Chapter Seven
Paige
“I don’t know about this, Paige. Are you sure you can trust these people?”
Paige clicked through the schedule that Toby had sent to her school email. Her stress levels rose just glancing through it. He hadn’t been kidding when he said they were going to travel a lot. Most weekends for the next thirty days, she wouldn’t even be in New York.
“I don’t know,” she said, and turned in her chair to look at Jessica. She was going over the document, and she looked apprehensive. “It’s the only way, though, that I thought of to keep going to school here at NYU.”
“Did you call to check with financial aid yet to see if he actually sent over a check?” Jessica asked. “I’d check there first before you commit to this event thing at the end of the week.”
“Good point,” Paige said. She rose from her chair. “I’ll just go down there, and we can grab a bite to eat for dinner before I respond to this.”
“It’d be smart,” Jessica said. “I mean, this man does business every single day of his life. I don’t want you to get screwed over in all of this.”
It touched Paige then how much Jessica seemed to care. She smiled thankfully at her as they left the freshman apartments to head over to financial aid office. They ran into Professor Grey as he exited the glass doors.
“Ah, good afternoon, Paige,” he said, smiling at her and Jessica. “I was just in there talking with a financial counselor regarding the question you asked me the other day.”
“Oh, right.” She had completely forgotten about asking Professor Grey if there were any scholarships or ways that he could think of for her to keep going to NYU. “Did they say anything?”
“Well, it was a bit strange,” Professor Grey said, frowning then. “We were in the middle of talking about what we needed to do for you when your counselor received a phone call from someone over at Turner Oil.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock. There had been a very skeptical part of her that didn’t think Luke would hand out a check to pay for the rest of her college education. Then again, she supposed two hundred thousand dollars was chunk change to a man of wealth like Luke.
Professor Grey was studying her intently. “Do you know who Luke Turner is?”
“Sort of,” she said. “What did he say on the phone?”
“It wasn’t him on the phone. It was his secretary arranging your financial account with NYU. The next three years are paid in full, including supply fees as per Luke’s instructions.”
“Holy shit!” Jessica exclaimed. “He did it.”
She winced when Paige nudged her painfully in the side. Professor Grey watched their exchange before placing a hand on Paige’s shoulder. Concern stretched across his bearded face.
“I know you are new to this city, but Luke Turner has a reputation among the female population that isn’t favorable. A man like him uses wealth to get what he wants out of a woman.”
No kidding. Unable to stand the intensity of his gaze, Paige dropped her eyes to the sidewalk while she nodded quickly. “I understand, Professor Grey. You see, I promised him a painting.” The lie came to her surprisingly quickly. “It was an agreement, because he wants a painting in his office and I agreed to do it, and that was the price I asked for.”
He didn’t believe her. The skeptical look on Professor Grey’s face spoke volumes regarding how much he doubted that.
“I’ve dealt with Luke Turner quite a bit, believe it or not,” he said. “It isn’t in his nature or character to do something this charitable.”
Desperate, Paige glanced over at Jessica, who seemed equally floored about what to do. She grabbed ahold of Jessica’s arm then. “We have to get going, Professor. It’s been a long day, we’re starving, and we have tons of homework to do.”
“Get along then,” he said, but he stopped Paige before she could go. “I’m just warning you about him, Paige. I don’t want to see a good woman like yourself get taken advantage of.”
“I’m not, Professor,” she replied thickly. “I’ll see you in class on Wednesday morning.”
She hurried along the sidewalk with Jessica until they were both confident that Professor Grey was well out of earshot. Paige let out a strangled, pent-up breath when she looked over at Jessica.
“I didn’t think he’d actually do it,” she said, still in shock. “I thought he’d wait it out for the next thirty days.”
“I thought so too,” Jessica said. “What is he going to expect from you in return?”
Paige’s throat clenched thinking about those conditions they had talked about. There was no doubt in her mind that Luke was not happy about the no sex condition. She had seen that challenging glint in his eyes.
