Page 39 of An Engagement Pact

Seven

TWO WEEKS LATER, DANand I are sitting together on the love seat in the coffee shop, trying to figure out what to do about our wedding.

From the outside, it probably looks like we’re having a cozy, romantic conversation. His arm has been around me a lot of the time, his head is tilted down close to mine, and I will occasionally reach over to rub his thigh or his chest.

I do like being close to him. More than I should. But the mood of our conversation is frustrated rather than intimate.

We’ve having trouble figuring out how to manage our wedding.

The original plan was for us to get married in the courthouse two months after we started “dating” and a month after we got engaged. It still makes sense to follow this route. Our tight timeline allows no possibility for any sort of traditional wedding even if we happened to want that. Which we don’t. Keeping it simple and no-nonsense fits the nature of our relationship and will require the least investment of time and money.

But Dan keeps getting hung up on how to justify not inviting family, and he won’t let it go.

“We can just... not invite them,” I say for what feels like the tenth time. “We don’t have to explain it to anyone.”

“But it wouldn’t make sense. It would be out of character. How will anyone believe we woke up one day and decided to spontaneously get married but didn’t even invite my folks or Jim and Esther at very least? Neither of us would ever do that.”

“I know that.” Because I’m feeling annoyed and impatient, I make a point of sliding my hand up his firm thigh and smooth trousers until I can squeeze his knee. There are a number of people in this coffee shop we know, including Chase behind the counter and Paige working on her laptop in the corner. If we’re not careful, our disagreement will be recognized. “But does it really matter that they’ll think it’s strange? The whole thing is kind of questionable. Nearly everyone will assume we’re jumping in too quickly, and they’ll be proven right when we divorce a month after we get married.”

“I know that.” He scowls down at me until he must remember to control his expression. “But it still feels wrong.”

“Okay fine. Then we can invite your parents and Jim and Esther. It’s not worth making a big deal about.” While I feel a little uncomfortable with them witnessing a fake facade of a wedding, it’s better than getting into a real fight about.

After all, Jim and Esther already know the true purpose of the marriage, so it wouldn’t feel like I was tricking them about it.

Dan shakes his head. “No. I don’t want that either. Jim and Esther already know the truth, but my parents don’t. It would feel like a lie.”

I have to bite off a frustrated groan. Dan usually acts laid-back and accommodating, so this stubbornness is a new side to him. “Okay. I get that. But surely it will feel even worse to plan a real wedding, no matter how small, and have our friends and family all show up to celebrate a marriage that isn’t even real.”

“Of course we can’t do that,” he says gruffly. “I would feel like a total asshole.”

It’s clearly important to him to not feel like an asshole. Important to not lie to the people he loves more than what’s absolutely necessary. He’s got a moral streak as unyielding as steel beneath his friendly nonchalance.

He’ll never be pushed into doing what he feels is wrong, no matter how much he’s cornered into it.

He might marry a woman he doesn’t love to get access to money that was already his, but he’s not going to do it in a way that could possibly hurt anyone.

It might hurt me. I’m aware enough by now to realize that. But Dan doesn’t know that, and he’ll never know it if I have any control over the matter.

Besides, I’m doing all the mental gymnastics I’m capable of to prevent my heart being damaged by this crazy scheme.

“All right,” I say, leaning back into the crook of his arm. “Well, what about this? The main issue with a quick wedding is that it’s local so there’s no reason for our families to not be invited. But what if we were to go on a trip together—somewhere like a beach or Vegas—and then we spontaneously decide to get married there. No one would expect to be invited in that case.”

The tension in Dan’s body softens slightly. His lips part as he listens to what I say. “That might work.”

“It doesn’t have to be some sort of crazy luxury trip or exotic locale. Just a regular long weekend trip, and we just randomly decided to get married while we were there. I’m sure we can think of a believable backstory for it happening, and no one would question family not being involved since it was spur of the moment.”

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s a good idea.” He’s fully relaxing now, his jaw unclenching and the stress in his eyes fading. “We can definitely make that work.”

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