The Billionaire's Marriage Contract(5)

“I know her, and she’s not a bimbo? Interesting. And you like her?”

“Yeah, I do,” he replied. “She’s honest and smart, and she calls me on my bullshit. Very few people do that.”

“I do that,” Amy replied. She felt a twinge of jealousy as she said it.

“I know.”

“How long have the two of you been together? I mean, the media is going to have a field day with this. You know that right? The playboy billionaire settling down. It will be the marriage of the century.”

“We’ve had a thing for years, and the media will never catch wind. It’s all going to be quiet. I think she’ll like it better that way.”

“Think?” Amy replied. “You mean you haven’t discussed it with her?” Amy picked up her glass of wine and took a deep sip. “So you’re going to propose to someone I know, and you haven’t even dropped a hint that you might be interested in marriage?” She leaned back in her chair a bit and waited to hear Ethan’s explanation of this one.

“Oh, I’ve been dropping hints all night,” Ethan replied. “And we’re talking about it right now.”

“What do you mean?” Amy asked.

“Amy, I’m asking you to marry me.”

As she listened to the words, Amy forgot all about her glass of wine and let it fall from her hand. She watched as it cracked off of the bar and shattered, spraying wine forward. As the sound rang through the bar, everyone else fell silent. Amy felt like her heart had stopped, and then everything flew into motion as she realized what was going on. “You’re joking, right? Is this a joke? Did my sister put you up to this on the phone this afternoon?”

Ethan smiled. “I didn’t know that Callie was your sister. I thought she was your secretary. That makes a lot of sense now. No, I’m completely serious. I need you to marry me, and I’m ready to make you the offer of a lifetime.”

Amy looked at Ethan again. He wasn’t smiling anymore. Was he insane? Amy raised her hand and signaled to the bartender. I’m going to need something stronger than wine, she thought. Then she turned to Ethan. “Explain. Now.”

“Have you ever been to Wyoming?” Ethan asked as the bartender came back with a new glass of wine.

***

“This better not be a repeat of Chicago.” Amy crossed her arms and stared at Ethan. “I am not in the mood for a repeat of Chicago. Are you being serious right now? I have an aunt’s birthday party to get to. I have a company to run. I’m not in the mood for a practical joke by the world-famous Ethan Cole. I suppose you think I should be flattered that you want me to marry you for some reason.

“First off, you and I remember that night in Chicago very differently,” Ethan replied.

“You make it sound like something happened between us.”

“Like I said,” Ethan repeated, “you and I remember that night very differently.”

Ethan reached down into his briefcase and pulled out a manila envelope. He placed it on the bar and slid it over to Amy. “It’s all right there in the prenup. All you have to do is sign, and the marriage contract is legally binding.”

Amy placed her hand over the envelope. “If you think for one second that I’m going to let you buy me.”

“Amy, you know that isn’t this at all. People have marriages of convenience all the time. You and I just happen to have the added bonus of being able to see opportunities and seize them. I need a wife.”

“So go and get one. Who is the latest model you were dating? Miss Russia or Brazil or?”

“Argentina,” Ethan replied. “And I called things off. She wasn’t really interested in me anyway, and, well, supermodel wife doesn’t exactly fit my needs at the moment.”

“What you need at the moment is someone to knock you in the side of the head,” Amy replied. “This is definitely Chicago all over again.”

“Like I said, I think you and I remember that night very differently, and you brought it up, not me. This is nothing like that. That was a moment, and this is a unique opportunity. I think you should consider my offer. A multibillion dollar deal that will help ensure the future of my company and the jobs of tens of thousands of people all depend on you helping me become a family man.”

“I need you to be my wife. Not for long, just long enough to convince Hank Harris that I’m a good man, a family man, and someone worthy of taking the reins of Harris Energy.”

“You run a tech company,” Amy replied. “Why in the world would you want to buy a business you know nothing about?”