Authors: Claire Adams
I snorted loudly. “You’re delusional,
aren’t you? You and my mom both. You think your actions bear no consequences,
and that you can just sweep in here with a slutty dress or take your clothes
off in my room and everything will just go back to normal?”
Her face went a deep shade of pink. “I
didn’t say…I didn’t mean to imply…or dress slutty—“
“Hah!” I cut her off. “So you’re just
letting your breasts hang out of your dress with no intention of seducing me
right? Just like how you came into my room with just a bath robe on and it
conveniently slipped off your body?”
“Yes, that was me trying to seduce you.
But you made it clear that you weren’t interested. Honestly, I never knew you
were capable of turning down a naked woman.”
“Now you do,” I snapped. “So don’t try to
pull that shit with me again.”
She put her hand over mine again. That was
getting annoying.
“Zayden,” she said with her frustratingly
pleasant tone back. “Be honest with me, and it’s okay, whatever the answer is.
Is there someone else?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, my mind
automatically drifting to Aria. I wondered what she was doing right this
second. Arguing with somebody about something, probably. She was feisty as
hell.
“Another woman?”
“There are many. You didn’t think I have
been celibate this whole time since you left, do you? If so, you’re far more
idiotic than I had thought.”
“I don’t mean one of the many young women
that you entertain yourself with on a regular basis – yes, word travels – I
mean someone you actually care about.”
“I don’t do that whole caring thing
anymore,” I said, but a part of me felt like I wasn’t being entirely truthful.
After all, I had been worried sick over Aria’s sudden disappearance. I could
lie to myself all I wanted – that I was mad that she was disobeying the
contract, or that I simply enjoyed looking at her ass in the office – but I had
spent every day of her absence wondering if she had been okay. And when she had
made those drunken phone calls, I had immediately sent Ned to take her and her
roommates home because I was concerned for her safety. Admitting that to myself
was surprisingly scary. The last thing I needed right now was to be blinded by
my emotions. I needed to grow out of caring again, as soon as possible.
“Then I’ll make you a deal, Zay,” Gina
said, her tone suddenly very businesslike and professional. Before she could
convey her “deal,” though, our server came over.
“Are we ready to order, sir?” A young
Asian girl asked.
We both looked at her, slightly annoyed
for being interrupted. “I’ll have a glass of whiskey and two spicy tuna rolls
for appetizers.”
While Gina made her order, I thought of
how that was one of Aria’s favorite foods and felt a familiar pang of longing.
That first night we had a date in our office was so incredible. She had matched
every one of my clever comments with her own, and had been delighted by the
exquisite menu that was custom-made in her honor. Her reaction to the champagne
in particular had been delightful. I would have to bring her here some day;
this would be some of the best sushi she had ever had and I could reserve the
whole restaurant just for her if she wanted. If she wanted. She had to, because
I had bought her for the next few months.
With a sinking feeling, I realized that I
didn’t want her to be around because of some contractual obligation, but rather
because she craved my company, and my body, just as much as I craved hers.
Angry with myself for feeling this way, I forced myself to believe it didn’t
matter what she thought or felt. She owed me her time, willingly or otherwise.
I couldn’t let the fact that she was unhappy to be around me get in the way of
what I wanted. That wasn't how I functioned. At least, I really didn’t want it
to be. What had that feisty redhead done to me?
“Zayden!” Gina had been repeating my name,
making me snap out of it.
“Oh yeah, sorry, I spaced out,” I said,
slightly frustrated to be taken away from thoughts of Aria. “You were talking
about some proposition.”
“Yes, and hear me out before declining my
offer,” she said, still sounding businesslike. “We cancel the divorce
proceedings-“
“No way. That’s not a deal. It’s just not
happening.”
“Hear me out!” She was clearly getting
frustrated. All attempts at being sickeningly sweet vanished. No more
pretenses. Gina was getting to the point. She wasn’t here because she thought
she loved me or something ridiculous like that.
“I know you don’t have any feelings for
me, and I am okay with that. But you gain something by having me around: you
can shut your mother up and she will stop with the threats if she thinks we are
back together and happy.”
“Your point being?”
“We can stay married, but we don’t have to
actually be married. You are free to do whoever you want, and I will do the
same. Just on the down low. I will have my own room in your house – except when
your mother is around so we can sell it – and not bother you with your life
whatsoever. We have no physical obligations to each other, or emotional, but to
your mother we will appear as a functioning happy couple. It’s enough to get
her off your back. Tons of rich people do this kind of thing.”
“What do you want in return? You obviously
wouldn’t be making this deal if there wasn’t something in it for you.”
“Money and security,” she said and
shrugged, as though it were only natural.
Even though I always knew these things,
the fact that Gina was sitting in front of me like this and boldly stating her
screwed-up intentions made me surprisingly angry. She would definitely fit in The
Real Housewives cast.
“You are appalling!”
“Some would say I am clever in looking out
for myself. Always have been. You are a very difficult person to love. There
isn’t a woman out there in the world capable of it, I guarantee you.”
Her words hit harder than they should
have. Was she right? Was I just completely unlovable? Not that it mattered –
regardless of whether a woman loved me or not, I was still the most powerful
man in a two-hundred mile radius of this town. What did it matter if I could
never get some dumb girl to devote her life to me? Love was bullshit, anyway. I
always knew this: nobody was capable of loving anybody else…
My mind drifted to Aria again. Until the
running out of my office incident the other day, she had always spoken
surprisingly highly of me. She had called me a friend and even said that people
underrated my character. Surely, Aria would disagree with what this woman was
saying?
