Jada’s day was boring and long. By the time her shift was over, she was almost excited to meet with Jackson, because at least it would be a change of pace. He’d called earlier to say she should come up to his office once everyone had left for the day, and when that time finally came, Jada gathered up her purse and jacket and trekked to the top floor. Evelyn sat at her desk, looking as thrilled to see her as she had the first time. Someday, Jada would figure out what was up that woman’s ass, but tonight she was busy.

She entered Jackson’s office, shut the door behind her, and took a seat in her usual spot. Jackson was on the phone, speaking yet another language that she didn’t know. Finally, he noticed her and drew the conversation to a close.

“All right, so the 14^th. Yes. Great. Talk to you soon. Goodbye.”

As Jackson hung up, he smiled over at her and released a breath.

“Hostile takeover?” she asked.

“What?” he said. Jada had again managed to surprise the boss and leave him a little off balance. “No. I was confirming the location and date for the ceremony.”

“Well, you never can be sure with you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?’ Jackson sat up straighter in his chair and adjusted his tie.

“Never mind.”

“No. What it is?”

“You honestly aren’t aware of your own reputation? I mean, you’re hardly seen as a fluffy bunny around here.”

“Oh.” If she didn’t know better, Jada would have thought Jackson was actually a bit hurt. “Well, as I said, I was confirming the venue has our date set. I’ll be doing most of the wedding planning. That way you can focus on your own job.”

Wow, quite the way with words. It was Jada’s turn to sit up straighter.

“So, why’d you want me to come up here?”

“Well, I wanted to let you know the schedule for the next few days. As I said, I’ll take care of most of the planning, but I’ve scheduled a cake tasting, flower approval visit, and a chance for you to get fitted for a dress. You’ll need to be present for these events, and there may be a few more along the way.”

“All right. When’s the cake tasting?” Jada asked, not even attempting to conceal the annoyance in her voice.

“Tomorrow. After work.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then.”

Before Jackson could say anything more, Jada got up and went straight out the door.

Day one: total disaster.

* * *

The next day, Jada continued to work as if she had nothing to hide, nothing going on just beneath the surface. But every time she stepped out of her office, including her lunch period, she was bombarded with questions about what had happened with the boss. To the best of her ability, she told the truth: how this was her first infraction and she’d been given a verbal warning, how she was off the Ka account and instead working on a project for Mr. Hays in addition to her regular duties.

No one seemed suspicious, and many had said that her situation “totally blew.” She had to agree. Jackson proved to be as cold as ever, calling her fifteen times a day. He was so brash, and as far as she could tell, enjoyed putting people in their place. Every word out of his mouth was condescending and verged on rude. In all honesty, Jada wasn’t sure if she could go through with the “marriage,” but her father’s declining health and the ever-shortening two-week time period was keeping her on course.

Tonight was the cake tasting, and at least that would be tasty. Jada had never been particularly fond of cake, but she imagined Jackson would have only the best possible options brought to them. As thoughts of cake toppers and wedding colors popped into her head, a pang hit her in the chest. She’d always imagined she’d be discussing this type of stuff with her mother.

That was a total no-go, of course. Telling family was strictly off-limits. Some wedding this was going to be. The guest list was the wedding party, and the wedding party consisted of two people.

Just as Jada was starting to feel really sorry for herself, Matheson poked his head into her office.

“So, what’s this I hear about you working on a special project for Hays?” His eyebrows were drawn down, and he frowned hard.

“Don’t get your boxers in a bunch. I’m going through old campaign documents and organizing them. I’d rather be eating lead paint.”

That seemed to satisfy him, and he left her office with a small chortle. What an asshole.

The remainder of the day went by without issue or excitement, and as she shut down her computer and grabbed her bag, Jada realized she was getting sort of familiar with the long walk to Jackson’s office.

Evelyn was in her normal spot and mood, and instead of stopping to have her inform the boss she was there, Jada just walked straight to his office and went inside. She wasn’t in the mood to play nice either.

Inside, Jackson was adjusting his tie at a mirror in a pop-out wall panel.

“It looks fine.” Jada’s voice seemed to shoot Jackson out of his thoughts like a bullet.

“You’ve got to stop doing that,” Jackson huffed, giving up playing with his tie.

“Doing what? Coming into my fiancé’s office?”

