My mouth falls open. "What?! You're not making sense."
"Maddie, you've always been the steady rock in my life. First when we were back in junior high. Then when we met at that party last year."
"If that was the case, why did you?—"
"Why, why, why," Joseph cuts me off, his voice rising. A vein pulses in his forehead. "Can't you just accept the fact I fucked upand I want to make up for it? I want to fix things between us so they're right."
I grip the arm of the bench tighter. "Fix what, Joseph? And what's this 'us' business? There is no 'us.' There's only your conceited self and your delusions of grandeur."
"I deserve that," he says, his voice dropping low.
"And you don't even know what you're trying to fix."
"Not true. I know exactly what I'm trying to fix. My life. My life's a mess. I need someone who can stabilize me."
The cool night air prickles my skin. "And why exactly is that my responsibility?"
"It's not your responsibility. It's your job—if you'll accept it."
I blink several times. "What are you talking about?”
"Consider this marriage a job. You'll be my wife. Manage the household. Manage my life. Manage me. Look, Maddie, next year I'll be pulling in a cool five million a year. And that's not including the bonus.”
I let that sink in.
“If I fuck up—if I pull anything like what happened in Vegas and get caught—that would be the end of my career. I almost lost everything once. I can't risk it happening again."
I cross my arms over my chest, feeling the soft cotton of my sweater against my skin. "And you want me to be your... bodyguard?"
To my surprise, he nods, his eyes never leaving mine.
"Call it what you will. My bodyguard. My wife. I want you by my side. Your job will be to manage my life, and you'll be well compensated.”
He pauses.
“Look. I heard about your mother's illness. And when I saw Janie at the gym last night, she hinted about your job. You need financial help."
I'm silent, studying his face in the dim porch light. I search for signs of sincerity in those familiar features.
And to my complete shock, I actually see it.
I study Joseph's face. "Are you absolutely sure about this? You're not secretly holding out for some fairy-tale romance with a perfect woman who'll make your heart skip?"
Joseph's expression doesn't change. "No. I just need someone to keep me from self-destructing."
"But why me specifically? There must be thousands of women to choose from."
"Yes. Of course." He places the velvet box on the bench between us. "But they don't know me like you do. Think it over, Maddie."
I watch him walk away, the garden gate clattering behind him.
My stomach churns in surprise. In indecision. Part of me wants to run after him and throw the ring in his face.
Another part wonders if this is the solution to all my problems.
I grab my phone and dial Janie's number. When she answers, I gush out what just happened.
"So what's your plan?" she asks when I finally finish.
