The Arrangement

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

We finish the stroll outside my hotel. Rich startles me when he suddenly stands down on one knee and takes up a small black box. He opens it and a diamond ring is glistening in the sunlight. It’s a big diamond, most likely every girl's dream ring.

To people around us, it must look like a boyfriend proposing to his girlfriend. It’s not really like that for us though.

“Katharine, even though this may have not been our choice, I know that I would most likely have tried to pick you up if I weren’t already betrothed with you”, Rich says and I try to process his words on my head, that sounded weird. “That didn’t come outright, but you get what I mean, I hope, but even if I’m forced into this I’m glad that it’s with you, and I look forward to getting to know you, I want you to have this ring, an engagement ring, and a promise ring to always treat you with respect and to honor you”.

That was the sweetest speech I have ever heard. It sounded genuine and I appreciate the effort a lot.

“Thank you”, I say with a smile and Rich stands back up and places the ring on my finger. This is the first time our skin touches and I feel a little tingle. Rich kisses my hand and I feel small sparks on my skin. Why is he so sweet when we don’t even know each other? We are getting married yes, but this is the first time we have ever met. “Stop it, you're making me blush”. I put my face in my one free hand

“That’s good isn’t it?” Rich asks. “We can at least do this marriage as friends, and if feelings were to evolve that’s only a good thing right?”

“I guess so, yeah you’re right”, I agree.

“Until we meet again, my love”, Rich says and lets go of my hand. “I will call you later today, that's a promise, and tomorrow we will move you to our house”

I smile and head into the hotel, I watch him leave from the window. I walk over to the elevator to be able to get to my room. When I get inside the room I take off my shoes and immediately run over to the bed. I throw myself into the bed. My second and last night in this room and in this bed. Sure it's not night right now, but I was with Rich for 5 hours. It's been a long day and a long 5 hours. I'm very tired, and all energy has been drained out of me now extremely I met Rich. I spent the first half of the day worrying and being nervous about meeting my fiancé. I thought it wouldn’t turn out good and I was wrong. I spent hours being nervous for nothing. Before I met Rich I thought that I could never be interested in him at all, now I'm not so sure anymore. I could definitely see myself falling for him, the problem is that I don't know if he could fall for me. Our situation is unusual in today's society, and it's not often spoken of, I certainly don't talk about it. We are forced together, and maybe it's a good match after all. Maybe my father knew what he was going. Although Ruch was two years old when the contract was signed and I was a newborn baby, there is no way our fathers could know that we would get along.

I order in-room service for dinner after a few hours of sleep. After dinner, a shower is in place. I love standing under the hot rain, soaking my body from head to toe. There's something about showers, I like it more than taking a bath.

When I lay back down in the bed, covered in my soft bathrobe, debating whether or not to try to steal the bathrobe my phone rings. My personal phone this time and not the hotel phone.

“Katherine Campbell”, I answer the phone.

“Did you miss hearing my voice?” Rich asks at the other end.

He really is cocky. Maybe that's one of his charms because he certainly manages to enchant me. I don't know if it's his voice, or his eyes, or the knowledge that we are in fact going to get married. I don’t know, is that he sure can bring a smile to my face.

“You would like that wouldn’t you?” I say sneaky.

“Oh yes, I missed hearing your lovely voice”, he says.

“You’re lying”, I say. “We just met”.

“I’m not lying though”, he answers. “There’s something about you Katherine, something that catches my attention, I don’t know what it is yet though”.

“You’re making me blush again”, I smile.

“I love it that I can make you blush, you’re going to blush a lot after you move in here” Rich purrs. “I’m longing to see you tomorrow night”.

“I thought I was coming there around noon”, I say, feeling a little confused.

“Oh you are, our driver Heinrich is going to come to get you around noon”, Rich says. “But my father and I have to work, my mother and sisters will be home and show you around the house, my father and aunt will join around dinner time”.

“Aha, I really wish you’d be there, it’s the first time I’m in your house”, I say, now I feel nervous.

“I like how that sounds”, Rich teases and I sigh. “I know, I want to be there but I can’t, my father is making me take on a lot more responsibility now, I work a lot”.

“I’m not going to be your housewife”, I say.

“I wasn’t counting on it”, Rich chuckles. “I don’t want a housewife, I want an independent strong women, and I’m any lots of s*x”.

“Amalrich!” I say horrified, but a little amused.

Rich laughs on the phone and I giggle a bit.

“Admit it, you think I’m sexy”, he says.

“I’m not admitting anything”, I say.

“You are going to be a challenge”, Rich says. “Every girl I’ve met has told me I’m sexy”.

“I’m not every girl”, I say.

“No you are most definitely not”, Rich agrees. “That’s what’s great about you”.

“I can tell you this much, I’m not going to sleep with you until I know you’re clean”, I say seriously. “I am not going I let you give me STDs my first time”.

“With me?” He asks.

Shit.

“Um”.

“Wait”, Rich says. “You are as pure as one can be aren’t you?”

“If you’re asking me if I’m a virgin, then yes”, I say. I don’t have to be ashamed of that.

“Do you realize how deep we have connected in just one day?” Rich asks. “Maybe I should thank my father, I’ve been accusing him of wanting to ruin my life, maybe he did me a favor”.

“Do you mean that?” I ask.

“I do mean that”, he says in a genuine voice. “We have almost talked for an hour and I don’t want to hang up”.

“That’s because I’m so interesting”, I say.

“You are that”, Rich says. “And I’m glad to get to know you”.

“I admit that I was not very happy with the arrangement, don’t tell my father that though he would get a heart attack, but right now I am optimistic”, I say.

“I’m glad to hear that, and you’re secret is safe with me”, Rich promises.

“Thank you”, I say. “I’m feeling a little tired though so maybe we should hang up, we can talk tomorrow”.

“Yeah I can call you before work, then we have the whole evening to talk”, Rich says.

“Yeah”, I say.

“I will miss your voice though, maybe I’ll dream of it tonight”, Rich wonders.

“Maybe you will”, I say. “Goodbye”.

“Goodbye Katherine, sweet dreams”.

“Sweet dreams”.