Page 25 of Arrogant Arrival

I’m not too thrilled by Jim’s tone. “What does that mean?”

“My mother is going to keep bringing women around. The whole point of you being here is for them to believe I’ve already found one.”

“Jim, she doesn’t like me. I think she’s going to keep on either way. Sorry, pal, but unless you get married, I doubt she’s going to stop. Even then it’s iffy.”

I immediately regret my words when I see the light bulb come on over Jim’s head. “Abso-fucking-lutely not. This isn’t Vegas! We aren’t getting married, you jerk. Aren’t people here more traditional? We might not even be able to get out of it.”

“Not married, Jo. Just engaged.” When I continue to stare at him, hoping he’ll crack a smile and say ‘kidding’, he only smiles wider. Then slowly, in the middle of the bridge, Jim gets down on one knee. He sits his cup of ice cream down next to him and takes my hand in between his sticky fingers.

“Jolene Tanner… Tannerelos,” I hate how my heart just skipped a beat, especially when he used that damn accent on my fake last name. “Will you do me the honor of being my fake fiancée for the next six days? Make me the happiest and luckiest Greek bastard… just for one week. Then you can break my heart and flee this land.”

A few people stop on the bridge and take their phones out. I hear the clicking of cameras and a few ‘awws’. The rest of what they say is in Greek, so I am sure they misunderstood him about the whole ‘fake’ part of it all. I force a smile and speak through gritted teeth, “Get. Up.”

“Not until you agree…” He turns his head as a cat wanders up and begins loudly licking at his ice cream. I can’t help but stare and giggle. Jim shoos the cat and then turns back to me. “Not until you agree to be my fake Greek bride.”

Smiling as sweetly as possible, I say, “But, darling, do you even have a ring? Do you honestly think they’ll believe it?”

“This is spontaneous, which makes it even more romantic. Or it would be if I didn’t have to explain it to you.” He kisses my knuckles and it causes my stomach to dip. With his lips barely above my skin, he looks up at me through those dark, long lashes, and in a low voice speaks. “I can’t promise you forever right now, but I will promise you the best damn six days.”

I turn over the hand he’s holding and take his chin between my fingers. I bend down and kiss him on the lips. The crowd cheers. I pull away and whisper, “Yes.”

Jim jumps up and lifts me in the air, spinning me around. I laugh and hold on to him. After he gently places me back down, he smiles to the crowd and we both offer a little wave.

“I’ll go buy you a ring right now.”

“You don’t have to buy me a ring.”

We pick up our ice cream bowls and take them to a trash can at the end of the bridge. Jim then takes my hand and practically drags me through people walking the streets.

“Where are we going?” I call out.

“You’re right. They won’t believe it without a ring.” He stops in front of a souvenir shop. “This will work.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“It’s after two. None of the jewelry shops are open in the middle of the day. These places stay open for tourists. Besides, you said I didn’t even have to get you a ring. Now you want to be picky?”

“You’re right. Why be picky now when I’m with you?” I brush past him and into the little shop. They have some very pretty jewelry that is supposedly crafted here in Greece and made from genuine stone.

“See one you like? I’ll purchase whatever your heart desires.”

I’m positive he has not seen some of these price tags. I smile and ask to see this ring that is two-toned metal, a silver band with a golden vine of leaves intertwining around the band. In the center is a sapphire.

The ring just so happens to fit perfectly. I show Jim and he smiles. “It seems like this is fate again.” He asks if this is the one, and I nod. He looks to the lady behind the counter and smiles. “We’ll take this one.”

“Very nice. That will be a thousand euros.”

Jim’s smug smile falters, but mine remains in place as he looks over at me. I saw the price tag and knew exactly how much. Jim extends his hand out and begins speaking in Greek to the lady. Her eyes widen and she giggles. They exchange a few words with amused identical expressions, and then he hands her some cash.Wait a minute…

She walks around the register and takes my face in hers. She kisses each side of my face and keeps speaking excitedly in Greek. Jim hugs her and then begins guiding me out the door.

“What the hell was that?” I ask as soon as we’re away from the store.

“I got us a discount.”

“Yeah, but how and why?”

“What do you mean how and why? No offense, but I wasn’t about to pay that for a ring that we don’t even know if it’ll turn your finger green. But I got us the ‘I’m Greek’ discount and ‘this is an engagement ring’ discount.”

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