“I can think of a few things,” Paige said nervously. They entered one of the many restaurants on NYU’s campus that accept their dinner cards. It was busy, as expected for 5:00 p.m. on a Wednesday night.
Once they had their sandwiches and bowls of soup, they sat down at an empty table in front of the windows that overlooked the sidewalk. The sun had started to dip down earlier than what they were used to, a sure sign of the pending fall season.
He can’t honestly expect me to have sex with him. Paige looked down at her sandwich when a wave of nausea crashed over her. He signed that contract. He agreed to the terms of it.
Except, she knew Luke didn’t follow the rules. He had enough money to buy himself out of legal troubles anyway.
“He can’t force you to have sex with him,” Jessica said then, reading the expression on Paige’s face. “He really can’t. There are many things he could face if he did.”
“He wouldn’t force me. As sleek as he is, he isn’t a guy who just goes around forcing women into his bed.”
“That’s true I suppose. He’s attractive, so I’m sure it’s easy to fall for those charms.”
“It is,” Paige said, sighing. “It’s just so strange, because there are times when he’s calm and relaxed. He seems completely at ease and normal, but then it changes within a matter of minutes.”
Jessica looked thoughtful for a long moment. “Brooding is what they call that, but I’m pretty sure he had a rough childhood. That tends to play on people quite a bit.”
“I know he has. I don’t know much about it besides what Shannon has said to me, or what he has said himself.”
“If you’re in over your head, then back out,” Jessica said. “You have to admit that Luke is way experienced in certain areas that you’re lost in. I just worry that he’ll charm you before the end of this contract.”
“He won’t,” Paige said firmly, even though she had her doubts too. “I vowed to myself a long time ago that I wouldn’t give in before marriage. He can’t change my mind no matter how hard he tries to.”
Jessica gave her a long, hard look. “If you’re sure about that, Paige. I just know what marriage means to you because of the values you grew up with. I don’t think it matters if you even wait until beyond the wedding—he’ll still leave.”
“I don’t think so. Something is—” Her phone vibrated in her back pocket. “Hold on. I need to take this real quick.”
“Is it Luke?”
Paige nodded in confirmation before rising from the table to go outside. Not that it was much better with the noise. She slipped into the alleyway next to the restaurant to answer her phone.
“I wanted to call and confirm that I upheld my end of the bargain,” Luke said. He paused for a moment. “Where are you? I can hear cars.”
“I’m getting dinner with my friend,” she said. “I’m standing outside, but—”
“What type of friend?”
She arched an eyebrow at the harsh question. Jealousy was in, and she smiled in amusement. She briefly contemplated telling him it was Kyle Duncan just to hear his reaction but decided to leave it alone for the meantime.
“It’s Jessica,” she said. “That friend who blew the whistle on your plot.”
“Right,” he said humorlessly. “What were you saying?”
“I was going to tell you thank you for that. I didn’t expect it until the end of our arrangement.”
“The other half you can get after thirty days. I wanted something in return for honoring a portion of my end of the contract.”
Her heart started to pound. “Okay. Like what?”
“I want to be able to kiss and touch you whenever I want,” he said. “We have to make this look real, and I’m going to have blue balls if you keep your distance from me.”
She let out a shaky breath. It was exactly what she had assumed he would ask. “Toby told you that sleeping with random women in the meantime wouldn’t work?”
“Not if I want this to work,” he replied, obviously not pleased with that. “I did what you asked, so it’s your turn to do what I’m asking.”
“I’m not going to have sex with you,” Paige said firmly. “If we have to go through with this marriage, I’ll consider it then.”
“Fine.” He sighed into the phone. “But we had an agreement. This is the only thing I’m asking for in the meantime. I’m going to go crazy if you tell me no.”
“You sound like a typical teenage boy,” she commented, rolling her eyes. “Just kissing and touching. That’s it. Don’t think you’re going to get anywhere else.”
