Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
T hey arrived at Birdy's office thirty minutes later, having taken Jules' car. Fish had no qualms when she had indicated the passenger seat. He'd nodded, but instead of reaching for the passenger side door handle, he'd rounded the car and opened the driver's side door.
At first, Jules thought she was about to have a fight on her hand. Amari always insisted on driving, even if it was Jules' car. Fish didn't reach for her keys. He simply opened the door and stepped back as though he was waiting for her to climb in. A full minute later, Jules realized that was indeed what he was waiting for.
Once she'd climbed in, he'd waited again. His gaze shifted pointedly to the seatbelt at her shoulder. Not until she was securely strapped in did Fish gently shut the door and round the back of the vehicle to climb into his side. Once buckled in, he lounged back in his seat, looking supremely comfortable, like he didn't have a care in the world.
Jules started the vehicle and pulled out onto the street. The drive to the law office was quiet. Not a tense quiet like the few times she'd driven Amari around. Amari had winced and squirmed and gasped at every left-hand turn, every yellow light, anytime she put on her blinker to change lanes. Not Fish. He didn't tense or wince once.
He was always quiet. Had been since the day she'd met him. The only sounds she normally heard the man make were grunts of assent or groans of appreciation. Those groans were always after he'd taken a bite out of whatever pastry she'd put in his hands.
Fish had become her taste tester of sorts. She'd concoct new recipes each week, eager to have him try them out Monday morning, when she would listen for that groan of appreciation. Amari rarely indulged in any of her pastries. Come to think of it, he barely made a sound when he kissed her.
"Do you want to do it together?"
Jules slammed on the brakes, causing the car to jolt to a stop. They both lurched forward, their seatbelts catching them just before they hit the dashboard.
"Sorry!" Jules eased off the brake, pulling into a proper parking spot. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
"Everything all right?"
Jules' mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, most of them centering around Fish. The way his broad shoulders filled out his shirt, the spark in his eyes she had never noticed before, those faded smile lines around his mouth. Mostly, she found herself thinking about what it would be like to kiss him, to feel his lips against hers, to taste the sweetness of his breath.
"You didn't answer me. Do you want to do it together?"
Jules' heart pounded as she stared at him, then at his mouth. She struggled to find her voice. He can't be asking about kissing, can he? That wasn't part of the agreement. But it would be when they said their vows.
Fish tilted his head, waiting for her response. "Do you want to go in together to see the lawyer, or do we do it separately?"
Jules' mouth rounded in an O, and she let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, right. Together. We're going to do it together." Then her eyes went big, making two more O-shapes. "I mean, we're going to go in and talk to the lawyer together."
She reached for the handle of her door. Fish's large hands came to rest on her forearm. A shiver ran through her flesh at the spot where he touched her.
"Let me open the door for you, Jules."
"That's not necessary."
"Of course it is. I was raised a gentleman."
And so Jules waited, even though she could open her door perfectly fine by herself. She waited again when Fish stepped in front of her to open the door to the law office. Then one more time as he opened the inner door that lead to her cousin's suite. While she waited, she realized she didn't know much about her husband-to-be's background.
She knew he was Asian, like her. Jacqui had mentioned he was originally from Korea and had been adopted. That was all either of them knew about his parentage. Now Jules wondered about the people who raised the gentleman who was offering her their name to help her achieve her dreams.
As she and Fish stepped into the cozy reception area, Jules was surprised to see her sister and Noah sitting together, deep in conversation with Birdy. Well, Jacqui was in deep conversation with Birdy. Meanwhile, Noah was having an argument with Birdy's parrot.
"So your name's not Polly. Is it Pirate?"
"Objection, your honor," screeched the parrot.
Jules' grandmother, N?inai, sat in Birdy's chair behind her desk, her elegant posture radiating calm as she reviewed some paperwork. Despite her seventy years, she looked remarkably youthful, her skin still smooth and her eyes sharp and intelligent. Her presence exuded a quiet strength and grace, the kind that only comes with age and wisdom.
Birdy, dressed in a smart suit that highlighted her professional demeanor, stood beside the desk. Her dark hair was pulled back into a neat, professional bun, accentuating her sharp features and no-nonsense attitude. The young lawyer was all confidence and competence, a perfect complement to the elegant calm of her grandmother.
