Page 28 of Meeting the Billionaire Boss

‘Would it be for the better?’ Nala asks.

‘On the whole, yes.’

‘Can you be more specific?’

‘In strictest confidence?’

‘Always. You know I’m not a blabber mouth.’ She waggles her eyebrows at me.

I tug my cardigan sleeves down over my hands because my fingers are cold even though the pub is warm and I drag air deep into my lungs before replying.

‘Edward has asked me to marry him.’

Her mouth falls open and the shock on her face makes me laugh out loud. A few people at other tables glance over and I lower my head, stare at the sleeves covering my hands to avoid meeting anyone’s eyes.

‘Say what?’

‘Edward has asked me to be his wife.’

‘But… I thought… you guys… I’m don’t understand.’ Her knitted brows are proof of her confusion, so I fill her in on the details of the proposal and what it would involve, at least what I know so far as we haven’t discussed the finer details of what the marriage of convenience would be like, and she nods, not interrupting once until I’m done.

I sip my drink while I wait for her to respond. She’s picked up a beer mat and is tearing it into tiny pieces that she drops onto the table, and it makes me think of confetti. If I play this right, I could have a wedding but if I play it wrong and fall for Edward, my heart could be broken into as many pieces as that beer mat.

‘OK, Ava. I have one question and I think it’s the most important one.’

‘Ask away.’

‘How do you feel about the proposal?’

I sigh then sit back in my seat letting my hands emerged from my sleeves.

‘Confused?’ It comes out as a question.

‘You’re not sure if you’re confused or you are confused?’

‘Both.’

‘Edward Cavendish is a good-looking man. That’s undeniable. But you’ve only known him for what… ten weeks or so?’

‘Some people have whirlwind romances.’ I shrug.

‘That’s true but is this in any way a romance? Are you two… making the beast with two backs?’

‘The what beast?’

Nala rubs her cheeks. ‘Are you sleeping together?’

‘Oh! No, no. Not at all.’

‘Well then… are you in love?’

‘Nope.’

‘But he wants to marry you?’

‘He does. As I told you, it’ll be a business deal.’

‘So only as a deal?’ Her frown deepens. ‘A marriage of convenience,’ she tests the words out.

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