Take the Money and Come

Chapter 3: Strange Propositions

Chapter 3: Strange Propositions

Maya had no intention of considering Michael Black's strange proposal. She wasn't very good at lying, nor did she consider it an ethical way of making money. But it was a lot of money. She knew that her brother and his girlfriend were struggling to make ends meet. Maya herself was up to her neck in bills and she didn't know how she was going to make both her tuition p*****t and the mortgage p*****t next month—it was looking like one or the other. She hadn't wanted to think about it but she'd known the ultimatum was coming. Her parents' house or the career she'd worked toward for so long; she was going to have to give up one of them.

The amount of money Michael Black had offered her would take care of it all; it would pay off the entire mortgage, cover the rest of her tuition, put a nest egg in the bank and still leave plenty left over to help out her brother. All she had to do was pretend to be something she wasn't for a little while. Was that so bad? She didn't know his family, and in her opinion, any family who would pressure their grown child into marriage certainly deserved what was coming to them. And it wasn't like she had to agree to marry the guy. All she had to do was play the loving, devoted bride-to-be for a short while. When the engagement ended badly, Michael would go back to his bachelorhood and she could return to her ordinary life—just with a little more money and a brand new career in front of her.

Perhaps she'd been too hasty in dismissing Michael's proposal. Would it really be so bad spending a few months with some drop dead gorgeous guy? At least with this “relationship” she knew how it would end from the start. She hadn't been so lucky in her past relationships. Some had walked away when it became clear she didn't have enough time for a boyfriend, others had gotten bored with her—a young woman holding down a full-time job and caring for a teenage boy didn't exactly make her the most exciting girlfriend. Her most recent relationship had ended abruptly when she'd walked in on her boyfriend in bed with her long-time friend. He hadn't made any excuses or rushed after her with an apology; “Are you really surprised? I couldn't go on dating a cold fish like you forever, Maya,” he'd told her, and that was the end of it. She'd never seen herself as a cold fish. Busy, sure, and more than a little boggled down with stress and responsibility. But she'd avoided relationships since then, figuring she just wasn't cut out for them.

But the kind of relationship Michael Black was proposing might be right up her alley. He had no expectations of her and so he couldn't be disappointed. When it was time for them to go their separate ways, there would be no hurt feelings, no wondering what went wrong or who's to blame. It would simply be over, completed like any other business contract. She grabbed her purse from the hall and rummaged through it for the business card he'd given her, knowing she was acting rather hastily. A phone number was scrawled neatly on the back and she presumed it was his personal number. Before she could come to her senses and change her mind, Maya typed the numbers into her keypad and paced nervously back and forth across the living room as the phone began to ring. Finally, a woman's recorded voice sounded before the beep, signaling for Maya to leave a message.

“Good evening, Mr. Black. This is Maya Cullen—we spoke earlier today. I've given your proposal some thought, and if you're still interested, I believe it would be a worthwhile venture. If you could get back to me when you have a moment, I'd appreciate it. Thank you.”

She recited her phone number and hung up quickly. That was it. All she could do now was wait for his phone call—assuming he hadn't changed his mind. Fortunately, she had far too much studying to do to sit and fret by the phone. Reaching for her stack of textbooks, she spread them out on the kitchen table, skimming through the pages to recap the most recent lessons in class. Maya didn't notice the hours passing, her eyes bleary by the time she squinted to make out the time on her wristwatch. “Two in the morning?!?” It was beginning to look like Michael Black had changed his mind. She breathed a disappointed sigh and packed up her books. She was too tired to make it down the hall to her room tonight; she dragged her feet to the living room sofa and collapsed. Her eyes closed the moment her head touched the soft arm of the couch and she didn't fight as sleep overtook her within seconds.

Maya awoke to the sun shining brightly into the living room window and she stretched, enjoying the feel of its warmth on her skin. It took a moment, but it dawned on her suddenly—the sun so high in the sky meant she had most definitely slept in. “Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!” she exclaimed as she jumped off the couch, dashing around the house for the fastest shower she'd ever had, a fresh change of clothes and something that resembled breakfast from the fridge. She hurried out the front door only to come to an abrupt halt, her messenger bag full of books swinging forward and nearly pulling her forward down the steps with its momentum. There in her driveway was a sight she'd never expected to see; an older man slid out from the driver's side of a sleek, black limo, walking toward her slowly with a pleasant smile on his face.