“We’ll see about that.”
He hung up without saying good-bye. Paige lowered her phone to stare out across the street with a racing heart. He was pushing her boundaries to see how far he could go. It wouldn’t be so bad… That wicked thought crossed her mind. It wouldn’t be like the last time she had been tangled up in someone’s arms. Luke’s hands never fumbled. He kissed expertly and passionately.
There was obviously something there that kept women flocking to him.
She went back inside to sit down at the table across from Jessica. Breathless, Paige sat in her chair, unable to think about picking up her sandwich.
“What happened?” Jessica asked, lowering her own sandwich immediately. “I can see that something is up. What is it? What’d Luke want?”
“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to handle being around him,” Paige said. “He’s just so experienced when it comes to everything in life. I’m just starting to figure it out, you know?”
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Is NYU that important to you?” Jessica shook her head. “It’s not worth it if it means you have to sacrifice a part of yourself in this fucked-up situation.”
“I just can’t imagine going back to Wyoming,” Paige said.
Tears filled her eyes just thinking about it. She missed her parents, but the thought of returning home after two months of utter and complete freedom to do whatever she wanted—it didn’t sit well. She wanted to be a painter in New York City with her own gallery. It had been her dream since she could remember.
She sucked in a deep breath.
“It’s worth it if I can get to where I want to be,” she said. “If I have to do this one thing, then it’s going to be worth it.”
Jessica shook her head in dismay.
“The promises you made to yourself shouldn’t be a part of any of this,” she said. “Just remember that, okay? You matter too. Don’t let him convince you otherwise.”
“I won’t,” Paige said, smiling at her friend in appreciation. “Thanks, Jess. I really appreciate you being here with me. Let’s eat so we can get back to studying.”
****
Friday night approached faster than Paige anticipated. She had no idea what to expect besides from what Toby had said in his email. Shannon would be stopping by with clothes and makeup courtesy of Luke’s credit card before a driver would pick her up at 6:00 p.m. sharp.
She climbed the stairs surreally after a long couple of days of staying up late to get homework done. She had no idea if Luke had any other plans for the weekend that involved her with him, but she didn’t want to risk it. Falling behind in classes was not an option for her while playing pretend with Luke.
Jessica was waiting anxiously outside Paige’s door when she reached the top of the stairs.
“I thought you might’ve forgotten,” she said. “You realize that Shannon will be here any minute, right?”
“Yeah, I know,” Paige said tiredly. “I’m running late. I was trying to think of a good way to talk to my parents about Luke.”
She unlocked her door before pushing it open to let Jessica in first. She left it cracked open for Shannon before sliding of her leather satchel with a relieved sigh.
“Do you need to tell them?” Jessica asked, frowning. “I mean, would it hurt if they didn’t know about it?”
“They would know about it, trust me. They keep up with the news surrounding oil.”
“Right. I see your point.”
They were quiet for a moment while Paige slipped out of her shoes, nudging them off to the side. She had no idea how she was going to explain a sudden relationship, let alone an engagement, to them. The only plausible thing she could think of was that she had started seeing Luke two months ago and had just never mentioned it because it was brand new.
Oh, and he paid for the rest of my NYU education too. Don’t worry about that.
“I’m screwed,” Paige groaned, burying her face in her hands. “I did not think this through, Jess. There is no way my parents are going to believe whatever excuse I give them.”
“For tonight, just say that you’re seeing someone new,” Jessica said. “That’s all you need to say. You can think of another way to explain things to them later. Doing it all at once might sound over the top. I wouldn’t believe it either.”
“I need to call them before I go. This event has cameras everywhere.”
“For someone who is living out a fairy tale,” Jessica said wryly, “you don’t sound very happy at all.”
“It’s a nightmare,” Paige said. She pulled out her phone to call her parents. “I better do it now before I psych myself out. They’ll see it in a paper back home.”
“Do your parents know who Luke is exactly?”
