Accidentally Married to the Billionaire 3(5)
“And you thought my headline was long?”
“Your dress is hiking up! You’re flashing your neon pink thonged underwear!” the photographer said. “And I got it all on film!”
“Not for long!”
“You’re crazy!” he shouted. “And you definitely have some anger management issues!”
“I wouldn’t have to manage my anger if deranged stalkers like you didn’t make a living by chasing down celebrities and shoving cameras in their faces.”
“Hey, there was no shoving involved. I did it from up here safely. And technically, your husband is the celebrity, not you.”
“You know what I mean,” she said.
“Just go away!”
“Nope! If you’re going to play with fire, then prepared to get very, very, very burned!” Marj’s dress snagged on some leaves. She unhooked herself without ripping her dress, then clambered to the next branch.
“How did you get past all the security and cameras anyway?” Marj asked.
“Wouldn’t you love to know?”
Marj made it to the branch he desperately clung too, and reached for him. When he whipped out his cell phone, she whacked it out of his hand with the heel she was holding.
“No! Ouch! That hurts! Don’t hit me with your stiletto! An assault with a deadly weapon can land you in the slammer, lady!”
He dropped his cell phone.
“Now the camera!” Marj said.
“No!”
Marj was relentless. They started to wrestle in the branches when…
Snap!
The branch broke, and they both tumbled to the ground with a thud, leaves raining on top of them. The man let out a long moan, and Marj noticed she was on top of him. She lifted her head and looked at him.
“Enjoy the ride?” the photographer asked with a wink.
“Typical man.”
He bit his lip hard. “Um, this is kind of awkward.”
“Think?” Marj retorted. “Now please get your hand off my ass. Unless you want a short right hook.”
He quickly removed his hand. “Oh, right. It just kind of accidentally landed there. Sorry.”
She blew out a long breath.
“Hey, are you as turned on as I am?” he asked.
A twig snapped and Marj stared up at a very shocked Brandon.
He cocked his head. “Turned on?”
“Oh, hi, honey,” she said. “Don’t worry. I’m okay.”
“Yeah, because I took the brunt of the fall!” the photographer yelled.
“Oh, Mrs. Cates,” Brandon said. “I’m dying to hear why you’re on the ground on top of a complete and total stranger.”
Marj cleared her throat. “This isn’t what you think. We fell. Um, off that big branch.” She pointed upward.
“And the plot thickens. Living childhood memories?” Brandon asked. “Going back to your tomboy days? Catching toads? Climbing trees?”
“Just another ordinary day in my crazy life,” Marj said. “But as you can see, I can handle any obstacle life throws my way.”
He held out a hand to help her up. “What’s going on?”
“Um, just doing my wifely duties.”
“Seriously? In a tree with a stranger? Should I be worried?”
“No! I promised to love, honor, cherish, and protect you. So I’m protecting you, just like I promised Elvis I’d do in that wedding chapel!”
“What does that possibly have to do with being outside and falling out of a tree when you’re supposed to be hosting a party?”
“That photographer hid up in the branches. He took pictures of my ex trying to kiss me. And I stress the word try. Because I adamantly said no.”
“I can attest to that,” the photographer said. “She wasn’t falling for his bullshit.”
Brandon shook his head. “Not good.”
“Quick! Destroy the camera. Smash it into smithereens.”
“Whoa. Wait a minute lady! That camera took me a whole year to save for!” the man shouted.
Brandon grabbed the camera and took out the memory card, then handed the camera back to the photographer.
“Thanks,” the man said. “But can I please have my memory card back?”
“No, you cannot,” Brandon said. He then threw the memory card into the nearby water fountain.
“Hey! That card cost me a hundred bucks!” the man yelled.
“And so did these shoes!” Marj said, looking at her broken heel.
“I’ll sue!” the photographer yelled. “Not to mention, your wife assaulted me with her stiletto! I was scared for my life. I might even press attempted murder charges.”
“Attempted Murder? I didn’t want to hurt you. I just wanted…”