Page 9 of If the Ring Fits

ADRIAN

I stare at the sleek, paneled ceiling, brain whizzing with a crazy idea taking shape and figuring out the best way to expose it to her. To this mystery woman in the next stall, whose face I haven’t even seen—but who could solve all my problems. I must be out of my mind. Or maybe not—because things like this don’t just happen. It’s almost too good to be true, like the universe is handing me exactly what I need at the precise moment I need it. The timing, the situation—it’s all lining up in a way that’s hard to ignore, like it’s meant to be. And maybe that’s why I should go through with it. It’s not just luck; it’s a door opening, and I’d be a fool not to walk through it.

I only need to convince her.

Okay, I can sell anything to anyone. Just think of this as another pitch.

“I’ve poured my entire life into my career,” I begin. “Sacrificed so much to get to where I am.”

“Tell me about it.” Her melodic voice floats over the divider, tinged with a shared exhaustion. “I learned the hard way today just how fickle a job can be. How meaningless all that effortfeels in the end.” Her words are like a silky caress, and I marvel again at how enticing she sounds.

“I agree 100 per cent,” I reply, shifting on the floor. “But I’m not ready to throw in the towel just yet. My boss called me and the other senior VP into his office earlier. Said he’s planning to choose one of us as his replacement.”

“I sense a great injustice is about to take place.” Her tone is laced with mock seriousness.

Despite the gravity of the situation, she pulls a genuine laugh out of me. “You bet. I was already uncorking the champagne, but then I overheard him saying he wouldn’t pick me, even though I’m the best man for the job. All because I don’t have kids and I won’t leave a legacy behind.”

“What? That’s ridiculous!” she exclaims, her tone indignant. “It’s discrimination, you should sue him.”

“I’m not positive suing my boss would help me get the top job.” I shrug, the absurdity of the conversation mirroring the insanity of what I’m about to propose.

“No, you’re right,” she concedes. “But it’s still totally unfair.”

“Exactly. Which is why…” I lean my head back against the icy metal wall, the next words feeling heavier than they should. “I may have invented a pregnant fiancée.”

Silence hangs heavy between the stalls. Shit, I’ve really stepped into it now. She probably thinks I’m a lunatic.

“Wow,” she finally says. “That’s—wow. I take it your fiancée… err… isn’t pregnant?”

Is it my impression or is there a veiled interest in the question?

“I’m not engaged,” I confess, tugging at my sleeve anxiously. “I don’t even have a girlfriend.”

“Ah. Oh, well, what’s your boss going to do?” she muses. “Come to your house and check your closet to see if you live alone? Demand copies of the ultrasounds?”

“No.” I chuckle despite myself. “But I might’ve told him she’ll be accompanying me to a weekend at his Hamptons mansion in two weeks.”

“Okay, then you’re screwed,” she declares in a matter-of-fact tone that cracks me up.

“Unless…” I offer, trailing off, teasing the scheme I’m about to outline.

“Unless?” she prompts.

I drum my fingers on my knee, working up the courage to give voice to what I’m thinking. The idea that’s been swirling in my mind since she told me she’s pregnant and out of options. “Listen, this is going to sound absolutely insane but… what if we teamed up? You need a break; I need a pregnant wife-to-be. We could help each other out.”

My body is rigid with anticipation as I await her response. Have I just made the craziest proposition of my life to a total stranger in a public restroom?

Yes. Yes, I have.

“Are you asking me to be your fake girlfriend?” Her voice is tinged with incredulity. I don’t think she grasped how serious I am, however bizarre my suggestion must sound.

“Um, yeah. But the thing is, for it to work, the arrangement would need to be a bit more… err, solid.”

“Solid? What do you mean bysolid?” Her tone is a mix of curiosity and worry.

The words tumble out before I can think better of it. “Marry me?” I cringe at how dubious I sound, even to myself.

I’m being impulsive, reckless even, but I can’t ignore the serendipity of it all. How right it feels. It’s like when I hit the green button on a risky trade, spotting patterns no one else cansee, feeling the certainty I’m right in my bones. Besides, it’s not like I’m asking her to spend the rest of her life with me. It’s a temporary fix, a means to an end. Once I’ve secured the promotion and built my so-called legacy in Dominic’s eyes, what happens after won’t matter.

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