Epilogue
Charlotte
Callie’s voice rang through the intercom. “Come on in! I can’t wait to show you the place.” Charlotte waited for the buzz and opened the gate. She had never known anyone rich enough to live behind this sort of security. She tried to take in her surroundings as she headed down the walkway toward the door. Ivy clung to the brick walls that separated the courtyard from the street. A bubbling fountain drowned out the sounds of traffic in the distance. This was a far cry from the cramped two bedroom walkup she and Callie had shared for the past five years. If the entryway was this nice, Charlotte could only imagine what the inside of the house was like.
“Charlotte!” Callie called, leaning out the door, “Over here!” Callie radiated happiness and life as she motioned to her. “Vi and Amy are inside waiting, and I haven’t been able to get them to spill a word of what the plan is for tonight.” Callie never was good at waiting for surprises. She was always the one planning them instead. “Come on, just one hint, please?” Callie said.
“Not a word!” Logan called from somewhere inside the house. His voice echoed through the doorway.
“You heard the man,” Charlotte laughed. She ran up to the door to give her friend a hug. Callie was wearing a dress and green rain boots. Seeing her friend’s outfit, Charlotte couldn’t help but think back to the first year she lived with Callie. Through her job at a publisher, she had gotten Callie an advanced copy of a novel by one of her favorite writers. She had teased Callie about the gift for a week leading up to her birthday, and then, on the morning before, she caught Callie carefully unwrapping it in the dark. She had an identical piece of wrapping paper on hand to rewrap the book. By chance, Charlotte had caught her in the act, but instead of letting on, she swapped the book out for a one on buffalo migration patterns. The look on Callie’s face when she opened the present on her birthday was priceless. They had been giving each other gag gifts ever since.
It was the reason why Charlotte had gone through the effort of planning out every detail of the bachelorette party in meticulous detail. She made a fake itinerary and hid it somewhere easy for Callie to find. It included a ridiculous list of necessary items including foul weather gear, passports, and at least one phone book. The boots were confirmation that Callie had looked.
Callie always had such grand expectations for things, and Charlotte wanted to surpass them. After all, Callie had made her Maid of Honor. Of course, she had also named Amy as Matron of honor, so their duties were shared. As Charlotte stepped through the front door into the marble entryway of Callie’s palatial home, she wondered what she could possibly do to upstage Callie’s happiness. She wanted to make this a party to remember. Everything had gone perfectly for Callie and Logan over the past year. Every time Charlotte saw them, she knew she was in the presence of true and complete love. Affectionate but not annoying, they were casual and lovely and everything a couple should be. Logan had won over everyone in Callie’s family through his devotion to her. Even Ethan, his former rival, agreed that Logan and Callie were perfect for each other. So it was going to be hard to top any of that. What kind of party do you throw for the woman who has everything? Charlotte had given it her best shot.
Charlotte looked down the length of the house, past the gleaming, open kitchen and the dining room. Half of the furniture was still in boxes or partially unpacked as Callie decided where she wanted everything. This is a different world, Charlotte thought. She was so happy for Callie, but she couldn’t help feeling out of place.
Logan bounded down the stairs wearing a tuxedo, his dirty blonde hair still tousled as always. He tapped Callie on the shoulder and gave her a kiss. He held for for a moment, letting the kiss linger. “Have fun tonight,” he said.
“Keep your phone on you, and don’t get into too much trouble,” Callie said. “Remember, we have to get married in two weeks.”
Logan laughed and brushed a strand of hair back from Callie’s face. He always looked at her that way, like she was the only woman in the world, and Callie always looked back like he was the only man. In a way, they were. They were perfect for each other like nobody else could be. Concurrent bachelor and bachelorette parties had been Logan’s idea, a way of minimizing their time apart. For them, even a few hours apart seemed like torture. Charlotte marveled at how Callie had managed to find that sort of love while balancing an insane work schedule and family obligations.
“Enough of this lovey-dovey stuff,” Vi called from the kitchen. “Is this a party or what? Everyone has to try one of my patented cocktails before we put this show on the road.”
“Except for Amy,” Callie yelled back. Charlotte watched Amy pour herself a glass of Perrier. Her bump was starting to show. She and Ethan were already several months on their way to their second baby.
