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Merritt groaned. “Come on, Casanova.”
She walked toward the door, and he moved ahead to hold it for her. “Thank you,” she forced.
They walked half a block before he gently gripped her arm and tugged her into the alley beside her building, away from the busy foot traffic on the sidewalk. “Let’s talk here.”
“Here?” She glanced deeper into the alley, where a couple of dumpsters were parked.
“Don’t freak out when I say what I’m about to say.” He had a serious expression on his face.
“Should I be nervous?”
“Just hear me out, so we can have a civilized conversation about this.”
Her brow furrowed. “What’s going on?” She was beginning to regret coming into this dirty alley with him.
Gus gently held her shoulders, took a deep breath in and blew it out as he looked her in the eyes.
“Will you marry me?”
SEVEN
Will you marry me?”
Those were four words Augustus Schultz never thought would come out of his mouth. At least not at the age of thirty-one, in a grubby alley, and especially not to Merritt Christianson. She despised him, after all, and he wasn’t too fond of her either. Nevertheless, those were the very words he had just spoken.
Merritt’s eyes, round like saucers, stared at him in disbelief. Her shocked expression quickly cracked and turned into fits of laughter.
He rolled his eyes, letting go of her shoulders, and exhaled an exasperated breath.
“You’re not serious,” she replied when she was finally past her hilarity. “This is some kind of joke, right?”
He pulled a small box from his back pocket and cracked the lid to show her the gigantic diamond ring he’d picked up at Tiffany & Co. that morning.
The saucer-eyes were back again, this time staring wildly at the diamond as she leaned closer and tucked a section of her brown hair behind her ear. “I don’t understand.” Her eyes met his. “Why would you want to marry me?”
“I heard you talking to Adelia last night. I know about the financial problems with expanding your company.”
She looked at him cluelessly. “What does that have to do with your idiotic proposal?”
“I’m not an idiot.”
“Maybe not, but your proposal certainly is.” She straightened her back, crossing her arms over her chest.
“This could be mutually beneficial for both of us.”
She took a step back. “Are you that hard up, Gus? Because you could find about a dozen skanks at the bar down the street who would be more than willing to have a mutually beneficial arrangement with you.”
“Hear me out.” He was losing patience with her, as usual.
“Do I have to?”
He groaned. “I was going to suggest a solution to your financial problem, but forget it. I don’t have to deal with this crap.” He snapped the ring box closed and shoved it in his pocket as he spun on his heel and walked toward the sidewalk.
“Wait!” Merritt called after him.
He smirked. He knew that would get her attention. Straightening his face, he turned as she approached.
“What kind of solution?”