“Until you got to the part about him being a billionaire,” I fill in for my sister, having belatedly picked up on that tidbit of information.
“Well, that’s not strictly true. His grandfather left him a sizeable sum but only on one condition.”
“And that is?”
“He has to get married.”
The air sweeps from my lungs. Is this why our mothers are so intent on playing matchmaker? Mum has been persistent beyond belief. Is this what the arranged marriage is all about? Are my parents going to get a cut of his inheritance if Chase and I say I do? Suspicions and doubts explode in my mind. The heart fuzzies fizzle and I feel cold inside and hot all over at the same time.
Phoebe says, “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t.”
The clouds I had been floating on deflate onto the sofa along with my lifeless body. Forget crushing my crush. I’m crushed. “I’ll never find the one.”
“You will,” Phoebe says. “Have faith.”
“Knowing this, how will I get through the next month with Chase?” I ask.
“Is he awful?”
“No. Yes.”
“Yes? No? Which is it?”
“If this is true, he must know that’s why our parents are putting on the pressure for us to get married.” I chew my fingernail, a habit I’d given up years before.
“Finger, out of your mouth,” Phoebe scolds.
“How’d you know?” I ask guiltily.
“I know you well. And our parents, too. It’s highly unlikely that Mum and Dad are getting a percentage of Chase’s inheritance if you get married. From the story you just told, it sounds like he genuinely likes you.”
“For the remainder of the month, I have to give him life coaching, but he already has manners and knows how to be a gentleman. What am I going to do?” I fret.
“What are his weaknesses?”
“Kryptonite.”
“From what you told me, you’re his kryptonite. What are his strengths?” Phoebe asks.
“You mean aside from his gorgeous muscles, his face, and hiseverything?” I say, flabbergasted. There is nothing that isn’t perfect about Chase Collins except the fact that he is inclined to marry me for his big billion-dollar payday.
“We need to come up with a strategy. If he only wants to marry for money, anyone will do, right?”
“Yeah, but Mum and Dad are encouraging it.”
“Let me handle them. It’s your job to set him up on a few dates with other women. If he’s doing it for the money, he’ll marry just about anyone. Don’t let him back out. Say it’s part of the Blancbourg program or something. This will cover his etiquette lessons so you’re doing your job, get the parents off your back, and figure out his motives.”
I recall him mentioning the playbook and how he’s not allowed to date, but that’s the least of my problems.Ineed to find a Crush Replacement. Stat.
Soaring from the heart, fluffies sending me sky-high, I crash-land with doubt. But that doesn’t help my situation. I need a distraction.
I need a dating coach to find someone besides Chase to have a crush on. After I get off the phone with Phoebe, I search for the website belonging to the dating coach I found when looking over Everly’s shoulder while she scrolled through her phone in the teacher’s lounge.
If I can’t let Chase have me, I’ll have to find someone else who can.
25
CHASE
