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“Of course, you don’t have to ask, but I’m curious as to why?”
“You’ve been living with Jac too long, girl. You sound like your husband.”
“Sorry, occupational and marital hazard. Now, what is going on?”
Sharlee sat in a chair across from Becky on the sofa. Ivy was lounging in the chair next to Sharlee’s. Jessie was sitting on Becky’s left, and Becky patted the seat to her right. “Sit here, Mallory.”
Once her closest friends had settled around her, Becky began. After about fifteen minutes of sympathy and ideas on fixing the fact that Carter was pushing Becky to get married but didn’t want to commit to kids yet, they sat quietly.
“I need another drink,” said Ivy.
“You do not,” said Jessie.
Sharlee shook her head. “Besides, Jac wouldn’t allow it. His home, his rules.”
“You two need to settle on a date and work the rest out later,” said Mallory.
“But what if he never wants children?” asked a distraught Becky.
“Negotiate,” said Mallory. “Like a contract.”
“But, um, we aren’t like you and Monroe. I mean, we don’t…” she shrugged at a loss how to put what she wanted to say.
“You don’t play, you mean?” asked Mallory.
“Yes, right. That.” Becky’s face was intensely red.
“That’s okay. I bet most business moguls don’t either, but they definitely write and negotiate contracts.”
Ivy sat up. “I’d like to hear about the contract you and Monroe have,” she smiled, but it was obvious she was serious.
Jessie frowned at Ivy. “TMI. It’s their business.”
“You want to know, too,” said Ivy.
“Well, sure, but I wouldn’t ask.”
Sharlee made a noise deep in her throat, and it sounded just like her husband. Everyone looked at her. “Stay on topic here. Now I think Mallory has a good idea. Go ahead, Mallory.”
“Right, so the premise is that Becky doesn’t want marriage without children and is afraid that Carter won’t ever want children, so if she marries him, then he gets what he wants, and she doesn’t.”
They all nodded, and Becky agreed. “Right.”
“So, based on the basic foundation of I love you, and you love me, and you both want to marry, those are the agreeable items. Now, we need to discuss trust because that is what the problem is here. You don’t trust Carter to follow through, and he doesn’t trust you to not force the issue before he is ready.”
They continued talking for another fifteen minutes. “I’m still staying here until I get this worked out and signed,” said Becky. “Can you come over to help me put it together, Mallory?”
“Sure, since I don’t have a job right now.”
Sharlee’s phone rang. “Hello? Who… Callie? Oh my God, where are you? Why are you whispering? We’ll come and get you immediately. We can. I promise it will be okay. You can stay here. No, I’m so glad you called. We miss you.”
“Mal, we need to go. I’ve…”
He stopped mid-sentence when he heard Sharlee was on the phone. “Please don’t hang up. Callie? Callie?”
Sharlee rushed from the room and headed to her computer, pushing past Jac, who stood with a grim expression.
“Can we not get one fucking weekend of quiet?” He held up a business card that looked like that crazy Saginaw woman’s. Monroe grabbed it and read.
“Has the party started yet?”
The End