Chapter Three

Two weeks had passed since Jack proposed to Lisa. Neither had heard from the other and Lisa had finally relaxed, it looked like her job was still safe. Jack had also not tried to reach her again so she took it to mean that he had given up on the idea or perhaps, he'd found someone else. For someone who had refused Jack's proposal, Lisa was surprised to find that she wasn't thrilled at the prospect of Jack marrying someone else. But that was over, she'd put a cap in it and she hadn't heard from Jack ever since. Until that morning. 

Lisa got to work bright and early as usual and set about the day's activities. At 10 am, she was nose deep in a pile of paperwork, so much so that she didn't notice the delivery man until he was right in front of her. 

"Excuse me, ma'am, I have a package for a Lisa. I assume that would be you since I was directed to come here."

Lisa looked up to find a teenager staring nervously at her. "Yes, I'm Lisa."

"Great, sign here." He handed her a paper where she signed her name and then he handed over the package to her. 

Lisa looked for the note in the bouquet of flowers but there wasn't any. The boy had also left a box of expensive chocolates, Lisa knew because she'd seen them at the store before. But there still wasn't any note. She was puzzled. She wasn't dating anyone, who would send her gifts during work hours? She put them aside and continued to work, they would reach out to her if they wanted her to know. 

Thirty minutes later, her phone rang. She looked at the caller 🆔 to find that it was Jack. Her heart skipped several beats, why was he calling her? She'd foolishly believed that the worst was over, maybe she'd been wrong, she thought. 

"Did you like the flowers?" 

Lisa couldn't believe her ears, he sent her flowers? 

"They were from you?"

"They were."

"Thank you, Sir, but..."

"Jack." He interrupted. 

"Jack." She tried the name out, it sounded so odd to be calling him by his first name. 

"I like the way you say my name."

Was he seriously flirting with her? Lisa wondered. 

"The flowers are lovely, but what are they for?"

"Nothing at all. Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady."

"I'm confused..."

"Don't sweat it, Lisa." Jack interrupted again. "I just wanted to do something nice for you, my way of apologizing for my rather forward behaviour."

Lisa was even more confused. Jack didn't seem like the type to apologize to anyone for anything. In addition, she didn't know what his deal was. He wasn't pressuring her to accept what he'd proposed, he was even being nice. That was so out of character for him. 

"Thank you." She was lost for more words. 

"That's more like it. Have a lovely day."

Lisa mulled over the phone call for a minute but decided to put it away for the time being. He had not said he wanted anything else so there wasn't cause for alarm yet. 

Jack stared at his phone for a moment. When did he start talking like that? He wondered. He never apologized for his actions because he never acted without thinking. Somehow he had just called Lisa and done exactly that. He had Ben to blame, this whole wooing thing was his idea. And she still didn't sound like she'd enjoyed hearing from him, she still sounded like she was about to turn him down and he hadn't even been asking anything of her. It was unnerving and this once he didn't have anything to do to hurry the process along. He couldn't blackmail her although he had the means to. That would only make her hate him. He didn't want that either. He was frustrated, he needed something to distract him from the enigma that was Lisa. He took his phone and went through his contact list, there were a lot of girls there that were ready to cater to his every whim. Why couldn't he just pick one of those and be done with it? He decided to call one of them to come over, he could most certainly use the distraction. He scrolled down and stopped at a name that excited him even if it was just a little bit; Jess. She was a part of his world and walked in his circles but she also had a wild side. A side that girls of her pedigree were not allowed to have. That was her most endearing quality, at least to Jack. She had caught his eye a few times but he'd never acted on it. He saw her at parties and they had brief conversations. One of those parties, they'd gotten close enough to exchange heated looks and phone numbers afterwards. But he'd never called her. What better time than now? Jack thought as he called her. 

"Thought you'd never call," Jess said after she answered on the third ring.

"I'm sorry love, I've been swamped. You know how it is. So I was wondering, would you be open to drinks at my place after work?"

"What time is after work?"

"Just text me where and I'll send my driver to get you. Is 8 pm a good time?"

"Sure."

"I'll see you later." Jack hung up, already feeling better. That was how he liked his women, nice and easy. He never enjoyed breaking a sweat over what could be settled so easily. He was going to more than have drinks with Jess, even she had to know that. That was something to look forward to, he thought as he went back to work. He didn't feel like he was losing touch anymore, there were still women who would give anything to be with him. Lisa just needed to see that. He frowned as she crossed his mind again, what was it about her? If Jess turned out to be a viable option, maybe he would just marry her and get it over with. She was still a woman, she was as good as any woman including Lisa. He didn't need that particular woman for what he wanted, he just needed someone to bear his last name and carry his children. Someone who would make sure that his name didn't die and someone who would make his mother happy. And for his mother's sake, he needed it to happen sooner rather later. 

