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2024-10-29 19:42:56Ten hours left…..
Jeanine's eyes widened at the sight of the magnificent office space. She had quickly remembered where she had seen his face, she had seen him in adverts for Ray.co. She clutched her bag as she took in every detail of the office while waiting for Mr Aiden Braithwaite.
After second thoughts, she decided to give him his card in person and thank him for being kind to her.
“Mr Aiden would have you in his office now” the secretary announced and motioned for her to enter the adjoining office
She walked in to the sound of the rapid tapping of a keyboard as his eyes were focused on the screen of his computer.
She felt sweat gather on her palms and underarms. She hadn’t felt this nervous the night she saw him at the club.
He didn’t acknowledge her presence at first and she contemplated walking out and leaving his card with the secretary. Why did he ask her to come in when he was going to ignore her?
“Please have a seat” Aiden said and motioned to the chair opposite the large oak. It felt like he had just read her thoughts.
She had noticed that he still looked worried. He tried to hide it with a thin lipped smile.
“Miss…”
“Jeanine” she finished for him. He didn't ask her name that night. She quickly added “Jeanine Anderson”
He nodded. “Shall I have my secretary bring you coffee or is there something else you’d like to have?”
She shook her head shyly. She could feel his eyes on her, intense and holding back so many things. She had done a little research on him as she was intrigued by him. Most of the things she had seen online weren’t exactly good, she had learnt that he was three years older than her, he was nicknamed the playboy and the gossip blogs lived off his dating life. Asides that, she was impressed by the awards he won for how hardworking and successful he was. He was born into wealth, he could have decided to be the spoiled rich boy but he was determined to do better for himself. Determination was one thing they shared in common.
“I heard you have something that belongs to me”
She scrunched her nose. “I think the right way to put it is that I helped you pick something you lost”
“Okay then” he waved his hands, uninterestedly
She sighed and tried to relax the muscles in her face. She didn’t like how nervous he made her feel, it was almost like she was naked before him.
“I want to thank you for helping me that night”
He shrugged. “You’re welcome”
She reached for the card in her bag and placed it on the table. It was obvious he’d rather get back to whatever he was doing on his computer. She wished she could read his mind, to see what bothered him. He looked so carefree and happy in the pictures she had seen online. The only picture he looked sad in was one taken at his father’s funeral. She felt sorry for him as she related to losing her mother at a young age.
“Thank you, Miss Jeanine” he slid the card towards himself
She muttered an awkward goodbye and began walking to the door. She blamed herself, what was she thinking, she should have just dropped the card and a thank you note with his secretary. It was the second time he had made her feel awkward and it was all her fault.
She wasn’t out of the room yet when the clicking sounds of the keyboard resumed.
“Are you bothered by something?” She asked and let go of the door knob
He looked confused so she asked her question again.
“The first time I saw you at the club, you looked bothered and I’m just curious to know if you’re okay. Consider it payback for helping me at the club”
She couldn’t refund the money he had given her, it was the least she could do.
“It nothing serious, don’t worry about it”
“It is serious” she sat opposite him, again. “I may not be of much help but telling me about it might help ease the burden”
He sighed and stroked his chin.
“If I asked you to marry me, what would you say?”
She raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“I need to get married,” he answered. “If I don’t get married in a couple of hours, I’m going to lose this company”
She took a deep breath. She had never had a proper boyfriend, how much more a husband?
He continued. “I assure you that you would be well taken care of and you would be paid for your services. All we have to do is convince my family and lawyer that we are in love for about a year”
It was a lot for her to process. She didn’t have a job and she thought of her student loan and other bills she had to pay. How was she going to survive if she turned down his offer?
She ran a hand through her hair and bit her lip, the offer was very tempting.
“We don’t have to see each other everyday. You’ll take the east side of my house. You’re also allowed to have sexual relationships with other people so long as you aren’t caught”
“Mr Aiden” she sighed. “I’m still a college student, I work three jobs, how’s our marriage going to work?”
She had the urge to pinch her mouth shut, what was she thinking, accepting such an offer from a man she barely knew. She hated that her living condition influenced her decision but if she didn’t help herself, who was going to help her?
“You won’t be needing those jobs anymore” his eyes were compassionate. He imagined her trying to turn in assignments on time while hurrying to any of her jobs.
“As my wife, it is important that I cater to all your needs”
He laid emphasis on ‘my wife’ and ‘your needs’. That was all she needed to hear and she was ready to marry him.
The terms and condition of their marriage seemed very simple, she was sure it was going to work. The thought of paying her student loan and financial liberation were very appealing.
