Marry Me for Money (20 page)

“Dad, she makes me laugh, and I enjoy her company. When I’m with Beth, it’s effortless, and I don’t have to try. I’m just spending more time with her, and we’ll see how things go.”

“I like the sound of that,” Mr. Plack said.

I made my way back to the family room before I got caught. My ears had overstayed their welcome.

A little while later, as I continued flipping through the channels while sitting on the couch, Kent stepped back into the room.

“Dinner is finally served. Sorry that I took a while. My father stopped me to give me a lecture.”

“Yeah, I overheard. I’m sorry,” I whispered.

His eyebrows shot up. “Oh, really?”

“Shut up. I went looking for you, and I couldn’t help myself. The conversation was getting juicy.”

He looked behind him to make sure no one was listening. “I’ve surprised him by bringing a good girl home. He knows my ways, but I was very convincing.”

“Yes, I heard that part, too. I’m impressed. You’re a good liar,” I said, giving him a thumbs-up.

“Liar? I’m not a liar.” He reached for my hand and pulled me to stand. “Let’s go. I’m starving. Plus, I have to get you home early. You have work tomorrow.”

Will I ever get used to him holding my hand?

I expected dinner to turn into a disaster, but it didn’t. We talked about Plack Industries. Naturally interested, I asked a lot of questions about the expansion in Bowlesville and overseas. When business talk turned boring, Mrs. Plack discussed her latest charity work at St. Jude’s Hospital. We didn’t once mention Kent’s relationship with me. During dinner, I felt more comfortable. I was able to eat my whole meal and then some.

When it was time to leave, Mrs. Plack encased me in a long bear hug. I imagined this woman consoling Kent when he was younger—wiping every tear, kissing every wound, and hugging him when he was distraught. I could see why Kent loved his mother and why he put her on a pedestal. This woman exuded kindness and selflessness. I basked in her warmth, and I had to admit that I was envious of their relationship. I hadn’t had these motherly hugs while growing up, and I wished I had. I squeezed her back while thinking of and missing my Nana.

“Hey now,” Kent said, maneuvering between us so that his mom had to release me. “It’s my turn. I’m getting jealous over here.” He enveloped her in a long embrace and smooched her on her cheek.

Mrs. Plack erupted into warm laughter when Kent wouldn’t release her.

Mr. Plack took my hand and shook it. “I hope we see you again soon, Beth.” He turned to give Kent a stern look. “Kent, make sure you drive safely and get this lovely lady home in one piece.”

On the drive to the city, we both stayed silent. Already on the highway and almost home, I yawned and glanced at Kent. He seemed to be in deep thought.

“Hey, what are you thinking about?” I asked, snapping my fingers in front of him.

“Nothing. Everything. I don’t know.” He paused. “My mom likes you,” he whispered.

“Obviously, she was won over by my sheer awesomeness,” I said, trying to break his mood.

It worked. “Awesomeness? I don’t even think that’s a word.” He laughed once.

“Yes, it is.” I smirked. “If you look that word up in the dictionary, you’ll see my picture.”

A dimple emerged on his cheek, but then his face turned serious. “I can’t bear to hurt her,” he said, no longer smiling. “My father and I might not see eye to eye on a lot of things, but we both would move heaven and earth for that woman.” He sighed. “She likes you, Beth, and the more time she spends with you, I don’t doubt she will fall in love with you. In the end, she’ll be hurt, and I’ll be the one who hurt her.” A brief expression of pain passed over his face.

“We don’t have to do this,” I said, touching his arm. “It was your idea.”

He shook his head to compose himself and the vulnerable state he had shown a moment earlier was gone. “I don’t want to hurt her, but I’ll do what I need to,” he said, his voice resolute.

With that, our conversation ended.

After work the next evening, I strolled straight into Kent’s condo, dropped my laptop bag on the hardwood floor, and slumped against his kitchen counter.

“Bad day?” Kent asked. He seated himself at the kitchen table and scanned a
Time
magazine.

The clock on the wall read five thirty, but he was already in his PJs.

“I didn’t tell him,” I huffed and blew my bangs out of my eyes.

“Tell who?” he asked, still scanning the magazine.

“I didn’t tell Brian, the guy I’m dating. I didn’t tell him about our deal. Ugh,” I said, disgusted with myself. I’d meant to tell him during our lunch hour, but everything I’d mustered up in my mind that I wanted to say sounded ridiculous.

“Well, if you are so upset, then just tell him,” Kent said.

He still hadn’t glanced up at me, which was starting to irk me.

“I can’t,” I whined, moving away from the counter and shifting in Kent’s line of sight to get his attention.

“Honestly, I don’t see what’s so difficult. You’re upset because you haven’t told him about our arrangement, so tell him, and then you will no longer be upset. The end.” Kent flipped a page in the magazine and I narrowed my eyes at him as he still hadn’t glanced up.

“You don’t understand. He doesn’t know about my debt. I have to tell him about that first before I can tell him about our deal.” I rubbed at my brow, trying to ward off an oncoming headache.

“Well, tell him then,” Kent continued.

