Page 20 of The Accidental Honeymoon

I study him. He’s handsome in that rugged, everymanway, but there’s a fragility to his eyes that I hadn’t noticed before.

He’s scared. This is more than just a business venture for him. It’s his life.

“Jay, I’m sure we can annul this quickly and you can find another way to?—”

Before I can finish, the front door bursts open and a whirlwind of energy and noise sweeps into the room. Jay’s team, I assume. A man in his late twenties, dressed in a too-tight blazer, is juggling a stack of papers and a tablet. Behind him, a petite woman with neon pink hair brandishes a selfie stick like it’s a magic wand.

“James! Lana!” Jay says, standing. “I thought we were meeting later.”

James, the blazer, gives Jay a look that says,Are you kidding?

“I’m your business manager. You have business that apparently needs managing.” James thrusts the tablet into Jay’s hands. “The sponsors are freaking out.”

Lana isn’t paying attention. She’s circling the table, angling her selfie stick to capture different shots of Jay and me.

“This is so cute. We should do several posts about the surprise wedding. You have footage, right?”

“Lana,” Jay says, a warning in his tone. She pouts but lowers the selfie stick. Jay looks at me apologetically. “Sorry. Lana just loves her job.”

I feel like I’m watching a reality show, one of those behind-the-scenes episodes where the cast and crew bicker about creative differences. Except this is real, and I’m in it.

“Are you going on the honeymoon together?” Lana asks.

“What?” Jay looks at her sharply. “What gave you that idea?”

Mortified, I slide off the stool and smooth my skirt. “Uhhh… I should go. It sounds like you have a lot to work out.”

Jay looks at me, then at his team. “Calla, wait. We haven’t finished talking.”

I hesitate. Do I want to wait? This isn’t my world. These aren’t my people. But something in his pleading, desperate tone makes me pause.

“Just give me a minute,” he says. “Please?”

Wordlessly, I sit back down. But my eyes are sharp and they take in the scene. My body stays tense, ready to spring up and flee at any moment. Jay and James are huddled together, whispering fiercely. Lana slides into a seat across from me. She taps away on her phone, probably updating a thousand different social media accounts.

“Calla,” Jay says, walking back to the table. James hangs back, arms crossed. His face is a mask of disapproval.

Jay hesitates, then runs a hand through his hair. "Can we talk? Just us. Privately."

"Fine," I say, pushing myself to my feet. "But make it quick."

He leads me down a hallway into the laundry room. It’s cramped, with a stackable washer-dryer unit and shelves overflowing with neatly folded linens. The door closes with a soft click.

Suddenly, we're in our own little world.

"I've got a proposition for you."

More ominous words have never been uttered. Here it comes. The real pitch. I brace myself.

“What?” I ask, crossing my arms. Jay flashes me with a smile.

"We stay married for the duration of the honeymoontrip and a short period after.Thenwe get the marriage annulled."

I stare at him, waiting for the punchline. When it doesn’t come, I say, "You’re joking."

"I'm serious. This way, the sponsors see a real couple visiting the weird tourist stops that they are paying me to promote. We fulfill the contract… and then we go our separate ways."

Schooling my expression, I give him a look. “How long?”

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