Page 7 of What the Doctor Ordered
Maybe it was due to the bottle of champagne that we shared or maybe it was from the high of being on a date for the first time in years, but I stood up and took his hand.
CHAPTER 4
Simon
“Remind me one more time why I’m here?”
I glanced over at my colleague and friend, Dr. Theo Raines. Theo and I met in medical school. We shared a dorm room, so I supposed it wasn’t too surprising that we had grown accustomed to each other and, over time, had become close friends. I believed that a lot of people found me intimidating and so just naturally gave me a wide berth, but Theo didn’t seem to care that I could be overly stoic at times.
Straightening my black button-up as Theo and I walked up to Onyx, I gave my friend a sidelong look. “It’s a wonder that you were able to pass medical school with your poor memory,” I retorted. “You’re here because of an unfortunate stipulation overlooked by my father, as you may recall.”
Theo pursed his lips. “And are you positive that your father overlooked it?”
I glanced over at him, surprised by his words. “Exactly what are you insinuating?” I asked, my voice dropping dangerously.
“I’m merely making an observation based on what you’ve told me,” he stated calmly.
“That my father put this stipulation in the will on purpose?” I asked, feeling my eyebrows rise up my forehead.
“I believe your mother said what we’re all thinking,” Theo went on. “That we can’t know for certain anymore. I do believe it’s worth noting though if you are hoping to fulfill your father’s wishes.”
“My mother is the one who wishes I was married,” I said tersely. “Father was much more interested in me continuing his legacy, which I have every intention of doing. For now, I just need to find a woman who would be willing to pose as my fiancée.”
“So, what you’re saying is that I’m your wingman,” Theo deadpanned.
I smirked at him. “Essentially, yes.”
Theo let out a breath, running his hand through his dark hair. “There has to be a better way to deal with it.”
That was probably another reason why Theo and I were friends. He very rarely put up with my bullshit and he told me exactly what he thought of my actions. He kept me realistic, made me look at myself honestly, and I wouldn’t admit it to his face, but he helped me get perspective on things on multiple occasions.
“If you think of one, you are free to let me know,” I told him. I nodded to the bouncer, who gave me a polite nod back before we pushed through the doors of the club.
Theo and I discovered Onyx back when we were in med school. It wasn’t far from our university, and it was the perfect place to unwind after a particularly grueling day. Since then, we had both become VIP members of the club, and it was still a favorite hangout of ours to this day.
“Alright, what poor soul are we trying to pair you up with?” Theo asked dryly as the two of us started to look around.
I knew my sarcastic friend was joking, but it was still a valid question. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was looking for in a fake fiancée. She needed to at least be agreeable. She would have to be extremely so to agree to this kind of deal. I looked at Theo and raised my palms to the ceiling with a shrug.
“So, what’s the plan then?” Theo asked. “Are you just going to go up to some random woman and ask if she’ll pretend to want to marry you?”
“I know that you’re joking,” I said curtly. “But yes, that is basically the plan. Once again, unless you can come up with a better one.”
“Not one that doesn’t involve extortion,” Theo said flatly.
We wandered further into the club, looking around and squinting through the dim lighting. There were hundreds of people here since it was a Friday and that was usually the busiest night of the week for this place. Surely, at least one of these women would be willing to play the part for me.
“What about that one?” Theo asked, gesturing ahead of me. “She looks like she’s alone.”
I followed his gaze to a blonde girl who was leaning against the bar. She was tall and was wearing a sleeveless red dress.
I frowned as I looked at her. “Not really my type,” I said.
Theo gave me an exasperated look. “Does that really matter if this is only going to be a temporary setup?” he asked.
I saw his point, but I still needed to be somewhat compatible with the girl who would pretend she was going to marry me. “Well, even if we aren’t going to be together long, I’m still going to be working with this woman. We’ll have to be seen together. We need to at least get along.”
“You might get along with that one,” Theo pointed out. “How are you going to know if you don’t even stop to talk to her?”
