A Deal with The Stranger

Ana

Now it was my turn to stare at him like he was crazy.

“Are you crazy?” I asked genuinely, because I was expecting to get a direct answer to the question.

Granted, he didn't look like someone who was crazy. He looked quite normal. But asking a stranger to marry him? That was crazy.

“Quite the opposite," he said, his tone measured and calm. He slipped his hands into his suit pockets, retrieved a soft cloth, and began to meticulously clean his glasses. He didn't even look at me.

He was sexy with the glasses on, and without it, he was simply a snack. When we met at the coffee shop, I was too distracted by Tony to even remotely take note of his features.

A waiter appeared, carrying a tray with two glasses of wine. He took one and nodded at me, “drink?”

“I don't drink.” I said, eyeing him cautiously.

My father was an abusive alcoholic. Each night he stumbled home, reeking of cheap alcohol. He would descend on my poor mother and proceed to beat her mercilessly.

My sister and I could only do so much to save her from his demonic fury. He died 3 years ago and we couldn't be happier.

But ever since then, I'd stayed away from drinking because it made me remember my father whom I despised so much.

“You don't know me. So why would you want to marry me?” I asked him, looking perplexed.

“I don't need to know you. Hell, I don't even want to know you.” He scoffed.

“Well, you just answered my question.” I angrily picked my bag and started to leave but he held me back.

“I’m sorry. I just need you to make me look good in front of my investors, that's all.” I could see a bit of remorse in his beautiful blue eyes.

“Are your partners some kind of creeps? Why would they need a woman to make you look good?” I asked, turning to face him.

He stared at me in disbelief, trying to ascertain whether I actually meant to ask him that question.

“I'm sorry but I'm not doing it if you don't tell me the details.” I said and began to walk away.

“Fine,” he groaned, and I stopped in my tracks.

“It's for a business deal. The investors are senior citizens; the traditional type. And they are very much obsessed with family values. And the deal is guaranteed to go south if I don't turn up with a wife.” he finally explained.

From his expression, it seemed like I had dragged out his deepest darkest secret.

I took a deep breath and came back to sit. “And that's all I have to do? Pretend to be your wife until the deal is signed?”

“Yes.” He stared at me intensely, his jaw clenched as he waited for my answer.

I took another deep breath, trying to weigh my options. I thought about my son Liam, and how I needed to buy baby things for him.

The house that I lived in with my sister Beth, was due for rent and I didn't exactly make much to take good care of my son, my sister, and pay rent at the same time.

“When is the meeting?” I asked.

“Here, in a few minutes' time. But first, I need to get you real outfits.You can't meet the investors dressed like this.” He said, giving me a once-over yet again. “It'll reflect poorly on my capacity as your husband, but also on my brand.”

“I haven't even said yes,” I protested weakly, the embarrassment heating up my face.

He didn't seem to notice, or even if he did, he didn't care. The man was like a statue with no feelings. You couldn't tell what he was thinking.

He brought out a stack of files from his briefcase and placed them in front of me.

“Sign it.” He dropped a pen on top, and waited for me to sign.

All I had to do was pretend to be his wife for the deal to go through. I can handle it. And if he tried anything funny, I can always opt out of the deal.

I slowly took the pen and signed.

“Now we're married.” He said as he gathered the files and put them back in his briefcase.

Worry lines creased on my forehead as I thought about it some more.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked, when he noticed my expression.

“If you are not sure, I can find someone else.” he added with a sense of certainty.

I had no doubt he could easily find another woman to make the deal with. The man was obviously rich and he was handsome. Women would fall over themselves just to be close to him.

This was a huge opportunity for me to finally get rid of disgusting Tony who had tormented my life for 3 years. And to make enough money to take care of the two people that gave meaning to my life.

“I'm sure.” I finally answered and swallowed hard.

I debated whether to tell him I had a son or not. I didn't know if it was going to affect the deal. But surely, he wouldn't want a wife with a baby. So I kept my mouth shut.

He brought out his card and placed it on the table in front of me. “Go and get yourself some nice clothes. Something fit for a business dinner. And be fast about it, I need you back here in 10 minutes.”

He was rude. But the money was too good to turn down. I promised myself to endure it. Afterall, the meeting won't last more than two hours.

I gave him an icy stare, took the card and left in search of a boutique around.

~~~~~

As I walked into the boutique, a young female attendant came up to help me choose fitting clothes. I described to her exactly what I was looking for.

We chatted as we browsed the aisle for a formal dinner dress.

She noticed the American Express card dangling from my hands and her eyes lit up in expectation.

“I bet your husband takes great care of you.” She commented, and smiled warmly at me.

At the mention of husband, I remembered that I wasn't wearing a ring. I would have to buy one if we were going to successfully convince these investors that we were a couple.

“Do you sell rings here?” I asked the attendant.

She gave me a confused stare.

“Yeah, I forgot my ring at home. My husband and I have to meet a group of friends and it would seem strange if I wasn't wearing my ring.” I told her, in a bid to quench her suspicions.

She smiled “Sure we do. This way.” And she led the way.

I didn't have to explain anything to her, but it was fun watching her expression. If only she knew.

It would be nice though, having a husband to provide for and protect me, especially from assholes like Tony.

But a girl can only dream.

I was all dressed up and ready to go when a message came into my phone. I unlocked, and when I read the message, my heart stopped, and the color drained from my face.

I quickly gathered the rest of the clothes, paid for them, and ran out of the boutique, my heart racing against my chest.