I gave him the evil stare. “Stop saying that, will you? I can’t tell him, so will you quit repeating yourself? It’s really starting to piss me off. I don’t know why I came here. You’re not being a supportive friend right now!” I yelled.

It was moments like this when I truly longed for female friends. Where males saw everything in black or white, females knew that it wasn’t that simple. Sometimes, decisions were in the gray.

He put down the magazine and walked toward the counter. “Okay, what’s the problem? I’m listening.”

“Well, thanks. I thought you were already listening.” I rolled my eyes and jutted out my lip in a full on Bethany pout. “The problem is, I can’t tell him about our deal because I’ll have to explain my debt situation. It will screw everything up.”

I looked to him for advice, and he offered none.

“You can’t? Or you won’t?” Kent asked.

“I won’t.”

“Women are so complicated. That’s why I don’t date,” he said, shaking his head. “Well then, I can’t help you, and you won’t help yourself, so nothing’s resolved.”

He shrugged, turned, and walked back to the kitchen table, causing my blood to boil.

“You are so annoying.” I stomped toward him. “You don’t understand because you have never been in a relationship before. I can’t tell him about my debt. It’s too much baggage. That’s like basically telling him that I have a kid. Do you get it?” Exasperated, I raised my hand at him.

He lifted one eyebrow. “You don’t have a kid. It’s debt, and it’s your debt, not his. He’s not going to pay for it. I don’t see what the big deal is, Beth.”

“Okay, let’s see here. I can just imagine how it would go down. ‘Hey, Brian, I have to tell you something. I know you have the perfect parents and the perfect life. But I had a mother who drank herself into oblivion, dated every loser on the block, and put me into debt—a lot of debt. Now, I know you still want to date me because that’s just so attractive,’” I said sarcastically.

I shook my head. “You don’t understand. When you are dating someone, it’s fake in the beginning. It’s the getting-to-know-each-other phase where everything is perfect. You are perfect, he is perfect, everything is absolutely effing perfect. Then, the woman brings out her true side, and the guy brings out his I’m-not-going-to-romance-you-as-much-as-I-did-in-the-beginning side. Eventually, things progress, and you think, ‘Oh, I know you have flaws, but I still love you, and although you have flaws, I want to keep this relationship going.’

“So, no, I can’t just throw him this curve ball in the beginning. It would ruin things. And I don’t want to date around. What’s the point? Every girl dates around to find that perfect guy but I’ve already found him,” I said, rambling on without taking a breath.

“I just don’t want to ruin things. His birthday is in a few weeks, and I want to be around to spend it with him,” I said sadly. “I’ve worked so hard to get where I am, and I just want that happy ending.”

Kent’s eyes softened, taking my words in. He finally stood, moved toward me, and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Beth, once this is all over, your debt will be gone, and you will get your happy ending with Brian. Don’t worry, okay?”

I shrugged and gave him a small smile. “I hope so.”

“I promise, you will,” he replied.

I glanced at the clock on the lower right side of my work computer screen. It was five and time to go. Determined to tell Brian the truth, I’d told him to meet me at my desk after work, so we could walk to my apartment together.

“Hey you, ready to go?” Brian dropped his laptop bag at the foot of my chair. “I’m hungry. Let’s grab some dinner.”

“Two seconds. Let me shut my computer down.” I shifted to power off my computer and turned to Caroline shuffling back to her desk.

She had just come back from a customer call.

“Hey, how was your call?” I put my laptop into my bag as she flashed me a smile.

“Boring as always, but I did hear some gossip.” Her eyes widened as she placed her hands on her hips. “Bethany Casse, have you been holding out on us?” she asked. “Are you dating the hot Kent Plack of Plack Industries?”

Her eyes lit up with excitement while I rapidly blinked at her, not believing what had just left her mouth. My head flipped to Brian to see his cheerful mood drop. His mouth was set in a straight line.

“Uh…no…I don’t know. Where did you hear that?” I said, pulling at the strands of brown hair on my shoulder.

I felt myself get warm all over. Beads of sweat formed at the back of my neck as the shock of an upcoming train wreck hit me full force. It wasn’t supposed to come out like this. He was supposed to hear it from me.

Brian grabbed his bag and turned to stomp toward the door and I followed right behind him.

“What’s his problem?” Caroline asked, glancing in Brian’s direction.

“Customer deal gone bad,” I said over my shoulder, moving faster to catch him. “See you tomorrow, Caroline.”

He faced the elevator, waiting for it to open, as my eyes studied the back of his striped shirt, noticing the thin vertical white lines contrasting with the blue. I squeezed my palms together, cutting off the circulation, as I waited for him to speak.

“I’ve been played before. Honestly, I’ve done some of the playing, but I didn’t see the signs on this one,” he said, still facing the elevator.

“It’s not like that. I promise you, it’s not what it looks like.”

I reached for his arm, but he shrugged it off.

“If you’ll just let me, I can tell you the truth. Please,” I begged as I shifted to stare at his side profile.

“Now I know why you didn’t want anyone at work to know that we were together.” He turned to face me. “Fine, tell me the truth. Are you dating Kent Plack?”