Officially His, 365 Days With You

MRS ANGRY BIRD

It was a serene afternoon in the Jay household or it would have been, if not for the sound of Mrs. Jay's heels stomping against the marble floor.

Her usually calm demeanor was replaced with the fiery rage of a woman who had just been stood up... by proxy.

"Jeremiah Jay!" Her voice echoed through the grand estate like a warning bell.

Jeremiah, lounging on the couch in his sweatpants, seeing his favorite movie of the year 'Beauty in Black' and a half-eaten slice of pizza in one hand and his phone in the other, groaned. "Here we go again, Mrs. Angry bird" he muttered under his breath, tossing the pizza onto a plate.

Mrs. Jay stormed into the room, her perfectly styled hair shaking with every step. "Care to explain to me why I got a call from Shirley. SHIRLEY!!! crying, mind you, saying you sent a driver to pick her up only to send her back home like an sss return package?"

Jeremiah glanced at her with mild amusement. "Mom, I thought you'd appreciate that. Saves her from wasting gas."

Mrs. Jay’s glare could melt glaciers. "Saves gas?! Jeremiah, do you think this is a joke? Shirley is from one of the most respected families in L.A., and she had the decency to agree to meet you. And you…you send her off like... like... an Uber Eats order gone wrong?"

Jeremiah smirked, trying to stifle a laugh. "First of all, credit where it’s due. I sent her off in style. My driver’s a gentleman. Second, I told you, I’m not interested in these setups."

Mrs. Jay leaned in closer, her voice low and threatening. "Do you think your scandals will clean themselves up? Hmm? Every week it’s a new headline. Jeremiah Jay spotted leaving nightclub with three women. Jeremiah Jay sparks feud between actresses. And my personal favorite: Jeremiah Jay rumored to be engaged to a European princess…turns out it was a PR stunt."

Jeremiah shrugged nonchalantly. "That last one wasn’t bad. She was cute."

Mrs. Jay threw her hands in the air. "God give me strength! Your father and I worked hard to build this family’s name. And you’re out there parading around like some… some... t****k influencer!"

Jeremiah chuckled. "I’d make a great influencer, don’t you think? Maybe I should start posting workout videos. ‘Hottest bachelor in L.A. shares his secrets.’ Sounds catchy."

Mrs. Jay pointed a sharp finger at him. "Don’t you dare change the subject. You’re 26, Jeremiah. TWENTY-SIX. And still single."

"Exactly. I’m only 26! Why are you rushing me? Let me enjoy my youth, Mom. You and Dad got married young, and look at you now…aging beautifully but stressed over your son’s love life."

Her nostrils flared. "Jeremiah, this isn’t about you anymore. Your father’s health is declining, and the stress from your scandals isn’t helping. He wants to see you settled before he… before anything happens. And I will not have you ruining this family’s reputation."

Jeremiah softened slightly at the mention of his father but quickly regained his composure. "I get it, Mom. But I can’t just marry someone because you want me to. I need to be in love…"

"Love?" Mrs. Jay scoffed. "Jeremiah, love can come later. Stability is what matters now."

He crossed his arms defiantly. "I’m not ready."

"Well, then," she said, her voice cold and calculated, "you have one month to bring home a girl you’re ready to settle down with. ONE MONTH. And if you don’t..." She paused, letting the tension build.

Jeremiah raised an eyebrow. "If I don’t?"

Mrs. Jay’s lips curled into a devilish smile. "If you don’t, I will find you a bride myself. And you will marry her—at the altar—on the 31st day."

Jeremiah blinked. "Wait... what?"

"You heard me," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I will find a woman, plan the wedding, and you will show up like a good son. Otherwise, I’ll pull every string I have to ensure you don’t inherit a cent of this family’s fortune."

Jeremiah stared at her in disbelief. "You can’t be serious."

"Oh, I’m dead serious," she said, turning on her heel to leave. But before exiting, she glanced over her shoulder with a smirk. "Better start looking, sweetheart. The clock is ticking." She said as she walked out, swaying her backside provocatively.

Jeremiah watched her leave, stunned. "This is insane," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

A few moments later, Dazzle strolled in, holding a smoothie and looking as carefree as ever. "Dude, what’s with the storm cloud in here? Your mom looked like she was auditioning for Game of Thrones."

Jeremiah sighed dramatically. "She just gave me an ultimatum."

Dazzle raised an eyebrow. "Oh, do tell."

Jeremiah leaned back, rubbing his temples. "Apparently, I have one month to find a wife. If I don’t, she’s picking one for me and walking me to the altar herself."

Dazzle burst into laughter, nearly spilling his smoothie. "Bro, that’s gold! I’d pay to see you in an arranged marriage. Can you imagine? Your mom would probably pick someone who volunteers at soup kitchens and teaches yoga to senior citizens."

Jeremiah glared at him. "Not helping."

"Okay, okay," Dazzle said, still chuckling. "So, what’s the plan? You gonna hire an actress to play the perfect fiancée? Or maybe ask one of your exes to come back for round two?"

Jeremiah groaned. "I don’t know, man. I’ve got no leads. The only women I trust are you and Ellie, and last I checked, you’re not my type."

Dazzle smirked. "Ellie, huh? You thinking what I’m thinking?"

Jeremiah frowned. "No. Absolutely not. Ellie would never agree to this."

Dazzle shrugged. "You’d be surprised. She’s your best friend. If anyone can bail you out of this mess, it’s her."

Jeremiah hesitated, the idea lingering in his mind. "Could Ellie really be the answer to his problem?"

Meanwhile, in the other wing of the house, Mrs. Jay was on the phone, her voice sharp and authoritative. "Yes, Shirley, I’m terribly sorry about what happened. Rest assured, I’ll handle Jeremiah. He won’t embarrass us again."

She hung up, her eyes narrowing. "One way or another, that boy is getting married. Even if I have to drag him to the altar myself."

******

Back in the living room, Dazzle patted Jeremiah on the shoulder. "You’ve got 31 days to make this happen, buddy. Better start brainstorming."

Jeremiah groaned, already dreading the chaos that was about to unfold.

But deep down, a small part of him wondered..

"Could this ultimatum be the push he needed to finally get his life together?"..

As Jeremiah sat in silence, his phone buzzed with a text from Ellie….“Dinner tomorrow? I’ve got something important to tell you.”

Jeremiah stared at the message, his heart racing. "Was this a sign? Or just another twist in the whirlwind his life had become?"