Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 31559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 158(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 158(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
“Do you have siblings?” she asks.
“No, I’m an only child,” I say as I spoon the melted butter over the charring meat. “I’m an only child of an only child. Our family is not doing much to help the declining birth rate. But they are keeping all the money inside a single silo, which is probably their goal. It keeps me busy, but now that you and I are married, I should start to delegate more things. I want to spend time with you and the family we’re gonna have.” I sneak a glance in her direction to gauge her response.
At her silence, I say, “Don’t want a family?”
She tilts her head to the side like she’s trying to envision this future I’m putting out there. “Of course. I’m struggling to adjust being in a fake marriage to you standing here making a steak sandwich and telling me you want to have kids with me. Like I want that, but I also feel like we skipped a lot of steps to get here.”
“The whole getting to know you bit? I agree.” I take the steak off the stove and let it rest under a tent of tinfoil. “But I think I should move in and fill in those steps.”
“Divorce is very common these days.”
I almost slice my finger off cutting the bread. “What do you mean?”
She pulls the cutting board to her side of the counter and takes over for me. “I mean, how do I know that I’m not going to wake up tomorrow and you’re gonna be like this isn’t gonna work for me, here’s your paycheck, thanks for the good times?”
“Saying ‘trust me’ isn’t going to work, is it?” She’s always been on the outside looking in, and the way that I started this relationship doesn’t give her a lot of confidence.
“Probably not.” She pushes the board back to me, the bread all evenly sliced.
I toast the bread and make a sauce while Belle gathers up plates and napkins.
“It’s legit of you to have doubts, and I think the only thing that will change your mind is time, but us being together makes the most sense, right?”
“The place is big enough for two of us,” she agrees.
That’s probably her subtle way of saying we should have separate bedrooms. I don’t push my luck, though. I cut the meat and start putting the sandwich together. She plates the meal, and we sit down to eat. I wonder if she notices how seamlessly we work as a team.
“I think the charity ball should be our first date,” I say in between bites.
“A ball?” She winces.
“Last time was a debacle, but it’s a good way for people to find out that I don’t have warts all over my body.”
“How will you convince people that you are Charles Wickham? At the luncheon, no one believed you.”
“Fortunately for both of us, I actually know the director of the charity. We went to school together, so she will vouch for us, but first, let’s get you a dress.”
Chapter Nineteen
ANNABELLE
Charles is quick. I thought I could multitask, but he has a million things going at once, like a couple of men bringing over some of his things, along with speaking to a few retailers about us coming in to find me a dress. This is all moving fast, but I have to say, his determination does bring me comfort. He wants this and is moving full steam ahead.
I was happy that he came back so quickly. I know I told him I needed time to think, but the opposite might be true. Oftentimes I tend to let myself get too far into my own thoughts.
“I know you think the office is too big for you and only your laptop, but I would enjoy sharing it with you.” The way his eyes soften around the edges when he talks to me has me agreeing. I love that he wants to be in my space. That he’s making such a big effort to know the real me.
I have to say, seeing him large and in charge is a turn-on. One I didn’t think could be, but a lot of things he does simply do it for me. I notice his shift in demeanor and even his tone when he speaks to me compared to when he speaks to others. I love that I get this softer side of him.
With everyone else, it's the orders and the finality with which he speaks. With me, he wants my response and then maneuvers from there; what I want is more important to him than his own wants.
“That would be nice.” If he was in there, I would enjoy that more. He nods and gives one of the movers direction.
“Now the dresses. I can set us up to go into the store, or I could see about having them brought here.”