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“Lisa, you’ve got your own business to think about,” I say gently. “Your company is doing amazing, but you’re not in a position to direct funds into saving Riviera. You don’t need to take on that kind of risk.”
She frowns, poking at her salad. “I hate seeing you like this, Em. You’ve worked so hard. Your Dad worked so hard. There has to be another way.”
“I wish there was. But if we don’t get a cash injection soon, we’ll lose everything. The hotels need renovations, repairs, marketing… without capital, we’re dead in the water.”
Lisa leans back in her chair, studying me with her usual intensity. “So, what? You’re seriously going to marry Andrew Bennett?”
I let out a breath, staring out the window at the cars passing by. “I don’t know. It’s insane, right? But I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“Of course it’s insane,” she exclaims, setting her fork down with a thud. “You barely know him. You don’t even know if you can stand being around him for more than an hour.”
“I know,” I murmur, stirring my coffee absently. “But if we get married—even if it’s just a year—the company survives. His family gets what they want, we get what we need, and then we can both walk away. A year will go by before I know it.”
“And you’re okay with that?” Lisa asks, her voice softer now, more concerned than shocked.
“Honestly? I don’t know,” I admit. “It’s not like I dreamed of this kind of marriage. I didn’t even love Daniel, but at least I knew him. Andrew’s different. He’s cold. Distant. But he understands the stakes. And right now, I can’t afford to let emotions get in the way of what needs to be done. The fact that he understands the situation – it may just be enough.”
Lisa’s quiet for a moment, watching me. “Just promise me you’ll think about this long and hard before you say yes.”
“I will,” I say, though in the back of my mind, I’m only thinking about how high the stakes are. How quickly things are unraveling. How the solution might be sitting right in front of me, in the form of a marriage that neither of us wants, but both of us need.
After dinner with Lisa, I head home, still mulling over our conversation. It’s crazy to think that marrying Andrew Bennett might actually be the solution to all of this.
But, what other options do I have left? As I sit on the couch, my phone in hand, I stare at the screen for a long time before I finally begin typing.
Could you come by my office tomorrow?
I hit send, my heart pounding a little faster than I’d like to admit. Almost immediately, the screen lights up with his reply.
Andrew: Yes. What time works for you?
I bite my lip, thinking it over. Mornings are usually chaotic, but better to get this over with then let it hang over me all day.
How about ten?
The response is quick, as always.
Andrew: I’ll be there.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. There. It’s done. I put my phone down and head to the bathroom, hoping a shower will clear my mind, but, even the hot water can’t wash away the worry of what’s to come.
At least with Daniel, I knew to expect wild parties, never seeing my husband, and possibly affairs. With Andrew, it’s a complete blank slate.Ifwe do go ahead with the wedding, I don’t know what to expect.
***
I sit at my desk, my eyes flicking to the clock on the wall. Ten to ten. Andrew should be here any minute.
I check over my notes again, not that I need to. The facts haven’t changed: Riviera needs a capital injection, and fast. But Andrew's proposal is driving me crazy. One minute, I’ve made up my mind and in the next, I decide it’s a completely stupid idea.
At exactly 10:00, the intercom on my desk buzzes. I can’t help but grin as I press the button. At least he’s predictable, responsible, and reliable to a point. She definitely wouldn’t have that ‘nanny’ feeling she had with Daniel.
“Mr. Bennett is here, Miss Young,” Catherine says.
“Please, show him in.”
Andrew’s time-keeping is refreshing, honestly. The first time I went for dinner with Daniel, he kept me waiting at the restaurant for half an hour, not even a text to let me know he’d be late.
I like that Andrew values my time, values time in general.