“Not exactly.” She dialed her parents’ house number. “They know Turner Oil though. I remember my dad talking about it one time.”
“Hello, darling,” Marie answered. “I’m surprised to see you calling on a Friday night. Is everything all right?”
“Everything’s fine, Mom. I, um, just wanted to share some exciting news with you guys.”
“Exciting news? Oh, let me get your father on the other phone. Harry! Harry!” Paige winced at her mother’s excited shouts. “Pick the phone up. Paige has something exciting to tell us.”
“Paige?” Harry echoed, equally confused about why she was calling on a Friday night. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes, Dad,” Paige said, rolling her eyes. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to skip on meeting my parents. It’ll be over before they could meet him, anyway. “I just wanted to tell you both that I met someone here in the city.”
“You have? Oh, that’s great, honey,” Marie said, but suspicion laced her voice. “You never mentioned you were planning to meet someone while in the city.”
“It just sort of happened,” Paige said with a grimace. “I wasn’t planning on it, but I met him through a mutual friend. My senior sister.”
“I hope you stick to your values, young lady,” Harry said firmly. “Remember what we taught you. Some men out there are a bit fast for a young and kind woman such as yourself.”
“I know, Dad. I’m sticking to the values that you taught me. I promise.”
“What’s his name?” Marie asked.
“His name is—”
Shannon burst through her apartment door with a breathless huff, bags all up her arms.
“I have everything you need per Luke’s command,” she said, gladly accepting Jessica’s help in taking them off her arms. “We need to get you ready. The driver is going to be here in ten minutes.”
“Who is that?” Marie asked. “Is someone there with you?”
“Mom, I have to go,” Paige said hurriedly. “I’m late for a get-together. I’ll call you guys later this weekend, okay?”
“But—”
She hung up before anything else could be said or questioned. Staring at the massive heap of bags on the floor, Paige mentally calculated how much it must’ve cost Luke with Shannon in charge of his credit card.
“This is way too much stuff,” she said, shaking her head. “Seriously, I’m not going to wear it past this month.”
“Consider it a token,” Shannon said, shrugging. “I’m just following Luke’s orders.”
“Yeah, I know you are.”
She froze at the surly tone in Paige’s voice. Shame filled her eyes then.
“I know that I owe you an apology,” she said. “I shouldn’t have done what I did, and I’m sorry if it hurt your feelings.”
“It did,” Paige said. “But, it’s in the past now. Let’s get this event thing over with.”
Jessica exchanged a pointed look with Paige when Shannon immediately started to sort through the bags. “Be careful,” she mouthed, nodding at Shannon. Paige nodded back in wordless understanding as Shannon straightened to show off a gray and gold floral dress with a long see-through skirt.
“This is your ticket tonight,” Shannon said. “Look at how beautiful it is. You’ll get rave reviews on this dress. I can guarantee it.”
“That is a beautiful dress,” Jessica said, trailing her fingers over the soft fabric. “Try it on, Paige. I only see you in leggings and T-shirts ninety-nine percent of the time.”
“Agreed,” Shannon said. “You have killer legs. You need to show them off. Try it on so we can see.”
She slipped into the dress and stood in front of them nervously. “I don’t know if this is a paparazzi-ready type of dress.”
“This is more for Luke than them,” Shannon said. She patted the bed before grabbing a black bag of makeup. “We don’t have much time. The driver Luke sent is a bit of a prick if you’re running behind schedule.”
Five minutes later, her face felt freshened up with makeup and her hair was newly curled. Shannon moved about her gracefully without batting an eyelash, talking amicably with Jessica about everything she could think of. That was one thing Paige noticed about Shannon—she at least tried to make everyone around her comfortable.
“Okay,” Jessica said as they walked her down to the sidewalk where Luke’s driver waited impatiently, “just stay calm as much as you can. Remember what we talked about the other day.”
Shannon looked at her curiously, but she didn’t pry for information. She gave Paige her traditional, cheerful thumbs-up.