“I’ll marry you” she breathed out.
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SHE’S MINE 6
She lay on the bed, eyes wide open. Everything was happening so fast, so unreal. One minute, she was living in a shared studio apartment and the next minute, she was in Aiden’s penthouse. She shut her eyes and wished her brain would stop overthinking. She had done many menial jobs in the past, some of which she wasn’t proud of like when she was a stripper but getting married for money wasn’t something she’d ever imagined doing. It sounded dishonest, she was getting married to him because of what he could offer her not because they were in love. She had always imagined that her marriage would be one based on love, they’d live in a white picket fence and fill their house up with beautiful children but she was all wrong. She sighed as she stretched out, taking comfort in how silky the pillows were. She wondered how much they must have cost. Her bathroom had a jacuzzi, who just randomly had jacuzzis in their house? She shared a studio apartment with two students and a family of mice
SHE’S MINE 7
Heavy thoughts stacked one upon another like bricks. Responsibilities and obligations. His company. Family. His wife……He had almost forgotten that he now had a wife, technically, soon to be wife. When she signs the contract, it will be official. What was he supposed to do with her? He wondered. What was he thinking, accepting a total stranger into his home? Not to mention that she was a stripper, that could tarnish his image. When she walked into his office, he had a hard time placing her face but those blue eyes reminded him. She looked so different in her school’s cardigan, plain jeans and regular sneakers, her face was free from all the layers of makeup and he admitted that she looked way better than the last time he saw her.It was kind of her to return his card but that was the least of his worries at that time. When he asked her to be his wife, it felt like the words tumbled out of his mouth due to his desperation. Was he going to throw all his father worked for because he r
SHE’S MINE 8
It felt good to have had such a sumptuous meal, it was way different than the burgers and fast food she lived on for the past few weeks. Dinner had gone okay, nothing too special, she spent the night focusing on her food, avoiding eye contact and nodding or mumbling okay when she should. He had such a big presence, he was the kind of guy that would walk into her class and everyone would notice him, they’d want to be his friend because he was so cool and charming. She was the exact opposite of that, it was almost like she was invisible which was why she didn’t know what to say to him when he tried to start a conversation. He was probably talking to her out of pity. She hated pity so much, yes, she was struggling but she worked hard for everything she owned and as his wife, she was going to work hard to earn every check he paid her.She smiled as she sunk into the soft sheets. She liked the way he smelled, it made her feel heady in a good way. Maybe it was part of the reason she
SHE’S MINE 9
“Mrs Jeanine Braithwaite” he allowed the name roll on his tongue, almost savoring how it sounded.It had been four days since she signed the contract and he took over his father’s company. It was also the first time he slept peacefully without having any nightmares, it felt good. Jeanine was occupied by school, she spent her evenings in the library and she ate dinner alone while he buried himself in work and he drank more coffee than he should. His father was right, getting married wasn’t horrible at all. She had her space and they barely crossed paths. His personal assistant had covered every expense she needed which was none. She rejected the cadillac he’d given her and she claimed that her Volkswagen was working just fine even though he doubted that. She had missed her appointments with the fashion designers because she was either at the library or doing one charity work or the other. She never got in his way which was kind of strange for him. There was never a woman who
SHE’S MINE 10
She couldn’t decide between spending more time with the elderly people, listening to the many stories they had to tell or taking care of the beautiful children who had no family to take care of. The organization decided to merge both centers together as they believed it would be beneficial to both parties. She was thrilled to be of help to them. The elderly people complained of not having as many younger people around but now there were kids around, it made them feel young again and they enjoyed taking care of them. It was one big family, a place where she went to forget all her pains and focused on giving children the love she never had. The shift in her life had not fully registered in her mind yet. She had watched her problems go from chasing mice from the kitchen to picking which thousands of dollars designer dress she wanted to wear. It was all too much, Aiden had suggested she took one of his cars and a bodyguard with her but she declined, how could anyone get used to that
SHE’S MINE 11
Nursery rhymes filled the room as the children took their place in front of the tv. The senior citizens were playing a game of bingo in the backyard. An exhausted but satisfied Jeanine sat at a corner of the room beside a cradle, rocking a baby. Everything was going fine, donations were made and some of the children were taken under foster care for adoption. The thought of them having new families almost made her cry, they deserved all the love in the world and they were finally getting it. She smiled and sang to the baby, hoping she’d fall asleep. If there was any reason she believed in miracles, it was because of baby Milagra. She was brought into the orphanage when she was only ten weeks old, her mother had abandoned her. She was terribly sick and the doctors were scared she wouldn’t make it. Jeanine met her during one of her visits to the children’s wards. Her heart melted at the pink face, the rise and fall of her little chest and her tiny hands. Baby Milagra was a good fig