Starting to get angry with myself again, I
scoffed. What the hell did it matter? Why did I care so much what Aria thought?
Why was Gina’s comment about me being impossible to love making me think of
Aria? I did not want her to fall in love with me.? That’s the last thing I
would want: it would just complicate things and make it difficult to get rid of
her after the contract was over. The whole idea behind our deal was to not have
any messy endings. The problem was, as I was just realizing, that I wasn’t sure
if I wanted there to be an ending at all. The idea of “getting rid of her”
sounded wrong in my head, as though I was planning to get rid of an organ from
my own body.
What the fuck was happening to me?
“Are you going to keep spacing out, or are
you capable of having a mature discussion about this?”
“Mature?” I sniggered. “What part of any
of this is mature? A marriage of convenience? Mostly of convenience to you, I
might add, you shameless gold-digger.”
“Oh, stop it, Zay. It’s not my fault you
were so blind the whole time. I was with other men since before our wedding and
you were just in denial. You never asked any questions! I figured it was
because you knew what I was after and didn’t really care. Because it was and
always has been a marriage of convenience. You just wanted a wife to take to
charity events and shut your mother up, I just wanted your money. We can still
continue to have that. Why even pretend to care?”
She was right. I never really loved her or
cared for her. Gina was simply a woman my mother approved of and she kept out
of my business as long as I was with her. I enjoyed fucking her from time to
time but other than that there never really had been any connection. I should
not have been surprised when I found out she had been cheating – I am not sure
why I ever was. But she was right, this had always been a marriage of
convenience. And could continue to be…but…
I couldn’t stop thinking of Aria, and how
she would react to finding out about Gina. She would never be okay with having
any kind of relationship with a married man, she was far too self-righteous for
that. No matter how hard I explained to her that it was just a marriage in name
without any of the values, she would see me as a lying, cheating adulterer. If
I were to accept Gina’s offer, I would have to make sure Aria never ever found
out about it. It meant I could never take her home with me, never take her to
any more public events and she would be diminished to the role of my mistress.
She was far too strong-willed and independent to accept any situation where
that’s the tag she ended up with. Even the suggestion of it would hurt her
pride far too much for her to ever recover from it and forgive me.
“I will have to think about it, Gina,” I
said eventually, exasperated.
“Take as long as you need,” she said, her
sweet demeanor back. “I hope we can make this work, Zay.”
“Cut it out with that sugary sweet tone,”
I snapped. “I haven’t accepted yet.”
Chapter
9
Aria
I got a call from my mom right after
completing my make-up exam for Statistics. Another ten-thousand dollars had
been added to her medical account.
“I don’t know what I would do without you,
sweetheart. I promise I will get myself together and help you repay the loan
cent by cent,” she said on the phone.
“More money was paid?” I asked, sounding
more surprised than I should have. It was the end of month two after all.
“Of course, thank you Aria. I am lucky to
have a daughter like you.”
If only she knew what I was doing in order
to get her medical bills paid. I doubt she’d think I was the best daughter
ever. But what she didn’t know didn’t hurt her.
“How is everything else, mom?” I asked,
deliberately changing the subject.
“Good, good. You should come visit this
weekend. I really could use some company and I haven’t seen you in so long.”
“I will try, but can’t promise anything
okay?” I crossed my fingers behind my back. I wasn’t going to try and visit her
just yet; I had way too many things to sort through first. On the other hand, I
could probably use some time away from all of this.
“Okay, sweetheart. No pressure. I know you
have enough going on between your job and school, and this loan must only add
stress.”
If only she knew.
“It’s okay, mom. I will try my best, okay?
I love you, I have to go now!”
I had made up my mind about what was to
happen and it was time to follow through. This wasn’t going to be easy. If I
knew Zayden at all, then he wasn’t going to make it easy. But if I didn’t break
the contract now, I would never be able to look at myself again. I hadn’t
signed up to be in a controlling relationship where I was somebody’s puppet. I
had signed up to spend time with him in return for a favor that I was going to
return. He had taken it too far and convinced himself somehow that he hadn’t
bought my time, but me. I was not going to let him get away with that. I had
gotten this far in life by living it on my own terms, and I wasn’t going to
allow some man to dictate how I lived it all of a sudden because of a piece of
paper. I would have to find another way to help mom, and I sure as hell was
willing to do anything to this end. I didn’t need Zayden or his money. I was going
to be okay.
---
When I reached the bank – after almost two
weeks – my heart was fluttering, and not in a good way. It was a little past
five so everyone else should have scurried off by now. It made me glad because
the thought of having this conversation with Zayden and with people staring
through his window was chilling. Actually, the thought of having this
conversation with him at all was chilling.
I had to get ahold of myself.
What was he going to do? Take me to court?
It was just a silly contract, and maybe not even legally binding. I would pay
the twenty thousand dollars he had already given to the hospital back as soon
as possible, and then take care of the rest of my mom’s debt.
I walked in with wobbly feet, my chest
shuddering with fear, only to find out he wasn’t in. Of course, the one day he
decides to leave work early had to be now. If I didn’t do this now, I would
never be able to get out of the contract. It had to be taken care of before I
could have a second to change my mind. I headed to the teller’s booth and
dialed Zayden’s cellphone. No answer. I called once more and then decided it
was best to text him.