Kate
I knew what they were thinking when he said it. I could see the way their eyes looked over my body and then back up to my face. They were confused and unsure if Jonathan was playing games with them because I wasn’t normally the type of women he would buy a drink for, let alone marry.
“Hang on, let me get this straight,” the woman, Helen, said pointing at each of us in turn. “You mean you’re getting married?”
“Correct.” Jonathan smiled beside me, his arm still around my waist protectively, and I envied his cool and calm manner.
“As in, walking down the aisle, ‘I vow to be with you for the rest of my life,’ married?” she continued.
Evan walked forwards and shook his hand.
“Well, congrats man. That’s awesome! I’m happy for you. It’s great news!”
Helen, on the other hand, wasn’t so easily impressed and she looked skeptically at me.
“Jonathan, sorry, can I talk to you for minute?” she asked.
“No time,” he said, leaving my side and seemingly oblivious to her bemused tone. “We’ve got a lot to get through. I’m getting married in four months.”
Four months?
I looked at him, shocked and he winked.
“Helen, I need you to provide me with a list of the best wedding venues by the middle of next week, and can you book a hotel for Kate to stay whilst we have everything sorted. I also need some house movers for this afternoon to collect all of her belongings and move them to my place.”
She scribbled the notes down on her pad furiously.
“Which place?” she asked.
He thought for a moment.
“The house in the Hamptons—I think she’ll be happy there—and can you send for Carlton from the legal department?”
I watched as he gave orders, his business side attracting me to him even more.
I walked over to the window and waited while Helen went to get ‘Carlton’ and Jonathan exchanged words with Evan. I couldn’t help but feel a large weight lifted off my shoulders. If what he said was correct, in four months’ time I would be Mrs. Davenport. I’d finally belong to someone, somewhere, without all the drama and the headaches that a normal relationship would produce. I wanted security and a roof over my head and he wanted—I realized that I didn’t know what the hell he wanted—but I knew being married to a man whom you found sexually attractive and who woke parts of you up that had lain dormant for years didn’t seem too hard of a deal.
The office door opened and an older gentleman walked through with a briefcase.
“”Carlton, hi!” Jonathan walked towards him and they shook hands firmly. “Please, sit.”
“Glad I can be of assistance to you both.”
He walked over to the desk and sat down.
“Right,” Evan said walking over towards me. Like Jonathan, he had an air of confidence about him and I knew that he couldn’t be short of female attention either. “I think it’s time I made an exit. Great to meet you and congratulations again.”
“Thanks, I really appreciate it.”
He kissed me on both cheeks and squeezed my shoulder.
“Jonathan!” he called, pointing back at me. “You look after this one, okay? She’s a gem.”
“Keep your hands off. I’m afraid she’s spoken for now!”
They both laughed before Evan said his goodbyes and left the room and it was just the three of us left.
My future husband, our lawyer, and me.
“Just read this and then sign there. Both of you.”
It had taken almost an hour to go through the pages of Jonathan’s marriage contract. There was a lot at stake for him, and we went through everything with a fine-toothed comb.
My eyes skimmed the next section, reading over the words of what our marriage would entail, and it was all relevantly straightforward. Our marriage was exclusive, no outside relationships so to keep up the appearance of legitimacy, no revealing intimate or private details of married life to the press, and no prolonged, unexplained absences without the other’s knowledge or permission. It stated that throughout the marriage I would have access to my own current account with an allowance and a secondary black Amex card to which he will pay the balance each month. The contract was valid for a minimum of five years, and then I would have the option of leaving him and everything else behind with a parting payment of his choice or the option of renewing the contract.
“As per your request, I didn’t add the section regarding intimacy, Mr. Davenport.”
“Intimacy?” I asked, turning to him.
Jonathan nodded.
“It isn’t a requirement to satisfy my needs, it’s down to us and our connection.”
He said the last part looking into my eyes, speaking to me, telling me that he already knew the sexual bond we had spoke volumes.
Carlton handed us another page, breaking our gaze and I looked down at it.
“What’s this part? The Wedding Clause?”
He tilted his head to look at it.
“This is just to say that at the start of the contract, well now, you acknowledge that this wedding and marriage is purely a business deal and there’s no intention or promise of love, emotional availability, or passion.”
I paused, wondering if it was something that I really wanted to sign away—my right to real, heart-wrenching, over the top, warm, fuzzy love. The love that I had never been able to feel in my life. The kind of love that radiated from the books Erin filled the lounge with.
I picked the pen up and looked at Jonathan. He’d already signed his name and his eyes were watching me expectantly.
“I have one minor request.”
Carlton nodded.
“Depending on the type, it will take another day to add to the agreement.”
“There’s no need to have it in writing, but I just want…”
“Anything,” Jonathan whispered, his hand on my shoulder. “Just say it and I’ll give you anything you need, anything you want.”
“I want to start and run my own not-for-profit foundation with your financial help.”
I watched the large smile spread across his face and he kissed my shoulder, sending shivers across my body.
“This is the reason why I knew you’d make an amazing wife for me. I’ll give you that and I’ll give you everything.”
I picked the pen back up, sure of my decision, and signed the end of the contract.
That was it. Jonathan and I were engaged, and even though I’d sworn off love, I couldn’t have been happier because in a few months, even though it was only a business deal, I’d finally have somewhere to call home and people to call my family. I was no longer going to be on my own and that filled me with a sense of hope and belonging that no one around me would ever understand.
Jonathan’s lawyer took the contract from the table in front of me, and I watched as they both shook hands and spoke. The happiness on Jonathan’s face radiated around the room making me question for the first time if I was strong enough to do it.
Was I really capable of marrying and having sex with a man that most women on the face of the earth found completely irresistible and not develop feelings for him? I knew I didn’t want a real relationship, but that was before we’d met, and if I really was so adamant that love was one hundred percent off limits with me then why did I suddenly feel sick to my stomach at the thought of our marriage one day ending and watching him walk away from me forever, or worse yet see him fall hopelessly in real love with someone else? Why did I suddenly feel as though I might have just made the biggest mistake of my life?