While Nickolas's offer was extraordinarily generous, I told him I needed at least a day to think about it. I couldn't stop feeling like I was prostituting my body out for money.
I mean, I incidentally was, just not in the way that, well, the other types of ladies do, and if my grandma ever found out, she wouldn't be too pleased with me.I'm not going to lie. That money is sounding pretty darn good to me right now, I just need to think about it a little more. I would sign myself away for months.My life will turn into chaos with the media hounding us about the engagement and being dragged along to events with boring, stuffy nosed people wanting to make more money.Nickolas explained to me just what exactly he would expect of me during our little contract time.I have to stay at his house. I will have to help him host dinner parties for significant, rich families, and I will always have to look my best while doing it.A CEO's fiancé is expected to maintain a certain appearance, and he will demand I uphold the expectations set forth for me. He also told me that while I will be held to those expectations, he will be free to do whatever he wishes.He made sure I knew fully that what is between us is strictly stated in the contract. Not only that, but he will be allowed to bring women home, and I will be forced to turn the other cheek.I also had a minor problem with that. As soon as I saw his handsome face again, that small crush I had years ago came back full force, and images of me pleasuring myself to him only made that contract sound like a bad idea.I'd be stuck in a house with him, hearing him having sex with other women, and I'm not too embarrassed to admit I'd feel that, and it would probably upset me.I don't know if I can truly keep my heart out of this arrangement. I was already halfway in love with him years ago. I'm actually scared I will fall even more in love with him, and when the contract ends, sure, I'll have the money, but I won't have him. I just don't know if I can separate this from my heart.I decided to go visit my grandma the next morning. I need to make sure she knows that just because she forced me to let her live her, it doesn't mean I'm going to act any differently than I was before.I'm going to want to make sure she was being taken care of, if her medicine was being given to her at the correct times, and of course, I wanted to make sure they were all treating her well, because if they were not, it will be my turn to force her hand“Mae Campbell,” I told the lady who was sitting behind the front desk.“Yes, she should just be finishing up with her breakfast,” she told me and motioned for me to go ahead into the building towards the cafeteria.“Thanks,” I mumbled and looked around. The elderly people sitting around drinking coffee and talking looked relatively happy, I guess that's a good sign.As soon as I turned the corner, my eyes landed on my grandma, and I was pleased to see she was sitting at a small table laughing with another lady while showing her a scarf she was making.“Hey grandma,” I whispered and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. “Are you doing okay?” I asked, pulled out a chair next to her, and sat down.“Of course. They are taking excellent care of me, dear. You don't need to worry, I promise you. Renee, this is my daughter Macy. Macy, honey, this is a friend of mine from high school Renee. We were just chatting, haven't seen each other in years,” my grandma explained, I watched as her smile brightened, and the breath I didn't realize I was holding slowly slid out of me.“Mae here was just showing me a scarf she was making you for Christmas -” Renee had started to say, but quickly raided her hand to cover her mouth. “Oh goodness, look at me, never can keep my mouth shut.”“It's fine,” my grandma said and patted Renee's hand. “Macy knows I make her a new one every year. She would be expecting a new one anyway.”“I really would,” I giggled, and as I giggled, my heart squeezed inside my chest.How many more scarves will my grandma be able to make me?Will she be here next year to make me one?She thinks I lose the ones she makes me every year for Christmas, but what she doesn't know is, I keep them all inside a box just in case. Those scarfs are made with love from her, and I never want to lose them. I know they are just silly scarfs to some, but to me, one day, it may be one of the few things I have to remember my grandma by.I closed my eyes and inhaled a shaky breath. “Okay lady. I know you got the gossip. Spill the tea,” I joked, needing to change the subject to something light, and I know my grandma always has some tea to pour over.She really is a sweet, little, old gossiping lady.I sat and listened to her, explaining that they have a couple here getting married. Not legally, because one has dementia and isn't in her right mind.The couple gave the staff so much hassle about getting married, and wanting to be in the same room, the staff decided to humor them just to make them stop.“Are you married, dear?” Renee asked, and I almost choked on the apple juice I was drinking.“Oh no, ma'am,” I rushed, feeling embarrassed.“I have been telling her she needed to find a boyfriend. I won't be here forever. I have to know she is taken care of-,” my grandma launched in on her favorite topic, me finding a relationship, but her words were cut short as she started to cough. Her body shoved violently as she shoved her hands against her mouth.“Are you okay?” I murmured and patted her gently on her back to help her cough up whatever her lungs needed to come out.