“Go for it,” she said. “He’s going to have a hard time keeping his hands off you.”
That’s what I’m worried about. Paige slid into the passenger seat and twisted the soft fabric of her dress around nervously as the SUV pulled away. This was going to be the night that started it all for the arrangement. In thirty days, she would possibly be married to one of the most eligible and wealthy bachelors in the United States, and while it was thrilling, a cloud of nerves was suffocating her.
The SUV pulled up to the curb of a large, ritzy building where tons of cameras were lined up. People were already walking along, pausing for photographs, and then heading into the main lobby.
Luke stood on the corner, away from all the commotion, with Toby at his side, talking about something on his phone. He looked up when the SUV parked in front of them. Relief sparkled in his eyes before everything went expressionless as he opened the door.
“I thought you might have taken the clothes and makeup without any intention of showing up,” he said.
Seeing her heels, Luke held out a hand for her to use to get out. It felt warm against her cool and sweaty one.
“I’d care more about my college education than clothes and makeup,” Paige said. She looked down the sidewalk where all the cameras were lined alongside police tape. Her heart started to pound again. “Do we honestly have to walk past all those cameras?”
“We do,” Luke said. He glanced at them as well with a sigh. “It’s part of what Toby told you. Much of this is going to be publicity, so don’t take it personally if I grab ahold of you. We have to make it look real.”
The last part echoed his earlier sentiment. Paige brushed out the barely visible wrinkles in her dress as they walked toward the cameras.
“Hold on to my hand,” Luke said. “It’s going to get a bit crazy with the camera flashes. You’re going to go blind if you don’t.”
She quickly took his hand as they approached. Just as Luke had promised, the flashing lights nearly blinded her. Questions were hurled at them as well. It took all of Paige’s resolve to hold on to Luke’s hand and not dash in the other direction, away from it all.
“This is my girlfriend,” Luke said in answer to one of the questions. “We’ve been dating for three months now.”
“And these rumors of getting married to Alicia Poole?” one paparazzo threw out, clicking away on his camera.
“Rumors,” Luke said firmly. “This is my woman here. My one and only.”
If she hadn’t known it was all for show, her heart would’ve melted at those words. It did slightly before Paige reminded herself that it wasn’t real. All of it wasn’t real, but she kept a fixed smile on her face.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?” another pap asked.
Luke opened his mouth to reply, but she beat him to it.
“Paige Scott,” she said. “It’s Paige Scott. I’m a freshman at NYU.”
That seemed to fuel a fire. Alarmed by the rapid flashing, Paige tightened her hold on Luke’s hand. He tugged her away from the cameras and the questions with Toby right on their heels. It wasn’t until they were in the lobby of the building that Luke glared down at the cameras.
“Why do they have to know so much information?” he asked moodily. “It’s none of their business.”
“Just go with it,” Toby said, unfazed by his mood. “Come on, let’s get inside. They always have great food at these events.”
He left them standing motionlessly by the glass doors. Luke glared out them at the cameras for a second longer before looking back at Paige. The anger in his eyes dissipated when he did, a smile tugging at his lips.
“I know you don’t want to hear this,” he said, “but you honestly do look beautiful in this dress.”
She didn’t pick up anything in his voice besides sincerity. The compliment touched her.
“Thank you,” she said. “Your friend Shannon picked it out.”
“She’s your friend too,” Luke said. “You’ll have to forgive her eventually. She was a pawn in my scheme in all reality.”
“Maybe one day,” Paige said distantly. “We better go inside. I’m starving too.”
“All right. Let’s start this campaign of thirty days of love.”
He placed a hand on her bare back, splaying it out while he guided her through a crowded room. Even if all of it was a publicity stunt, it still felt good to have someone like Luke guiding her around the room. It felt good to have a roomful of people look at her with interest but never approach because of Luke’s steady presence behind her.
She felt protected in an odd way.