“Yeah. It was kind of a big deal.”
Bile tingles at the base of my throat at the memory. It was averybig deal. A very big, disgusting, expensive deal, considering that my parents had to pay the hosts three grand for the ruined imported crystal champagne fountain.
Nate tips his glass and peers into it before setting it on the table.
“Hey, you asked,” I say in self-defense. “I wasn’t allowed out of the house for a month. I think it was one of the only times my father actually paid attention to what I was doing.”
I laugh, but there’s no humor in it.
Nate leans forward and catches my eyes in the lamplight. There’s a smoky note of amber in the air, and soft music plays in the background.
“Our parents are good examples of why romance is so overrated. Marriage is nothing more than the ultimate business arrangement. No superfluous emotions. No fantasies. Just societal expectations, handing off children to be raised by staff, and putting up appearances. Oh, and making money. Lots and lots of money.”
“Money before love.”
“There is no love, Piper. You know that.”
I lift my glass to cheers to that. “In my parents’ case, there’s no loveormoney.”
He looks at me for a moment before leaning back. “Your father made deplorable choices. It’s not your fault and it’s not fair that you’re suffering consequences for something you had no part of.”
“The sins of the father, and all that.” I try to joke it off because I don’t want to get emotional. “But you know what? It’s going to be fine. I’m going to be okay.”
“You will. I’ll make sure your future husband offers an outstanding deal that covers you in all situations.”
Right. He’s going to support me by brokering my marriage contract. How romantic.
“Like you said, who needs romance and love, right?” I say. “Just show me the money.”
I’m being flippant now, but it’s a knee jerk reaction to the mess of feelings pumping through me. What woman doesn’t want her husband to love and adore her? Being married simply for what it brings to the table is cruel, really. Yes, I know better. Yes, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when you don’t broker a marriage deal that covers you in all situations. But…deep down, I still want love. At the very least, emotional comfort. Or maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part to imagine that I could ever have that when I’m planning to sell myself to the highest bidder.
“I think you’ll like my sister,” Nate says, smoothly shifting topics. “She has a lot of energy, and frankly, is mostly a pain in the ass.”
“She sounds like your polar opposite.”
“It’s true.”
“Thank goodness. I couldn’t handle two grumps at the same time.”
It dawns on me then, what he said earlier. Eliza will be staying withusfor a few days. Us.
Nate and I don’t live in the same place.
“Speaking of Eliza,” he says, reading my mind apparently. “She can’t know about our arrangement, so I’ve had to tweak the narrative temporarily. While she’s visiting, you’re my live-in girlfriend, so we’ll need to act like we’re in a real relationship whenever she’s around.”
I take a second to process this. “Isn’t your sister aware of your outlook on relationships and marriage in general? Won’t she be suspicious?”
He scoffs. “She’ll be happy that a woman has finally changed my outlook on love. Play the part well, Piper, and you’ll be nicely rewarded.”
He’s so cocky as he says it, knowing full well what kinds of rewards I’m going to be imagining. I could take the bait, but I don’t.
“When you say live-in, you mean…?”
“You’ll move into my bedroom and occupy the house like you live there. You’ll need to get your things into my room tomorrow. Make it look believable.”
I grin to hide my sudden anxiety. “You’re giving mepermission to scatter makeup all over the bathroom counter?”
He tilts his head. “No. I’m giving you permission to scatter lingerie all over the room and sleep naked in my bed.”