“Yes dear, I'm ok-,” she started to say, but again, those words were cut short by another harsh round of coughing.“Do you want to go back to your room for a while, grandma?” I asked gently, worried that she was pushing her body too much.“No, I am tired of being stuck in a room-” my grandma whispered.“You don't need to worry anymore, grandma. I found a man” the little white lie slipping through my lips, just wanting her to worry less about me, and more about herself right now.“Oh really? Tell me,” she ordered, and her worried frown has now been replaced with a bright smile.“You remember Nickolas?” I asked her, trying to keep my tone even. “He came into the clinic the other night, and, well, we went to dinner and things led in the right direction. So you never know, I could have a boyfriend soon.”I feel bad for lying, well, not technically lying. When I witnessed how much worse my grandma's coughing had become, I made up my mind. I will sign the contract. I will agree with this arranged marriage. I'll do anything to have more time with my grandma.Nickolas P.O.V.I'm fighting the need to throw my whiskey glass into the fire. My father keeps dragging on and on about the topic of me finding a wife.I informed him I had been looking for a woman that I might like, and I tried my best to keep any information about Macy to myself, but it was proving to be difficult.“Sweetheart, I wanted to have a nice family evening. Dinner was lovely. Let's not ruin the night. Nickolas knows what he must do, and he will,” my mom told my dad gently and kissed his cheek. “I know you are worried about the company, but if he must marry, I want it to be with a woman he can at least be a little happy with.”Just as I thought she was sticking up for me, she goes and ends with that. My mom is a very strong-minded person and has her opinions, but she never interferes with the company. I just wish she could understand me and would be on my side for once, but I know that's asking too much.“I can't just let it go honey, if I give an inch, the boy will take a mile. He thinks I don't read those silly gossip magazines. He is seen with a new woman every other night. It needs to end, and if he wishes to take over the company, he will end these tiresome childish games.”"You both do not need to worry. I met a girl the other night at the vet clinic when the Beast needed to be seen. She is a lovely woman, I think you would both approve," I informed them, but really, I was speaking directly to my dad."I'll want to meet her soon," he grunted, narrowed his eyes, and looked like he truly didn't believe a work I had just said."I'll set something up soon. Just remember it's new, and we don't want to scare her away," I told him and drank the rest of my whiskey in one sip. "Thanks for dinner, mom. I'm going to head home now. I'll speak to you both tomorrow."Now, I can only pray Macy will make the right decision for us both. I gave her my address. She knows where they find me. The ball is in her court. I don't need to beg her. She is the one who needs money. I could find any girl in the city.I stayed for a few hours, had dinner with her, and listened to stories from the past of her and Renee's high-school antics. Apparently, my grandma used to be the rebel type back in her day, black fingernails, and leather jackets, and she explained to me all the crazy different colors she used to add to her hair.I never had nursing home food, and I was happy to know my grandma was at least eating well while staying there. The chicken fried steak and green bean casserole were wonderful, I just had to add a tiny extra salt and pepper. I kissed my grandma goodnight and told Renee that I'd be back to play a game of dominoes with them and headed home.I made my decision. Becoming his bride, all because I signed a contract, wasn't something I wanted to do, but it was something I was going to have to do for my grandma. She is getting worse, and if they called tomorrow for her transplant, I wouldn't be able to afford it. I went straight home and packed a suitcase. I was almost positive he
I will admit, tonight's supper could have gone a lot better and a bit more smooth on both of our parts. The lady continued asking me uncomfortable and unneeded questions, which were just resulting in me becoming apprehensive about myself and would wind up with me shuffling over my words. It also did not encourage me when Nickolas was shooting daggers at me each time I said something he found inappropriate. I was trying my best with what limited knowledge I knew about our contract, but it's not like I could outright lie when one of the Johnsons would ask me something about my home life. I have no shame about anything that has happened to me in the past, and I will not be apologizing because my mother was indeed absent from my life because she became a substance misuser. I'll admit, I could have probably kept that little piece of information to myself. Again, I was not thoroughly prepared when I came here tonight to be thrown to the wolves. That's undoubtedly how I, personally, vi
