“Any significance to that number or the type of stone you picked?”
“Her birthday’s November seventh, and she has a tendency to always pick ‘seven’ whenever I ask for a random number.”
He looked at me. “She’s also always liked pink diamonds.”
Him knowing that has to be a strange coincidence…
“I’ll be calling a little later about your joint travel itinerary,” Mr. Reaves said.
“And I expect tickets and accommodations of my own for this trip.”
“And if I say no to this?” Nicholas asked.
“If I’d rather just work with another person in your firm?”
“You can totally wait until my blind colleague returns,” he smiled.
“But then I’ll write that you are rejecting your inheritance at this time and electing to wait until you turn fifty.”
“Looking forward to your call,” Nicholas said.
“I thought so.” Mr. Reaves winked before leaving.
The door clicked shut, leaving the office too quiet.
When I was certain he was long gone, I narrowed my eyes at Nicholas.
“I only need your help for the holidays,” he said. “After that, it’ll just be a couple weeks of light appearances and maybe?—”
“I want five million dollars,” I interrupted. “Plus an additional bonus, a new car, and a few other obvious conditions.”
“I need to hear these obvious conditions…”
“We will not touch each other outside of photos,” I said. “We will not share a bed, we will not have sex, and this marriage gets annulled the moment the ink dries on your inheritance.”
“You know we have to make it last for a least a few weeks longer than that.”
“You get the gist of what I’m saying. We’ll be over, and I won’t owe you anything else.”
He stared at me for several moments without saying a word. Then he shook my hand, and every nerve in my body went wild.
“I’ll see you Saturday morning,” he said.
I twisted the ring to take it off.
“Don’t,” he warned. “Just keep it on.”
“For once,” he added, “do what I say without a comeback.”
My hand shook as I pushed the door open.
“Only if you stop making demands that hurt me to follow.”
I stormed out, clinging to the final word.
9
NICHOLAS