Bunny, Birdy’s half-sister, was also there, leaning against the desk with a more relaxed posture. Her dark hair and caramel skin made her stand out, a striking contrast to Birdy’s more polished appearance. Bunny’s expression was animated as she argued with their grandmother over the paperwork spread across the massive desk, her eyes flashing with determination.
"Come on," hedged Noah. "If you tell me, I'll give you a cracker."
"Sign on the dotted line."
"Wait? Is that a deal?"
Birdy looked over to Noah with an annoyed scrunch of her nose and caught sight of Jules standing in the doorway. She opened her hands, indicating the crowd gathered in her office, and gave Jules a helpless shrug.
Jules was about to turn around and rush Fish out of the office and away from her nosy family when her sister caught sight of her. Not because the Chou women couldn't keep a secret. Because the Chou women would try to take over the whole operation.
"Jules, what are you doing here? And…Fish?"
Jules ran her hand down the front of her skirt, trying to project calm and cool. Her family could smell fear. "Uh, we have an appointment with Birdy."
"We?" asked Bunny, tilting her head to the side in more of a bird-like motion.
"We’re just finishing up here." Birdy moved toward the door. She was the only one doing so. The rest of their family held their positions, their gazes never shifting off Jules and Fish. Well, except Noah, who was still waiting for the parrot to give up her name.
"What's this appointment about?" asked N?inai.
"It's private," said Jules. "Lawyer client confidentiality."
"Who's the client?" asked Jacqui. "You? Or you and Fish?"
"Wait a minute," said Bunny. "I saw a prenup draft on Birdy's desk when I came in."
"Are you two…?" Jacqui pointed between them.
"What about Dr. Mensah?" asked N?inai.
"Did you finally come to your senses and dump the doctor?" said Bunny.
"Hey," said Jules. "You said you liked him."
"I said it sarcastically," said Bunny. "Now I can say it truthfully. I do not like him."
"Me neither," said Jacqui. "He was so bossy."
"Pot meet kettle," said Jules. "And we're still together."
Bunny and Jacqui looked at Fish, who blessedly remained mute.
Jules looked at her grandmother, who watched the scene play out with interest. They were supposed to try and keep this a secret, but secrets didn't keep in the Chou family. And there was no way she was getting them out of here now that they scented blood in the water.
"Fine. If you must know, Fish and I are entering into a marriage of convenience so I can get my inheritance. There's nothing in Yéye's will that says the marriage has to be for love. So it's going to be practical."
"You're right," said N?inai. "There's nothing in your grandfather's will that says the marriage has to begin as a love match."
She was smiling when she said those words. Why was she smiling? And at Fish.
"This is great," said Bunny, going over and hugging Fish. "I always liked you."
Fish stood stiffly, receiving the affection. He looked down at Jules like his nickname; a fish that had come flopping out of water.
Jacqui was next. But she didn't hug Fish. She gave him an awkward pat on the shoulder.
Noah clapped him on the back, then offered him a rough handshake while sporting a wide grin. A wide, knowing grin.
Jules watched her family with complete disbelief. Had no one liked Amari, the man she'd dated for over two years and had agreed to marry? Not that he had officially asked. But they had an understanding.
And now their understanding was that she would marry Fish and keep it quiet. Jules realized she might keep that tidbit to herself so that when the time came for the annulment and real marriage, they wouldn't be too hard on Amari. Not that they had any love lost right now.
Birdy cleared her throat, drawing their attention back to the matter at hand. "All right, if you two are ready, let’s get started."
"Started on what?" asked Bunny.
Birdy held her tongue, finally displaying a bit of confidentiality.
"Jules and I have some things to discuss," said Fish. It was the first words he'd spoken. He marched forward and pulled out a chair for her. Then he turned to everyone else. "If you'll excuse us."
It took a second, but they all got the hint. Not only did they get the hint, they actually took the hint. One by one, they filed out. But not before thumbs-up, huge grins, and more claps on Fish's back. The rest of the meeting with Birdy passed in a blur of legal jargon and signatures.