Chapter 3 #2
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to feel like I was the only one cleaning up either. I actually moved out of my college apartment because I couldn’t handle the level of filth my roommates lived in. That was a lot to deal with.”
“I bet.”
“Can I ask you a personal question that’s actually personal?”
“If you want, but don’t make a habit of stealing my lines,” she teased with a flirty tone.
“What about sex? It wasn’t in your proposal and if we’re married…” he trailed off.
“Oh, you can go elsewhere for that. I’m calling it the Open Door clause.”
He blinked as she waved his question away. “Uh, what?”
“I’m serious. I don’t think a permanent side person would be appropriate, but whatever you choose to do shouldn’t affect the life we’re building together.
Our relationship should always be the priority,” she explained.
“Of course, I’d expect you to be responsible, use protection, and not bring any babies home.
I want that double-income, no-kids lifestyle for at least five years. ”
“Okay.” He sat back in his seat, and she followed in hers. “What’s the catch?”
“Other than me?” Her cheesy grin was so infectious, he should’ve called the CDC.
He hid his smile behind a doubtful scoff. “You know what I mean. Women don’t usually say stuff like that.”
She sighed loudly as if she were in pain and muttered, “Thank Jesus they’re not here.”
“Who’s not here?”
“Look. I’m gonna need you to put those red flags down. Right now. This feels really promising so if there’s something you want to ask me, you don’t need to bring any preconceived notions, real or imagined, into it. Talk to me. Be here with me.”
No sunshine smile. No coy smirk. Just honest, all business, unflinching eye contact. This was great—fantastic, actually. He needed someone with a backbone who’d have no trouble holding their own with his family.
“All right.” He nodded, eager to see how far this could go. “If I have sex with someone else, you really won’t care? You won’t be upset if other people think I’m cheating on you? Or embarrassed that you’d have to explain we have an open marriage?”
“Open Door, not marriage. If it’s just sex?
Unlikely. If it turns into more and you’re emotionally attached to them?
” Her brow furrowed as she considered her invented scenario.
“More would bother me. I think I’d be sad.
If I found out I wasn’t important enough for you to honor our commitment… I’d be really sad about it.”
Her tone had gone soft enough for him to feel it in his chest. He saw it in her eyes—she was speaking from experience. Someone must’ve betrayed her heart.
That explained so much. She’d made it clear during their call that falling in love was not on the table and never would be.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked.
Surprisingly, she rolled her eyes. “We covered that.”
“Not completely. I understand all your big picture reasons, but I want to know the rest now. You’re holding something back.”
“Oof. You’re the first person to call me out like that.
The truth is I’m not built for casual and I sure as shit wasn’t built for a solitary life.
I’m my best self when I’m with other people.
I’m my best self when I’m surrounded by my loved ones.
” She finally took a bite of her cookie, and he forced himself to look at anything other than her mouth.
“Okay. I can see that.”
“Also, my best friends are in love with each other. Any day now, someone’s going to confess and being a third wheel is simply not in my ministry. I realized that I was ready to find my partner too. It’s just…time. It’s time to turn our trio into a quartet. We’re all open to it.”
“So.” He began drawing out the word as his gaze found hers. “Marrying you means I’m also marrying your friends? Wow, the Spice Girls were right after all.”
Something suddenly shifted in her eyes—from twinkling to full starlight as she laughed for the first time that day. Pure melodic joy that made his heart skip a beat.
“Sorry. I wasn’t expecting you to say that.” She covered her still smiling mouth, but her full cheeks and lovely eyes remained defiant.
“Don’t be.”
“I just could never be with someone who didn’t understand how important Grace and Fiona are to me. They’re on the same level as my parents.”
“Huh.” Her kind of loyalty really spoke to him. Came dangerously close to mirroring his own. He knew exactly what she’d meant because he needed the same in return for his family. “Are you always this open and straightforward?”
“Unfortunately. My mom swears it’s my fatal flaw.”
“I think it’s a good thing. A little intense, but good.” And so completely different from what he was used to, it made him feel lightheaded with disbelief. Potentially having a life with someone with no ulterior motives? Who valued honesty? Who wanted to be partners in all things? Impossible.
Zinnia could’ve been lying to him—desperation was likely blocking him from picking up on all the ways they wouldn’t fit together. Wanting to believe her felt as precarious as actually doing it.
“I have other reasons too,” she said thoughtfully. “I feel like this huge chunk of my life is on pause because I haven’t found someone yet and also? Everything is so expensive. The government literally punishes single people without kids with higher tax rates and no breaks.”
“I know. They could at least let us write off vet bills.” He laughed, still riding the high of hearing hers.
“Your accounting and finances plan was really good, by the way.” She’d emailed the document a prompt fifteen minutes after their call ended.
The fact that she wanted an ironclad prenuptial agreement was an immediate bonus for him.
“I’ve thought this through six ways from Sunday and consulted a lawyer,” she said. “I’m ready.”
Jordan had known people like her existed—voluminous and irrepressible, lighting up entire rooms just by existing inside of them—but he’d never met anyone actually like that.
He wished he had time to truly get to know her first, all her likes and little quirks, but that wasn’t in the cards this time around.
His family dealt in ultimatums. They’d forced his hand, so he had to keep thinking of her in terms of suitability.
And she was objectively perfect.
“I can tell,” he said. “Well, I’m in if you are. Let’s get married.”