Lisa unlocked her apartment, tired as usual. Jordan came running out of her room as she heard Lisa come in. 

"Aren't you the popular one?" Jordan beamed at Lisa, clearly excited about something.

"Popular? How's that?"

Jordan dragged Lisa to the kitchen where similar packages to the ones she'd received while at work lay on the Island. 

"Who's sending you gifts? Are you holding out on me?" Jordan pouted. 

"Of course not."

"Well open them then." Jordan could barely contain her excitement but Lisa wasn't as excited, she knew exactly who they were from. 

This time, it was a bottle of designer perfume and another box of chocolate. The man didn't know when to stop, two sets of gifts in one day. 

"Who do you think they're from?" Jordan asked, looking for a note but coming up empty. 

"Jack," Lisa stated flatly. 

"Really? How do you know?"

"Because there's a similar box of chocolate and a bouquet of flowers back at the office. He called to ask if I liked them."

"Is he still asking?" Jordan sounded concerned. 

"No. He said it was an apology for being too forward the last time."

"I thought we were done with this." Jordan sighed. 

"I did too."

Jack's driver delivered Jess to his doorstep at exactly 8:47 pm that night. She was dressed in a tight red body con dress that left little to the imagination. She applied red lipstick to match and a pair of red heels that buckled around the ankles. Jess was a petite but very shapely woman, she was also very beautiful. Her curled weave sealed the Marilyn Monroe look she was obviously going for. 

Jack gave her his best smile as he led her inside the house. She walked ahead of him, deliberately exaggerating the swing of her hips. Jack followed her to the couch where she made herself comfortable. 

"Would you like a drink?" he was already walking to the bar as he asked. 

"of course."

"What would you like?"

"I'll take what you're having."

Jack chuckled. "Are you sure about that?"

"I can handle my liquor."

Jack poured them both a glass of whiskey and headed back to the couch.

Within minutes, they were already laughing and flirting like it was the most natural thing in the world. Jess dropped her glass on the coffee table in front of them and leaned towards Jack, her cleavage displaying a good amount of her ample bosom. Jack took the cue and leaned in for a kiss. The kiss was gentle at first; learning, exploring seeking permission. Then Jess opened her mouth and allowed his tongue in and it became hot and searing. She got up and straddled his laps, holding his neck and kissing him deeper. This was the time to stop if they were going to stop, Jack thought. Any further and he wouldn't be able to stop. He pulled away as she tried to kiss him further. 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jack asked. 

"What are you, twelve?" She sounded more annoyed than anything and Jack was never one to back down from a dare so that was all the invitation he needed. He got up with Jess's legs still wrapped around his waist and led them to his bedroom. 

Jack dropped Jess in the middle of his king-size bed and hovered over her, kissing her neck and running his right hand down her side. His left hand was holding him up and he took the opportunity to really look at her. She was beautiful and willing, why had he even gone to look elsewhere? She would be more than happy to take the money. The thoughts of Lisa almost dampened his mood but he pushed them aside and resumed kissing Jess, Lisa wasn't going to make him look weak in front of another woman. 

Jess fumbled with Jack's belt and he helped her take it off along with his pants. He also took off his shirt and vest, leaving him with only his boxer briefs. Jess got off the bed and turned around for Jack to undo her zipper. The slow descent of the zipper filled the air with apprehension, the sounds an accompaniment to the sounds of their elevated breaths. Jess turned around and Jack's breath caught, she was beautiful. Her tan skin and defined abs combined with her perky breasts were his definition of perfection. He held the right side of her face as he tenderly placed a kiss on her lips, nibbling softly. They exchanged slow and leisurely kisses before the passion consumed them both again and Jack led her back to his bed. 

Jack stroked Jess's shoulder leisurely as they laid in his bed, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. They had completely worn each other out and each was content to just lie there, taking it all in. It then occurred to Jack to ask. 

"Do you plan to ever get married?" It wasn't an odd question to ask someone like Jess, she was full of surprises. 

But she just laughed. "Just one evening of sex and you want to marry me?" She was obviously joking but Jack thought that she didn't realize how close to the truth she actually was. 

