I shook my head “It’s straightforward and simple. It’s designed to get the divorce granted as quickly as possible.”
Her lips twisted “I had a feeling that was the case, thank you for confirming it” she said as I handed the papers back to her.
She looked down at them thoughtfully. “Mr Grayson, I have no desire for any of his money or part of his law firm. I don’t need part of the house. Can you please amend the papers so I can sign them?”
I was in disbelief. She was willing to walk away with nothing? She had been married to that miserable bastard for over three years and wanted nothing to show for it. My jaw clenched. “Are you certain that’s what you want?” I asked deliberately.
She looked at me knowingly “I suppose it makes little sense to you, that I have no desire for anything from my ex-husband, but all I wanted was to be loved. I never wanted his money. Please” she repeated softly.
I took the papers back. She rifled through her bag and grabbed me a pen. I began to scribble out what I needed to, dating and initialing what was required. She looked down at her hands, patiently waiting. “This goes against everything I know,” I told her grimly.
She just laughed.
I reluctantly handed the papers back. She put them in her handbag. “When are you planning on filing them?” I asked her creasing my brow.
After all, I still had something to discuss with her.
“Honestly, I plan to hold off for a day or two,” she said nonchalantly “No reason I should make it easy for him, is there?”
I grinned. “So what do I owe you for this consultation?” she asked me, beginning to withdraw her purse.
“Your money is no good here,” I told her as she frowned at me “and I would not accept it anyway. There is something else that I would prefer from you.”
“If you’re expecting certain favors in return” she began to say before I cut in.
“Have dinner with me tomorrow night.”
She gaped at me. “Dinner?” she asked, gathering her composure.
“Just dinner,” I said meaningfully, leaning forward and pinning her with my gaze, watching her swallow hard and her cheeks go a slight rosy pink.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a date” she murmured eyeing me “I’m not sure I remember the proper etiquette.”
I chuckled. “Trust me, Miss Flair, it’s like riding a bicycle. You never truly forget what to do. I rather enjoy the thought of having a beautiful woman for company and some intelligent conversation. What say we have dinner at about 7 pm tomorrow night and I pick you up?”
She hesitated and then her eyes began to shine “Since you were specific about wanting intelligent conversation then I guess I would be delighted to take you up on your invitation” she said agreeably, reaching out to extend her hand as she stood up smoothly.
I watched as she grabbed her handbag and then placed something on the coffee table in front of me. It was Timothy’s key to my front door. “Please give your assistant Timothy my regards,” she said warmly “It was a pleasure to meet him and you of course” she added mischievously as I stood up to escort her to the door.
“Oh I’ll give Timothy your regards all right” I muttered as I opened the door and watched her sashay down the driveway to her waiting car “Right before I kill him.”
Still, I had managed to accomplish a date with Flair and it was with a certain degree of smugness that I made my way back into my large mansion home. Tomorrow night would prove very interesting indeed, and I intended to use that date to press forward with my suggestion of a contract marriage. All I had to do, I thought, was persuade the woman. I had a feeling it was not going to be as easy as I anticipated.
Flair POV
It felt good to have the upper hand for once. Grayson’s home was unlike any other I had seen. It was a mansion, but it was also unpretentious. The interior was warm, instead of cold and forbidding. It looked lived in, with throws across the sofas and comfortable chairs instead of luxurious chairs that were uncomfortable and pretentious. The man himself had also been surprising. He was of course, as handsome as I remembered him being, but he had been charming and witty as well. He had shown a graciousness despite the fact I had intruded on him and his company had been enjoyable.
“How was it?” Rachel asked as I let myself into the apartment, her body lounging on the sofa, a glass of wine in one hand, her eyes sparkling.
I smirked “Well, let’s just say I can sign the divorce papers” I sighed, putting my bag down and taking the glass of wine that Rachel grabbed from the coffee table and proffered to me.
“Who cares about that?” Rachel rolled her eyes “I’m talking about handsome himself” she cried “What is he like in real life? Is he cute? Sexy? A douchebag?” she demanded.
I sat down on the armchair and folded my ankles, regarding her with amusement. “Actually he was very nice” I allowed “he looked over the divorce papers,” I said with a small smile “and he is no friend of Johnathon’s so that’s a bonus.”
“I told you,” Rachel said excitedly “So what happens now? Don’t tell me that’s all that happened,” she said suspiciously as I gave a nonchalant shrug “I knew I should have gone with you.”
I laughed “He’s invited me to dinner tomorrow night, is that better?” I teased.
She perked up “Well now, that is exciting,” she said, sipping her wine and enjoying herself now “What are you going to wear?” she asked eyeing me.
I frowned. All my clothes were ones that Johnathon had approved of in our marriage. Which meant they were a mixture of looking like a nun or seductive for meeting his clients. Somehow they didn’t seem particularly suitable for a date with the infamous Grayson Oakes. Rachel read my mind. “You can’t wear Johnathon’s choices. You need some clothes that you genuinely enjoy wearing Flair. That man was so damn controlling with what you wore. We need to find clothes that you like. You can hardly go in your yoga clothes” she exclaimed.
“Well, I could but it wouldn’t result in a second date,” I told her wryly as she giggled “so what are you proposing? It’s been so long since I’ve chosen clothes, I’m not sure what I like and they have to be sustainable and ethically sourced.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.