I paced nervously outside the room for Sam to come out. While I was waiting, I looked up and down the hallway. People were being rolled in and out, sobbing family and friends would pass me by, and that smell… the smell of sterile air, the signature smell of a hospital… kept lingering in the air.
It was a sad smell. Especially when I thought of Sam. He had to have been holed up in this very same place, all while in a coma. That had to be hard.
But what was harder was the present moment. When Sam had first gone in, before the door closed, I had had overheard Melanie talking about debt sharks. Those weren’t men you wanted to deal with. Ever. My father had had a run in with those men due to a gambling debt, and it took almost the rest of his savings to keep us safe. That was part of how we had found ourselves in our bad situation. They totaled his car, and left me threatening messages.
Sam was right. Anyone who was close to Melanie’s brother was in trouble. Which made me twitchy. There could’ve been someone watching us right now. Plus, with Sam’s money, it was only a matter of time before they hit us up, too.
I checked my phone and saw that Holly had left me some text messages, asking where I’ve been and if I were okay. Damn. All this financial stress had alienated me from life. Now that I had this opportunity to make over a million, it was safe to say that I could start being me again without all those worries and burdens.
I totally need to give her a call. I’m surprised I still have a friend after being shut off for a few months, I thought.
Sam came out of the room and I shoved my phone back in my purse.
“Sam, is your friend going to be okay? He’s pretty banged up.”
Sam’s face was dim. He had some heavy things weighing down on his mind.
“Benson will be fine. But I need to make sure that you are too…”
Sam grabbed my hand and balanced on his golden cane with another. We left the hospital without saying much and got to his car.
I knew he didn’t want to bring this up. But this had me involved too.
“Sam, did Benson really get attacked by loan collectors?” I asked, stroking some of my hair back. There was a tension in the air inside the car. Benson must’ve said something else I didn’t hear while Sam was in the room with him and Melanie, after a nurse had closed the door.
“Yeah. His choices as of late are really concerning me.” Sam surveyed me and rubbed his chin. “I know you’re worried. But I won’t anyone lay a finger on you, Wendy.”
His voice was stern, he meant every word that tumbled out of his mouth. And just like that, I felt safe again. Seeing Sam so serious like this gave me that familiar tingle down in the panties again. How’d he end up so… mature?
My face heated up again for the millionth time. I buckled up, and Sam started the car. It was always a treat to hear the motor rev to life. Talk about a mechanical opera being right behind your ears.
“Let’s get back to the courthouse and apply for that marriage license. Gallock will be coming in about four days.”
I raised out of my seat a little. My money depended on this Gallock thing going smoothly without a hitch.
“Is four days enough time to make him think we’re married?” I clutched the seat beneath me. Sam noticed and placed his hand over mine.
“Don’t worry. It’s enough time. Even if we don’t get the license.”
Sam began to pull the car out of the parking space and headed for the courthouse. We passed many speeding ambulances and police cars. Thank goodness we weren’t there for something too severe. It was never a good experience, going to a hospital.
“So, won’t this Gallock guy question us about not having a license?” I asked.
Sam kept his attention on the road and smirked.
“Not really. He’s super into marriage, but I doubt he’d go poking around asking about marriage licenses. Not as long as you’re connected to my hip. We just have to make it look real. I’ll get you all acquainted with people at the office, and you’ll blend in.” He landed his free hand on my thigh and squeezed it a bit. “You’ve already blended with me, so the hard part is over,” he growled.
I was ready to “blend” with him again too. I bit my lip and squirmed in my seat. This was a bad time to get horny. I didn’t feel like walking around with damp panties for the rest of the day.
We arrived at the court and resumed our little climb up the stairs to enter the court. We zoomed past security and made our way up to the clerk’s office. I brought everything they needed: birth certificate, two forms of I.D, and the works. Holly wasn’t going to believe this if I told her.
Sam finished his application too, and I brought it back to the window.
“Thank you, you’ll receive your marriage license in about three days,” the clerk said, taking our papers and payment. The whole courthouse smelled like tons of paper and ink. Stuffy, like the word “court” implied.
Everything had a brown color scheme complimented by marble, which oddly enough reminded me faintly of Sam’s house. But of course it didn’t have the same elegant touch.
I pivoted back over to Sam and we both left the courthouse arm in arm.
“I hate courts,” Sam mustered. “You see the worst sides of people when it comes to lawsuits…”
I had a feeling I knew why he brought that up.
“You mean, when you got in that accident? Did you ever get to go to court?”
“No, I was going to. But somehow there was a settlement from the man’s family. I invested it wisely.” He flashed me a sly grin. I took in the scent of his spicy cologne to relax me, and hugged his arm tighter.
“I can tell,” I exclaimed, giggling.
While we made our way down to the garage, I heard a buzzing sound radiating off Sam’s body.
“What’s that?”
Then his ringtone began to play.
“Just a second,” he said, digging his phone out of his pocket. “Hello? Really? Good. I’ll be on my way.”
Sam hung up and I tapped my foot.
“What was that about?” I asked, nervous that it was another mishap with this Gallock man that was coming.
“A small emergency at the office. Nothing big.”
Sam dug something else out of his pockets. My eyes veered off to his crotch area, and the pervert in me was able to detect where he had his cock lined up.
“Wendy, catch.”
The keys flew right past me as my eyes were glued to Sam’s crotch. How embarrassing.
“Oh, shit. Sorry!” I stammered, running over to the keys on the ground. Sam laughed and watched as I bent down to get his keys.
