Page 17 of The Marriage Deal
Meanwhile, I had to pretend to work in my office like nothing was wrong. As if I couldn't hear the shouting match happening in the office across from mine. Writing a paper can betough when drama is a door away.
"What's so hard about marrying someone?" Francis shouted. "I can find a mail-order bride for you if you don't know how to date!"
"Easy for you to say. You're not the one having to look for someone to marry just so you can access your trust fund!"
"Boohoo, the trust fund baby is sad because he cannot get his precious billions without marrying someone!"
"Do you hear yourself!"
"What's going on in there?"
I was so distracted, I didn't see Jess walk in, leaving my door open. The polka dot blue blouse and black-and-white striped pleated skirt she was wearing should not work, but it did on her. Her eyes were bright with curiosity and practically popping out of her glasses. "We can hear shouting from our side of the building. What's going on?"
"Levi and Francis are fighting. Well, passionately arguing."
"About?"
"The Scott-Elliot collection. Levi and Francis need Levi's money to buy the Scott-Elliot collection, but Levi can't get it because it's stuck in a trust and the only way to get it is to marry someone according to some archaic clause his father put in."
Jess's eyes nearly bulged out of her glasses. "Preferably a woman, I presume," Jess said.
I nodded. "Rich people problems."
I didn't get why Levi was dead set against it. If I were him, I would just bite the bullet. Find someone willing to do it for money, and that's that.
Jess shook her head and sighed. "Too bad I'm married. I could have offered myself up as tribute."
I chuckled. "Are you only here for the drama?"
"No, actually, I am here for you." She waltzed over to me, took my hand, and said, "How are you doing? I saw your text about your family shop closing."
"Oh, that." I had sent a frustrated text earlier today telling Jess that my sister had not gotten the loan approval she desperately wanted. It was the last straw in a long fight to gain full ownership of her business. Or at the very least, find a partner who wouldn't screw her over. Her current partners wanted to sell the business, and because collectively they had a bigger stake in the company than her, they could. "I hate to see her so stressed. And I can't help but think I'm partially to blame."
"For what!"
"If I hadn't insisted on pursuing an academic career, this PhD, maybe my parents wouldn't have to give up so much of their business. I should have gone into finance instead. I might have been able to help Effie." My parents had sold part of the business to put me through college, and when they both died, the burden of the shop was left to Effie, my sister.
"Please. Your sister is the proudest person in the Bronx. I've never seen anyone tout her sibling's accomplishments as much as Effie does. And besides, you are awful with numbers."
I chuckled. "If only—"
The door to Levi's officeburst open, andFrancis flew past, his face beet red. In his signature Scotch brown suit with a beige waistcoat, he looked like an offended Victorian gentleman. Levi popped his head through the wide-open door, glanced at Francis marching away, and then at me. His eyes narrowed when he saw Jess. "Miss Edwards, please have the paper ready when you're done gossiping."
I glared at him. He shut his office door. Asshole. Jess looked more surprised than I. "What's with him?" She said in a loud whisper. "Did you two break up?"
I gently swatted her, snatching my hand from her. "If anyone hears you, they will only think it's true."
"What? It's a better story than being cheated on by that asshole."
"Is it? Now, everyone thinks we were cheating on each other after Wyatt spread that disgusting rumor. Dolly from the Languages was even sayingIcheated on him. But that's not the only bad thing. What's worse, he," I gestured to Levi's office, "thinks I started the rumors."
Jess gritted her teeth. "IfThe Purgeis ever legalized, you know whose place I am going to. Did you know that I saw them today in the hallway acting all lovey-dovey like they did nothing wrong?" She lowered her voice. "He was kissing her, for God's sake!" she whisper-shouted. "The lack of shame!"
The thought of Billie and Wyatt together only made me feel worse. After that blow-up at Levi's place, I asked Jess to go to Wyatt's place and take my stuff, only for her to call me later, telling me he had thrown my stuff outside. That should have been the last straw, but to rub it in, Wyatt 'accidentally' sent anemail to the entire faculty telling me he didn't want me to come to his place again. Making me look like I had been stalking him.
"I would love to not think about those two. Wyatt especially."
Jess immediately became sympathetic. "So sorry. You know what?"