“Without knocking or anything, yes.”

Jada shrugged and plopped down in the chair. She folded her arms across her chest and waited expectantly.

The room was quiet as the two of them stared at each other. Apparently having given up, Jackson took the tie off, tossed it on the desk, and gestured toward the office’s back corner. There was an elevator there that Jada hadn’t seen before, and she assumed it was for his private use.

“Shall we?”

“You look better without the tie anyway.” Jada got up and headed for the elevator, clicking the button and hopping inside without another word.

Jackson hesitated at the desk, and Jada thought she might have seen a small smile sneak across his face as she’d walked by. He did his best to hide it, however, and as soon as she questioned its appearance, it was gone.

In moments, the CEO was in the private elevator with her, and the small space was eaten up by the sheer size of him. Jada hadn’t realized how tall and bulky he was until now. Now that he was mere inches from her, it was near impossible to ignore the muscles straining inside his button-down shirt.

“The bakery isn’t far. Jacques should have us there in a few minutes.”

“Jacques?” Jada raised an eyebrow at him.

The elevator dinged, and the door opened onto the street, revealing a beautiful limo waiting by the sidewalk. Jackson held his hand out in front of Jada and said, “My driver.”

Once they were inside the car, Jada couldn’t hold in the fresh questions that bloomed inside her skull.

“Do you always get driven around by a Frenchman?”

“Usually, yes.”

“How much does this thing cost?” Jada’s eyes scanned the limo’s interior amenities, all the bells and whistles. “You could give everyone a hell of a bonus with the cash from this thing.”

Jackson didn’t say anything. Jada wasn’t surprised that the idea of giving away some of his billions hadn’t occurred to him.

The remainder of the drive was quiet. Jada simply watched the buildings pass outside her window and waited for the only fun she believed she’d have during the wedding planning process. After all, eating cake could never be viewed as a bad thing—even if pie would have been better.

The limo pulled up to the rear of a large bakery with a famous name. The door was opened for Jackson and he exited, then turned to help her out of the car.

“I got it, boss,” Jada said. “How about you just lead the way to the cake?” Jada hitched her purse up on her shoulder and gestured for him to start walking.

Jackson composed himself and led the way into the building. For a bakery, it looked more like a museum. The floors were marble and the walls were a creamy blond color that made the light bounce off every surface. When they entered, a small man in a waiter’s uniform stepped out and welcomed them, falling over himself to exclaim how wonderful it was to see Mr. Hays again. Jada was introduced, and Jackson confirmed the discretion of the entire staff, she assumed for the 15^th time.

They were led to a small table set up with a bottle of champagne, two glasses, and two small place settings. Jackson pulled Jada’s chair out for her, and she obliged by sitting down. It was a hard move to get out of, after all.

The chivalrous behavior was only making Jada furious. They weren’t dating, they weren’t friends, and neither of them really wanted to be there. Why he felt the need to go above and beyond with the politeness was beyond her.

“We have arranged the samples you requested, sir. Would you like them brought out one at a time, or would you like to see them all?”

Jackson said, “One at a time will be—”

“That seems like such a hassle. Just bring it all out at once and we’ll go nuts.” Jada smiled at the waiter. He seemed surprised but eventually nodded and walked off to the back.

“Jada.”

“What? There’s no reason for all this fuss. It’s not like this is some sweet, special moment, right? It’s just business.”

Jackson frowned and shifted in his seat, but he kept his mouth shut.

Soon, a glistening tray of cake pairs was set before them, and Jada had to admit that they looked amazing.

“First we have the red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. This is dark chocolate butter cake with a coffee-chocolate frosting dusted with ground coffee. Next is white chocolate butter with fresh raspberry filling and a white chocolate frosting. Here we have lemon poppy seed cake with a lemon buttercream frosting. This is the classic vanilla with a unique vanilla-hazelnut frosting. And lastly, we have the pink champagne cake, which is made with vintage champagne, filled with a rum-based custard and paired with Bavarian whipped cream frosting.”

Jada’s eyes were wide, and her brain was still trying to process everything the man had said. Something about chocolate and raspberries and rum and cream. Oh Lord, this was overwhelming.

Jackson simply nodded in his usual fashion, and the waiter left him to serve the two of them the cakes. He went in order and put a piece, each on its own plate, atop the other plates that were already laid out in front of them.

