Chapter 8

The First Kiss

“The way you say it, someone would have thought that I pretended to be your wife, not that you lied that you are married to me,” Emerald said as she walked in.

“I never lied,” Mathew said and she scoffed and walked over.

“Since you are awake. You can deal with the hospital matters. As for our deal. We need to talk it out,” she said.

“What is there to discuss?” he asked, “We are married.”

she always had a feeling his words meant something more when she heard it and it bothered her greatly.

“So, you need me to act as your wife at certain times and you will help me with the Mark Hartley issue right?” she asked.

“I will help you with the Mark Hartley issue,” he answered and she wondered why he did not answer the first half of that question.

“Alright, then. I will be leaving,” she turned to leave. When she first came over, she had a lot of words to say. But those words disappeared the more she stared at his handsome face. 

“I need to go, I have work to do. Since you are all here and your family is here, there is no need for me to return. It was nice meeting you,” she said and turned to leave.

“When can I come to pick you up?” Mathew asked.

“Pick me up?” Emerald could not help but ask, “To go where?”

“Home,” Mathew said and Emerald blinked in confusion.

“What home? I go home every day just fine, there is no need for you to pick me up.” Emerald answered.

“My home,” he said and Emerald thought he had lost his mind, she wanted to open his head and see what was happening inside.

“What does your home have to do with me? I am convinced you are crazy,” she said and made for the door.

“Emerald,” Mathew called darkly and the entire room froze, even Emerald. She turned back to look at him with a frown.

“I am coming to get you after handling matters. You either come with me, or I come with you. There is no other option,” he said.

She thought he had lost his mind and walked away.

That night, she received a call from her grandmother.

“What?” Emerald asked.

“Don’t speak to me in that tone. I am having dinner at the Ritz. Meet me there at 9,” she said and ended the call.

Emerald almost scuffed. She could ignore it if she wanted to. There is no way for the old woman to force her to go. But she was too curious. That night. She prepared and went over.

When she walked into the private room, she found her grandmother Martha, sitting stiffly with a middle aged man and an older woman. She also saw her uncle’s wife was in the room and walked in.

“You are late,” Martha said.

“You should be grateful I even came,” Emerald said and took a seat.

“What are you saying? Your grandmother was waiting for you for a while,” her aunt Sandra interjected.

Emerald did not bother answering her. She barely acknowledged those around when she zoned in on Martha seated in front of her and raised a brow.

“Does her grace need something?” she asked and her grandmother, Martha, paused at her words.

She could not believe Emerald used that tone with her in public.

“Do you not know how to greet?” Martha asked.

“You have still not spoken,” Emerald responded and her frown deepened. 

Seeing their interaction, Sandra could not help but let out a small smile. She was quite pleased that this girl and her grandmother were not on good terms. That way, no one would fight for property with her son and daughter.

“These are the Taylors, greet them,” Martha introduced the unfamiliar man and older woman. 

She knew the Taylors. They were a wealthy family with an infamous son, Daniel Taylor Infamous for his debauchery. 

He was known as a man who kept women too many to count. There were other rumors about his uselessness that made its rounds around society.

Emerald raised a brow at this statement, “And why are they my concern?” she asked.

“You are to marry him in a week,” Martha said and she smiled lightly.

“Do you really think you are in medieval times because people respect you? You don’t get to decide who I marry. What do you think you could possibly offer for me to agree to the marriage?” she asked and Martha frowned.

She was quite rebellious, not like her little cousin.

As though Emerald could reason his mind, she scoffed.

“You arranged a quick wedding for my cousin with the man I was dating and want to do the same with me? Who was he dating? Who gave you this courage?”  Emerald asked as she poured herself a glass of wine and took a sip.

Daniel almost choked on his drink at her words.

“What are you going to say to convince me?” she asked.

“You don’t care if I remove you from my will?” Martha asked and she chuckled.

“Only an idiot like you would think that your family is what it used to be and is worth anything. Even if I bowed to you everyday, you would still not add me to your will, so why are you throwing useless things at me?” she asked and she slammed the desk.

“Insolent!” Martha bellowed, scaring those on the table. Her reaction made those around frown.

The man in question looked at Emerald with interest. It was clear she did not care about the Jackson family or its interests and this old woman wanted to sell her off?

“So, you will not marry?” she asked.

“Why would I do that? Did your granddaughter not tell you I am already married?” Emerald asked and the old woman sat up abruptly. 

“You married without my permission?” she asked.

“Again with the ancient talk. Someone would have thought you were an empress in ancient times. What does my marriage have to do with you?” Emerald had enough of this conversation and had started getting up. 

