Page 14 of Keep Me

“Ten million dollars.”

My body freezes, and I stare at her in shock. She said that so calmly that it took me by surprise more than the actual amount.

“Of course, we would support you during the year. You’d live at Barclay with Killian. You’d be taken care of with whatever you require. There are some serious stipulations to the contract, such as you’d be required to make public appearances with Killian. Neither of you could be adulterous, or else the contract would be nullified.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” I say, holding my hands up. “Why would he agree to this?”

“He thinks it’s a ploy to improve his reputation in order to get his family off of his back and let him keep the house.”

His reputation. I know a bit about that from what I read online the day I saw him. Killian Barclay had made a name for himself as a playboy and partier.

“Why couldn’t he just improve his reputation?”

“We’ve convinced him that if he is seen settling down, the family might be more inclined to allow him to stay in the house without a fight.”

Leaning back in my chair, I cross my arms over my chest. “So…what’s to stop me from just keeping the house to myself after the year of marriage, if, like you said, I will have ownership of it?”

Her lips purse. “Because there would be a very strict contract that states you will sign the deed over to my family or face a hefty fine worth more than the cost of the manor itself.”

“This is some manipulative shit,” I reply with a laugh.

“Like I said,” she mumbles. “It’s for his own good.”

“Why me?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at her. “Out of everyone on this planet, why me? You don’t even know me.”

“I know you were bold enough to walk into our house uninvited that day,” she says with a scolding expression. “I know you were raised in a wealthy environment. You’re well-educated and accustomed to a certain level of comfort. And I know that your parents recently cut you off.”

My head tilts in surprise. “How do you know that? That’s not something you’d find in a Google search,” I say skeptically.

“No, it’s not,” she agrees, implying that this lady is even more manipulative than I first assumed.

The dining room grows silent as we stare at each other. My mind is spinning as I let the entire thing play over and over. It’s unbelievable and sort of hilarious.

“So…” she mumbles over the top of her coffee cup. “What do you think?”

I let out another laugh. “I think you’re fucking bold. How many unsuspecting American girls are you bombarding with this offer?”

She takes a sip and sets down her cup. “You are the only person we’re asking.”

I tug my bottom lip between my teeth. “Well, I’m sorry you wasted a trip. Be sure to see the Statue of Liberty while you’re here. Thanks for a good laugh and a hilarious story I’ll tell someday.”

“Why don’t you think about it?” she asks as she stands.

“Yeah, sure,” I reply with a chuckle. “I’ll think about dropping my entire life here to marry a stranger in Scotland.”

“Here’s my card.” She sets it on the table and gives me a tight smile. “Thanks for hearing me out.”

I don’t have anything else to say, so I stand in silence as she walks to the door. She gets to it and puts her hand on the knob before I realize something.

“What did he say?” I ask. “About me.”

She stops and turns toward me with a crooked grin. “He said you were the rudest, meanest, most infuriating woman he’d ever met.”

“And that made you think I’d be a good fit for this?”

“No,” she replies with a shake of her head. “But he did.”

With that, she opens my front door and disappears out of my apartment.

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