“Miss Cullen?” he queried as he neared her front porch.

“Yes,” she answered tentatively.

“Mr. Black has asked that you join him for lunch,” the man told her.

Maya just nodded, still recovering from the shock over the strange sight in her driveway.

The man was silent for a moment and then he took another tentative step forward. “I'd be happy to wait a few moments if you'd like to get changed.” While Maya might generally take offense to such a comment, it was obvious by the man's discomfort and the kind look in his eyes he was only trying to help her. She nodded again and then returned inside, happy for the moment to herself. Did the man's presence mean Michael Black had agreed to their arrangement? Did he want to meet with her to discuss it further? To modify the terms? And regardless, she was supposed to be in class. Showing up late was bad enough, but skipping it altogether?

Before she could get any further in her silent argument, her phone rang. Perhaps it was Michael calling now to explain what was going on.

“Hello,” she spoke into the phone as she held it against her ear.

“Good morning, Miss Cullen. This is Madison Thomas calling on behalf of Mr. Black,” a woman's voice greeted her. “I'm sure Philip has arrived already, but Mr. Black wanted me to remind you that the business arrangement the two of you discussed must commence immediately.”

“Of course,” Maya replied. What else was she supposed to say? “Sorry, no. The rich guy's going to have to wait until after my physiology class?” she mused silently, almost laughing aloud when she tried to imagine the woman's response.

“Good day, Miss Cullen,” the woman continued and then hung up before Maya could think of anything else to say.

“Great! Not even a single day with the guy and he's already ordering me around and dictating my schedule,” she fumed under her breathed.

But she could make up for one missed class. If she skipped out on this “lunch” with Michael Black, she wasn't so certain there would be another opportunity. She remembered how quickly the rowdy men at the restaurant had settled down under Michael's order—she had a feeling people didn't tell Michael no very often. And so, she made her way down the hall to her room, rummaging through her closet for something “appropriate” to wear to lunch with a gazillionaire. Since none of her clothing came from some fancy boutique, she was fairly certain it was a useless endeavor, but she settled on a pretty sundress she'd worn to her brother's graduation. Throwing a lacy shawl over her bare shoulders and a pair of strappy sandals on her feet, she checked her reflection in the mirror. She might not look like she just stepped off Rodeo Drive, but Maya had to admit that the dress highlighted her trim figure and soft, feminine features enough that it was unlikely anyone would be paying too close attention to the clothing label.

Returning to the front door, she took a deep breath and stepped outside. Philip's mouth gaped open for the briefest of seconds before covering his response quickly with a smile.

“You look lovely, Miss Cullen,” he complimented her as he opened the limo's passenger door, closing it behind her and walking over to the driver's side.

They drove in silence all the while Maya wrung her hands nervously. She had no idea what to expect. Would they be dining alone or would his family be there? Did Michael expect her to be able to just jump into the role of fiancée without knowing anything about him? By the time the limo came to a gentle stop in front of some fancy, too-expensive restaurant across town, Maya was more nervous than she could ever remember being before in her life. If she blew it right from the beginning, this charade would be over.

“Mr. Black is a good man,” Philip was already there, opening the door for her. “And as for the rest of them; just keep your head up like you're turning your nose up at everyone, and you'll fit right in,” he whispered conspiratorially.

She nodded, already liking Philip very much. He offered her his hand and she whispered her thanks to him for his advice as she stood. But now what? Was Michael waiting for her inside? Would he be joining her some time soon? Before she could worry herself much though, another vehicle pulled up behind them. Michael slid smoothly out of the driver's seat of the sleek-looking Mercedes and walked directly toward her, as if he'd known all along that she would be standing right there in her precise location when he arrived. His eyes surveyed Maya as he approached, his gaze traveling down the length of her body before returning to meet her eyes. She'd thought he was surveying the appropriateness of her attire, but as his eyes met hers, the crystal fire she found there told her he was more than just satisfied with what he saw.

“Good morning, Maya,” he greeted her, the husky, sensual tone in his voice sending shivers of pleasure racing down her spine. “I appreciate you modifying your schedule on such short notice.” He turned his attention to Philip briefly, “And thank you shifting your schedule around, too, Philip. I'll take Maya home when we're finished here.”

Philip nodded, the same kind smile on his face, and then he returned to the driver's side of the limo, coasting smoothly out of the restaurant's parking lot.