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“If we’re married, I’ve got a small place that has two beds.”
“Done,” he whispered gratefully. “If that’s okay with you?”
“I could use the company,” she admitted. “Keeping up a house is tough sometimes when you are alone and gone fifty percent of the time.”
“You need help with the house,” he nodded in understanding. “I could do that. I have hockey practice several times a week – and I would try not to interfere in your life too much.”
“Same,” she whispered, looking at him. “So we would pretend to be married and go to a few events?”
“We would be married on paper and pretend we’re a happy couple in public,” he affirmed, looking nervous as he swallowed. His Adam’s apple bobbed as his eyes looked at her, wary. “I promise I will treat you like a queen while you help me out. ”
Dang, Ashley thought in disbelief; what would it be like to be treated like a queen by someone? Her last boyfriend had dumped her, claiming she was high maintenance and that it was difficult to keep up with her schedule – but this guy?
This guy in front of her just wanted her name on a piece of paper, and he was willing to hand over everything in exchange for it.
“This job means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”
“It does,” he admitted quietly. “I need to prove that I can do this on my own, without my agent or anyone sabotaging me or holding me back.”
“And it’s worth that much to you?”
“More, if you want to know the truth,” he admitted painfully, giving her a nervous look.
“I’m a nice guy – but sometimes I set myself up for others to take advantage of me.
If you are going to do that, don’t hide it or go around me.
I could probably forgive anything but deception or lies, which is why I’m telling you everything. ”
Ashley nodded, swallowing guiltily. She felt like she was taking advantage of him already, but telling him about her schedule, the house, needing the car, had already been put out there between them. There wasn’t much more to share, and there was everything.
They were strangers.
He was basically bribing her to marry him, and in turn, she was accepting it and using it to get her own rear-end out of a mess.
“No lies,” she whispered, still holding his hand. “No secrets, and we talk about everything so we can become friends. Ninety days, we’ll fake it, fake being married, and then both come to the table to discuss what we do next – whether it’s an annulment, a divorce, keep going like we are, or what. ”
“Thank you,” he whispered thickly. “Thank you so much, Ashley.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” she mumbled nervously. “I’m gonna use you like you are my own personal gardener, my soon-to-be husband.”
“Then I want you to pick out the nicest car you can find,” he chuckled, sharing her same warily optimistic look. “My soon-to-be wife.”
“You should go sit down,” she invited nervously. “Don’t get off the plane when we land. We’ll walk out together.”
“You got it,” he nodded, “Thank you.”
“Go sit down, and I’ll get you something to drink or snack on since the cart missed you,” she chuckled, feeling almost bubbly down inside because this had to be the craziest thing she had ever done in her entire life.
She was marrying some stranger who had the biggest bank account she’d ever seen in her entire life, with no hesitancy from either of them.
The moment he’d left, she shook her head and chastised herself under her breath, pouring him a ginger ale and grabbing a packet of pretzels.
“Unbelievable. I’m a gold-digger. Me?”
A lmost three hours later, Ashley was saying her ‘goodbyes’ to the passengers who had just flown with them, ignoring Adrian’s repeated requests for details on what she and Liam had discussed…
and turned to see him sitting patiently in business class, waiting.
His bag was perched in his lap as he watched her.
He raised his hand slightly as if to acknowledge her and gave her a small smile.
“Oh, you dirty-dawg… it’s about time you took my advice!” Adrian crowed with delight, elbowing her. “You go get your ‘drink,’ girlfriend, and enjoy! I’ll finish up here.”
“Are you sure?”
“Heck yes,” he replied emphatically. “You go play with your ‘boy-toy’ who is waiting for you, and I’ll handle ‘ Captain Crotchety’ when he emerges from his lair.”
Ashley laughed nervously and looked at Liam once more – signaling him. Sure enough, he stood up and moved toward her. She nodded, pulling her bag from where it had been secured for the flight, and exited the plane with Liam.
“Say nothing, let’s just go,” she whispered to him.
“Are we in trouble?”
“No. They are gossips,” she countered quietly. “Act like you don’t know me and then follow me in the airport toward the exit.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Ashley pretended like nothing was going on; like this was some ordinary day just like any other.
She waved at a few familiar faces, smiled at a few others who were rushing to their gates – faces she’d passed probably hundreds of times over the last few years and made her way to the ‘Alternate Transportation’ area – and clicked the button on her app.
She had left her truck because Connie needed it to haul wood, and what was one more Uber charge, right?
Standing inside, she stared straight ahead, waiting, and then looked out the corner of her eye toward Liam. He was doing almost the same, his bag beside him, but he was scrolling through his cell phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to look nonchalant. ”
“Oh.”
“What are you doing?”
“Waiting on a car – oh – that’s us,” she began, reaching down to grab his wrist without a second thought. “Let’s go.”
“We’re going?”
“Yes.”
They rushed out the door to the waiting vehicle – only to have her bag lifted behind her, causing her to stumble. She turned slightly, pausing, and saw Liam was picking up her bag.
“Go ahead,” he began, his eyes grateful. “I’ll put this in the trunk. You get in the car, and I’ll be right there.”
Ashley gaped and then closed her mouth, bewildered. He was already acting like they were a couple, acting like her husband and trying to take care of her… and it was nice.
It was really nice.
Her feet were killing her in these high heels that were part of her uniform, and she just wanted to slip them off or get off of her feet for a few moments. Sitting down in the car, she hesitated as the driver slid into the vehicle and Liam a moment later.
“Where to?”
“The municipal courthouse,” Ashley said nervously – and felt Liam’s warm hand touch hers unexpectedly as he leaned toward her.
“Thank you again.”
“We’re going to a dealership next.”
“This will be your last Uber,” he promised gently as she met his steady gaze, as he nodded. “You take care of me, and I’ll do the same for you.”
“In everything?”
“Isn’t that how marriage works? ”
Looking away, Ashley nodded, but the words would not come.
Today was not what Ashley expected in the slightest – nor Liam, she thought silently as he laced his fingers with hers.
She wasn’t sure anymore who was holding whose hand at this point.
She was pretty certain that they were both hanging onto each other for dear life in this wild rollercoaster of events that had started about five hours ago when their lives intersected.