Settling in

DESTINY

When I entered the house, I stood still in the middle of the entrance hall. I’ve never been in a house this big before. There I was with my two shopping bags of all my worldly possessions standing in this impressive place that smacked of wealth. Gosh, and he said he wasn’t rich! The carpeting on the floor was worth more than my Susy. Not that I know that much about carpets. A chandelier hung from the ceiling. Who has chandeliers, even?

“Hey! What are you standing there for?” James peered down from the banister on the second-floor landing. “Come on up. I’ll show you to your room.”

“Okay.” I started up the stairs to where he waited. 

“Jeez, don’t look so scared.” He said, frowning at me.

“I’m not. Do you live here alone?” I couldn’t believe he had all this space to himself.

“Of course.” He pulled me behind him down the corridor. There were four rooms on opposite sides of the passage. He opened one door and pulled me inside. “This is your room.” 

“Wow!” I couldn’t help but stare openmouthed. James chuckled.

Sunlight streamed in from the large windows making the room seem larger somehow. I felt lost in that large space. I could actually walk around the huge bed. Why would one person need such a large bed with so many pillows and everything so white?

“Do you like it?” James asked expectantly and I didn’t know what to say, I was speechless.

“It’s very white.” I managed to say.

James shook his head and mumbled something which I didn’t quite catch.

“I’ll leave you to settle in. I’m going to take a shower. Feel free to look around.” He said and even smiled a little.

“Okay.” I said and he left. There was a wall of built-in cupboards on the opposite side of the bed. I stared at my meagre belongings; they wouldn’t even take up a quarter of the space. It felt almost wrong to put them in there. I fished out my cell phone and charger noticing a socket I could use to charge my phone. It was still dead. I left it on charge and found the bathroom. Shocker. The bathroom was almost as big as the bedroom with a bath and a separate shower. Holy smokes!

I did my business, washed my hands and my face. Eager to explore I went out of the bedroom. I wanted to know what the other rooms looked like, so I went to the one across from mine. Mine. I chuckled to myself I’ve never had a bedroom like this one before.

This one was even bigger and not as glaringly sunny like the other. Maybe they ran out of white because the walls were grey, and the furnishings were mostly black and grey. What is it with rich people? Don’t they like color? I was about to walk out when a door opened and out came James, dripping water with only a towel around his waist.

“Oh, shit!” Dear Lord, he was built like a magazine model. I watched the water running in little rivulets down his perfect pecs and abs down to his… Oh my gosh! I was staring. I clapped my hands over my eyes. “Sorry! So sorry, I didn’t know it was your room.”

“Well, now you know. Get out.” James gripped me by the shoulders and shoved me out of his room. He banged the door shut in my face.

How rude! It was an honest mistake.

***

I found the kitchen. It was way past lunchtime, and I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. The kitchen was even more impressive. Marble countertops and so many appliances I didn’t even know what they were all for. I opened the cupboards in the hopes to find bread, anything would do really. No bread. Lots of other stuff I had no idea what to do with.

I sighed. Could I at least find some coffee? There was a coffee machine on the counter, but I had never used one before. I stood looking at the thing wondering what to do when a touch on my shoulder had me spinning around.

“Are you trying to give me heart failure?” I gasped. At least he was dressed. His hair was combed back, still damp from his shower, but he looked especially fine in tightfitting jeans and black Tee. He sure liked black a lot.

“Find what you were looking for?” he asked, giving me that annoying smirk he had.

“No. I am hungry and there’s no bread. What do you even eat? And I don’t know how this coffee machine works.” I said, all in one breath.

He mumbled something that sounded a lot like ‘incompetent’. He opened a cupboard, and I was astonished to see it was actually the refrigerator.

“Well, I’ll be…”

“Eggs, bacon and cheese. Can you cook?” he asked, placing the items on the counter. “No bread. I don’t do carbs. It just turns to fat.”

“Seriously?” I scanned his body; he was all muscle. Does he expect me to cook for him? My cooking ability was limited to pasta and whatever vegetables I could afford.

“Yeah, seriously.” He mimicked me.

“So what am I supposed to eat?” I loved bread, to tell the truth.

He rolled his eyes at me. “Make an omelet or something. I like my eggs scrambled with a bit of butter and lots of cheese. Bacon must be crispy. Thanks.” He sat himself down at the island counter. The nerve of him!

“Excuse me. Have you employed me as a cook or as a contract wife?” I asked him, hands on my hips.

He smirked. “I thought as much. You can’t cook.”

“I can too! I just don’t want to.”

“Destiny, Destiny… What am I going to do with you?” he sighed. “Fine. Let me teach you.”

He got up and came over to me, getting a skillet from underneath the basin. He brushed my shoulder moving past me to the gas stove. Boy, did he smell good!  

I watched as he prepared the food, seeing his lips move but not hearing a thing. I was focused on the way his muscles moved as he whisked the eggs. Gosh!

“Did you hear a word I said?”

“Umm… Yes?”

“I said I contacted my lawyer and he’s coming to see us in an hour.” James repeated himself, staring at me crossly.

“Okay.”

“Then we can discuss what I need from you and what you expect out of this arrangement.” The bacon sizzled in the skillet, the aroma of the meat filling the kitchen. My stomach groaned expectantly.

I felt my face flush and James lifted an eyebrow. “Sounds like you’re starving,” he scoffed.

“It’s been a while.” I was too tired to eat last night and this morning… well…

***

I washed the dishes after we finished our meal. It was the best thing I’ve eaten in the longest time. True to his word the lawyer arrived, carrying his briefcase and looking formal, black rimmed glasses perched on his beaky nose.

“James, nice to see you. What trouble have you gotten yourself into now?” His eyes skimmed over me disapprovingly. I could see the gears revolving in his head, calculating my worth in Pounds.

“Arthur.” James shook the man’s hand, smiling broadly. “No trouble this time, my friend. Meet Destiny…” he clicked his fingers three times.

“Johnson.” I helped him. I haven’t even asked his surname either, I realized.

“Yes, of course.” He took my hand and pulled me behind him to the living room. The lawyer followed. “I need you to draw up a contract for us, old man. But you absolutely must keep this between us. None of my family members has to know about this. Do we have an understanding, Arthur?”

“I already don’t like this at all, James.” Arthur frowned at us over the rim of his glasses as we sat down on the butter soft leather couches. “What are you up to? You know after your latest stunt, you grandfather…”

“Spare us the boring stuff, Arthur. We need a marriage contract, Destiny and me. As soon as now.” James said, squeezing my hand in his own.

“Are you pregnant, Ms. Johnson? I’m sure we can arrange compensation that would be suitable for both parties.” The lawyer said, looking at me, his brows drawn together tightly.

I almost swallowed my tongue. “Heavens no!”

“Arthur, nothing like that. Destiny and I have come to a mutual agreement. This has to be a contract for three years. After that she will receive a sum of money of which we still have to agree on.”

“So, if I understand you, this is to be a marriage in name only?” Arthur said and he seemed relieved. “Is this because of your grandfather, by any chance?”

James grinned, “Naturally. I am sick and tired of their constant yapping about my life. I’m giving them what they want.”

“Ms. Johnson, are you sure about this?”

“I owe it to James.” I sighed, looking at my hands.

The lawyer shook his head. He opened his briefcase and handed each of us a pen and a blank notebook. “Fine. Write down what you expect of this arrangement, and I will draft a contract for you to look over.” He said, his mouth turned down. “I hope you know what you’re doing, James. It will be both our heads if your grandfather and father get wind of this. I value my job.”

“Arthur, you worry too much.” James said, already writing.