"What if I do?"

She started to get up. 

"No not like that, let me explain."

"You better have a good explanation because you sound crazy right now."

"I need to get married. My mother is sick and she may not have too much time left. She's so worried about seeing me settle down that I fear it is not the best thing in her condition. She wants to make sure I'm okay before it's time her to pass."

"That is sad and unfortunate but it's still not enough reason for me to marry you, that's just bizarre."

"It's would make you a millionaire and it's strictly for this purpose. I have a contract and everything. And if you are open to having children and actually living the lie, you will own a third of everything I own."

"Wow."

Jack could tell he'd impressed her. "Yeah."

"I'll need a copy of this contract, I need to have someone look at it."

"So you'll do it?"

"If it's as good as you make it sound."

And just like that, Jack had what he wanted but he didn't feel like he'd won anything, didn't feel like he'd accomplished much. She had been easy to convince and would probably be easier to marry. That was exactly what he had hoped for when he set out to find the perfect partner for his business arrangement but he wasn't sure why he wasn't satisfied when it looked like he had gotten what he wanted.

Jess went back to her apartment at the crack of dawn. What Jack was offering was enough to set her family back on track again. Her father had made some bad investments and more money than they would be comfortable without was lost. Her mother was losing her mind. She had gotten so used to the lavish lifestyle that she didn't know how to start living another life. That meant that her mother would go crazy if she found out that Jess turned down that amount of money and the chance to marry one of the most affluent bachelors in society. Sure, Jack was a little rough around the edges but Jess could deal with that. She had never been needy and she most certainly didn't need that much attention or even affection. Jess was the first child of her parents so she felt like it was her responsibility to help them climb out of the hole they'd fallen into. But there was a problem. As much as Jack seemed like the solution to her problems, there was a reason she didn't jump at the offer immediately; she was already in one of such marriages. Worse still, her supposed husband was nowhere to be found. 

Once upon a time, Jess was sure that moving to America was her surest bet. She thought that her life would get so much better if she could just leave Nigeria and make a life for herself in America. Her family's wealth was gone and it wasn't going to be long before people realized that she was now broke. She couldn't handle that, didn't want to have to deal with the shame. So she devised a plan; she was going to move to America and get married before her visa expired. 

Her friend Lisa had taken her in when she finally made it out of the country. Lina had a gay best friend called Mathew. He was also a Nigerian but had lived in America all his life. His parents were starting to suspect his sexual orientation and Mathew was sure that he would be disowned if they confirmed it. So he like Jess, decided that it was time to get married. So Lina introduced Jess and Mathew; it was a match made in con heaven. Mathew was a citizen of the country so he was everything Jess was looking for. They booked a local chapel as soon as possible and held a private ceremony with a handful of Mathew's people in attendance. The only person that showed up for Jess was Lina and a couple of her friends. No one back at home knew that she was married. The wedding meant that Mathew's parents would get off his back and Jess would get her green card; everyone was happy. 

But life in America wasn't all that Jess hoped it would be. The subtle racism and discrimination got on her nerves. She particularly hated it when people asked her questions that suggested that she was literally from a jungle. She was tired of people wondering if they had electricity and of people asking her what she put in her hair. It was also hard to get a decent job with certificates from her country, life was becoming unnecessarily hard, harder than what she was used to so she told Mathew that it was time to go back home. He didn't mind too much, she had played her part. He was also going to move to another city, away from the prying eyes of his parents. Jess's mistake was not getting a divorce or even an annulment since the marriage had not been consummated. She didn't know where Mathew had eventually moved to and she didn't have any means of reaching him. It was not like she could call his parents and ask of his whereabouts, plus all of this happened three years ago. 

Jess sighed heavily and slumped on her bed, face down. Jack didn't sound like he could wait around for her to go on a wild goose chase to try and find Mathew. She also didn't know how Jack would take the news of an existing husband.

She didn't realize how long she was lying down there, doing nothing. Minutes turned to hours and eventually, Jess's younger sister Tess came into her room concerned. Jess heard the door open and she reluctantly opened her eyes to see who it was. 

"Go away," Jess grumbled into her pillow. 

"No can do. You've been holed up in this room since you got back. I'm not even sure you've eaten."

"Just leave me alone Tess."

"You already said that. Now, what's troubling you?" Tess sat on the edge of Jess's bed. 

"Didn't say anything was wrong with me." Jess really wished that Tess would drop the conversation but she knew her sister.

