The Arrangement

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

As I look at Amalrich, he stands up and bows. "Lady Campell, it's nice to finally meet you", he says with a raspy and hot voice.

I cursty. "Mr. Walter, it's an honor", I say. I feel even more nervous now than I did before, now I know what he looks like, and he is really a sight to behold. Have I ever seen a man like this? I don't think so. Maybe the hottest men live in Germany? I had a boyfriend once. I never told my parents about him though because they, or rather my father wouldn't have approved of him. They wanted me to be a virgin until I met Amalrich, which I am. But my father surely thinks that every girl spreads her legs for any guy. That's not the case, especially not with me. Sure I came close to have s*x with my ex but I decided not to, not because of my father but because I feel like s*x is something precious, something I want to do with the man I love, the man I love so much I want to marry. Ironic considering I've always known about this contract marriage. I always saw myself as a virgin for life, with inseminated babies from my husbands' sperm. Is it disturbing that I planned all this already?

While looking at Amalrich though, I'm seriously starting t reconsider my plans. Only looking at him makes me want to rip both of our clothes off and have s*x right on this table. Of course, I don't no matter how much I may want to.

Amalrich laughs and pulls out my chair to me. "Mr. Walter is my father, please just call me Rich". I sit down.

I shake my head while Amalrich pushes me towards the table. "No I don't think that's appropriate", I say.

"I will at least show you respect and call you Amalrich".

Amalrich sits down in front of me. "Lady Campbell, we are to be married very soon, I don't think we have to be so formal with each other".

"And yet, you call me Lady Campbell", I say sneaky.

"True that maybe I could call you Katharine? Or if you prefer a nickname?"

"Katharine is fine, some people call me Katie, but most people just call me Katharine", I reply, a bit modesty.

"Okay, well Lady Katharine?" Amalrich asks.

"Skip the Lady bit", I say.

"Okay, if you call em Rich", he says with his arms crossed over his chest. Damn, why is he so hot, while doing this?

"Fine", I say and mimic him by putting my arms crossed over my chest.

We decide to order some food, and during the wait, it seems like Rich wants to small talk with me.

"So how does everything feel?" He asks. I have never been much for small talking, but he is my soon-to-be husband so I guess I have to get to know him. I have to be able to talk to him if we are going to share a life together.

"What? Turning eighteen or getting married when I'm eighteen?" I ask with a smirk.

"I guess both", he answers.

I shrug my shoulders. "I don't know, I mean I've always known about this, so I haven't really thought too much about it", I say. "But birthdays are always fun right?"

"I guess but you are not happy about the wedding", Rich states.

He sees right through me. How is it that a man I just met can see through me when my own father doesn't? Maybe my father just doesn't want to I don't know, but my whole family sees through me beside him.

"I don't know, arranged marriage, it feels like I'm being sold or something", I admit.

"I've had that feeling as well", Rich says. "But I guess it must feel worse for you, but if it'll calm you down I can assure you that I'm not a pimp, I'm going to keep you".

"Ah, like the object I am", I nod my head.

Rich laughs. "No don't say that", he says. "That sounds horrible, you are going to be treated with respect, I promise".

"We'll see about that", I say.

"We can do this as friends if you want, no strings attached", Rich suggests.

Is he talking about an open relationship? I don't know how I feel about that. Although it could be a good idea, even if I found someone to love I could never marry that person or have children with him, I have to be married to Rich and have children with him. So I don't know how good an open relationship would actually be.

"You mean an open relationship?" I ask doubtfully.

"Yeah if you want", Rich says.

"I don't know", I say. "Open relationship doesn't sound good in my ears but if you want to bang other girls you can do so".

“I’m not marrying you so I can bang other girls”, he says. “If you don’t want an open relationship then it’s off the table, I’m not going to be unfaithful just because it’s an arrange marriage”.

“Why not?” I ask and find myself curious.

“Because I’m a man of honor, that’s how I’ve been raised”, Rich says. “Besides, my father cheated on my mother once, I swore I’d never hurt a woman the way he hurt her”.

That’s honorable, not all men think like that. I want to tell him that a woman can only be hurt by a man she loves. I don’t tell him that though, maybe I can grow to love him, I sure do feel attracted to him. Live and attraction are not the same things though and I have to remember that.

“That’s good of you”, I say.

“Yeah and I have two younger sisters”, Rich informs me. “I could never hurt a woman that way because I know how I would react if someone hurt my sisters”.

