6. Amelia
CHAPTER 6
AMELIA
A melia let out a long, slow sigh. She’d spent the morning sitting at her kitchen table with her laptop in front of her, scrolling through a job website. Her résumé was up-to-date, she’d chosen her references, and she had a few cover letters ready. She’d even starred a few potential jobs that would be a good fit for her experience and skill set.
Yet now that it was time to actually apply, she was having a very hard time bringing herself to do it.
She’d worked so hard at Shondyn to make the company the best it could be and to grow her own skills. Yet that had all fallen flat. Even though Amelia knew it wasn’t the case, she couldn’t help feeling like she’d failed. And the thought of another job that would take all her time and energy just wasn’t appealing at all.
Yet Amelia couldn’t afford to take more time off work. She had savings, but she also had bills to pay, and she needed a steady income. Now. The thought of seeing her nieces and nephews less hurt, but she wasn’t sure what else to do.
It was time to just apply for at least one of these jobs.
Amelia let out a long sigh. There was no point putting it off anymore. She selected one of the jobs she’d starred, more or less at random, and started uploading her résumé.
As though by serendipity, at that exact moment, her phone rang. She scrambled to answer it, eager for any distraction from her job search.
“Hello, Amelia Holland here.”
“Good morning, Amelia. This is Liam Bradshaw.” Amelia’s heart stopped at the familiar voice. Oh, no. This was the same businessman she’d let Jamie smear ice cream on. Her offer to pay the dry-cleaning bill was going to come back to hurt her. After all, with an expensive suit like that, dry cleaning might not be enough. Maybe Liam had needed to replace the suit and was going to ask her to pay for it.
If that happened, Amelia would be out thousands of dollars and would definitely need a job — yesterday.
“Hi, Liam. Did you make it to the dry cleaners?”
“The dry cleaners?” Liam sounded so confused that, for a moment, Amelia wondered if she somehow had the wrong man. But then he seemed to remember. “Right, the suit. Yes, my assistant took it in. Apparently, it wasn’t the first time they’d seen that much ice cream on a suit.”
Amelia chuckled nervously. “Well, I’m glad you were able to get that sorted out. Just send me the bill when you get a chance.”
“The bill?” Again, Liam sounded completely nonplussed. It was a little strange, given how worried he’d been about his suit the day before. “No, don’t worry about that. It’s taken care of. But perhaps you’d be willing to help me out in another way.”
Amelia’s brow furrowed. “How do you mean?”
“Would you be available to join me for lunch today?” Liam sounded ever so slightly nervous and, in that moment, Amelia’s heart melted. Perhaps she’d read the guy wrong the whole time. After all, today he was friendly and seemed to care not one bit about the suit. Plus, he’d just invited her to lunch.
Maybe he’d been having a bad day yesterday. Maybe this lunch was even supposed to be a date. Had Katie been right about the ice cream incident being a meet-cute? Despite herself, despite the fact that Amelia had a lot more on her mind than romance, she felt her heart flutter.
“Sure. It would be my pleasure.”
“Let’s meet at the Revena, around one?”
“Okay. See you then.” They disconnected the call. Amelia could feel that she was grinning and, slightly surprised, she lifted her fingertips to the corners of her mouth. It had been a while since she’d been so excited about anything except her young nieces and nephews.
Half an hour later, though, she was rather less excited. First, she’d looked up the Revena and seen that it was a very classy restaurant near the waterfront. There was no way she could afford anything more than a glass of water and an appetizer there. Then, she had gone to her closet to find an appropriate outfit — and determined that she didn’t have one. Her wardrobe was mostly business attire, slacks and skirts and blouses from her old job, plus a few pairs of jeans and T-shirts that she’d purchased more recently. None of it was exactly date wear.
Not that this was necessarily a date . Although Amelia couldn’t fathom why else the attractive Liam would invite her out to lunch on such short notice.
Finally, she settled on a pair of slacks and her most flattering cream-colored blouse. She still looked like she’d just stepped out of an office, but that was fine. It was a Tuesday, after all, and Liam didn’t have to know that she was unemployed.
Amelia capped off the outfit with a dash of lipstick and twisted her hair into a half bun, which she knew from experience was the best way to tame her blond hair. Finally, she smiled at herself in the mirror by her front door. She looked nice. She was ready.
As she got closer to the Revena, though, Amelia’s heart started to race. It had been a long time since she’d been on a date. The last few years had been dedicated to Shondyn, and even in college, she hadn’t been much of a dater. She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves, then stepped into the restaurant’s lobby.
“How can I help you?” A friendly-looking ma?tre d’ smiled at her from the front of the restaurant.