"You can never sit still, yet you've been in here for hours. Out with it or I'm telling mom on you." Tess knew just the hand to play. Their mother was the ultimate drama queen and no one ever wanted her involved. 

"Fine." Jess rolled her eyes and sat up. She reached for the handbag and pulled out a copy of the contract that Jack had drawn. "Before I show you this, you have to promise to keep it between us. No one can know, especially mom and dad."

"Okay."

"Theresa, I'm serious."

"I said okay, sheesh."

Jess rolled her eyes but handed over the contract to Tess to read. It was better than narrating the story herself. Tess took her time and completely perused the document. Jess waited patiently for the tirade that she was sure was going to come after. 

"oh my god!" Tess exclaimed. 

"Here we go," Jess mumbled. 

"The Jack Lawson? Billionaire Lawson?"

"Yeah."

"You aren't thinking of saying no are you?"

Jess was definitely surprised, she thought Tess would be screaming absolutely not. 

"Uhmm... Since when did you become like the rest of us?"

"Yes I know it's not ideal but his money is really distracting. Plus you know we need this."

"I've got to tell you something." Jess narrated the real story about the time she travelled to her sister. 

"Jess!"

"I know, I know."

"Have you told anyone else this story?" Tess asked, hands on her hips as she paced the room. 

"No."

"Then listen to me. No one can know. This is your chance, you need to take it."

"But Jack..."

"What Jack doesn't know won't hurt him, Jess. You can't pass up this opportunity."

Jess thought about it, maybe Theresa was right. Jack had no way of knowing she was already married if she didn't tell him. She didn't know if she was capable of telling him and jeopardizing such a rare opportunity.

"I could try to find Mathew though." Jess considered an option. 

"Do you have that kind of time?"

"I'm not sure Tess."

"Poke around and see. Ask him when he wants the wedding and things like that. You can deduce how much time you have from that conversation. If it's enough, by all means, find Mathew. But if not, you have to marry this guy Jess. You didn't even change your last name, no one would know. I most certainly won't tell."

"Another thing, you read the contract so you know you can't tell anyone it's business right? If we get married that is." Jess warned. 

"Of course not. You know I won't tell. But sis, you'll become a millionaire. Best believe you're spoiling me silly."

But Jess just laughed. "Okay hold your horses, we're not there yet."

"It's only a matter of time."

Jess wondered if Tess was right, if it was only a matter of time before she was sitting on that amount of money again. They had started out on top but where they were, she couldn't even buy something new without worrying. Her mother had taken to drinking and nagging and her father wasn't any better. He was beating himself up constantly for losing the money and putting them in a state of financial crisis. Tess was the one good at working. She had always been independent from the beginning and she was the one helping their parents out. Jess constantly felt guilty because she was the older of the two and she couldn't do anything to help. She had quit two jobs already, it was more than she could handle and the pay wasn't that great. What she laboured for in a month, she formerly spent on shoes and bags in one afternoon. Then there was the issue of horrible bosses. Everyone expected so much and paid so little. When she finally got a job that paid a fair amount of money, her boss was an unapologetic pervert and she didn't have it in her to bother with a sexual harassment suit so she left again. She was beginning to feel like she would be useless all her life before Jack came along. 

Jess had seen Jack at a couple of parties in the past but they'd never said much to each other. A few heated glances every now and then but no real communication. She never had a problem attracting men, she was a beautiful woman by all standards so she wasn't surprised when Jack finally called her. But never in a million years would she have thought that he would even consider her as his choice of a wife. Granted, it wasn't the most conventional way but still, she didn't think he saw her that clearly. 

Jess decided that the right thing to do was to try and find Mathew and get divorced. That was what she was going to do but if she ran out of time while she was at it, she was going to have two husbands. There was no way she was passing up a billionaire because she was married to a gay man that she had no clue where he was. She never believed in the whole falling in love thing, maybe that was why it didn't cross her mind to pursue a divorce. She didn't think that she would ever get married, it just wasn't in the cards for her. She hated weddings and avoided them. She also avoided needy men who kept asking things of her. She wasn't ready to stay committed to one man. Thankfully, the only thing that Jack was asking was that she be discreet in her affairs. He still had a reputation to protect and it wasn't the best idea to see his wife publicly getting together with other men. Jack himself had a pristine record in the eyes of the public but she knew that he was not as chaste as he liked people to believe and she honestly didn't mind. She just had to make things work between them moving forward.