Victoria, on the other hand, just smiles, completely unfazed. She takes my hand, squeezing it gently. That’s all it takes for her to fill me with the type of warmth that keeps you cozy regardless of the weather.
“I’m not being forced,” she assures Diva. “I willingly choose to marry Simon Jones-that’s why we’re here for our marriage certificate.”
Her words wrap around me like a binding blanket, half fuzzy comfort and half a heavy weight. I’m not sure I deserve her unwavering faith. But I want to, and I’ll do just about anything to avoid letting this incredible woman slip through my fingers.
Diva raises an eyebrow, skepticism plain in her features, but she shrugs a shoulder like she’s done her best to persuade my bride-to-be away from me. “Okay, if that’s the case, I don’t have any more questions.”
She reaches for the stamp, pausing just before pressing it down as she assesses me yet again. “Wait.”
Victoria and I exchange a glance, and her hold on my hand tightens with a hint of worry.
Placing a finger on the line where I filled in my name, Diva reads over the form again, muttering under her breath before looking back up at me. Lines furrow her brow, as though she’s fighting her own recollection.
“Simon Jones?” She tilts her head, almost amused. “The Simon Jones who supposedly died in a plane crash six months ago? The CEO of the Jones Group?”
My pulse spikes, but I keep my face neutral. This time I’m the one clasping to Victoria’s hand, afraid I’ll lose her right then and there.
But when I look at her, she’s focused on a little girl in a red coat. She’s pointing a gloved hand at the decorations, her mitten big enough it flops around a bit.
In front of us, Diva simply scoffs and shakes her head. “There’s no way this guy’s the nation’s richest man,” she mutters, and if I didn’t know what she meant, I doubt I would’ve made out the words.
With that, she stamps the document extra forcefully, and I exhale slowly at the close call.
Victoria doesn’t seem to notice the relaxing of my shoulders, or maybe she does and just figures I’m glad the paperwork part is over and done.
With a chipper “thank you,” she accepts the paperwork as though this is nothing more than a routine errand. Full of surprises, this girl.
Minutes later, we step outside, flakes of snow pelting my face and my arms and melting on my skin. The streets are dusted with fresh snow, the festive decorations giving the illusion that the world is softer than it truly is.
As soft as the woman whose hand I’m still holding.
Paper crinkles as she glances from the document to her hand, and then me. A tiny, almost shy smile twitches her lips. “So, we’re engaged now.”
I rub the back of my neck, telling myself this is the moment I should fill in with the truth. I meant to do it outside the burger restaurant, but we were interrupted. “Uh, Victoria, there’s something I need to tell you. I’m not actually?-“
She stops me with a look and a lift of her hand, radiating quiet understanding. “You don’t need to explain, Simon. I don’t mind if you’re down on your luck. What matters to me is kindness and honesty. I can’t handle any more lies.”
She studies me for a long moment, her ultra-blue eyes gleaming beneath the world-dimming effects of the falling snow. “Let’s go home. You look like you could really use a hot shower.”
Oh my God, could I ever.
I watch her, this woman who just unknowingly got engaged to a billionaire she thinks doesn’t have two nickels to rub together.
She doesn’t know the kind of wealth I have, the power I hold, and how easily I could change her entire life with a single phone call. And best of all, that’s not what she wants.
Women in the past have seen the money and power before they saw me. Their gazes were set on jewels, private jets, mansions, and a life of luxury, entranced by it like moths to a flame.
I’ve been burned before-too many times to count.
But Victoria? She’s different.
She doesn’t care about any of that, her actions of constantly feeding and checking on me prove that.
Realizing I have a rare, golden opportunity, I can’t help but want to take it. I’ve never had the chance to date and get to know a woman without the extra complications.
Usually, those tend to wreck my relationships before they begin. Is it so bad to want to see what it’d be like? To hold onto this time with Victoria before the world comes barging in?
The more I think about it, the more certain I am that it’s the way to go. The timing’s all wrong. Her grandmother’s health is declining and she’s going through a tough time. The last thing I’d want to do is add to that.
When the time is right, I’ll reveal that I’m actually a billionaire.
Victoria
The mountain-fresh scent of pine fills my small, cramped living room, courtesy of the modest Christmas tree standing proudly in the corner.
Twinkling lights hit the silver tinsel and send rainbows dancing across the beige walls.
Pinecones dot the garland draped over the makeshift mantel I made from stacks of books, as I was forever running out of shelf space. While it feels cozy and homey as usual, I’m struggling to process the surrealness of getting a marriage license to my new fiancé today.
New fiancé. Whose life am I living, because this is so not the way I do things.
I don’t do things on a whim. I’m a goody-two-shoes planner type. I’m… engaged to Simon.
Shaking my head at myself, I move into the kitchen. I place the groceries I just picked up at the store on the counter, the bag filled with the usual necessities-milk, eggs, and toiletries. I fill two glasses full of ice and pour them full with the pitcher of iced tea in the fridge.
When in doubt, my go-to is offering someone food or drink. Best I can figure, that’s still the right move, even if I’ve never been engaged to a stranger before.
Nope, I was married to someone I knew too well, and I should’ve known better.
The words feel strange even in my head. I glance toward the bathroom where the sound of running water hums in the background.
Everything feels so unreal. I hope I made the right choice.
“Victoria?” Simon calls from the bathroom, returning me to the present moment and the dude in my shower. “There wasn’t much body wash left in the bottle-I’m out.”
I’d squeezed out the final drops this morning, which is why I grabbed a bottle at the store.
“I just bought a new bottle,” I holler as I retrieve it from the bag and head toward the sound of running water. “I’ll bring it to you.”
Hopefully he won’t mind smelling like sugar plum and vanilla, as it’s my favorite holiday scent. Come to think of it, I probably should’ve bought something more dude-smelling, too.
Too late now.
I knock lightly before opening the door.
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.