My eyes scanned the contract until I got to the nitty gritty.
“The contract between TJ Walker and Mila Brookstone will last for the maximum duration of a year, not to exceed three hundred and sixty-five days. The minimum length of time for the contract is forty-five days,” I said out loud, wondering why it didn’t say four weeks like TJ had said, not that that was a huge deal to me. It was the next part that I was more concerned about.
“TJ Walker shall have full knowledge and access to all of Mila Brookstone’s legal documents, bank accounts, social media accounts and phone records for the duration of the arrangement.” I repeated that twice and then grabbed my phone. I needed to speak to Sally again. I called her number and waited for her to answer.
“You’re home?” she said, answering right away. “Alone?”
“He dropped me off first. He said he wanted to talk to Barbie.”
“Ugh, don’t talk to me about that bitch.” Sally started pissed off, and I knew I had to cut her off before we got into a long bitch session about Cody and Barbie. I felt bad for her, but I didn’t want to keep talking about my brother.
“TJ said he’s going to call me later to go over the contract. He wants me to mark up the stuff I have issues with.”
“So the whole contract, then?” Sally sounded indignant. “He sounds like a control freak and just a freak.”
“Sally!” I admonished. “We don’t know that.”
“Mila. He wants to control your life in and out of the bedroom. I mean, he wants you to start doing yoga with him and he wants you to designate a day to tantric sex techniques—like, what the fuck?”
“That’s better than whips and dungeons, though.” I laughed, though I was also puzzled about the whole tantric sex day thing as well.
“He’s building up to that,” Sally said. “Look, I know you’ve loved him forever, but I feel like this guy is trying to get you caught up in something crazy.”
“What do you mean crazy?”
“I mean crazy, twisted, Nine and a Half Weeks type of shit.”
“That wasn’t that twisted.” I laughed. “Don’t blow things out of proportion.”
“Mila, you know his contract is crazy. Isn’t that why you called me? I thought this contract was for him to convince the board of directors that he’s not a playboy and that he wants to settle down? Why does he need all this extra shit?”
“That is the point of the arrangement. But I guess he wants to experiment as well.”
“Is this really what you want, Mila?” Sally’s voice softened. “I know you’ve wanted him forever, but is this really what you want?”
“Things can change. Maybe he’ll want to make the engagement real,” I said hopefully.
“Are you sure you would want that?”
“I don’t know.” I sighed and then jumped up. “Look, Sally, I want to go and have a bath. I’ll call you later.”
“Call me after you talk to TJ,” she said. “I want to know exactly what he says and what gets stricken off of the contract.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said and hung up quickly. I looked down at the contract again and flipped the pages until I stared at the paragraph that had given me the most pause. The part of the contract that had stood out the most was that I had to trust him, even if I felt my life was in danger. Why would I think my life was in danger? That scared me more than it thrilled me. Trusting him with my life was something I did implicitly, but to have it in a contract made me wonder if there was something about him that I couldn't trust.
I didn't care if he was into a little role-play or something—that could be hot—but what if he wanted to choke me or something? I wasn't sure that I was down for that. Why would a contract state that I was to trust him in all endeavors?
I walked into the bathroom and started running a bath and took a deep breath. I looked into the mirror and studied my face, not altogether displeased at my reflection. I looked confused and pretty—or, as Cody would put it—pretty confused. I leaned forward and studied my eyes and lips. Did I look like someone who had just had a crazy weekend? Did I look like someone who was contemplating signing a contract to be TJ’s fake fiancée even though I really had no idea what I was signing? I wasn’t even sure if I cared. I turned back to the bath and put my hand in it to test the water to make sure that the temperature was perfect. I grimaced as the cold water touched my skin, and sighed. I turned the faucets off and walked back to the living room. The water tank was out of hot water. I’d have to wait twenty minutes and try and run the bath again.
Beep beep. I looked down at my phone and froze when I saw TJ’s name on the screen. He’d sent me a text message. I grabbed my phone and tapped the screen so I could read what he’d written.
I miss you already.
Sure you do.
I do. Did you think about the contract?
You have a one track mind.
Why do I think you’re not talking about sex.
How did Barbie take the talk?
How do you think?
She pushed her boobs in your face.