Today is already starting out unpleasant. I tore my second favorite scrub bottoms, the ones that bore adorable kittens on them. My grandma had struggled to sew the hole shut and ended up giving up because her shaking hands can no longer handle the needle and thread anymore.Then I was at the pharmacy to pick up my grandma's new medication, and the pharmacist tried telling me my grandma's health insurance was canceled. I couldn't afford to pay for her medicine without the insurance. After ten minutes of arguing with the older lady, I stepped aside, called her health insurance company. I then proceeded to be on the phone with a man who sounded very annoyed with his job.And now I am stuck in traffic and have been in the same spot for at least twenty minutes. Twenty minutes doesn't sound like enough time to get someone frustrated, but as I already said, it's been a rough day. It would be so much easier if my brother was still here. Sadly, he passed away when I was just sixteen years o
Macys P.O.VMy alarm goes off the next morning and pulls me out of the pleasant dream I was having; in my dream, my grandfather and I were engaged in a game of cards. After hastily reaching for my phone off the nightstand, I silenced the alarm and fell back down in bed for a few moments to reflect on the past few years of my life.My grandparents have been me and my brothers' primary caregivers for the past twenty-two years of my life. As soon as I was born, my mother began doing drugs because she was unable to cope with the death of my father. One day, she said she wanted to introduce us to my grandparents, so she brought me and my brother over to their house. She lied to them that she needed to go to the store to pick up a few things, and she never came back to get me after she left.At least Mother didn't start using drugs until after I was born, which is a huge relief.Little favors, I guess. They didn't give it a second thought to take us in and raise us. Over the course of the
When I step into the kitchen, I notice my grandmother standing in front of the stove. My grandfather remodeled this kitchen for her many years ago, claiming that she spent so much time in it that she deserved a lovely one. It wasn't even horrible before; I simply think he wanted to do something special for her, and he knew how much she enjoyed cooking. For her, he upgraded the refrigerator and stove. If you don't want a complete tour of her restaurant-style oven, don't even bring it up. She jerked her oxygen tank as she reached for the bowl of sliced strawberries and poured them onto the skillet. "You should be laying down, Grandma." I tell her quietly, a scowl on my lips forming as I wrapped my arm around her and hugged her. "Ava, every morning, you tell me that, and I tell you the same thing. I'd be better off dead if I stayed in bed all day. Let me look after you while I'm still here, okay?" She whispers sweetly, encircling me with one arm and caressing me back as the other hold
I'm ten minutes from the vet clinic and pulled into the convenience store on the same road, needing to get a few things to get my tired body through the long hours of work. I quickly killed my car, grabbed my purse, opened the door and stepped out, and locked it before heading into the store.“Hi Mr. Charlie,” I greeted the elderly man who owned the store and headed straight towards the back of the store to the fridges that held the drinks.I needed an energy drink.“Hello dear. How's Mae doing today?” He asked about my grandma, worry lacing his voice. I actually think he has a crush on my grandma. His wife died years ago due to a bad car wreck, and I am told by my grandma herself that Mr. Charlie was a very funny man. Whatever that means. My grandma though will never move on from my grandpa and the thought makes me both happy that he would never get replaced in her heart and sad for her because that means she will stay alone until it was her time to meet back up with my grandpa i
I made it home a few minutes later, and to my horror, my grandma was standing outside in the light drizzle, holding her portable oxygen tank tightly in her arms and waved me at me when I stopped the car directly in front of her.“Grandma, what are you doing? I would have gone inside to help you,” I complained, leaned over, and opened the door for her. “You should not be outside in this weather.”“Oh, Macy, it's alright,” she gasped and climbed into my car. “Let's go.”“Where are we going?” I asked her, hoping she would give me the answer this time.She didn't answer me again. Instead, she was typing something on her phone, and suddenly, I heard the GPS robotic voice telling me to stay straight for two miles.“Okay,” I exhaled, put the car into drive, and headed down the road, curious as to what was going on. Why is she acting weird about this errand? “Why can't you tell me now? Is something wrong?” I asked quickly, thinking something was wrong.“Just drive, sweetie,” my grandma said,
I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm actually going to meet my dead brother's old fraternity brother, who I have not seen or spoken to in years. He said he had an offer to make me, and I'm drowning right in. Anything could help me at this point. I'm hoping he will give me is a job. That suit he was wearing today didn't look expensive, neither did the watch he had on his wrist that only made the tattoo around his wrist more pronounced. I was nervous as I pulled up into the abandoned parking garage. It's late at night, and it's passed dark out. I had realized I have watched far too many horror movies. It's never a good idea for a woman to be walking around a garage late at night when no one is around to hear her scream. It is unclear to me why we couldn't have had this conversation during the day. Instead, I feel like I'm doing something shameful, sneaking around at night when no one is around to see. I walk towards the elevator and notice a man still sitting inside the small securi