Jackson took a bite of the Red Velvet and chewed. After a moment, he made judging noises and shook his head. Jada had not yet taken her first bite.

“Is there something wrong?” Jackson rested his fork on the edge of his plate and gazed at her.

“No. There’s just so much.” Jada’s eyes roamed all over the little confection on the cart next to them. “I don’t even know what to think. I’m not really a cake person,” she murmured.

“Sorry?” Jackson dabbed at his mouth with the folded napkin he had put in his lap.

“Never mind.”

Jada went through the motions and tried the pieces of cake that were presented to her. While they were definitely not bad, they all tasted so rich, and the textures made the little lumps of sugar sit in her stomach like rocks. Jackson kept nodding or shaking his head, making mental notes about the pros and cons of each piece. When he’d finished doling out each of the flavors, Jada felt like she was going to burst, or puke, whichever came first.

“So, what were your impressions?” Jackson dabbed at his mouth again.

“They were sugary.”

“Beyond that. Did you have a preference?”

“Well, they were all very much cakes and definitely didn’t skimp on the frosting.”

Jackson sighed, folding his arms across his chest. He sat there staring at her, and Jada found herself wanting to punch his perfect teeth.

The waiter returned, and, thankfully, Jackson had another question for the poor man.

“Are the full cakes available to view?”

“Yes. Of course. Right this way.”

The man led them to an adjacent room, and Jada was glad for the walking and standing, hoping it would help her angry stomach digest the saccharine devils plaguing her intestines.

In a ballroom-looking space, a few small tables were set with the corresponding full-size cakes. The small pieces had been plucked from the rear of the cakes, and the front halves were decorated as though they were about to be a part of someone’s wedding.

“Each cake has been decorated with a traditional design, but you are free to switch the decorations to a different flavor, or choose your own.”

Jada eyed the flowers and sweeping curves that decked each of the cakes and saw that there were different tier options as well. They all looked so pretty, and they couldn’t have been out for long, as they’d just had pieces from them. It occurred to Jada that each of these huge cakes had been made specifically for the two of them.

Jada looked over at the waiter. “What happens to these cakes after today?”

“They will be disposed of. Your cake will be made immediately prior to the ceremony to ensure freshness.”

“You’re just going to toss them? But that’s so wasteful.”

“Jada.” Again, Jackson said her name like she was a misbehaving child.

“Well, it is.”

Jackson came over to her side and put himself between her and the waiter. “Please excuse us for a second.”

The man left, and Jada was left in a room full of pointless cakes and a boss who had bought her off.

“What flavor and style do you prefer?” His voice was low, almost a growl.

“I don’t care. Pick whatever you want. I told you I don’t like cake. I’m a strawberry-rhubarb pie kind of girl. I don’t care what it looks like. I don’t know why I had to come to this. You know how much food he’s throwing away. There are people at the office, your office, who don’t have the money to buy lunches, and here we are spending God knows what on all this stupid cake. It’s ridiculous. I’m going back to the car.”

Jada turned and left Jackson standing in the middle of all that sugar. She hoped he’d get diabetes from it all. Ugh, okay, don’t wish stuff on people. But seriously, he has no clue!

Outside, she went to the front of the limo and slid in next to Jacques. The poor guy was shocked.

“Sorry. Look, I know he has to go back to the office, but before you take him to the private garage, could you just drop me off at my car?”

The driver only nodded and went to the back of the car to open the door for Jackson.

From the front seat, Jada heard Jackson scoff, but she was more than content to let him park it back there alone. Jacques returned to the driver’s seat and did as she had asked, and Jada got out of the limo once he pulled up to her car. It was the only one left in the lot.

Without looking back, Jada hopped inside her beat-up sedan and drove off toward her apartment. Tomorrow was a whole day free of wedding planning nonsense, and she wanted it to arrive as fast as possible.

* * *

Soon enough, morning came, and Jada woke with one of the worst stomachaches she’d ever had.

“Fuck all that stupid cake!” She threw a pillow across the room in a burst of anger, which solved absolutely nothing.

Once at the office, it appeared Jackson knew better than to try to call her, choosing instead to send eight million emails to her private account. The man was persistent; she’d give him that.