“I get to drive, huh?” I jingled the keys in my hand and went over to the driver’s seat.
“Yes. Alone.”
“What? Where are you going? How’re you going to get there?”
Sam gave me a kiss on the cheek.
“My assistant is going to pick me up in just a second. There’s something at a different office location I need to handle.”
“Can’t I come?” I asked, feeling like a whiny kid. What was so secretive anyways?
“Not right now. I want to introduce you as my wife properly to the head office, then we’ll work our way around. Be careful. And no speeding.”
Sam shook his finger at me, his warning stern. After what he had gone through, I wholeheartedly understood.
“Okay. Fine, I’ll be careful. You too, okay?”
Sam nodded and spun around on his cane to the elevator to go up to the main floor. Whoever was picking him up must be going to the main entrance on the city road to get him.
What if his assistant was a sexy female? No, no. Those were bad thoughts. I didn’t need that right now.
That twinge in my heart scared the hell out of me.
Wait, Wendy. This is only a job. Don’t get so twisted. So what— you banged Sam and you’re becoming his wife. You’re his fake wife, I recited to myself while I climbed into the car, smoothing my dress down as I got in.
It wasn’t like Sam said he wanted me to stay. Even though we cleared the air about prom so long ago, there was so much we had to relearn about each other.
This was just a job.
The car roared to life and I jetted back to my new home. I was so glad I was finally able to drive this beast of a machine. It was if all our dreams from high school were coming true, albeit with a lot of surprising drama thrown in.
***
“What the fuck?!” I hissed.
I parked the car in front of the house and banged my head on the steering wheel. This almost cost me a speeding ticket, running two red lights, and nearly rear-ending another vehicle.
I had to get this out of my mind!
The whole ride home was filled with anxiety about this ‘assistant’ and this ‘business at another office location.’
Sam was mature. But many mature men had a harem of women. Not just one. People changed as they grew older. The Sam now was a mix of the old Sam; one that I knew, and a new Sam; one that I had yet to figure out.
I’m being ridiculous. Maybe my period’s coming or something.
I climbed out of the car and slogged to the front door. I opened it and went into the living room. Hell, his house had multiple living rooms. And it always had this hint of lemon cleaner to it. The air was always kept crisp and cool, and the marble was never cold.
I sunk down into one of his Italian leather couches and found the remote to turn the TV on. I clicked through channels, when something caught my eye. Daniel Burton. My ex was splashed all over the news.
I jumped to my feet and got close to the screen.
“Today on E.N. News, local man Daniel Burton is wanted for shooting his girlfriend to death. Sources say he’s armed and dangerous. Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts should call the police immediately.”
The news cut to a clip of his slain girlfriend’s parents sobbing their eyes out.
Armed.
And dangerous.
Shit. If he had shot his current girlfriend and was on the run… that meant he probably had me on his list next.
The house felt too big now. And my nerves were on razored edges. My skin was battered with raised goosebumps and I temporarily forgot how to breathe.
Oh shit.
I backed up from the T.V., reeling in shock, and the couch took me by surprise. I tripped and landed back onto it, whipping my head around to see if anyone else was around.
I’m alone and Daniel’s out there running around half crazed. Or rather, fully crazed!
I peered out into the hallway, looking down both sides of the hall.
Knock, knock.
I jumped. That wasn’t Sam. He had a key, he didn’t need to knock!
The knocking persisted and I inched over to the door, grabbing an umbrella that sat by the entrance. It was expensive and sturdy. Not much against a gun, but anything would do to put up a fight.
Carefully, without taking so much as a breath of air, I looked through the peep hole.
“Oh god,” I exhaled. “It’s Benson. That was quick.”
I opened the door and beamed a bright smile. “Hello, Benson, are you looking for Sam?”
His bruises were covered with gauze and his arm was in a sling. Sheesh, he was lucky he even had limbs left.
“Yeah. Is he home? I called his phone but he didn’t answer.”
Benson entered inside, without my permission. The way he pushed past me was unnerving. I pursed my lips.
Now that he was up and walking, there was something off about this guy.
“He’s not home. He might return later.” I placed my hands on my hips.
He rolled back on his heels and approached me. A glimmer in his eye.
“Say, you’re a beautiful woman. When you’re done with Sam, can I take you as my wife too?”
He began to get a little too close and I stepped back.
He got offended, sighing heavily.
“Look, I’m not up for sale like that—”
“Really?” That tone of sarcasm almost had him meeting with another bruise.
“Get out,” I growled.
“Fine. There are many more like you where you came from.” Benson strode out the door and I slammed it right on his ass.
What the fuck? Was Sam seriously friends with an asshole like this? Or did he even know his friend was a disrespectful creep?
Fuming, I stomped into the kitchen and decided that I needed better protection than an umbrella. I pulled out a large blade and sat it down on the marble countertop. I scrounged the refrigerator for some food and took the blade and a half piece of sandwich to our bedroom. I was starving but I felt safer eating in the bedroom than being out in the open kitchen.
I took out my phone and dialed Holly, but she didn’t answer. I hoped that she wasn’t mad at me; I needed a friend right now.
I ate my sandwich and stared at the reflection of the ceiling on the knife I had next to me on the bed.
How was this all going to end?
Was Daniel after me too know?
Drowsiness pulled at my eyelids, as I realized it had been a very long time. I tried to fight it off, so I could stay alert, but soon, I was asleep.