“I’ll leave you ladies to it,” Logan said, heading to the door for his own party. He shot Charlotte a glance and shook his head. “If I were you, I’d pass on Vi’s cocktail. I’m pretty sure the main ingredient is rubbing alcohol,” he whispered.
“Last time I let you in on a secret,” Vi called from the kitchen.
Callie grabbed Charlotte’s arm. “If you have one I’ll have one.” This was an old refrain, one they had practiced over years of nights on the town together. It was a great way to keep from getting in trouble, and a better way of keeping things interesting.
“Deal,” Charlotte said.
The next hour passed in a blur, after Vi poured drink after drink while telling a convoluted story that involved the Vatican, three cousins named Lorenzo, and a stray dog named Charlie. Amy and Charlotte kept asking her for more details. Without fail, Vi was able to provide them. By the time the limo arrived, everyone was in good spirits. Everyone except Callie.
It wasn’t that Callie was sad or upset. She was just quiet, reserved, in the way she was when something was gnawing at her. As they piled into the limo, Charlotte figured it was the perfect time to try and lift her mood. “Alright, Callie, now that we’re on our way, we have set up some trivia for you to see how well you and your husband to be know each other.”
“Oh no,” Callie said. She started to blush a bit. “I’m not sure I even want to know.”
“We’ll start easy, dear,” Vi said. “Boxers or briefs?”
“Am I giving my answer or what I think he’d say?”
“Both,” Amy said.
“Then neither,” Callie said.
“Correct,” Vi replied.
“What does Logan say is your best physical feature?”
“He better have said my eyes,” Callie shot back, “but I’m going to guess he said something else.”
“Which one?” Charlotte said.
“Eyes.”
“Sorry, he said butt.”
They rifled through the questions as they headed out of town, and while everyone laughed almost to the point of crying, Charlotte could tell that there was still something off. Someone who hadn’t lived with Callie for so long might have looked at the smile on her face and thought everything was fine, but Charlotte saw through her. While Vi and Amy argued about who was more responsible for Callie ending up with Logan, Charlotte whispered, “Hey, what’s going on? I know you, and I just want you to be happy. We have an incredible weekend planned for you, and don’t worry, it doesn’t include the boots.”
“I know,” Callie said, “It’s nothing. Sorry, this is really incredible. It will be great to get away from work and all of the insanity of planning for a while.” Callie’s time with Logan had changed her. Charlotte could see it clear as day. In the past, Callie would have been the one pushing for crazier plans and trying to get everyone involved as much as possible, but it was plain on her face how much she missed her fiance. Charlotte thought it was sweet, more than anything, the way they seemed to fall apart when they were away from each other for more than a few hours. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what it must feel like to love someone like that, but she did know what it meant to be a friend, and she knew what Callie needed.
Charlotte slid up on the seat and knocked on the glass divider, as it slowly lowered, she said, “Driver, turn around. We’re heading to Georgetown.”
Amy and Vi turned their attention to her, “Oh?” they asked in unison.
“Last minute change in plans, ladies. We have at least one stop to make before we head off on this trip.”
“One of the benefits of having your own jet is that you don’t have to worry about missing the gate,” Amy said, shrugging her shoulders.
Charlotte reached into her purse and pulled out a blindfold. “This was supposed to hide the big reveal of the jet, but instead, I guess we’ll have to use it for something else. She watched Callie pull it on, then she typed out their destination on her phone and handed it to Amy. Amy and Vi both nodded.
Half an hour later, they were parked outside the hottest new bar in Georgetown: District. The place was packed on a nightly basis. It was a good thing they knew the owner. Charlotte opened the door to the limo and helped Callie out onto the sidewalk. “We’re here,” she said. “I hope you like our detour.” As she led Callie inside, Charlotte spotted Logan across the room. He was standing at the bar, raising a drink with the rest of his bachelor party. Charlotte recognized him and Ethan immediately. She knew that the older man between them must have been Logan’s dad, Hank, but there was one other person standing next to Logan, facing away. What was his name again? As he turned around and Charlotte saw him for the first time, her heart skipped a beat. He had deep blue eyes, dark brown hair, and he was gorgeous. Jack, she thought. That must be Jack Coburn.
