Page 36 of Cocky Choices: Zoe Cocker

The shop is quiet, a peaceful oasis after a long day filled with tension, confrontations, and some very sweet moments.

“Well, life certainly isn’t boring,” I mutter as I gently set Ralphie’s carrier down on the marble counter, giving him a reassuring scratch behind his soft ears. Zipping the top I ask, “Ready to go home, my mischievous friend?” and peek through the mesh. Those sharp, green eyes blink back at me, and I can’t help but smile. He seems to understand that it’s time to leave the world of flowers and plants behind, just for tonight. “Tomorrow we’ll be back and start all over again,” I tell him, sliding his carrier strap over my shoulder and turning off the lights.

With my eyes down I wrangle the correct key on my key chain, and step with him out into the crisp evening air. Locking up I hear the familiar sound of countless passerby’sconversations and footsteps, Little Five Points is always busy this time of night. There’s a lot of sidewalk traffic here the majority of the time, actually. Except when it gets late. We tend to close pretty early in Atlanta, I’ve heard people complain. What must it be like to live in New York, the city that never sleeps? Do all the stores stay open until way after midnight? Hmmm.

I turn to head towards my car, and my heart stops. Leaning against his sleek new Audi, arms crossed over his broad chest, is my older brother Nicholas.

“Zoe,” he calls out, his voice low, impending storm brewing in his tone.

Great.

Just what I need after a long day.

“Nicholas,” I reply, trying to keep my voice casual as I approach, Ralphie’s carrier swinging slightly at my hip. “What are you doing here?”

“We need to talk.” He pushes off the car, expression concern laced with irritation.

I know exactly what this is about. The marriage of convenience I just agreed to with a guy I barely know. I wince at the thought of my brothers Wyatt and Nate. Did they give away my secret? I feign innocence, “About what?” but inside, my stomach twists.

“About this ridiculous arrangement you’ve made.”

“They told you?!” I whisper, stunned. “I said I wanted to be the one to tell you.”

Nicholas’ voice rises just a notch, “You’re marrying a stranger, Zoe! A guy you don’t even know!” aware we’re in public, not that he’s ever yelled at me before. “Mom and Dad are going to freak out when they hear about this.”

“Can’t we just?—”

“—No, we can’t just brush it off like it’s nothing! You need to call them right now.”

“Now?”

“Now.”

I glance around, half-hoping for a distraction. “I don’t want to call them. They’ll just freak out more than you are.”

“Exactly, Zoe! Why did you do something you knew would freak them out?” He runs a hand through his thick dark-brown hair, the hair he inherited from Dad, and then shoves his hands into his pockets. A telltale sign that he’s really stressed and doesn’t know what to do. All the Cocker males do this.

Ralphie lets out a soft meow from his carrier, as if sensing the tension. I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “Look, Nicholas, I…I will call them when I want to call them.”

Nicholas snorts and glares at me. “You agreed to marry some rich guy? Do you need money? You know the stocks have been treating me right lately. I could help you out. Are you having trouble covering your lease here?”

“No,” I sigh. “It’s not that. I’m not marrying him for the money.”

“I heard this guy is a billionaire. Is that right?”

“I really don’t know how much money he has, but he is wealthy. And while that’s all good and fine, it’s not why I’m doing this.”

“Why are you doing it?”

“Because he asked me.”

Nicholas bursts out laughing, the kind of laughter that takes over when you’re incredibly shocked and can’t believe your ears. “What’s happening to you? You’re not the impulsive one in our family. That’s Nate! Or…me!”

I shrug, “Maybe I’m just trying to shake things up a bit,” trying to keep the mood light, but it falls flat.

Nicholas narrows his eyes, wheels turning in his head. “This isn’t a joke, Zoe.”

“I know it’s not. You don’t understand. I’ve thought this through. It’s a solution to some…problemsI’ve been having.”

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