“Hi. I’m here to meet Liam Bradshaw. Perhaps he has a reservation?”
“I do.”
Amelia turned to see Liam striding towards her. He was dressed in a different suit today, this one in a dark navy. He looked perfectly put-together, every hair in place — except for one stray Cheerio on the leg of his slacks, which drew Amelia’s eye because it looked so out of place.
“Hello again.” Amelia gave what she hoped was a friendly smile. With any luck, Liam wouldn’t be able to tell how quickly her heart was racing.
“Hi, Amelia. Thank you for meeting with me today.” He turned to the ma?tre d’. “I believe I booked the tower room.”
“Yes, sir. Right this way.”
Amelia was slightly taken aback at the mention of a tower room. She’d expected to dine in a crowded restaurant, not a tower. But her apprehension faded when the ma?tre d’ led them up a flight of stairs and into a beautiful private room that was, indeed, at the top of a small tower. In the middle stood a large table made of some kind of dark wood, but the table the ma?tre d’ led them to was tucked into a window alcove overlooking the Bay. Amelia crossed straight to the window and looked down at the water below.
“Please, have a seat, and we’ll have a menu right with you.” The ma?tre d’ departed, and Amelia realized that she and Liam were alone together. She turned around and saw him leaning against the wall near the table, appraising her. When he caught her looking, he stepped forward to pull out her chair in a gesture Amelia could only describe as gentlemanly.
“Do you have any dietary restrictions? Anything you don’t like?” Liam asked.
Amelia shook her head. “I like most things.”
“Then I recommend we order the chef’s choice. I know the chef here personally, and he always curates a beautiful menu of local products.”
Amelia’s eyes widened slightly and she bit her lip. There was no way she could afford to pay for the chef’s special.
Liam seemed to read her mind, because he continued. “Cost isn’t an issue — I’ll cover the lunch.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t like the thought of letting him pay for lunch, but it would be more embarrassing to have to leave without eating because she couldn’t afford anything.
“Of course. So, Amelia, tell me a little more about yourself.”
Amelia blinked. Despite the romantic atmosphere of the tower room, that question seemed like it came from a job interview, not a first date.
“Well, as you know, I’m Amelia Holland. I was born and raised right here in San Francisco, and I have three siblings and five nieces and nephews, as you probably remember. How about you? Do you have any siblings?”
“No.” Liam took a sip of water. “And are you working at the moment?”
Again, Amelia felt a tingle of strangeness. Liam hadn’t seemed interested in answering her question. And now he wanted to talk about her job? Maybe she had just been off the market too long, but this was feeling less and less like a date to her.
“No, not at the moment.” She took another stab at conversation. “I remember you mentioned you work at Lilypad Learning, though. That must be fascinating. How do you like it?”
“I’m actually the CEO there, which I love. And Lilypad is a great company.” At just that moment, when Liam seemed on the verge of talking more, a waiter arrived with a menu. Amelia’s eyes widened at the realization that he didn’t just work for Lilypad, but actually ran it. That explained why he’d chosen such a nice restaurant.
“We’ll take two of the chef’s choice, please,” Liam said.
“Excellent choice, sir.” The waiter departed, and Liam turned back to Amelia.
“Where were we?”
“You were telling me about your work.”
“Right. Yes, my work is wonderful. Now, tell me, do you have experience with children other than your nieces and nephews?”
“Um…” Amelia couldn’t deny that this was getting a little too strange. She passed it off with a light chuckle. “I can’t help feeling a little like you’re interviewing me.”
Liam hesitated. Then he chuckled as well. “We’re just getting to know each other.”
“Okay…” Liam was still handsome and, despite his slightly strange questions, charming. “I suppose I’m just wondering exactly why you invited me to lunch.”
Liam sighed. “All right. I had hoped to wait a little before broaching this particular topic, but I suppose I’d better just say it.” He reached into the bag he’d brought and pulled out a slim folder. “Would you be willing to sign an NDA first?”
“Um…” Amelia gave another nervous laugh. “Why would I need to sign an NDA for our lunch?”
“I’ll be upfront with you.” Liam leaned forward and clasped his hands. His sea-blue eyes met Amelia’s with an intensity she couldn’t quite describe. “I invited you here to speak about a job. But before I can share any specific details, I’ll need you to sign the NDA.”
“A job?” Amelia felt herself deflating. This hadn’t been a date at all, just a job interview. Suddenly, Liam’s questions about her experience weren’t so strange at all. Although Amelia needed a job, badly, and Lilypad was a great company that she’d be happy to work for (if she wanted a job at all), this was disappointed. She’d thought there was a spark between her and Liam.
She’d been wrong.
“Exactly.”