SHE’S MINE 12
He took in deep breaths and reminded himself to breathe. With the little baby in his arms, it almost felt like his heart was going to rip out of his chest. Her warm smile, bright eyes and red face reminded him of that night. He panicked so much that he had to let go of the baby. It was the first time he held a baby in five years and he had done a horrible job at it. Her cries of protest when he handed her over to Jeanine broke his heart. He wished he could have held her for longer, he had tried his best but he couldn’t. He felt slightly embarrassed for walking out on Jeanine and freaking out because of a harmless baby. He understood how much the charity meant to her which was one of the reasons he decided to show up.The main reason was because he had gotten an email that some of his business partners were coming the next weekend. He had to show them he was a good husband and he was capable of running his father’s business. The media and blogs were going to help him with that. Meet
SHE’S MINE 13
Jeanine hid a smile as they walked towards his Cadillac. She blushed and smiled throughout the event that she was scared her face would split in half. When the older women teased her about Aiden, her cheeks turned crimson red and her heart swelled with pride. She tucked the children in bed while Aiden busied himself with the senior citizens. Their act was so natural that she was proud of herself, she was convinced that if they kept up with it, they would make everyone believe they were truly in love. “I’ll have one of my drivers come pick up your car” he said to her as he unlocked the carShe had almost forgotten about her car. It was nothing compared to his car but it served its purpose anyway. She nodded in agreement, it was going to be nice driving in his nice car. Also, she was going to get a close up view of his tattoos, which was even nicer. “Don’t you think you should hold the door open for me?” She asked, raising an eyebrowShe bit her lip and waited for his reply.
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SHE’S MINE 42
Was she ever going to fully understand her husband? Probably not but she knew not to ask questions. She was surprised and excited when Aiden showed up. Not that she wanted to ditch her friends but she enjoyed spending time with her husband too. When she woke up each morning, she looked forward to seeing him, hearing his voice and having dinner with him. This made her question if she’d be able to move on when they separated. She’ll most likely be busy with her new job or her master’s program but it would never be the same, she’d always think of him. Aiden Braithwaite, the man that walked into her life and changed it forever. “Why didn’t you reply to my messages?” He asked as he made a U-turnHe sent a text? Aiden Braithwaite sent her a text message. He never sent her a text, he never replied to her texts not like that held much content anyway. It was basically her letting him know her whereabouts and the time she’d be done with whatever she was doing incase they had to go out.Sh
SHE’S MINE 41
When Aiden arrived at the venue, he could feel all heads turn towards his direction. He wasn’t a fan of crowds but he was kind of used to it, the same way he got good and bad publicity. He was the star boy to some people, the man who took over the business world at a young age while to others, who was the trashy guy who broke girls' hearts and slept with them because he wanted to. Whichever the people at Catherine little party saw him as, he didn’t care much. He was Jeanine’s husband and he was going to act like it. His first order of business was to get Donovan away from her, he was beginning to hate their new found friendship not because of anything in particular. Donovan was a great guy and he could teach her a thing or two when it came to business but why teach her anything when she had a husband who had a lot of experience. He watched her smile at Donovan when he whispered something to her. A frown found it’s way to Aiden’s face, had Donovan always been this annoying? He
SHE’S MINE 40
He found his way to Catherine’s house, it wasn’t a long drive anyway. He had a tracker on the car he assigned to jeanine. He texted her and he didn’t get a response which was unlike her. After boxing with Henry, he took a shower and had the chef prepare him a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs. He tried to get some sleep as he had been awake all night. He laid in bed for a while but sleep didn’t come, he picked up his phone again to text Jeanine but he didn’t know what to say. For the first time, he realized how empty and lifeless his apartment felt without Jeanine. In the few months she spent with him, she managed to add a touch in most rooms of his house. She kept fresh flowers in every flower vase. She had a little tea corner in the kitchen where she displayed her vast collection of tea. If she was at home she’d probably be watching rom coms while he locked himself in his den. He hated the silly romance movies she watched but he was now familiar with the opening song of each of
SHE’S MINE 39
