“Pres?”
“Huh?” I say in a rush.
“You asked me why I suddenly wanted to stay married. I never said I didn’t.”
“You didn’t?”
“No,” he replies, taking a slow sip of coffee. “Could be beneficial for both of us.”
“How so? ’Cause I hate to break it to you, but my health insurance is shit.”
He barks out a laugh. “I don’t need health insurance, but we can switch you to mine. It’s awesome. I do need a place to stay, though.”
“You what?”
“In LA,” he explains. My head is spinning trying to keep up with him. “The nightclub I…manage is expanding, and LA is one of the cities they chose. I would need to be here to scout locations, approve the designs, and basically oversee every single detail.”
I eye him suspiciously. “Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner? Seems like you would have mentioned a temporary move to LA before now.”
“I wasn’t sure I wanted to take it,” he says evenly. “Now, I don’t seem to have a reason not to.”
So being married to me is a convenience?
“This project sounds way beyond the scope of a manager.”
He shrugs. “They trust me.”
“If they trust you so much, why do you need to stay married to me?”
Another shrug. Why is he being so calm about all of this? We’re talking about a marriage, not a business merger. “I don’t, but having a more permanent attachment to the area can’t hurt when I’m working with contractors and such.”
“Especially when you’re married to a Creed?”
That seems to shake his calm and casual demeanor. “What? No. I’d never use your family or last name like that. I just meant that it’s easier to work with people when you’re not an outsider.”
“Oh.” I nod, with understanding. “And what do I get out of this deal?”
“Like you said, your family will be thrilled,” he explains. “They love me. It will distract them from everything that went down with Jace, and you’ll have the added bonus of me.”
“You?” My stomach does a little flip.
“I manage one of the hottest nightclubs in Nashville. I have the knowledge and experience to help you get Creeds back on its feet.”
“I don’t need your?—”
“I promise not to overstep,” he assures me, as if he already knows what I’m about to say. “And you can oversee everything. I know your trust in others is probably at an all-time low. I’ll do whatever you feel comfortable with.”
I swallow down the lump in my throat. Am I really going to agree to this? “Okay,” I find myself saying. “But you’re forgetting one thing.” I raise an eyebrow.
“And that is?”
“A marriage is supposed to last forever. Are we just going to fake this thing until we’re old and gray, Hollis? Have a pretend family and go on fake anniversary trips? Buy a make-believe time-share in the Caymans?”
He shakes his head, amusement shining in his eyes. “Never buy a time-share, Pres. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that?”
I roll my eyes. “You know what I mean, Beck.”
“I do, and you’re right. We should have an exit strategy.”
