way.
I pull over onto the side of the road and tap my fingers against the wheel as I muse. Taking a slow breath in and out, I try to calm my racing heart. I have a habit of panicking right after making a big decision, my mind running to all the possible worst-case scenarios. But I know this is the right thing to do.