Charlotte shook out of her stupor and led Callie across the room to the bar, placing her hand down against the bar itself. “Callie,” she said, waving Logan and his party over. “Your sister, your aunt and I wanted to think of the best present we could give you for your wedding. We wanted to give you the best, most memorable night we could imagine. We came up with a few amazing ideas, but I think this one is the best. Go ahead, take off your blindfold. I think you’ll be very happy.”
Callie slowly pulled the blindfold off, she looked down at the bar and then up at Logan. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around him. “Best gift ever!” she said as she kissed him. Charlotte turned to Amy and Vi. She had just brushed aside weeks of planning, and it couldn’t have been a better choice. She watched Callie basking in Logan’s attention, talking with the members of his party. Her time with Logan really had changed her. It had softened her, which was a good thing. There was a time, not so long ago, when all Callie thought about was work. Before she met Logan, she couldn’t even go out unless it was for a case. Charlotte watched her and was so happy for how far she had come. She wondered if Callie would keep working after the wedding. She wondered what would happen as Callie and Logan started a family together and got deeper into their own lives. Meanwhile Charlotte would be trying to put her own life back together. She had been putting it off until the wedding, but she needed to find a new job, and she needed to find a new roommate.
Vi stepped up next to Charlotte and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Hey Red. What do you say we order a few drinks and divvy up the groomsmen? I’ve got an eye on that sharp-looking fella with the flag pin on his lapel.”
“Vi,” Amy butted in, “that’s Jack Coburn.”
“I don’t care who he is. He’s a looker. A rose by any other name,” Vi replied. “Is he single?”
“Yes, unfortunately,” Amy said. “It’s not helping his senate campaign much.”
“That sounds like a stroke of luck to me,” Vi said, “or at least for one of us.” She ribbed Charlotte with her elbow.
Amy’s eyes darted from Charlotte to Jack and back to Charlotte. “Hmm,” she said, “I’ll be right back.”
“Well, I say we let him decide who he likes better,” Vi said. She leaned over the bar and motioned to the bartender, “Barkeep!” she called, “Something strong!”
The bartender came over and poured some drinks according to Vi’s explicit instructions. Charlotte counted at least seven different kinds of liquor. Vi took a sip of one when it was finished and nodded in approval. “Charlotte, be a dear and bring one of these over to Callie, and one over to that Jack gentleman. This other one’s for you.”
Charlotte walked over and handed Callie a drink.
“You didn’t have to do this you know,” Callie said. She took a sip of the drink and cleared her throat. “Did Vi make that?”
Charlotte laughed. “We’re all just happy to see you happy.” She held out the other drink for Jack. “From Callie’s aunt,” she said.
Jack took it and smiled. He took a sip and tried to hide the look of surprise on his face. “That’s… interesting,” he said. He choked down another sip, and shook his head no. “I think I’ll admit defeat,” he said as he looked around for somewhere to put the drink.
Charlotte grinned and tried to think of something witty to say in response. Her stomach looped itself in knots. Jack was so much more handsome up close. And he held eye contact as she tried to think of something, anything to say that could possibly interest him. Finally, Logan started talking with Jack again, and Charlotte turned her attention back to Callie. Next time, she’d have to plan her conversation in advance.
“Promise me I didn’t ruin your plans,” Callie said.
“We’ll get to them some other time,” Charlotte offered. “This is your night. I’m just glad to see you so happy.” Charlotte watched Callie glance over at Amy making several sweeping gestures with her hands. “You and Logan are perfect together. He’s so good for you. He evens you out, helps you relax and finally forget about work. The two of you are just so natural together. Soon you’ll be married. Eek! It’s wonderful to see. I guess a part of me is worried that once you get married, things will change between us. I mean you already seem so much more relaxed than you were before you met Logan. Your whole life was work, and now you have something so much better. I really hope I find that someday.”
Callie’s eyes widened and she placed her hand over her mouth. She looked back at Charlotte. A familiar grin spread across her face. Callie was up to something.
“What?” Charlotte asked. “What did I miss?”
“How would you like all of that now?”
“Oh yeah, like some rich, charming guy is just going to appear and sweep me off my feet.”
Callie waved Amy over. “I know we’ve said it as a joke in the office, but what do you think about Charlotte for the job?”
