Page 2 of Something Blue

Andy’s jaw dropped, but his dad left before he could force any more words out. The sound of the door shutting was the ticket that brought him back to his senses. He gripped his chair and dug his fingers into the leather. His blood boiled, and the rush of heat from earlier paled in comparison.

“Tanner, get in here,” he said through gritted teeth, his voice projecting across the room into the glassed-in area where his secretary waited.

Tanner frowned as he entered the room. They’d worked together for years, and one glance at his friend’s face told Andy all he needed to know.

“You knew about this, didn’t you?”

Tanner bowed his head. “I swear I didn’t. President Mark told me yesterday, but made me promise not to say anything.”

“President Mark, huh?” Some ally he was.

Without another thought, Andy motioned for Tanner to retrieve his things and then headed toward President Mark’s office. Before he made it twenty feet down the hall, someone grabbed Andy by the cuff of his sleeve and pulled him into a room.

“Calm down before you lose everything,” Mr. Mark said. He patted both of Andy’s cheeks with his palms. “You know I didn’t plan this, nor could I tell you what would happen. It’s not supposed to last forever, and your dad has a point. If you invest all your time in work, you’ll never meet anyone.”

“Relationships can sink in a ship and drown. I don’t need anyone.”

Mr. Mark patted his shoulders. “You can find someone who likes you for you, or I can keep your job indefinitely.” There was no hint of a smile on Mr. Mark’s face.

Andy bit back some of his anger, knowing Mr. Mark hadn’t purposefully done this. “What does he want me to do? Get married? Have a family? Don’t people usually take their time doing those kinds of things? You know, find the right person?”

Mr. Mark waggled his eyebrows. “When’s the last time you went on a date?”

“Oh, who cares? Dad knows how dedicated I am to my work. What would a woman change?”

Patting him on the back, Mr. Mark led him down the hall toward Andy’s office. “Nowadays, a lot of wealthy CEOs are marrying for the title. Find someone who is easygoing and can tolerate you, and put a ring on her finger.”

Andy laughed for the first time in hours. “Put a ring on it? This is crazy. I haven’t worked this hard for Dad to tell me I can’t move up in the company until I have a wife.”

His dad was waiting for him at his office door. “You are crazy if you don’t believe me,” he said, moving aside so Andy could enter.

Andy nodded goodbye to Mr. Mark and headed into his office where he collapsed into his ergonomic chair. “Some show you put on today, Dad. You’re kidding, right? This is some initiation you made up. Nice joke, but let’s be real. I’m sure this is illegal.”

His dad thumped his desk. “It probably is, so if you want our stocks to plummet and your years of work to go to waste, go ahead and make a move. No, I’m very serious.” He gestured for Tanner, who was trembling out in the hallway, to join them in the office. “Tanner is going to help you set up a dating profile on the most popular dating websites. Find a match within a month, or Interim President Mark will become President Mark.”

His dad left, closing the door with a click.

Tanner moved a chair next to him, almost tripping over his own feet. “Sorry, I have to do this.”

Andy sighed. “Sit down; it’s not your fault.”

It took less time than Andy imagined to set up a dating profile. Tanner attached a picture of Andy that had been included in the recent spring catalog, but Andy shook his head.

“I need a casual picture. Something that won’t scream rich heir.”

Tanner searched for a social media picture of him, but Andy had never had time for that. Besides, posting private information on a public forum was a death sentence. A little humiliated, Andy pulled out one of his gym shirts and held it up to his chest.

“Hurry and shoot. This is all you’re getting.”

Tanner snapped the photo with his phone and filled in the general requirements for Andy.

“What do you want to list as your hobbies?”

Resting back against the chair, Andy said, “Put in the headline that I’m looking for a temporary person to ‘settle down with,’ and if anyone sends a message, let them know they’ll be well-compensated for their silence.”

Tanner raised his eyebrows. “You’re going to pay someone to marry you?”

It seemed cruel when he said it like that. Andy laughed away the uneasiness settling in his chest. “I’m not marrying anyone. All Dad needs to see is that I’m settling down. An engagement should work.”

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