“Okay. I have to ask, though, why we’re speaking about the job here, and not in your office. And why you’re interested in me , even though you haven’t seen my résumé. Do you even know what field I work in?”
“I’ll explain everything.” Liam tapped the folder with one finger. “Once you sign this.”
Curiosity won out, and Amelia took the pen Liam passed to her. She skimmed the papers, which essentially were an agreement not to share anything they talked about today, and signed them with a quick flourish. Then she handed the papers back to Liam, who checked her signatures, then slid the folder back into his bag.
“Thank you. And I do apologize for all the cloak-and-dagger.” He grinned and, despite herself, Amelia felt her heart flutter again. “Just so that we’re on the same page, you understand that the NDA you signed prevents you from sharing with anyone, including the press or other members of Lilypad, what we discuss today?”
“I understand.” Amelia’s curiosity grew. What kind of job could this be ?
“Great.” Liam sat back and folded his arms across his broad chest. “Then I can tell you that?—”
Just then, the door opened and the waiter entered. Liam fell abruptly silent. His firm gaze on Amelia told her in no uncertain terms that they needed to pause the conversation until they were alone. The waiter was carrying a large tray, on which Amelia spotted two endive salads spotted with cranberries and dressed with a green-colored vinaigrette. He set the salads on the table.
“Your first course.” He smiled at Amelia and Liam, then exited.
“What were you going to tell me?” Amelia asked. She was beyond curious.
“All right.” Liam let out a puff of air. “I recently gained full custody of a little girl — a child I conceived with a woman I wasn’t in a relationship with. Anyway, her mother passed away, and care of the little girl has been passed on to me. I have no idea what I’m doing.”
Amelia froze. Liam had a daughter he hadn’t known about? He was talking about a daughter — right? — even though he hadn’t used those words. Amelia wasn’t sure how to react.
“However, I am not… I am not able to be the parent she needs. And the fact that I am unmarried and have, well, an illegitimate child could create problems for my business.”
Still, Amelia didn’t say anything. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say. The fact that Liam was currently a single father and that he’d had a child while unmarried didn’t bother her at all — she knew a lot of wonderful single parents. But the fact that he didn’t know what he was doing, even though he’d been a father for at least some time… and that he seemed mainly concerned with the impact on his business, not the welfare of his daughter… those facts made Amelia much less impressed with him.
“So, you’re looking for a nanny.” Amelia finally found her voice.
“Not exactly. As I mentioned, the care of the little girl isn’t the only issue at hand. Another matter is keeping my traditional investors happy. What I’m looking for is a woman who can become my wife, in name only, to help care for the child and to preserve my reputation. Ideally, that woman would be you.”
Amelia’s mouth fell open. This was by far the strangest conversation she’d ever had. Was Liam really asking her to marry him? On their second meeting?
Even though Amelia wasn’t much for romance, she’d always had a picture in her mind of how she might one day meet a great guy and get married. She’d imagined how he might get down on one knee on a cliff overlooking the ocean, take her hand, and ask her to be his forever. Now, Liam was actually proposing, and it was the farthest possible scenario from the one she’d imagined. They were overlooking an ocean, but that was where the similarities ended.
Amelia was already shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Liam. I don’t know exactly how you thought this conversation was going to go, but I’m not going to agree to marry a man I just met, even if it’s just for show. Especially if it’s just for show!” She got to her feet. The salad course still sat untouched on the table, but wasting food was the least of her worries right now. “I wish you all the best with your situation.”
“Amelia, wait.”
She hesitated, then turned back to Liam.
“I haven’t mentioned the pay.” Then he named a figure so astronomically high that Amelia’s mouth fell open once again. With that kind of money, she’d be able to take years off work — perhaps the rest of her life, if she were frugal.
“That much?” she asked.
“Yes.” Liam stood, too, and crossed the room to stand in front of her. “Amelia, I know this is a very unusual proposition. I know you must have misgivings. But please, hear me out.”
With Liam standing so close to her, Amelia noticed how much taller he was than her. She noticed the definition of his muscles, the five-o’clock shadow on his high cheekbones, the line of tiredness beneath his blue eyes. She remembered the Cheerio on his slacks, which must have been from his daughter.
“I’m sorry.” Amelia shook her head. “Even for that kind of money, it doesn’t feel right.”
Yet, despite herself, Amelia didn’t walk away. She couldn’t bring herself to. Not yet.
“I understand. But there’s one more thing that might change your mind.” Liam pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it. After a few taps, he handed it to her. On it, Amelia saw a picture of a little girl. She was dressed in a pair of green leggings and a purple top. Her wispy blond hair was loose around her face. In one hand, she held a teddy bear. By Amelia’s estimation, she was around two years old, maybe a little older. She looked healthy enough, but her blue eyes, so like Liam’s, were unbelievably sad.
