"Well, Miss Morgan, it seems we're getting married."
NEW STORY IDEAS
We meet the heroine in her tragically boring life. Maybe she’s broke?
The heroine is rescued from her average life by the enigmatic billionaire.
5
GRACE
“Ithink I just did something crazy.”
Kacey’s sitting on the couch with her cat, Duke Fluffington III, curled up on her lap. When I swing open the door and frantically announce my presence, the fluffy white furball jumps from her lap, startled, and then looks at me like I’ve ruined his nap. Not that he sleeps for eighteen hours a day or anything.
I debated on the subway ride over here from Asher’s office about whether I should tell my best friend. I did sign an NDA that explicitly told me not to speak any of this to anyone. But Kacey reads me like a book and knows the second I’m lying. So I decided if I was going to break a legally binding contract for anyone, it should be her.
She stretches out her legs, now freed from being Duke’s bed, and adjusts herself so she’s facing me. “Spill it,” she demands. No other greeting. I texted her on my way home that I was fired, but we’ve yet to talk about it. I was asleep when she got home last night and she was asleep when I woke up.
“You know the guy at the club last night who I spilled his drink on, and it became a whole thing and Candace fired me?”
Kacey tilts her head, probably confused as to why I’m not a worried mess. Instead, I’m a bit amped up and rambling.
“Yeah?”
“I’m marrying him,” I say bluntly, ripping the band aid off. That’s the best way to give news, right? Kacey doesn’t say anything, and my brain has the intense need to fill the silence echoing through our apartment, so I continue. “He wasn’t a huge asshole when I spilled his drink. At first, I thought he was going to yell at me, but he didn’t. He was actually… helpful. I thought I was going to have a panic attack because all I was thinking was that Candace was going to fire me, and this guy looked at me and told me to breathe. And I know that sounds so stupid, but it actually worked. And then Candace did fire me. Only, Asher was waiting outside her office, and when I came out, he was alldid you get fired?”I mock his deeper voice. I'm pacing now, not looking over at my friend as I go on about last night's events, all the way until I’m at his office this morning. “He offered me one million dollars to be his fake wife for a year. And it’s only for a year. I kept thinking about what I could do with that money, ya know? So he pulled out the contract, and I swear someone else took over my body, because the next thing I know, I already signed it.” I inhale a deep breath and finally turn to look at my best friend again. “Am I insane?”
“Yes.” Kacey’s response is automatic, and then she blinks a few times like she’s still not done processing, which isn’t too surprising. Kacey has a raging case of ADHD, and most of the time when I ramble on for too long, it takes her brain a few extra seconds. “Did you say amilliondollars?”
“Uh huh.” I nod.
“Holy shit.” She sits up straighter, tossing the fluffy blanket from her lap. “I take it back. You’re not crazy. You’re completely sane because that’sa lotof money.”
I collapse on the couch next to her, and she folds her legs under her and turns to face me. “You get divorced after a year?” she confirms.
“Yep. And then I’m a millionaire.”
Kacey blows a long breath through her lips. “It’s stupid not to do it. Right?”
“Easy money,” I add with a shrug.
“You made the right choice.” I’m not sure if she’s trying to convince me or herself.
“Good. Because… like I said, I already signed the contract.”
She nods, a bit too quickly. “Perfect. Because you’re sane and engaged.”
“Amazing,” I deadpan.
“Spectacular,” she squeaks, and then we both stare ahead in silence before she asks, “How are you going to tell your parents?”