“It’s crazy how you two are opposites” Catherine commentedNow, Jeanine wished they would refocus their conversation on her career path and what she was interested in doing after college. She understood that everyone was curious about her marriage and her husband, she was curious about her husband too but she knew one slip up or mistake would cost her a lot. She wasn’t surprised at the attention she was getting but it still felt strange. So many people had walked up to her to try to start a conversation, one asked for a selfie which she politely refused. It was pitiful that most people only knew her as Aiden’s wife, she had written quite a number of articles and she wished that would gain as much attention too. “Aiden and I balance each other out. He likes his space” Jeanine explained She sighed as she poured herself some water. She wished Aiden was around, not like he would have contributed to the conversation or paid any attention but she loved having him around. He a
SHE’S MINE 38
This was what life was about, drinking champagne, networking with colleagues and discussing business. One day you could be working as a stripper and the next day your life would be changed for better, you’d be discussing business plans and networking with people in your field.Catherine Lukeman’s home was beautiful, the garden was the perfect place for their little get together. After three weeks of working at Ray.co, Jeanine had quickly made friends with quite a number of people. She couldn’t be more thankful to have people who had more experience guide her in her career path. Aiden wasn’t left out, most times he gave her advice and when he had important meetings, he invited her to join him in the board room so she could learn a thing or two from whatever was being discussed. He was supportive and he also helped her with her school work. For someone who had a cold demeanor, he knew how to explain things to her like a five year old and she wasn’t sure if it was by her focusing on
SHE’S MINE 37
All he could think of was her as he landed heavy blows on Henry’s boxing glove. It was his usual routine to go boxing with Henry on Saturday mornings, thankfully they were the only ones in the ring. He felt his hands hurt from the heavy impact but he wouldn’t stop until he got rid of all the anger he felt. Streaks of sweat found its way to his neck from his forehead but that was not enough to get rid of the anger. “Chill out man!” Henry cried as he pushed him off.He took off his gloves and tossed them to a corner of the ring.“What the heck is wrong with you man? We are supposed to be boxing not you physically assaulting me” Aiden fell on his knees as he tried to catch his breath, he was now weak and all he felt was pain in his joints. “What’s up with you?” Henry asked and joined him on the floor He ran a hand to his wet hair and waited for his pulse to return to normal. He’d never felt so much anger and sadness in a long time. Aiden loved to be in charge of hi
SHE’S MINE 36
She clasped her hands in excitement at the sight of food from Mama Lucia, it was a good way to ease her of her emotional stress. She hadn’t been there in almost a month for a number of reasons and she missed the taste of her food. Mama Lucia was the first place Aiden kissed her and she hadn’t felt the same since then. Her feelings for him had heightened and although he was a few feet away from her, she could feel the hairs on her nape stand. It was at Mama Lucia’s that she questioned if she could obey the rules of the contract, if they could act like husband and wife without her catching feelings and becoming obsessive.Recently, she heard Aaron started holding his publication meetings at Mama Lucia, publications that may jeopardize her marriage. She had made too many memories at the restaurant that she couldn’t abandon it but still, it was too risky. “You got Mama Lucia?” She asked, her voice high pitched from excitement She didn’t ask him if she liked their food after their
SHE’S MINE 35
Filthy? He wondered the kind of things that went on in her head. How would she think that he’d ever find her filthy? When he asked her to be his contracted wife, he wasn’t skeptical about it. There was something about her that gave him the reassurance that she’d not tell anybody about it or try to make fame from being his wife. Had she seen the way Donovan and the other men looked at her? Although Jeanine wasn’t the lady he’d go for on a normal day, he was proud to show her off. She was worthy of everything, in character and beauty. While he wasn’t sure she was seeing anyone, he hoped that she found a good man who would cherish and take care of her after their marriage. She hadn’t necessarily made mention of any man or lover and he didn’t wish to know but he hated to admit that he was awkwardly pleased to know her whereabouts and control it. She kept her routine simple, school, the orphanage, the library on some days and mama Lucia’s diner on some other days. “Do I hav
SHE’S MINE 34
She clenched her teeth as he let go of her waist the moment they stepped into his office. The few minutes it took them to walk to his office felt like heaven, she was wrapped up in his manly scent and she felt protected by his strong arms. Aiden was a complicated man, his outrageous and unnecessary display of affection in front of their colleagues and now he was back to being his usual self. They weren’t supposed to display affection unless it was necessary, he could have texted her to come to his office instead of being dramatic. Now that he moved away from her, he body wanted more, she wished he’d take her in his arms again. She almost punched herself and tried to focus on other things like his office. His office was super organized, no surprise there. Most of the offices had filed overflowing from their drawers but Aiden took his time to classify each. There was a center table that had different kinds of tea and business magazines on it. Then there was a huge mahogany table w
