Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
ASLAN
“ H ow do I know this is going to work?” I poke holes in her plan, even when she hasn’t told me anything about it.
“I’m not saying it’s foolproof, but it might be better than your infinite stages of looking like you’re having sex every five minutes. That’s not love. It’s just lust.”
“Sweetheart, if you were my woman, you might not want to leave our bed—unless we’re having sex against the wall. If you need me to demonstrate, I’ll show you how good it can be between us.”
She glances at me unamused. “You’re only thinking about how much sex you’ll be getting—which you won’t . Relationships are more than frolicking naked. It’s about real intimacy.”
Is this what Gatsby meant last night? “Okay, let me hear your plan.”
“Well, before we set these basic rules, I want you to understand that when someone doesn’t respond to a text, it means that they didn’t read your message. You don’t just assume they said yes.”
I glance at her. “I thought we were past the text. You’re cute.”
“Yes, I am. What happens if you text me that you’re bringing someone to marry us because you thought it’d be a good idea and the next thing I know, you have an instant wedding in my office. Promise you’ll wait until I acknowledge the text.”
I grin innocently. “Duly noted.”
“You can’t just say noted. We’re not going into the office together. People are going to think that?—”
“We’re together?”
She nods, reaching for the to-go mug that I just noticed is in the cup holder. She sips it and moans.
She fucking moans.
“Umm, this is delicious. Did you make it?”
“Yep, I watched a YouTube video on how to make the best macchiato. It took some practice, but I think this one turned out great.”
She drinks more before asking, “What happened to the other coffees?”
I shrug. “My brothers drank some. I drank others. It wasn’t until I figured out the perfect one that I let them go, and I prepared yours.”
“Sounds like you kept them hostage until your crazy plan worked. Or did they stay because they were all drunk, like you?”
“Only Hux and Heath stayed in the penthouse. Hux was tipsy, and Heath never drinks. Lysander and Gatz live in the same building.” I look out toward the window.
After exhaling loudly, I say, “Can you believe that Heath wants to rent the next apartment that becomes available? I’m not sure if I want another one of them living so close to me.
I love my brothers, but sometimes I need my own space. ”
She leans back, resting her head on the back seat, and glances at me.
“I know what you’re going to say, ‘I’m lucky to have them, and I should cherish them.’”
“Nope, I had no idea you owned the building. It all makes sense.”
“What makes sense?”
“The roof, the privacy, the…it’s all customized to you.
No wonder it’s so comfortable.” She drinks more of her coffee.
“If given a choice, I’d be living somewhere else.
I’d put myself on a waiting list to snatch one of those apartments you don’t want to rent to your brothers.
I wouldn’t be living at my mother’s house, babysitting my sister who thinks she doesn’t need me. ”
“You sound upset.”
She exhales a little harshly. “She didn’t come home. I spent all night wondering if she was okay.”
“She’s eighteen.”
“She’s sleeping with a guy named Lex.”
I stare at her expectantly. There has to be a good reason why the name bothers her. Since she doesn’t say more, I ask, “Is that short for Alexander?
“Nope, that’s his name. Lex. I don’t even know if he has a last name. He dropped out of school and…”
I usually don’t bring up my education, but it seems like a good time to share it. If not for Savannah’s sake, maybe for me. What if she thinks less of me for not finishing my degree? “I dropped out too.”
Her eyebrows shoot upward as if I’ve said something shocking or even life-altering. “You did?”
“After Dad died, we had to take care of the business, the vineyard…it made sense. When things were stable, Gatsby transferred to Stanford. It’s close enough that he was able to give us a hand.
Lysander attended part-time. I decided that it was stupid to go back when there was so much to do.
I took online classes. My uncle James helped me with the company.
Sometimes, Jackson would drop by to help me too. ”
She stares at me for several seconds. I wish I knew what she’s thinking. Is it that I’m a loser or…okay, so my idea of being on stage three where we can read each other’s minds and all that shit might be flawed too.
Finally, after a long pause, she speaks. “What if all he’s doing is playing video games, drinking, or doing drugs?”
She’s looking for an excuse to dislike the poor kid. He’s probably some misunderstood genius who can’t stand the educational system. Huxley was like that in high school. He’s just finishing college at his own pace.
It surprises me that Keaton is being so…judgmental. She’s usually understanding and would help a kid like Lex in a heartbeat. Except… “I think I know why you don’t like him.”
She looks out the window then stares at her coffee. “You do?”
I bob my head. “Yeah, you want the best for your sister, and nothing will ever be the best . Not even a prince. It’s easy to dismiss him because he’s not getting on with the program. High school, college, a job…that doesn’t mean he’s failing at life or that he’s a bad person.”
She studies me for a moment and then says, “I…you’re right. I know better than to judge someone without even knowing them. It’s just hard. I just don’t want her to get hurt. She’s lost so much.”
