Page 28 of Marry Me, Right Now

We all took a sip of the wine, and Lauren looked especially impressed. “This is fantastic.”

Jacob positively beamed. “Very glad you like it. I’m so sorry I can’t stay, but it would certainly mess up ladies night if I did. Help yourself to everything in the wine fridge and cupboard, and I think Carol made oatmeal cookies the other day.”

“Who is Carol?” Rayanne asked.

“She’s our housekeeper and cook,” Jacob said lightly. “She just works a few hours a week to keep things running smoothly around here.”

He put his finger under my chin, tipping my face up to his for a tiny kiss. “I won’t be too late. Text me if you need absolutely anything, or can’t find something here yet.” Turning to the girls, he said, “Lovely to meet you both. Welcome. Have a wonderful night.”

He left quickly, and I turned back to my friends to see them absolutely staring at me.

“I would like to ask once again…” Lauren started. “What the actual hell?”

I laughed, taking a big sip of the fruity French bliss. “So, yeah. That’s my fiancé.”

“Wow. I thought a boyfriend was a big deal for you. I thought moving in with a guy was a big deal for you. You are fucking engaged?” Rayanne looked like she didn’t know whether to hug me or slap me. She looked pointedly at my hand.

“Yeah, we picked out a ring, and I think it will be ready soon.”

“So, what does Jacob really do for a living? Some sort of money guy?”

“He runs his father’s company now. His dad passed away, but Jacob was already primed to take over.”

“What sort of company?”

“He’s the CEO of Stoneburrowes Investments.”

They looked at each other strangely. “I’ve seen that logo downtown,” Lauren said. “On Bay Street, I think.”

“Yeah, it’s a huge money-management corporation.”

“So he’s rich?” Lauren asked tentatively.

I nodded reluctantly. “Yeah.”

“You don’t like rich people,” Rayanne said flatly.

“Um, well, I wouldn’t go that far.”

“How far would you go?” she laughed.

“There are a lot of rich people in this world who hoard their money and do evil things. Jacob’s family does a lot of charity work, and employs a lot of people.”

They nodded, sipping their wine, but were both looking at me a bit oddly.

“Everyone uses the opportunities they’ve been given. Should I judge him for using his? If I were born super tall, I might use that to become a basketball star. If I were born into a family of chefs, I might use that to make connections in the restaurant industry. More doors would be opened for me because people knew my family. But that wouldn’t be my fault.”

They looked at each other quite seriously, and nodded. “Okay, I guess that’s fair,” Lauren said.

“So how are you going to use your newfound wealth to help the world?” Rayanne asked.

I gasped. “Oh, damn.” They looked at me like I was losing my mind, until I grinned. “I just realized how I want to do the wedding!” I poured another round of wine while the idea continued to form.

“Spill it,” Lauren demanded.

“The info, I assume. Never the wine,” Rayanne said with a laugh.

I took a sip, setting my glass down emphatically. “What if I used my ridiculous wedding budget to help small, indie folks? I could hire that new bakery near your place in the east end. I could hire an indie florist. People who would really appreciate the business, and don’t get huge orders very often.”

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