Chapter 4 - Agreement

Andrea bit her lip as she continued to read. Treatment of in-laws. She would move in with him as soon as she agrees, even before the wedding. Hmm… he said none are negotiable. Well, stump!

Household conduct. Facilities. Properties. Prenup Agreement. Well, he must need that one. She’s no one whereas he’s this tycoon ruling the business world. No divorce. No settlement upon separation.

Acts that are considered cheating. She decided to confirm her understanding of each one. As expected, he’s not unreasonable. Of course, she has male friends! Those shouldn’t be counted against her.

“What do you think?” He asked while glancing at his wrist watch.

Subconsciously, she looked down at her own. Well, she might’ve taken much of his time. If she’s not mistaken, she’d been here for more than an hour already.

Wayne cleared his afternoon schedule just for this, but he’s simply used to working every single day that he’s itching to move over to his desk. He didn’t mean to make her feel unwelcome.

“I’m fine with everything, I guess.” She scanned the document again.

“These… acts during the dating period. When is the dating period, exactly?”

He took a moment before answering, “Right. How about two months of dating and then four months of engagement? It might seem too short of a time, but since we already know each other before… it wouldn’t be too suspicious.”

“You specifically mentioned a first date. Me visiting your office a couple of times a week. What are these for?” She’s curious, not quite grasping the implications yet. It’s not that she’s stupid, but things are just going too fast right now.

“I have to convince my parents that this isn’t… what it is. Not a marriage of convenience. Not a contractual marriage. You and I should be able to make them believe that we do have feelings for each other, regardless of the truth. You coming to my office, we can say that’s how we reconnected. Not too far from the truth. Our first date. That’s how we started a romantic relationship.”

Ah, of course. He does things for a reason. Everything will be done for a reason.

“I see. I understand now.” Truth be told, she didn’t want to tell her parents that she’ll be marrying someone because of… money? She’s not exactly after his money but for his help. With the businesses…

Two months of dating is acceptable. She’d introduced someone to her parents within that timeframe after meeting someone. Before, that is. Though, that didn’t end well.

She tapped her fingers upon the documents.

“I agree, then.” This is an opportunity of a lifetime; Andrea knows that much. He’s a very eligible bachelor and many women want him.

Wayne raised an eyebrow. He didn’t think he would be able to convince her today. At most, he expected her to ask for some time to think about it. Well, he won’t say he’s not satisfied with her decision.

Truth be told, there are a slew of things they haven’t talked about but they would slowly discuss them in the coming weeks or months.

“I’ll have one of my assistants help you with the first proposal. As for this agreement, you can sign it now if you truly agree. Then, we can proceed.”

In that second, it suddenly seemed real to Andrea. Her heart thumped loudly against her chest. Oh dear, did she actually agree to this… arrangement? There were only a few seconds of hesitation before she took out her pen and signed on the bar reserved for her signature.

“I won’t be furnishing you with a copy of this, but should you need to review or go over them again, feel free to visit my office.”

“Of course.” She nodded, knowing this agreement couldn’t be leaked outside. The reporters would have a field day. Not only them. His competitors would relish in his embarrassment.

“Tell my secretary to get Jay for you.”

“Okay.” She stood up at the same time he did.

“Since you already signed…” He stepped around the small table between them and stood in front of her. He’s quite taller than she expected. She had to tilt her head back a little. The action was welcome. Wayne reached a hand into her nape and swiftly pressed a kiss on her lips.

He studied her face for a minute longer. “Let’s just say we sealed it with a kiss, as Aria would put it.”

Andrea actually smiled at the way he grumbled about his sister. When his gaze turned scorching, her smile faltered. His hold on her neck remained, then she felt him pulling her forward. Her gasp allowed him to invade inside her mouth. She’s unsure where to put her hands. When the kiss continued to deepen, she slowly rested her hands on his chest. She was embarrassed when she let out a moan. His tongue explored everywhere it could reach. She felt his other hand holding her waist and her body was pressed against his. He stood firm and strong. When she allowed her own tongue to explore, he caught it and sucked on it. She opened her eyes in surprise. Her reaction didn’t escape him. He let it go and sucked on her lips before stepping back. She was panting and her body trembled a little. That kiss made her feel weak. Her legs definitely are.

“What… was that for?” She asked, somewhat absentmindedly.

“We’ll start dating. Soon, we’ll get married. Later, we’ll make babies. Of course, we should kiss.”

His explanation made her gulp. He just mentioned making babies with a straight face.

“Okay.” Is there anything else she could say? The thing is… the kiss made her feel things. They haven’t talked about emotions, only commitment. Seeing him now this close, and after such a breathtaking kiss… it would be all too easy to fall for him.

“You have my number. Call me if you need anything.” He stated before moving away, back to his desk and his mountain of documents. He threw the document she signed into a drawer in his desk before locking it.

After blinking a few times, she hurriedly took her bag and said her goodbye. Outside his office, she asked the secretary for Jay. Is he a man? Maybe his employees are exceptions to his demands?

Or so she thought. Jay happens to be gay and he acted very friendly. For a moment, she couldn’t wrap up her mind around the fact that Wayne Anderson has such an assistant. Jay noticed her zoning out and flicked her forehead.

“Girl, stop thinking about useless things. Boss doesn’t care about those.”

“Oh, okay. I’m sorry. What did you mean you’ve found places?” They’ve been discussing the first proposal. Originally, what she made was a small inn with a diner. Wayne wants it to be a hotel and restaurant. A new chain, perhaps.

“What the…?”

After Jay explained his boss’ instructions, Andrea dropped her jaws to the ground.

“I can’t handle a scale that large.” If she’s to manage such a business, she feels she won’t be reliable. She doesn’t have the experience.

“Don’t worry. You have me. You have the boss. There are a lot of people he can order around. Of course, from what I hear, you’ll get to order his people around as well.”

“What did you hear?”

“That boss plans to marry you? Is this the dowry?” He pointed to the proposal and Andrea frowned. She blushed a little, too. It’s starting to feel more real every minute.

What dowry? Does such thing still exist today? She knows the concept, of course. If she thinks about it, then… yeah, it could be some sort of remuneration for agreeing to marry him.

Wayne’s secretary is a married older woman. She was polite even from the first time Andrea came to meet Wayne. She wasn’t judgmental.

Hmm, what to call him? Calling him by his first name… she’s used to it from the time they were kids. Still… should she use an endearment? Dear, perhaps? Damn. She shivered just thinking about it.

Jay didn’t comment on everything he observed. He didn’t try to pry more information about her relationship with the boss as well. He was simply guiding her through the revised plan for the proposal.

“The thing is… this business is supposed to be for my father. A family business. My father is used to managing small ones. He did manage three businesses at once. Before. But I’m really doubtful if we can… I’m sure the capitalization increased as well. How much would this require?” She suddenly realized another issue.

“Well, if it’s like that… how about if your father is only to supervise the operations? It shouldn’t be too hard or taxing. Boss has a lot of competitive and reliable people to do whatever job your father needs. He will be well-informed of everything. If problems come up, he’ll be consulted but we’ve already experienced almost everything so we usually know what to do in a certain situation. He can relax. He can go and meet the employees, the clients… I know older people feel the need to remain helpful and busy. They need something to do, be active… there’s a lot he can do around. Does he like talking to people?”

He said a lot in a funny way so she can’t help chuckling. She feels at ease.