Page 40 of Tangled With the Wrong Guy
There was silence for a moment, then he said, his voice steady again, his tone flat, ‘No. She’s really lovely; I wouldn’t marry her if she wasn’t. But I don’t love her. She’s …’
‘From a … conservative family?’
He nodded. ‘Recent immigrants – pretty traditional.’
I gotsomethingright then.
‘Zara’s the youngest daughter; she’s twenty now. The others: two boys – you met Rohan– and a girl, are all older. Zara was working in the family business, the shipping company, and studying part-time at the local college, and she started hanging out with the students – partying, drinking. Her parents tried to put a stop to it but she’s strong-willed. As far as her family was concerned, Zara was a problem.’
‘Like Maria. A flibbertigibbet?’
He paused, and she gave him a weak smile. ‘Sorry, inappropriate.’
He smiled back, shaking his head. ‘Yes, like Maria. Their solution to solving the problem of Zara was an arranged marriage. When Zara said she’d never agree to that, Rohan got nasty – he’s fixated on family honour and would go to extreme lengths to protect that. She was desperate, and terrified, and saw me as her only way out.’
‘But why would you? Because you got her pregnant?’
His face, which had become serious again, broke into another smile. ‘Wheredoyou get your ideas from? No – all I ever did was kiss her that time in the stationery room. I knew she liked me; she made that obvious. And I knew she was trying to escape an arranged marriage, because she bent my ear about it every time I visited their offices. I liked her, but I didn’t want to get involved. I wasn’t …’ His smile faded. ‘It wasn’t a good timefor me. I’d tell her, go to social services, the college counsellor; go to the police – UK law says you can’t force someone into an arranged marriage these days. There are people to help with that.’
‘So how come she didn’t?’
‘Too scared of Rohan. And then he caught us fooling around, like I said. She was in a very compromising position; it looked like we were about to have sex.’
‘Joel, it’s surely not a coincidence. She–’
‘Yep.’ He pulled a face. ‘She set it up; she confessed later. Zara’s one clever girl. Said let’s do naked butt pics, asked me to lift her up. I’m not surehowshe timed it so well, but like I said, she’s bloody smart. She’d have done anything to get out of that marriage. But you would, wouldn’t you?’
‘I guess,’ said Chloe. ‘And snagging you too – what a blinder. Well played that girl.’
I still hate you though, Zara.
‘She took a gamble I’d step up in the first instance,’ he said, ‘to save her reputation, and that with a bit of persuasion her family would come round, see me as an acceptable boyfriend. My parents’ social standing helped – Dad’s high up in the Army, Mum’s from a wealthy background. Next thing I knew, there wereexpectationsand then …’ Joel sighed, squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. ‘She begged me to marry her and said that if I wanted to, I could divorce her as soon as that was acceptable.’
‘Even so, that’s a huge sacrifice to make. I don’t understand why you agreed to it.’
‘If I hadn’t stepped up, she’d have run away. Like I said, she’s terrified of Rohan.’
‘Rohan …’ said Chloe, remembering his dark snake eyes; his fingers squeezing her arm, like a boa constrictor. ‘I don’t get it. Encouraging you to spend a weekend of debauchery in Paris.Thatdoesn’t sound very honourable.’
He shook his head. ‘Double standards. What do you reckon he’s been up to these past hours? My guess is it’s not queuing for the Louvre.’
‘That’s despicable.’
‘Big thumbs up to Zara for outwitting him,’ said Joel. ‘But … god. I wish she’d gone about it differently.’
They went quiet again, then he lifted his head from her shoulder and shifted so he was sitting up. ‘It’s fine,’ he said. ‘I’m cool with it; maybe it won’t be for too long.’
‘I still don’t understand,’ said Chloe. ‘It’s so selfless of you. See, I thought it was a two-way thing. I thought she was pregnant, and you were marrying her for the sake of appearances and to support her, but in return she’d turn a blind eye to your boyfriends.’
‘Myboyfriends? And you thought I was gay just because I wanted to visit Oscar Wilde?’
‘Well, you must admit it’s quite unusual, for a stag do. If she’s not covering up for your secret life, then whatareyou getting out of it? Other than a halo? You don’t love her; you’ve never slept with her. You’re just helping her get out of an arranged marriage.’
He took her free hand and laced his fingers with hers. ‘You’re sort of right – thereismore to it. The Oscar Wilde part.’
Ah. The truth. Finally!
‘You can tell me anything,’ she said. ‘I’m very understanding. Even though I’ve had a sheltered upbringing, I’ve watchedSex Educationand all of those things.’
