Page 43 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 3

“Holy shit indeed,” I mimicked.

This changed everything.

Episode 71

One Kiss Is All It Takes

MEMPHIS

Dinner was amazing and went better than I’d expected. Everyone seemed to genuinely like Naomi. However, even with all the fun and celebration, my father had taken me aside and grilled me good.

“Son, if you have more to share about your relationship with Naomi, now is the time to come clean,” he’d warned. His light brown eyes pierced straight through me, as if he could see the conflict behind them.

My heart beat so fast and hard I thought it might explode out of my chest like a rocket being launched. I could feel my palms become damp as the nerves kicked in. There was no way he could’ve known how Naomi and I had really met or the circumstances behind our marriage agreement.

“Dad I…” I lost the words entirely, my mouth suddenly so dry I could barely speak.

How does someone tell their father they’re marrying for money? I was sure he’d not only be pissed, but it would disappoint him tremendously. And the last thing any of us kids wanted to do was disappoint our parents. They’d given everything to provide us a great life filled with love, honor, and family. Marrying for anything but true love would be abhorrent to them.

“Son,”—he squeezed my shoulder—“is Naomi pregnant?”

The relief that rained down over my entire body was a deluge of electrical sensation skittering along every exposed nerve ending. So much so, I burst out into uncontrollable laughter.

“No, Dad, no!” I said through bouts of chuckles.

“Then why are you moving so fast? After your announcement you said you both planned to be married in a couple weeks. If there’s no baby news, I can’t wrap my mind around why the two of you are rushing.”

“Says the man that married his high school sweetheart the week after graduation?”

“Times were different back then,” he blustered.

I shook my head. “Why wait when you know you’ve found your soulmate?”

Dad jerked his head back. “Soulmate?”

“Yeah, Dad. I met her in Las Vegas. I sat down in an empty seat at the bar, turned to say hello, and about swallowed my tongue.”

“She is a rare beauty, just like your momma,” he quipped.

“It’s more than that. We started talking, ordered drinks, then dinner, and talked all night long. It was effortless. I told her about the family, Ma’s garden, the injury that stole my career, and she listened, Dad. She listened and asked questions and genuinely cared. Everything about her screamed she was the one, and we’d barely had a few hours together.”

“And then you kissed her…”

“And then I kissed her.”

“And you knew.” He smiled.

“And I knew.”

“Just like me and your momma. Your granny and grandpa before you. One kiss is all it takes.”

“What’s got you so quiet? Afraid to show me your place? Is it messy?” Naomi teased, breaking me out of my reverie as I unlocked the door to my modest apartment.

“It’s a place to hang my hat and catch some Z’s. It’s close to the college and my folks. I actually don’t spend much time here,” I said while flicking on the lights.

Naomi walked to the middle of the small living room. The kitchen was open to the primary living space, a bar separating it, which had been great since I would cook and watch the game. The entire apartment was maybe nine hundred square feet with just one bedroom and a single bath.

I watched as Naomi ran her hand along the arm of my black leather couch. There was a glass coffee table in front of it with nothing but a tray that held the remotes to my TV and surround sound system. A single leather chair was wedged into the corner, and across from all of that was my entertainment center. My mother and sisters had given me framed photos of the family and my teammates from college to display across the flat surface. The 60-inch flatscreen hung above it. The only decoration I had hanging on the walls was above the couch, and it consisted of two football jerseys. Mine from my first year playing college ball and Dad’s from his high school glory days. Our last name was printed in bright white letters on the back. Those jerseys were my most precious possessions, and Dad had been so proud when he saw them hanging up next to one another.

---