Amy smiled. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
“I know she hasn’t been vetted, but wouldn’t they make a cute couple? Come on, the camera would love her. She’s wholesome.”
“Actually, I ran a background check on her when you first started living together.”
“Are you serious?” Callie asked. “And you never told me?”
“I was just looking out for my little sister. Don’t worry. Everything checked out.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Charlotte asked.
“Do you want to tell her or should I?” Callie said.
“It’s your party,” Amy replied.
“Charlotte, we need you to marry Jack Coburn,” Callie said.
“You WHAT?” Charlotte exclaimed.
Callie laughed. “Come on,” she said, taking her friend by the arm and leading her over to the group of men. “Why don’t Logan and I introduce you?”
Charlotte shook her head. “I spoke too soon!” Callie hadn’t changed one bit. She was still laser focused on her job. Charlotte still wasn’t sure what Callie meant by saying she needed to marry Jack Coburn, but hey, she wouldn’t be opposed to getting to know him. Rich, handsome, and polite enough to try to second drink of Vi’s concoction.
Callie smiled and slid her arm over Charlotte’s shoulder. “Jack,” she called, “there’s someone you need to meet.”
***
Thank you for reading The Billionaire’s Kiss, the second book in the Scandal, Inc series! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did:
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If you haven’t read the first book in the Scandal, Inc series, I’ve included an excerpt below. Charlotte’s story is next, and will be out in Spring, 2014.
An excerpt from:
The Billionaire's Marriage Contract (Scandal, Inc)
Ethan Cole sat at the bar and looked at his reflection in the mirror as he reached into his briefcase. He studied the lines on his face. He wasn’t getting any younger, he thought. He wondered if the stress of his job was starting to get to him. For over a decade, he had been the toast of the tech world, but he wondered if the world was finally catching up with him. By the time he fished the small box out of the bottom of the leather briefcase, he had gone from looking at his forehead to inspecting the small lines that were starting to form next to his eyes. As he spun the box around in his fingers, he turned to look toward the door. No sign of Amy yet. He let out a little sigh of relief and turned back around. He motioned to the bartender.
“Ready for a drink?” the bartender asked.
“Just let me know when the attractive brunette comes in through the front door.”
Ethan opened the box and gazed down at the ring inside. “This is just a business deal,” he whispered to himself. “Don’t try to make it anything more than that.” He pulled the ring out of the box and inspected it in the dim light. It had been in his family for two generations and was the only keepsake he had left of the grandmother who had raised him. He looked at the sapphire set in the center of the ring. It was barely half a carat, but it was worth more to him than almost anything in the world.
As Ethan began to think back, the bartender pointed to the door. “I think your friend is here,” he said.
Ethan put the ring back in the box and slid it into the bottom of his briefcase. He gazed back toward the door to catch a glimpse of Amy as she looked around the dining room. She was as stunning as ever, and Ethan felt his pulse jump as he looked at her. Here goes, he thought. He turned back to the bartender. “I’m ready for that drink.” He reached into his wallet and pulled out a hundred dollar bill. “Her drinks are on me, too.”
***
It took Amy almost a minute to spot Ethan at the back corner of the bar. She was surprised it had taken her so long. Even across a dimly lit room, he had a brightness to him, an inner light that had a tendency to make him the center of attention. By the way he had positioned himself at the bar, Amy could tell he wasn’t interested in gaining anyone’s attention but hers. She watched him as he said something to the bartender. Then she waved off the hostess and began to make her way over to him.
Crossing the room, she felt excitement rising up inside her stomach, a nervousness that tied itself in knots. She was a consultant to movie stars, to moguls and kings, and yet she felt nervous even being in the same room as Ethan. Amy shook her head as she approached him. Buck up, she thought. Just find out what he wants and then head out. He was probably just trying to get a rise out of her. How sensitive could this proposal be? When she reached his side, she cleared her throat.
Amy was used to men like Ethan. They always had to win, and getting her to agree to meet him for a drink was just another form of winning. Whatever proposal he’d have would be some other game for him to win. She had wanted to be the one in the seat as he arrived, but he had denied her that, too. As annoyed as she was with him for that, she couldn’t deny the waves of nervousness that rushed through her body as he stood up to face her. He reached over and pulled out the chair for her. Amy laughed. “Really?” she asked. “I can get my own seat, Ethan.”