“You married without telling the family? What family is she from?” Sandra asked. She was curious if this girl had managed to marry well.

“If I did not bother to tell you, you should mind your business,” Emerald said and Sandra visibly relaxed. She guessed that Emerald’s husband must not have been anyone of importance.

Emerald spotted Matthew outside the restaurant window and wondered what he was doing out of the hospital that fast.

But this was her chance to kill all thoughts about her. 

“My husband is here,” she said and picked up her bag to leave. 

She could still tell even when she stepped out into the cold night air that their group had followed her out. 

She was too anxious to leave. 

She did not want to talk to them any longer. She spotted Mathew whose car just arrived and walked around his car to where he stood.

“Honey, please lend me your lips for a moment,” she said and hooked her arm around his neck, pulled him down and covered his lips with hers.

Mathew had noticed her the moment she walked outside and was acting as though he had not. But the moment he turned, she claimed his lips.

“Honey, lend me your lips for a bit,” he heard and a small arm hooked his neck and brought his face to another, nothing short of beautiful and warm lips covering his. 

He felt as though his head had exploded as a sudden need to respond filled him. But before he could react, she had pulled away and entered his car dragging him in. 

“Drive,” Elena said.

The driver looked to him through the rear view mirror asking if they should leave and he nodded absentmindedly. 

Just as the car pulled away, the woman broke down inside. Her already pounding heart was clamoring in her chest as though begging to be let loose. 

Only then did he realize her heartbeat was familiar, and the smell coming off her, it was what he caught a whiff of in the restaurant. His eyes were fixed on her face as she sat there, seemingly composed.

Emerald was in no way composed. But this act she had started, she was going to finish it to the end. She had been looking back once in a while to make sure they had completely left her enemies behind.

Only then, did she pay attention to the man beside her. She looked into his slightly dark eyes and held her smile don’t look at me that way I was just doing it to get rid of some people 

“Thank you so much for helping me .You can drop me right there at the junction,” she said.

If his eyes were dark before they were even darker now but she had no intention of staying back. I’m not waiting to see what happens, she thought.

She was really scared inside and she was done with this game, She was done with his night.

Matthew ordered his driver to stop her at the junction, but he did not stop staring right at her. It was almost as though if she moved wrong for one moment, he would swallow her whole.

The car rolled to a stop at the junction and Emerald got off the moment her feet touched the concrete floor. 

“Thank You, handsome,” she said, walking away in brisk steps, almost as though she was afraid if she waited one moment, he would walk out of that car and come for her.

She had never felt such danger so close before, her heart was beating so loud, she thought she might die. 

When inside her taxi going home, she called Emily.

“Hey Em” Emily answered.

“Come and take my body, I have died in front of the Ritz,” Emerald said dramatically and the taxi driver could not help but look back at her.

“The Ritz, you died at a good place. Was it a good last meal?” Emily asked.

“I didn't even get to taste the food, I only had a sip of wine. Why was I acting cool?” Emerald cried.

“What were you even doing there that you did not eat?” 

“My grandmother called me over,”

“You went?” Emily’s voice rang through the taxi.

“I was curious!”

“What did she want?”

“To arrange a marriage for me,” she answered and Emily cursed.

“Does that old woman have no shame?”

“She does, it is trapped under the folds of her chin,” Emerald answered.

“Who did she arrange for you? Don’t tell me it is something out of a drama and she got an old man,” Emily asked.

“Worse, she said I should Marry Daniel Taylor. She said, you are to marry him in a week,” Emerald scuffed.

“She should marry him herself then. That walking brothel has no age limit, I am sure he would not mind a woman her age,” Emily cursed.

“What does she have to do with me? It is the modern day. She does not have any control over my life so, it does not concern me, I am sure that girl went to cry yesterday about something,” Emerald said with a scuff.

“Then why do I have to pick up your body?” Emily asked.

“I told them I am married,”

“Oh no…” Emily interjected.

“And look who was right outside the Ritz about to leave,”

“God, please no,”

“My husband of course. So I strut outside and give him a big kiss,” Emerald said.

“Oh god, the body is cold now, what will I do?”

“Should I surrender to the universe and die? Why won’t this ground open and take me?” Emerald cried.

Emerald went home that day, and took out a bucket of ice cream and talked to Emily all night. 

She told Emily what she and Mathew had agreed on and when word swayed back to their kiss, Emily felt like dying.

They talked all night, not getting any sleep. But when Emerald finally closed her eyes, she was back to that spot kissing him again.

It was as though her dreams were punishing her. 

But bad things come in twos. Because the next day was going to be worse as she got an alert from work that their company had been bought and she would need to join the team welcoming the new CEO.