As she worked on the smaller projects still active with her team, Jada did her best to go through all the messages. Most were entirely banal. He’d chosen the cake, though he didn’t say which flavor—no that it mattered—and he’d set up a chance to pick the flowers. In the email, he’d written, “I hope you’ll agree to join me tomorrow. I know this type of thing seems silly to you, but I know nothing about flowers, and I could use the guidance so I’ll avoid choosing something which will set off anyone’s allergies.”

A totally pathetic excuse, but it was nice to hear him say he didn’t have a clue about something. Ha, take that, Mr. Perfect.

She replied, “Fine. Since I have to carry them, I’ll find the strength to endure another outing with you.” A bit snarky, she knew, but he needed her to land this deal, and she was going to milk it a little.

After reading a few more pointless emails, Jada decided it was lunchtime and meandered to the break room. Reaching the linoleum-encrusted space, Jada almost had a heart attack.

On the table was a full spread of lunch options: salads, sandwiches, snacks, and drinks, each with its own ingredients list and allergy warnings. There was enough food there to feed the entire office, and it looked good too, not something cheap and easy enough to get in bulk. No, this was actual, factual lunch. Real bread, real veggies, real meat, and a real lot of it.

As she approached the table, excited to try a bit of everything, Jada saw a note posted near the box of utensils and condiments.

Please help yourselves. The company understands that things can be tough, and we want to show how much we appreciate your hard work. Enjoy this and the future complimentary lunches as a part of your employment package.

“Holy fuck.”

Behind Jada, one of her teammates, Cheryl, piped up.

“I know,” she beamed. “I can barely believe it. This is the best I’ve eaten in months. If this really keeps up, I can spend my lunch money on gas instead. Won’t that be a lifesaver?”

Jada couldn’t respond; she was still in shock. After Cheryl left, she gathered up a bit of food and went back to her office.

Could leopards change their spots?

* * *

A few hours later, the day was drawing to a close, and Jada said goodnight to everyone as they passed by her office. The last to leave was Matheson.

“How’s the filing going?” He still seemed delighted about her new task.

“It was a rough start, but it’s looking like I could actually be making a difference. I mean, it’s a small bit of progress, but who knows? It could grow into sustainable change for the future, and think how many people that would help. But I’m probably getting ahead of myself.”

“What?” Matheson said, confused by her string of non-sequiturs.

“Sorry. Just thinking out loud. Have a good night.”

“Yeah, you too.” He turned and wandered off to the regular elevator, shaking his head.

As she looked back at her email and scrolled through the remaining messages, Jada had to join in the head shaking. Who was she kidding? Sure, providing lunch had been a nice gesture, but people, especially people like Jackson, never really changed.

She could see it all now: as soon as the deal went through, Jackson wouldn’t need to be in her good graces anymore, and he’d pulled the lunch program right away. For now, it was a nice treat for some of the staff, and even a week or two without having to pay for lunch could make a big difference for a decent amount of them. It wasn’t paying their rent or medical bills, but it was something.

The remaining messages she looked over were just a few questions here and there that Jackson must have sent later in the day. Did she have any allergies? Was she lactose intolerant? Did she have a heart condition or chronic illness? It was strange, to say the least. Most people didn’t get to know someone through direct email questions. But he probably wasn’t using them to get to know her. He just needed some things on paper so he could arrange a decent-looking “marriage” and not kill his bride in the process.

Jada typed up all the answers and shot the email back with a click of the mouse. With that done, it was time to go home, and she took the elevator down to the parking garage. Inside, she sang along with the music, the song “Walking on Sunshine” echoing through the speakers, and bounced happily. It was odd to be in such a good mood when everything had been so weird at work, but guilting the boss into offering free lunch had put a spring in her step.

She exited the elevator and walked to her car. The thing chirped in response to the auto-unlock, and Jada fired up the pathetic excuse for an engine. Traffic going home at this time of night was always a bit better than earlier, and Jada looked forward to getting home, starting a bath, and drinking a big glass of red wine while she soaked in lavender-scented bubbles. All in all, it could have been a worse day, and tomorrow was flower time. With no clue where she was going to see their options, Jada preemptively decided to choose her favorite regardless. Irises were it for her, even if the place didn’t offer them. Jackson was loaded, and if she was going to waste a first marriage on a rich, muckety-muck, she was getting her favorite flowers. She was certain of that.