Andrew leans into me and grins. “You mean to tell me you fucked your maid and didn’t even know it was her?” he laughs. We aren’t even in the ring and he’s still throwing jabs.
“She didn’t look like my maid,” I say in my defense.
“Your maid didn’t look like the waitress, or the waitress didn’t look like your maid?” he asks.
“Both,” I snap. “And neither of them looked like the girl I ran into the other night in the green dress.”
“God, I knew she looked familiar,” he says, rubbing his chin. “So which one do you wanna fuck next? The maid, the waitress, or the bombshell? I used to hook up with this girl who liked to roleplay in the bedroom, but you’re taking this to a whole new level.”
“I’m not fucking her!” I growl.
“Well, you’re going to have to if you’re going to make an honest woman out of her,” he says.
“It’s not like that,” I tell him and Andrew pulls up a stool.
“I knew there was a catch. What is it?”
I let out an exhausted breath. “I asked her to marry me because what other choice do I have? That money is locked as long as I am a bachelor. I figured making a deal with the woman I’malready around five days a week was probably the easier route to go,” I explain, taking another sip.
“Is that all?” he asks.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know,” he answers, scratching the back of his neck. “You didn’t pick her because maybe you…you know…”
“Maybe I what?” I spit out.
“Have feelings for her,” he answers. He would have been better off keeping quiet.
“Of course not!”
“Why not?” he asks. “You said it yourself. She’s very attractive.”
“She’s my maid,” I remind him.
“So?”
“So. I’m not getting married for love. We have already discussed the arrangement. I need a wife to get the money from my dad. She needs money too, and as soon as we sign the papers, it’s over.”
“How romantic,” he muses.
“Are you finished yet?” I ask.
“No. While I’m pissing you off outside the ring, there is one other thing. I don’t think trying to trick your dad is such a good idea. He might be a dick, but he’s not stupid.”
I snort. “Listen, scheming my old man is the least of my worries. I don’t give a shit how he feels about anything. He’s spent the last forty-three years of my life reminding me just howdisappointing I am to him. I intend to spend the next couple of months getting what I deserve for putting up with him.”
“I’m just saying you should proceed with caution,” he says. “If he figures it out, you can probably kiss all that money all the way goodbye.”
“Well luckily, that’s not going to happen,” I tell him, rinsing my glass and placing it in the dishwasher. “And you know what else isn’t going to happen? Me having feelings for the bride to be.”
“Yeah?” he asks, rinsing his own glass out.
“Yeah. The last thing I intend to do in this relationship is fall in love,” I say as I make my way to the locker room.
“Good luck,” he calls out before I’m out of earshot.
That afternoon, I’m back at the Cockpit, the civilian side. It’s not a place I go often. I’m more of a lounge kind of guy. I know Mila will be here for the first shift. I checked the schedule on my way out. I take a seat at the bar and wait.
