Page 8 of Inappropriately Matched

My friends are now too stunned to speak.

“It’s only temporary,” I say, filling in the silence. “Three months. Then we call it quits, divorce, and have a nice life, separately, of course. It’ll just be enough to show my father I won’t be pushed around by money and status. He wants me to marry some stuffy heir. No, thank you very much. Meet my actual husbands; they’re construction workers. They work hard for their money doing honest work. They’re the backs on which society falls back on. And they’re happy. That’s the kind of life I want.”

“Are you really going to go through with this?” Haley asks.

I nod.

“We’re meeting at the city clerk’s office today.”

“Fine. How hot are they?” Tierney asks, defeated.

“So, so, so fucking hot,” I deadpan.

“So this isn’t a marriage ofconvenience, is it? You’re going to jump their bones, aren’t you?” Haley asks.

“I’m going to grind their bones to dust, and then I’m going to do it again and again and again until I get the T-shirt that says,‘Been there, done them.'I need to get rid of my virginity. They’re going to be my temporary husbands. It’s a simple equation. In three months, I’ll be a divorced woman with a seasoned sex life. Bam.”

“Have you told your father about it yet?”

“No. I’m saving that for when he comes around again to bulldoze me into marrying some pompous rich jerk who thinks the sun shines out of his ass. So soon.”

I fold my lips to hide my smile. Oh, this is so good. Talk about a counter strike against my father. He would never guess my move in a million years. But, no, I can’t say anything to him yet, not until the ink is dry. Revenge is a dish best served cold, right?

Tierney and Haley spend the next thirty minutes stalking the living heck out of Holt Kissinger, Steele Adams, and Ryder MacMurphy online and come up empty-handed.

“Of course they’re not online. They’re too busy living in the real world, working hard for their money,” I say, happily, and begin the rest of the admin it takes to get married.

I keep them up to date on everything through our group chat and receive nothing from Holt, a thumbs up from Ryder, and a text from Steele to saythey'll be there.

The rest of the time in my office happens in a blur. And now it’s two minutes after they were supposed to meet me outside the city clerk’s office.

Three minutes go by, and they’re still not here.

I pace the sidewalk, my stomach sinking as I think the worst.

Chapter Six

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