When no one called to inform Jada that her services were no longer required, she was forced to assume she still had a job and dragged herself to the office with more than a little effort. Upon reaching her desk and sitting down with a thump, Jada saw that she had a message on her phone. The evil green light sat and mocked her for a few beats before she had the courage to lift the receiver and dial her voicemail. It was Mr. Hays, asking to see her at the earliest possible convenience. With a sigh and a lurching stomach, Jada got up and began the long journey to the office on the highest floor.

Evelyn was in no better a mood, but she shuffled Jada into the office much more quickly this morning. Jada entered, and again Hays thanked her for coming. She was getting real tired of that phrase. He gestured to the chair opposite his, and she took a seat, waiting expectantly for the other shoe to drop. However, instead of the icy tone she was used to, Hays greeted her rather pleasantly and offered her a cup of coffee.

“No, thank you.”

“Straight to business. I like your attitude. Well, let’s get to it, shall we?” He didn’t wait for a response. “Yesterday was interesting, to say the least, and your performance certainly left something to be desired. However, when I spotted your henna tattoo, I must confess that I did a bit of research on you.”

Jada sat up straighter in the chair, and Hays must have sensed her concern, because he spoke up.

“Nothing to be concerned about. I was merely curious about your background. It says in your employee file that you are half Qaresman, yes?”

Confused, Jada barely squeaked out her response. “Yes, on my mother’s side.”

“Well, as it turns out, I have a predicament concerning the Qaresman government. I have the groundwork complete for the biggest deal I have yet to close, but in order for me to have dealings with the company, I require a Qaresman business license, and this is where I ran into a bit of a snag. You see, due to an old, isolationist law, in order to obtain said license, you must be a native of the country or the spouse of a native. I have tried working out an alternative arrangement with the government, but they have proven to be most unhelpful. I’m a hair’s breadth from closing the biggest deal of my career, but I need to secure a business license from this tiny Middle-Eastern country before I can do so.”

Jada’s heart clenched in her chest. Hays was far from finished with his little speech, but she had a feeling she knew exactly what he was getting at.

“As you may be aware, Jada, the Qaresman government has little need for facilitating trade with the West, as the country is rich in oil and other resources. When I saw your henna tattoo, I was struck by an idea. I know this is a rather strange proposal, Ms. Phillips, but with circumstances being what they are, I am forced to ask you something. If you can agree to marry me in a month’s time, you would make it possible for me to be eligible for a license. I would certainly compensate you for your part in the arrangement. I can provide you with half a million dollars. That’s enough money to be able to take a long, long time off work, and you’ll be able to take your time deciding what you really want to do with your future.”

Jada almost threw up. Could he possibly be serious? This was insanity. Fake marry him for money?! She wasn’t a whore, thank you very much, and she wasn’t about to sleep with a guy so he could get a license and then walk away with a bunch of cash.

“You understand how wrong this is, right? You’re asking me to do this or lose my job.”

Jada was terrified. If she were to lose her job, she’d essentially be condemning her father to death. But what was the cost of his health? Her integrity?

The CEO shook his head. “I won’t fire you if you don’t agree. While yesterday was problematic for a host of reasons, it’s the first time you’ve ever had a problem like this. My company has a strict three-strike policy; this being your first, you would receive only a verbal warning. However, this deal is important to me, and I will do anything to ensure it goes through. That’s where you come in. It would be strictly a business arrangement, and your job is not at stake—simply the chance to take an extended break and make a large amount of money. Also, if it doesn’t go without saying, I’m not asking you to sleep with me.”

Jada was in shock. She had been sure he was going to fire her. Now that he wasn’t? Well, it changed everything. Her source of income wasn’t going to be ripped from her. She’d still be able to help pay for her father’s medical bills.

Images of X-rays flashed in her mind. The illness had done terrible things to her father’s kidneys, and he was becoming jaundiced. He was supposed to start dialysis soon, but that would only last so long. Eventually, the doctors had said, he was going to need a kidney transplant. Over the past year, her parents had used up almost every bit of money they’d had, and that was before the transplant scenario had been given to them. There was no way they could afford it, and while Jada could help, she couldn’t just drop thousands of dollars on the spot. She simply didn’t have it.

But she could.

If she had the money, Jada could fast-track her dad’s transplant and it would only be a matter of time before the hospital confirmed someone as a donor. He could be better this year. He could be better.

Tears threatened her eyes for the second time in as many days, and she suddenly felt beyond exhausted. Jada sat back a bit farther in the chair and looked down at her hands. She had been twisting the fabric at the hem of her long shirt, and it had left crinkles in the linen. Jada took a deep breath. She needed more time.

“Can I think it over?”

“Of course. Take the rest of the day off. You can get back to me tomorrow.”

Jada nodded absently and stood up. Quietly, she walked to the door of Hays’ office.

As she opened the door, ready to leave, Hays spoke again. “I promise that I will respect the boundaries we set forth. This is truly just about the license for me. I will not try to sleep with you.”

The words hit Jada like a slap. They were meant to be comforting, she assumed, but the fact that she was considering something which required having those words spoken was pure insanity.

“Okay.”