“I know,” he replied. “Doesn’t mean I shouldn’t make the effort.”
“This is a meeting, not a date.” Not that I can remember what it’s like to be on a date, Amy thought.
“Well, agree to disagree,” Ethan replied with a smile. He looked her over again as he waited for her response.
“No,” Amy replied. She pursed her lips and opened her eyes wide as she tried to express just how little patience she had for Ethan’s games. He was doing it again, getting under her skin. “I don’t date clients. I don’t get personally involved with clients.”
“And why is that again?” Ethan asked. Amy watched his grin grow wider as he waited for her response. She’s going to kill me when she hears what I have to say, he thought.
“I know my clients. You’re all the same. You all want one thing, and I’m not about to let you make me the center of a scandal myself.”
“I promise I won’t try to sleep with you,” Ethan said.
“Ha,” Amy said. “Like you’d even have a chance. I meant you want to win. It’s hard-wired into you.”
“How?” Ethan replied. “How does a drink with a colleague equate to needing to win? And how is it a scandal? It’s hardly tabloid material.”
“When the colleague is female and around your age, and while you’re still tabloid gold, it is.”
“You forgot attractive,” Ethan added.
“What?” Amy replied. Was he actually hitting on her after everything she had just said or was he that self absorbed that he was still talking about himself? “Did you just call yourself attractive?” Amy asked.
“No. You know what I meant,” he replied. Besides, if you weren’t attractive people would just assume you were my secretary or sister or something.”
“You date supermodels.”
“And as far as I know, you don’t date anyone. So like I said, I think we’re safe. What are they going to say? Ethan Cole spotted in public with a nun? I have half a mind to find out if you’re wearing a chastity belt under that dress.”
Amy laughed. “I swear if you make a nun joke.”
“I try not to make a habit of it.”
Amy shook her head and laughed before lowering her voice. She reached out, placed her hand over Ethan’s and asked, “Why are we here?”
“I’m thinking about getting married.”
“Are you really?” Amy asked with a grin. She wondered which South American supermodel had managed to pull the fleece over his eyes. “Let me guess, you want me to do some preemptive damage control.”
Ethan looked down and then met Amy’s glance, he had a sheepish smile on his face, like he was purposely leaving out some important detail. “Yeah, something like that.”
“Tell me you didn’t get her pregnant. It doesn’t do much for your image if you’re off knocking up Ms. Venezuela. What is she, seventeen or something?”
“No,” Ethan replied, “She’s about my age.”
“You’re using protection, right?”
“We’re not even having sex yet.”
“Really?” Amy replied. “She must be worth the wait.”
“I think so,” Ethan replied, he couldn’t help but smile. He felt like he was in the eye of the storm, watching the calm before all hell broke loose. Of course, hell breaking loose was the whole point of this meeting.
Amy watched his grin grow even wider. “What am I missing here?” she asked. “What is so funny? Do I know her?”
“Better than I do, believe it or not,” Ethan replied. “Though I’m guessing you don’t know her as well as you’d think. She’s in her thirties, a colleague of mine actually, a bit of a departure from the women I’ve been dating. Truth be told, a bit of a departure from pretty much everyone I know.”
“I know her, and she’s not a bimbo? Interesting. And you like her?”
“Yeah, I do,” he replied. “She’s honest and smart, and she calls me on my bullshit. Very few people do that.”
“I do that,” Amy replied. She felt a twinge of jealousy as she said it.
“I know.”
“How long have the two of you been together? I mean, the media is going to have a field day with this. You know that right? The playboy billionaire settling down. It will be the marriage of the century.”
“We’ve had a thing for years, and the media will never catch wind. It’s all going to be quiet. I think she’ll like it better that way.”
“Think?” Amy replied. “You mean you haven’t discussed it with her?” Amy picked up her glass of wine and took a deep sip. “So you’re going to propose to someone I know, and you haven’t even dropped a hint that you might be interested in marriage?” She leaned back in her chair a bit and waited to hear Ethan’s explanation of this one.
“Oh, I’ve been dropping hints all night,” Ethan replied. “And we’re talking about it right now.”
“What do you mean?” Amy asked.
