Chapter 17
Erica
“What the hell did I agree to?” she whispered when she woke up the following morning.
She pulled the duvet up to her chin so only her face was visible. If Erica was hoping for a reply, none came. The sun was streaming through the crack in the curtain, telling her she was late for her swimming session.
But what if she bumped into Archer?
Did she really agree to be his wife?
Staying as much under the covers as she could, Erica stretched her arm out to snatch her phone from the nightstand. She’d call Yanny and thrash it out with him.
“What’s happened?” Yanny said as soon as he picked up the phone.
“Why do you think something has happened?”
“You never call me. I always have to call you.”
“That’s not true,” Erica replied, thinking of half a dozen times she’d called him in the last month .
“Okay, but it’s unusual to get a call from you when you’re hiding out.”
“I think I’ve agreed to get married.”
Silence drifted down the line.
“Are you still there?” Erica asked, bringing the phone away from her ear to check they were still connected.
“The thing is,” Yanny said, hiding his hysterical laughter poorly. “You’ve recently got divorced, and you said, many, many times, you would never get married again. I saw you two weeks ago. How the holy hell can you be engaged already?”
“Well, the maintenance guy isn’t the maintenance guy. He’s the heir apparent for the entire island. The problem is, for him and his siblings to run the hotel and wedding business, he needs to find a wife, or his old-fashioned aunt won’t sign over the business.”
“Does he know who you are?”
“I don’t think so. Archer says he hates movies and has seen the first ten minutes of one film in his life.”
“Is he hot?”
“Smoking hot.”
“Are you being overwhelmed by his six-pack? Deprivation making you desperate? Are you agreeing to marry him to feel good about yourself, so you know you’re still desirable when your ex-husband hooked up with a woman a decade younger than you?”
“Ouch and no.”
“Then why has he presented you with the same scenario as the movie you’ve just won an Oscar for?”
“It’s not exactly the same. I don’t think the aunt will slowly poison him and me while we dine at her table.”
“What does he think you’re going to get out of it?”
“My desire to see his siblings settled. ”
“He will not buy that. Why not tell him the truth of why you’re hiding out?”
“Because he’ll think I’m only marrying him to shove it in Gregg and Monica’s face.”
“And you’re not doing that?”
Silence again, this time Erica.
“I don’t think that’s my motive. I can get divorced as soon as Archer gets the business.”
“How long will that be?”
“Three months. Then I could walk away.”
“You’re only booked in there for two months. Do you want me to extend your stay?”
“Let me talk to Archer. We didn’t discuss any details.”
“Did you kiss him?”
“Um,” Erica said.
“Erica.” Yanny said her name with a sigh.
“I’m totally in control. If we’re to pretend to be madly in love, then it’s only natural there will be PDA.”
“How much did you practise?”
“Yanny.” It was Erica’s turn to use a name as a warning.
“Erica,” he snapped.
“All right, it was a couple of kisses, and that’s it. After our agreement, he left me to my lines and disappeared into the darkness of the gardens.”
“I’m not sure you’ll come out of this deal unscathed lovely,” Yanny said gently.
“I’ll be fine. It’s not like I’m announcing the engagement or the marriage. As with old-fashioned people, it will be sedate and low-key. Archer will get what he wants, and I’ll get what I want.”
“I’m invited to the wedding, right?” Yanny asked.