“I’m not waking you up when you need to sleep, Evie. And we can get married any day. The date isn’t important,” he tells me. “I do have some papers for you to sign, though.” He walks over to his desk.
I follow him. “Papers for what?”
“Louie had the retail lease delivered, and there’re some… financial documents we need to sign before we can tie the knot,” Eexplains.
“Like a prenup? E, if you want me to sign a prenup, just say so. I don’t want your money.” I laugh, because I really don’t.
“It’s not a prenup, Evie. The documents are to add your name to all of my businesses, homes, and other assets,” he says. “It’s security for you. To make sure you will always have whatever you need.”
“Again, I don’t want your assets,” I tell him, then smile as my eyes drift lower. “Well, there is one asset you have that I want, but that’s not a financial one.”
“And that’s my cue to leave.” Paz coughs from behind me before I hear the door open and close.
“I would rather sign a prenup, E. I would rather you and the world know that I’m not marrying you for your money. I’m marrying you because I can’t think of a single reason not to anymore, and because I love you.”
“Say it again,” he grunts.
“I’m marrying you because I want to.”
“Not that part.” He squints his eyes at me.
“I love you,” I repeat without breaking eye contact.
“I fucking love you more than I ever thought possible. What I have is yours. That’s how marriages work. We combine assets. That’s howourmarriage will work,” he says.
“I don’t have assets.” I laugh. “I have a house Istill owe a mortgage on and the rubble of a dress shop.”
“You don’t have a mortgage on your house. I paid it off. And you have a new store lease right here.” He holds up the manilla folder and hands it to me, followed by a pen. “Sign it and I’ll send the paperwork back over to Louie.
I walk around E’s desk and plop myself down in his chair. Emmanuel gives me a weird look as I open the folder and click the pen. “What?” I ask him.
“People don’t sit in my chair, Evie,” he says.
“Well, first, I’m not people. I’m your fiancée. And second, I like this chair.” I grin.
Emmanuel laughs, like full-belly laughs, and the sound vibrates through me. I like it. He’s always so serious. I often worry he’s going to die of a heart attack at a really young age, just from stress.
I start skimming the papers.
“I’ve already read through them all. You can sign,” E says.
“I like to read what I’m signing,” I tell him. “Also, I don’t even know if I can afford this lease.”
Emmanuel comes over, stands behind me, turns to the next page, and points to a number. “That’s the monthly rent. I’ve read every single page. I would not let you sign anything that didn’t have your best interests in it.”
“How can it be that cheap? That’s less than my rent back home.”
“Friends rate. Don’t question Louie’s shitty business decisions, mi alma. Just… take advantage of them,” Emmanuel says.
I shake my head. “I am not taking advantage of our friends.”
“He’s hardly doing it tough.” Emmanuel chuckles.
He’s right. I pick up the pen, turn to the last page, and scribble my signature across the line.
“Congratulations, you have yourself a new store.”
“Oh my gosh. I can’t believe this is actually happening!” I squeal. “Wait… I’m going to have to move to Vegas. I can’t live in Georgia and have a store in Vegas. What was I thinking?”