“Amy, I’m asking you to marry me.”
As she listened to the words, Amy forgot all about her glass of wine and let it fall from her hand. She watched as it cracked off of the bar and shattered, spraying wine forward. As the sound rang through the bar, everyone else fell silent. Amy felt like her heart had stopped, and then everything flew into motion as she realized what was going on. “You’re joking, right? Is this a joke? Did my sister put you up to this on the phone this afternoon?”
Ethan smiled. “I didn’t know that Callie was your sister. I thought she was your secretary. That makes a lot of sense now. No, I’m completely serious. I need you to marry me, and I’m ready to make you the offer of a lifetime.”
Amy looked at Ethan again. He wasn’t smiling anymore. Was he insane? Amy raised her hand and signaled to the bartender. I’m going to need something stronger than wine, she thought. Then she turned to Ethan. “Explain. Now.”
“Have you ever been to Wyoming?” Ethan asked as the bartender came back with a new glass of wine.
***
“This better not be a repeat of Chicago.” Amy crossed her arms and stared at Ethan. “I am not in the mood for a repeat of Chicago. Are you being serious right now? I have an aunt’s birthday party to get to. I have a company to run. I’m not in the mood for a practical joke by the world-famous Ethan Cole. I suppose you think I should be flattered that you want me to marry you for some reason.
“First off, you and I remember that night in Chicago very differently,” Ethan replied.
“You make it sound like something happened between us.”
“Like I said,” Ethan repeated, “you and I remember that night very differently.”
Ethan reached down into his briefcase and pulled out a manila envelope. He placed it on the bar and slid it over to Amy. “It’s all right there in the prenup. All you have to do is sign, and the marriage contract is legally binding.”
Amy placed her hand over the envelope. “If you think for one second that I’m going to let you buy me.”
“Amy, you know that isn’t this at all. People have marriages of convenience all the time. You and I just happen to have the added bonus of being able to see opportunities and seize them. I need a wife.”
“So go and get one. Who is the latest model you were dating? Miss Russia or Brazil or?”
“Argentina,” Ethan replied. “And I called things off. She wasn’t really interested in me anyway, and, well, supermodel wife doesn’t exactly fit my needs at the moment.”
“What you need at the moment is someone to knock you in the side of the head,” Amy replied. “This is definitely Chicago all over again.”
“Like I said, I think you and I remember that night very differently, and you brought it up, not me. This is nothing like that. That was a moment, and this is a unique opportunity. I think you should consider my offer. A multibillion dollar deal that will help ensure the future of my company and the jobs of tens of thousands of people all depend on you helping me become a family man.”
“I need you to be my wife. Not for long, just long enough to convince Hank Hilson that I’m a good man, a family man, and someone worthy of taking the reins of Hilson Energy.”
“You run a tech company,” Amy replied. “Why in the world would you want to buy a business you know nothing about?”
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. Hilson is retiring, and he is looking to sell the company. Almost no one knows, but I do, and I’ve been in talks with him for months. He likes me, but he doesn’t know if he can trust me.”
“So you want to lie to him and tell him that I’m your wife?”
“No, I want you to marry me and help me make my case to him. Hilson Energy is a relatively minor player in the energy sector. They are a regional supplier of oil and gas, but they also control rights to over half of the neodymium reserves in the western hemisphere.”
“Neodymium?” Amy asked. “You want me to pretend to be your wife so you can buy magnets?”
Ethan laughed. “Now you get it. It’s an essential component of modern electronics, and a major weakness in my supply chain. My company uses it in everything from cellphones to missiles, and Hilson’s other assets would help us deploy new technology in fields we’ve been trying to break into for years.”
“Again, I don’t see how or why this involves me in any way,” Amy replied.
“Hank Hilson is a family man,” Ethan replied. “And he wants to find someone who shares his values to take over his company. I tried to convince him to sell me just the mineral rights, but he won’t break up his company. I told him I understood and assembled a proposal to buy Hilson outright. He asked me if I was married, and I told him I was engaged to you.”
“You what?”
“I told him we were getting married in a small ceremony in DC, and that I wanted to keep the whole thing very quiet.” Ethan placed his hands on his head and ran his fingers through his hair as he took a deep breath. “He thinks we got married last weekend.”
“He WHAT?”