That’s so cute.

“So you have never cheated?” I ask. Why do I even ask that? It’s not like it’s my business.

“No, I mean I have never been in a relationship, I’ve hooked up with girls but I have always been clear about how I don’t want a relationship”, he says. “It has never felt right to start a relationship I can’t finish, I have always been committed to you, even though this is the first time we meet”.

I know the feeling.

“I know what you mean, I mean I have been in a relationship, but of course it didn’t last”, I nod.

I finish my meal. It was delicious and now I’m full. I take a sip of my glass.

“So someone has felt you up before I got the chance?” Rich ask.

He really has a dirty mind. And I will be stuck with this dirty mind until I die. Jesus, what has my father gotten me into?

“I didn’t say that”, I shrug.

“But you are not denying it”, he says.

I look around. I don’t really feel comfortable talking about this in a restaurant.

“Do you want to take a stroll?” Rich asks when he notices my discomfort.

I’m not a prude but I don’t feel like being overheard, it’s not anyone’s business. Sure I could tell Rich but we are getting married so that’s different. I'm not going to tell him everything about me right now though.

I nod my head. Rich pays for our meals before we leave. We start walking around the town.

“Where were we?” Rich asks a few seconds of into our stroll.

“I don’t have to tell you”, I say.

“Tease”, he says.

“Yep”, I say.

“Do you know how beautiful you are?” Rich suddenly asks, taking me by surprise.

“I’m not, my sister is the pretty one, I’m the nice one”, I say. I’m not pretty, at least not in my eyes.

“Are you kidding? Those green eyes are staring me into my soul”, Rich says. “I have actually not met a girl more beautiful and with those kinds of eyes”.

He’s just trying to flatter me. He’s trying me make me feel comfortable about the marriage.

“You’re not so bad yourself”, I say.

“That’s all I get?” He asks.

“For now”.

“You are going to be a handful aren’t you?” Rich asks.

“Of course”, I say.

“I feel like my life with you won’t be boring”, he states.

“A boring life would be boring”, I admit. I feel like I can relax when my father is not around, be who I want to be and not his obedient little girl. Back home the pressure is almost choking me, but now, I feel like I can let loose a bit. It feels amazing. Freeing.

I hope I can learn to love Rich. He is kind, he is attractive. And he says he won’t cheat on me even if he doesn’t love me.

“So how many girls have you slept with? It sounded like a lot”, I say. Again, why am I even asking this?

“Depends on how you see it but I guess there have been a few”, Rich says.

“A few? Is that code for a lot?” I ask.

“Maybe”, Rich laughs. “I guess I have slept with more than I am proud to advertise”.

So he’s slept around a lot. I have to make sure he gets tested for STDs before we do anything. Having children requires s*x, so I will have to sleep with him eventually. But he has to be clean.

“That sounded like a whole lot”, I say, I feel a little uncomfortable now, I have to complete against I don’t know how many girls, in bed. He’s going to think I’m boring and clueless. Jesus. I’m a virgin, I don’t have as much experience as he does, and it sounds like he has a lot of experience.

“Yeah well”, Rich scratch his neck. “Are you okay with that?”

“I guess”, I say. “I can’t really judge you, we’ve just met and everyone has pasts, even though we have always been linked”.

“That’s actually very open-minded of you”, Rich says. “But how about you?”

He did tell me, so maybe it’s only fair I tell him.

“Well, I never slept with my ex so I’m a virgin still”, I say and the light starts to glow in Rich’s eyes.

“Really? How is it that such a beautiful girl is a virgin?” He asks.

“Because I, I don’t know”, I interrupted myself. I can’t start talking about how I want to have s*x with the guy I love. I would bore him to death.

“Okay we can talk it another time Webern you feel more comfortable”, Rich says.

I look around as we walk. Berlin is very beautiful and it feels like I’m gonna like it here, to be honest. I look at Rich, he is a handsome one, I’ll give him that. I can only imagine how many girls wished they could get married to him but I get to. I’m starting to feel more comfortable about this marriage. I still don’t like the idea of an arranged marriage but I could have ended up with a lot worse than Rich, so I’m lucky I didn’t, and I’m happy about it.

I have to get used to the idea of getting married to Rich. I was used to the idea of marrying a faceless person, but now when that person has a face, I have to adjust the picture. I have to get used to him.

Amalrich Walter.