Page 6 of Marry Me, Right Now

“Yes… and?”

“Yes, and we’d have to do a lot of that, but it would get you an amazing home. And quite a bit of money as well.”

“This sounds really dodgy.”

“It’s not, I swear. Totally legal, but unusual. I just need to explain it to you, and you can tell me if you think it’s worth discussing more.”

He sounded a little nutty, but also intriguing. It was disturbing to me that part of my decision was based on the fact that I desperately needed to stare into those strange blue eyes a bit longer. “I’m not saying yes. But, I guess I could at least hear your plan.”

His eyes lit up. “The fact that you’re open to discussing this is amazing. Are you free right now? Come to my place. I’ll make us some dinner, and we can talk everything through.”

I stared down at my hands for a moment, as if they held the answers. I really was hungry, and the little sandwich in my purse was pretty small.

“Oh,” he said quickly, giving his head a shake. “Here.” He handed me his business card. “Do you want to check me out online to make sure I’m not an ax murderer?” He flashed a grin. “I swear I won’t be offended.”

Why must all cute guys be so damn weird? But I guess there was no harm in checking him out, so I popped his name into my phone. Jacob Stoneburrowes. He’s currently the CEO of Stoneburrowes Investments, which he took over when his father passed away. He was only twenty-eight. A quick skim of his social media accounts showed that he had plenty of friends, most of them looking like the well to do country club sort. Then there were suddenly some photos of old fashioned china, in a few similar dark rose patterns.

“What’s this about?” I asked, showing him the pics. “You’re looking to make some money on that antiques show?”

“Oh, those are for my Great Aunt Nelda. She’s just been put in a home. Alzheimer’s.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks. She regresses sometimes, and the staff said that if there are a few familiar things around her, she’ll be more comfortable. So I keep bringing some of her old china, things she used every day. They said not to bring anything of value, so I keep my eyes open for similar pieces in second-hand stores.”

“That’s very sweet of you.”

“I don’t drink tea, but the whole morning ritual of sitting quietly with your teacup... It seems like something that would be grounding, right? So I keep supplying them, in the hopes that she’ll start every day in her right mind.”

Anyone who cared for their aunt like that, taking notice of the details and matching china patterns, must be a good guy. Or at least, good enough to have dinner with.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

He led me down the sidewalk, past a few normal, medium-sized family cars, to a shiny silver sportster. Holding the door for me, I climbed inside, hoping that I didn’t get any part of the interior dirty.

As we drove quickly down to the posh luxury condos by the lake, he said, “I’m so glad that you’re open-minded, Mia. I’ve known so many people who will never step out of their comfort zones, and I’m one of them too, sometimes. But that’s a boring way to live, don’t you think?”

I shrugged. “Desperate times call for desperate measures. I need to move out of my friend’s apartment before next Friday, so I have to look at every single opportunity.”

He glided into an underground parking garage, and we strolled into the fanciest building I’d ever been in. I’ve been in a few strange situations in my lifetime, but this one was one of the oddest of all. Walking through the lobby of Jacob’s condo, I actually wasn’t sure that I was dressed appropriately to visit his home.

He nodded at the concierge, who practically bowed to him. Is this how rich people live? The chandelier in the lobby probably cost as much as my student debt.

I tried to settle myself down as we got into the mirrored elevator. This made it much easier to check Jacob out from all angles. He had a very confident stance, and I could tell that he had played a variety of sports in his life. He sort of had that athletic grace. I tried not to stare too hard at his chest and shoulders, but it was difficult. Something about a broad chest just made me weak and girlish. I tried to finger comb my hair a bit when he looked away.

He gave me a reassuring little smile, as he hit the button for forty-three. Of course it would be the penthouse, I thought to myself. Why not. Because ridiculously rich people notice me on patios all the time, bringing me home to their lavish condos.

I tried not to shake my head at my reflection. This was bonkers. But at least I would get a free meal out of the deal, and I was so broke at the moment that it might hold me for a while. I’ve never been in an elevator this new and was a bit shocked at how quickly we were lifted into the sky.

As the door slid open, Jacob shot me one of those amazing smiles. “Here we are,” he said, leading the way down the short hallway, into his grand front door.

It looked like there were only two apartments on this entire floor. As I stepped into the foyer, it felt like stepping into a movie, or a dream. Everything was so bright, new, and utterly perfect. White and steel and open, with tiny pops of color in the form of extravagant abstract art, mostly greens and blues. I followed him toward the huge kitchen that was a section of the enormous living and dining area.

As I walked along, I tried not to feel like a country bumpkin with her jaw hanging open. This place looked like it had come straight from the pages of an award-winning architectural magazine.

“Make yourself at home,” he said casuall

y, kicking off his shoes and heading straight to the kitchen area. I followed suit, trying not to quite openly gawk at the space. The living room, dining room, kitchen took up probably a quarter of the building. The living room itself had a huge area with couches, and a smaller area in front of the window with cozy chairs.

---