“This is Grace.” Liam’s voice was low. “She needs your help. I need your help.”
Amelia bit her lip. Then she let out a short sigh. “I still don’t love the idea of a fake marriage. Exactly how long would this last?”
“No more than a year,” Liam said hurriedly. She could hear a change in his tone. He felt like he’d won — and he probably had. “We can draw up a contract. Whatever you need there to feel comfortable, we’ll add. A payment schedule, a specific end date — whatever is necessary.”
Amelia looked down at the little girl in the picture and felt her heart ache. She’d agreed not to take another job that would take over her whole heart, but she needed to do this for the little girl.
The money wouldn’t hurt, either.
Nor would spending a little more time with Liam. Despite his strange approach to handling his sudden fatherhood, and his slightly abrupt nature, Amelia still found him intriguing.
“Yes.” The word slipped out before she had time to fully consider it. She looked up from the picture of the child to meet Liam’s eyes. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
“You will?” The relief and hope on Liam’s face was overwhelming. It transformed his face from firm and businesslike to something else. “Thank you, Amelia.”
“But we have to set some ground rules,” Amelia added firmly. “If we’re going to be… married… we should lay down the guidelines.”
“Of course. I couldn’t agree more.” In one quick motion, Liam turned away from Amelia and returned to the table. “Please, sit.”
Amelia followed him and sat back down. It felt a bit strange to be sitting across the table from Liam, their salads untouched in front of them, after the intensity of the conversation they’d just had. Amelia found herself picking up her fork and spearing a piece of lettuce. Liam followed suit.
“We should establish who will need to be told that we’re married,” Amelia began.
Liam held up a hand. “I’ve thought about this. Everyone. Rumors are the biggest thing that could endanger my career and reputation, so even one person knowing that we aren’t really together is too much.”
“Even my family?” Amelia asked.
“I suppose you can tell your close family members about our arrangement, if you can be sure they won’t speak to anyone. But your friends, everyone at my office — they need to believe that we’re really married.”
“And just to be clear, are you asking me to pose as Grace’s biological mother?”
“No, of course not. I don’t imagine anyone will ask, but if they do, we’ll tell them that Grace came from a previous relationship and that the two of us married relatively recently. If it doesn’t come up, we can let people believe that you are Grace’s biological mother, but I’m not asking you to lie about that.”
Amelia took another bite of salad and chewed slowly, trying to give herself time to think. It seemed like a reasonable plan, although she struggled with the lie of omission — as well as the actual lying.
“Okay. And when would you like me to start, as it were?”
Now Liam looked a little sheepish. It was another pivot from the confidence she’d seen on his face before. “Well… today?”
“Today?” Amelia couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“I really need help with Grace. She needs stability as soon as possible. And the longer we wait without you becoming my wife, the more chance there is for negative rumors to begin.”
Amelia would have liked to say that she needed to give notice at a job or tie up loose ends in her personal life, but the truth was that she could start right away. And some part of her wanted to. With a sigh, she nodded. “All right.”
“Really?” Liam leaned forward, those intense blue eyes focusing on her once again. His gaze made Amelia feel slightly tingly and very… visible.
“Yes.”
“That’s wonderful. After lunch, you can go pack up, and I’ll prepare your room.”
“My room?”
“Of course. People won’t believe you’re my wife if we aren’t living together. You’ll move into my apartment for the length of our agreement.”
“Right.” Amelia’s head spun. This was all too real.
Over the rest of lunch (which consisted of beautiful locally sourced dishes, just as Liam had said), they discussed the details. Amelia and Liam agreed on a timeframe, how she would be paid, and what would be expected of her. Yet Amelia didn’t really taste the lunch, nor did she process what they were agreeing on. One thought repeated in her mind, over and over. She was getting married and becoming a mother — in the strangest way possible.
After lunch, Liam gave Amelia a card with his address on it.
“Shall I send a car for you in a few hours?”
“No, thank you. I’ll come on my own.” Amelia wanted a little extra time to process everything that had just changed in her life.
“All right. Say around four?”
“Okay.”
They said their goodbyes, then Amelia set off towards home. She could have taken the bus, or even grabbed a cab (she usually shied away from the expense, but today was nothing if not a special occasion). Instead, though, she walked, enjoying the fresh air and calming her thoughts.
By the time she was home, Amelia had made up her mind. This was going to be okay. It was a lot of money, and it was a good thing to do for little Grace. She just needed to be careful. She needed to keep an emotional distance between herself and her fake husband. She found him attractive, but she had to set that aside. She had to focus on the little girl.
She could do this.