“It’s going to be okay,” I assure her. “Instead of pushing him away, you could invite him to your house and get to know him. If your sister is dating him just to spite you, she’ll push him out of the way in a heartbeat.”
She laughs. “That’s genius. How do you know that?”
“We do it with Cory and Fern’s boyfriends all the time.
If we don’t like who they date, we smother them with attention and pretend to be their best friends.
That annoys my sisters, and they break up with them.
So, now that you have one less problem to worry about, let’s talk about our game. What are your rules?”
“We’re both consenting to this agreement, right? That’s pretty important.”
I nod. “We are. If you want out of it, just let me know.”
She’s scribbling on her tablet as she speaks. “We agree that this is a mutually beneficial partnership. Meaning, we both get something out of this deal.”
She places her stylus on the side of her tablet and reaches for her wallet. “By the way, here’s your credit card.”
I take it. “Did you pay your bills?”
She shakes her head. “No. I think I can pay them next month.”
“They’re going to shut down your power,” I remind her. “Unless…if you don’t want to?—”
“We’re not breaking the deal. I just don’t want to take too much.”
I hand her back my card. “I was willing to pay my entire fortune to get someone to date me for my trip. This is cheaper. After your utilities are up to date, you can give it back to me, okay?”
She cracks a smile. “You’re going to argue about this all day, aren’t you?
“Probably, and we know who’s going to win.”
She snickers. “Me.”
“Nope, I’ll trick you into believing that you did, but in the end, we’ll do what’s best for you.”
She huffs, placing the card back in her wallet. “You’re impossible.”
“And yet, you like me that way.” I tap her tablet a couple of times. “What other rules do we need?”
“PDA ground rules.” She writes PDA and underlines the three letters a couple of times.
Is she going to say no to them? “It has to be believable,” I warn her before she tells me that I can’t even hold her hand.
“We have to discuss what we’re comfortable doing.”
Babe, I’m comfortable with everything you want me to do and more. Okay, that’s being too forward. I simply ask, “Kissing?”
“I can deal with a kiss, but not in front of the employees. The office is off-limits.”
There she goes bossing me around, and I like the challenge because sneaking a kiss or two without anyone seeing us is going to be fun.
I grab her hand, interlacing our fingers. “What about holding hands? It’s innocent, and I’ve heard my sisters say that it’s cute to watch couples hold hands.”
She stares at our hands and gives me a skeptical glance. “Try to keep it to a minimum.”
“Touching?”
She removes her hand from my hold. “What kind of touching? You can’t be groping me like a puppy in heat in public.”
“Casual waist grabbing, setting my arm around your shoulders, placing my hand on the small of your back.”
“As long as you don’t grab my ass in public, we’re good.”
“How about in private?” I ask deviously.
She glares at me.
I raise my hands in surrender. “It’s a joke. I wouldn’t make a pass without your consent.”
She goes back to scribbling on her tablet. “No falling in love.”
“Can you resist my charm?” I tease her.
“What charm?”
“I have some charm.”
She rolls her eyes. “Sure, you do. I’ll fight it, don’t worry.”
I’m not thrilled with her response or the rule. I want us to fall in love. Madly.
“Okay, so you don’t fall for me, but what would happen if I fall in love with you ?”
“Ugh, you wouldn’t.” Her exasperated tone makes me smile a little. She’s getting tired of my nonsense because she doesn’t believe we could be together. The question is, why?
“I could fall for you,” I insist. “You have charisma.”
She gives me a severe look. “Charisma isn’t enough to fall in love with someone.
It takes a lot more. You don’t settle for looks or chemistry.
Love is a deep connection between souls and hearts.
It’s knowing the other person’s flaws and still wanting to be with them because that’s what makes them so special. ”
I hang on to every word she says as if it’s gospel. Each sentence makes sense, but why can’t we try it with us? I don’t know if she’s insulting herself, me or…we could make it work.
She likes a challenge. I have one for her. “We should up the game, make it interesting.”
“No.”
“Winner takes it all.”
She gives me a look that says, are you out of your mind? “We’re competing against each other?”
“Hear me out, Nealy. This will blow your mind and feed that competitive heart of yours. Each one of us has two goals. The first one is to convince everyone that we’re madly in love?—”
“That’s our only goal.” She huffs.
“No. That's the main one, but we have another one, and they’re different. Your goal is not to fall in love with me.”
She chuckles. “And what’s yours? Try to have sex with me? I don’t think so, Spearman.”
“No. I’m going to show you that I can fall in love with you.”
Her eyebrows knit into an adorable frown. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s the beauty of this new challenge.”
“I’m confused.”
The car stops. We made it to work and it’s time to begin this game. “Save that confusion for later. It’s time to speak to HR about our newfound love.”
“Fine, but afterward, we’ll sign our private contract.”
I kiss her temple. “Anything for you, sweetheart.”