“Hello, Mother. Checking in on me already?” I said, stopping in the hallway to begrudgingly answer my phone.

I was heading through the Millennium Hotel after my sales meeting to catch up with a college buddy.

“Can’t a mother call her son when she wants? Besides, I just wanted to see if the meeting went okay, you know the hotel is one of our oldest clients and the place is great for promoting visibility,” my mother continued without even the simplest greeting.

“I’m well aware of that, and the meeting went fine. You don’t need to worry.”

“Oh, but I always worry. You have a long way to go if you think you’re ready to fill your father’s shoes.”

Here it comes, I thought, getting ready for a lecture. Such remarks, as well as tension, were ever present since the death of my father six months ago. The constant insinuation that I wasn’t ready to run the business, that I didn’t take it seriously, always underlined every conversation we had lately. In other words, she and the rest of the family simply didn’t think I was good enough.

Perhaps I did not take the role as seriously as I should have, but who wanted a salesman constantly badgering them every moment of every day? I’d already proven myself. I was well qualified for taking over the reins without the need to start from the ground up again. I’d been helping to manage all aspects of the business for years since graduating from Stanford, one of the best Business and Management schools in the state.

“Was there anything else, ‘cause I have to go, Mother. I’m meeting someone.”

“Indeed, that is actually something I need to talk to you about,” she said with a curious tone that prevented me from hanging up.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, for the big reunion next week. We agreed that you would be settled by then. I presume you do not have a secret fiancée that you haven’t told us about? You act like signing over the company is still a foregone conclusion, a simple formality, but you aren’t going to meet the stipulations are you, despite all your assurances?”

“Wait, are you serious?” I said, my voice quickly rising. “You’re always talking about that, but I thought you were joking. Are you telling me now that it’s an actual requirement? That’s ridiculous.”

I was pacing the side hallway away from the entrance of the hotel, as my irritation and confusion grew, I almost crashed into someone who was heading down the opposite direction. The woman also looked distracted and somewhat flustered, and merely uttered a fleeting apology. She quickly veered around me as she sped toward her destination. The glimpse I caught of her halted me in my tracks for the longest moment. Her dark lashes, the elegant shape of her lips, her strawberry blond hair all made their mark on me as she passed by. I watched as she went through a staff door and vanished from sight.

“Are you even listening to me?” my mother said, barking down the phone. “Ethan, tell me you have read the contracts?”

“So you’re telling I have to get married before I can take over the business?”

“Mmm, not quite,” my mother replied. My shoulders dropped with sudden relief. “You only need to be engaged and have a date booked for the wedding to meet the stipulations laid down by your father… and his father before him. Don’t forget your cousin is already married and quite willing—”

“Mom, stop.” This veiled threat was enough for today, I needed to process the information. I needed a drink. “Look I’m sure this can be worked out. But I have to go now,” I said, hanging up. Gee thanks Pops for screwing up my life, yet again!

I shook off my annoyance and turned back to go inside. The “Little Black Dress” gentleman’s club was a glorious refuge for the elite. Though nowadays it was not so exclusive, you only needed the funds for the membership and the right attire. Old dark wood paneled the walls between ornate carved columns, and deep red carpeting welcomed your feet as you entered. Ancient leather wingback seats tucked away in one corner, beckoned. Perfect for secretive meetings.

It was often a great place for rubbing elbows with powerful people and nurturing business opportunities. But for me it was really just a drinking hole, a place to relax, when friends were in town. Nick was already waiting when I got to the club and promptly ordered the drinks when he saw me arrive.

“Hey, man,” I said as I greeted him with a hearty handshake and a firm slap on the shoulder before slumping into the waiting chair. I sank into the luxurious comfort, letting out a troubled sigh.

“What’s up bud? You look a little rattled.”

“As you might imagine, it’s my mother.” I rolled my eyes and lent forward in the chair.

“Figures,” he replied with a knowing nod.

Neither of my parents had ever seen eye to eye with Nick or any of the antics we’d gotten up to in our younger years. He was always coming up with hare-brained schemes, and roping me into joining. Getting me into trouble. But he was my closest friend and confidant.

“Well get this, apparently there’s some crazy stipulation in the contract about my marital status if I want to take over the family business.”

“Seriously? Do you have to be married or something?” laughed Nick.

“Yeah, well no, I just have to be engaged. I can’t believe my dad did this to me.”

I could already see Nick’s devious brain ticking over as he leaned forward as well.

“He obviously had his reasons, but this isn’t something you should be overly worried about. Getting engaged doesn’t sound too tricky,” he started with a slight shrug, as if the whole thing was something to be crossed off a to-do list. Like choosing out a would-be wife was as easy as picking up a carton of milk.

“What? How do you figure that out?” I exclaimed. For the second time in ten minutes I was playing catch up with a conversation in which my personal life was the main topic.

“Think about it, you can get engaged without having to go through with it right? All you need is a willing participant. Easy. Look around. Look where you are. This is Las Vegas, after all!”

“But all by next week? I’m screwed, how the hell is that going to happen?”