Ethan leaned back as he looked over at Amy‘s expression changing as the disbelief and confusion gave way to indignation. He could see it in her eyes and in the way she scrunched up her nose as she scowled at him. He tried to hide his smile as he watched her sitting there, the blush coming into her cheeks as she got madder at him and formulated her rebuke. This was the thing that he liked best about Amy, the way she didn’t take bullshit from anyone, especially from him. That was a rare thing. Almost everyone else he knew, women especially, fell over themselves to appease him. Amy just looked like she wanted to take his head off, especially after they started talking about what had happened in Chicago.
She would have killed him if he said it out loud, but Ethan wanted to tell her how beautiful she was when she was mad like that, not truly angry, but just pissed off. It had been far too long since he had gotten a rise out of her like this, and he tried to enjoy it before she started yelling at him. It was also one of the reasons he had chosen a public place for the meeting. The last thing Amy would have wanted was to end up in a tabloid herself for a fight with the Ethan Cole. Ethan knew he only had a moment or two to make his next move or the whole thing would be ruined.
He reached forward and placed his hand on hers. “Before you say anything,” he said, “I want to tell you exactly what I’m prepared to offer.” This was the moment of truth. He needed to turn this from an argument into a negotiation, because if it were a negotiation, two things would happen. First, Amy would decide that she needed to win. Second, Amy would win by negotiating the best possible terms for herself. After all, this whole thing was in her best interest, and Ethan knew that deep down part of Amy wanted to see what it would be like to be with him. He was prepared to let her win. All he needed was for her to say yes.
“What’s your starting bid?”
“Five.”
“Million?”
“Yes, for three to four months of being my wife, a few trips to meet with the potential business partner. I could arrange a honeymoon as well. I know of a few places I think you’d like.”
Amy had stopped listening after five. Five million dollars. Amy was successful. She was very successful. She ran her own company. She owned a house in Georgetown. Five million was more than she made over the course of years of hard work, never mind months of on and off vacationing. She looked at Ethan and stayed silent. What was five million dollars to him anyway? He was one of the richest men in the world.
“I wouldn’t even consider it for less than ten,” she replied.
“Atta girl,” Ethan replied. “Aggressive, I like that. How about we split the difference, seven point five mil?”
Amy laughed. “I think you misheard me. I said I wouldn’t consider less than ten. ,You could just marry me and let me sue for half your net worth. I happen to know the best divorce lawyer in the country.”
Ethan shook his head.
“Ten. That’s my final offer. If you need this that badly, ten million is a tiny fraction of what you stand to make. It’s a bargain and you know it. That and you need to tell me every last detail of what’s going on.”
Ethan held out his hand. “I’ll take that as a yes. You have a deal.”
Amy felt a chill run through her body. Ten million dollars. All she had to do was go through with this, and she’d make more in a summer than she had in her entire career. You’re kidding, right? You’re not actually considering paying me that kind of money to pretend to be your wife. What’s the catch?”
“The catch is that you won’t be pretending.”
“How is that not illegal?”
“Again, it’s called a prenup,” Ethan replied. “It would entitle you to a certain amount of my net worth in the event of a divorce. As soon as the ink dries on the corporate deal, we can get a quickie divorce. I’ll go my way. You go yours.”
“You’re just going to let me walk away with ten million dollars?”
“Yeah. That’s the plan.”
“I have money of my own. I have a career and employees who rely on me.”
“They’ll be there waiting for you. And you can give each of them a hell of a bonus.”
“I need time to think about this, Ethan. You don’t just drop something like this out of thin air. I need some time. Look, I have to go.”
“There’s something I want to give you before you leave,” Ethan said. He reached down into his briefcase, and wrapped his hand around the ring box and began to pull it out.
“I really can’t handle another surprise,” Amy said.
Ethan stopped and dropped the box back down to the bottom of the briefcase. “Of course,” he replied. “I just want you to have a copy of the prenup as you think things through.” He grabbed the thick manila envelope out of the briefcase and pulled it out. “Here you go.”
Amy grabbed the envelope. What happens if I actually say yes?
Ethan grinned. It had cost him significantly more than he had anticipated, but he had just gotten exactly what he wanted. “Like I asked you before, have you ever been to Wyoming?”