Ten

Did I slap a handsome guy kneeling in front of me asking for my hand in marriage?

I heard a clap and whirled around just in time to see a man with an imposing aura step into the house. He was clapping and laughing.

He was tall with black hair, not a single trace of gray hair. He had steel blue eyes just like Xavier's own. He was pretty muscular, must have been a hottie during his days in his youthful age.

Closely following behind him was a woman, a blonde woman. She was beautiful in an artificially loud way and had a bitchy aura.

I could tell that she was one of those cheerleaders that oppressed nerds and as if to confirm my claim she rolled her eyes when she saw the scene before her.

A hot guy kneeling and clutching his cheeks and me looking flustered—oh add Duncan that just stepped out of what I presume to be the visitor's bathroom and the scenario is complete.

"Wonderful, I love this girl." I heard the man's voice. He stepped close to me and patted my hair.

Xavier stood up, shooting me a glare. "Of course, you would father."

"What's there to love about her, she's just a gold digger who would accept this," the woman snapped.

I frowned. "I'm not a gold digger, madam."

I saw Lowell—Xavier chuckled lightly.

"If you're going to be in this house, you don't get to speak to me in that tone!"

Who the fuck does this woman think she is?

"She's sorry, ma'am," Duncan was quick to interrupt.

"No, I'm not!" I snapped glaring at him.

He dragged me off to the other side of the staircase.

"What the heck is going on here?" I asked him.

He ran his hands through his hair. "Listen, I need you to go along with the flow. He wants you to be his bride, you both are not getting married."

I glared at him. "You want me to get married to an unknown person?"

"It's just for show, ok, they're gonna explain everything to you," he replied.

He held my wrists and smiled trying to explain the situation to me.

Xavier Lowell is the son of a hotshot business mogul who was supposed to get married in two days before he got dumped by his girlfriend, she threatened to go to the media broadcasting that he's a womanizer which wasn't good for his big boy image especially since his father was handing over the family business to him in three months.

"So I'll be with this guy for three months?"

He nodded. "You guys aren't getting married."

I frowned. "Why am I doing this?"

He scratched his head nervously. "Because they threatened to fire me if you didn't."

I glared at him, "What about grandma?"

He grinned, "I told her you're leaving the city for a job in another city. You'll just have to convince her."

"But we're in the same place?"

He shook his head, "You guys will be going back to Las Vegas, tomorrow. That's where they live and are famous there."

Great! Now I'm going to my dream city with a total stranger, pretending to be engaged to him.

~~~~*

If eyes could kill I'd be ten feet under, no kidding. Mrs. Lowell was shooting me missiles with her eyes while Xavier was shooting me icicles with his steel-blue eyes. Duncan was absent, the only one who wasn't trying to incinerate me with their gaze was Mr. Lowell.

We were seated on the dining table, a contract in front of me, my boyfriend having signed his own contract and had gone back to work. I reread the contract and shrugged. There wasn't anything harmful in it, I just had to be by his side for three months, the longest relationship he'd have.

His first relationship ended after two days down to this last one that ended two weeks later. His relationship status was hilarious.

The plus bonus, I mused over it. I will get to travel anywhere with him of course, Susie would be there too for I had threatened fire and brimstone if she wasn't with me.

They had agreed with my terms and now I was left to sign the contract. I was gonna miss grandma but they said I could visit her four times a month.

"What are you still waiting for?" Mrs. Lowell, whom I was told to call Brenda, asked.

I smiled sweetly at her, "I'm taking my time, Brenda."

Mr. Lowell, who insisted I call him Zach, chuckled, "Let her be, Brenda."

Huffing, she muttered something under her breath and I eyed her curiously.

Finally, I signed the contract.

"Congratulations, welcome to the Lowell family," Zach said, pulling me into a hug.

The two other family members gave me cold shoulders.

"We'll leave by 10 am tomorrow, don't be late!"

I smirked at Xavier, Susie is gonna love this.

~~~~*

I arrived home feeling very upset. How could Duncan just leave me to go by myself with those damn strangers?

My room door was ajar and loud music was blasting from there. I knew granny wasn't around else this music wouldn't be so loud.

I saw Susie sprawled on my bed, doing a twerk video. Holding back my laughter I watched her from the door.

"I know you're there!" She yelled.

I laughed as I stepped into the room. "What are you doing?"

"Dancing," she replied with an eye roll.

I sat down on my bed turning off the music. She scowled at me, "Killjoy!"

I ignored her and massaged my forehead. I had a killer headache and it seemed to have intensified since I got back from Lowell's house.

Lots of questions were running through my mind and I didn't know how to answer them. I was furious at Duncan and felt pity for him since he was threatened.

"What's on your mind?" Susie asked me.

I shrugged. "I'm tired."

Susie smiled, "Come on, let's go somewhere."

I followed Susie tiredly to her car that was parked outside. Closing my eyes I drifted off to sleep as the car drove off.

When I opened my eyes, the car just pulled into the parking lot and Susie killed the engine.

We were in front of a bridal boutique?

"What are we doing here?" I asked curiously.

She grinned. "I know you said you aren't going to get a new wedding dress but let's try some on."

The next couple of hours was spent changing different designs of the wedding dress. She tried the ball gown dress, the A-line dress, the mermaid wedding dress, and lots of other dresses. Above all, I loved the mermaid dress.

"You could take it," Susie suggested.

I laughed. "No way, I already told you the dress I'm wearing."

We bickered back and forth till we left the shop and arrived home. I saw granny standing in front of the house, she was looking so lost in thought.

"Grandma, what is the problem?"

She peered at me through the rim of her glasses, "What isn't the problem, Hailey?"

Susie stifled her giggles sending me a "you're so dead" look then she went inside the house.

"Granny, I would like to talk with you," I said with a small smile.

She nodded. "Let's take a walk."

We strolled through our little garden and she plucked some fresh flowers and handed them to me.

"A woman is like a flower, once you mishandle it," I watched as she squeezed the flowers, "It becomes nothing beautiful."

Shortly after her little eerie speech, she smiled at me, "What is it you have to say?"

I swallowed hard. I had never lied to my granny before and now it was like she knew something I didn't know but I just didn't know what.

I swallowed the lump again that was in my throat and smiled sheepishly, "I got a job in Las Vegas."

She smiled, "That's what Duncan told me."

"I'll be leaving with Susie tomorrow," I continued.

She nodded. "You aren't asking for permission, I believe."

I felt a twinge of guilt before I nodded my head, "Granny, you know I'll always come to visit."

She smiled. "You know, Hailey, that was the same thing your mom told me before she left and I never saw her again."

I stood rooted to a spot as I watched granny leave. This was the first time she was saying something about my mom and from the tone of her voice, I could tell something had happened. But what it was, I had no idea.