“Of course not.”
“Then stay and marry me.” Randall takes both my hands. “Do it for yourself. Do it for me, because damn, I want you more than anything…”
He does?
“And do it for David because he deserves to have someone who finally understands and cares for him.”
I sigh. “I don’t know.”
I’m still confused, afraid. A part of me wants to say yes. But I’ve suffered for jumping the gun before, and I don’t want to make the same mistake.
Do you really have a choice?
No. It’s stay and marry Randall or go and risk falling back into Vince’s clutches.
Why am I hesitating? Randall is a good man. I’ve already established that. And he just said he wants me. And I… I think I want him, too. But he doesn’t deserve me. What if I just end up hurting him?
“Sabrina.” He touches my cheek again. “You have nothing to be afraid of. Whatever happens, we’ll face it together. We’ll face Vince together. I’ll keep you safe, I promise. I won’t let him hurt you or anything that’s dear to you.”
I believe him. I do. It’s just marriage is such a big thing. Why does he even want to marry me? What is he getting out of this?
“Sabrina.”
I look into his eyes, not seeing any trace of fear and reluctance in them. “I don’t understand why you want to marry me. What do you have to gain?”
“A friend. A woman I can go to parties with and not have all the other women come after me. A nanny for David.”
Right. He doesn’t love me. But then I don’t love him, either. I don’t think I do. This isn’t a marriage for love, just for convenience and protection. For now, it’s my best bet for survival.
Then say yes.
I take a deep breath. “All right. I will.”
“You will?” Randall looks surprised and relieved at the same time.
I nod even though I still can’t believe I just said yes. “But on one condition.”
“What?”
“You have to be the one to tell David.”
Husband and Wife – Sort Of
Randall
“I have something to tell you, David.” I take a deep breath as I sit on his bed.
“What?” David hugs his pillow.
I pause. I should be glad this is the only condition that Sabrina set. Even so, this is probably one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done.
Until now, I still can’t believe I proposed to marry her. Didn’t I say I wasn’t going to rush? Didn’t I say marriage was far from my mind? Still, I couldn’t just let her leave, especially not after hearing her story. As I started thinking about what I could offer her as her protection, all I could think of was myself, my name. That’s why I said I would marry her.
What is even more baffling is that she said yes. When I asked her to marry me, I was hoping she would, yet I still could not believe it when she agreed.
Of course, it doesn’t mean anything. She’s just trying to survive, and I don’t want her to slip through my fingers. That’s all. Still, a marriage is a marriage.
“What is it?” David asks, impatient now.
“It’s about Sabrina.”
“I thought we already talked about her.”
“Yes, but I’m going to tell you something more about her. Sabrina and I are–”
“Is she your girlfriend now?” David asks to my surprise.
He’s eight. When did he learn about girlfriends?
“I thought she didn’t like you.”
I crease my eyebrows at him. “What made you think that?”
“She didn’t ask questions about you like the other nannies.”
I nod. I didn’t even know the previous nannies asked him about me.
“And she didn’t talk about you. The nannies before couldn’t stop talking about you.”
I didn’t know that, either. I only noticed when they tried to flirt with me, though I didn’t pay much attention.
“So, is Sabrina your girlfriend? Do you like her?” David asks.
“Do you like her?” I ask him.
“She still has to beat me at–”
“A video game,” I finish the sentence for him. “I know. But let’s just say she didn’t. Would you still like her?”
David shrugs. “Why are you asking?”
“Because I…” Another deep breath. “I’m going to marry Sabrina.”
His eyes grow wide. “No way.”
“Yes, I am.”
“You’re not joking?”
I shake my head. “No, I’m not.”
He hugs his pillow tighter, burying half his face in it.
“David?”
Suddenly, he throws his pillow at me. “You tricked me. You said she was going to be my nanny, and now you’re going to marry her?”
“She’ll still take care of you.”
He gets off his bed. “I don’t want her to. I don’t want her anymore.”
I sigh. I knew he wasn’t going to accept it easily.
“David…”
“You can marry her all you want. You can have her. I don’t like her anymore.”
So he did like her. Wait. Is he jealous?
“So you don’t want me to marry her?” I ask.
“Who cares what I want?” He goes into his fortress. “Just marry her. I don’t care. But I won’t be there.”
“Yes, you will,” I tell him as I stand up. “The wedding’s next week, and you’ll be there whether you like it or not.”
***
The wedding takes place in the garden gazebo, a judge presiding, Tess and Gil witnessing along with Carol and my VP, Peter. Lucy is the bridesmaid Sabrina chose, and David reluctantly bears the rings in his white tux. I, too, am wearing a white tux with a royal blue bow tie while Sabrina is wearing a simple, high-waisted, white chiffon dress, a sparkling, royal blue sash wrapped around her waist.
Simple, but stunning.
She’s no longer wearing her contacts, her bluish-gray eyes as beautiful and mesmerizing, if not more so, than her black ones. Her hair is still copper, though, since she said she’s become used to it and for the first time, it’s flowing free from a crown of blue and white flowers, the tips curled and bouncing lightly off her shoulders as she walks. With each step, the folds of her dress drape around her legs, the hem rustling atop the grass. When she looks at me, her lips, coated with her new Estee Lauder lipstick, curve up into a smile. I can’t help but smile as well, my heart drumming.
I know this may not be a real wedding in a sense – yes, there’s a judge but it’s only as real as those on TV reality shows. Even so, I can’t help but feel like a lucky, proud groom.
Damn, she’s one hot bride.
Gil seems to think so, too, as he shakes my hand and puts his arm around me after the wedding.
“Look at that,” he says as he looks at her. “Who would have guessed she was your son’s nanny?”
I grin.
“Hell, if all nannies are that hot, I should sign up for one, too.”
“You need a kid first before you can get a nanny,” I tell him. “Remember that.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“And stop staring at my wife.”
My wife. I can’t believe I get to say that again, and I must admit it feels good.
“What did I say, huh?” He nudges me. “Didn’t I say you were going to end up here?”
“Yeah, you did. But remember, it’s not like that.”
I’ve told Gil the truth, of course.
“Whatever. If I were you, I’d start rethinking that.” He winks.