His Appointed Wife

1. Strange men and stranger proposals

"You give me a look and it feels like you are looking right through me. But I have become good at showing only what I want to show." - Alex.

~~~

1: Strange men and stranger proposals

(Alexandra)

Feeling really tired, Alexandra closed her eyes as she rested her pounding head on the bench she was sitting. She gently rubbed small circles over her temple to ease the raising headache, but it looked like the headache was inevitable.

A wistful sigh left her lips as she imagined herself in her foamy mattress, inside her air-conditioned room, but that room was now only a far away memory. How she wished she hadn't taken it all for granted when she lived in the safe cocoon of her daddy's protection. Now... Here she was, wandering and lost. Sitting in the street, wishing for at least a bowl of soup.

As if her stomach heard her thoughts, it let out a groan and she could feel it, hundred hungry monsters groaning from inside her stomach.

I really need to find another job. She thought as tears slid down her red cheeks. Sunburn could do that to you, so could hunger.

She remembered what had happened in the morning. It was her second time getting fired from the job. All her life, she had lived a well secluded life, away from the outside world that could eat someone like her in a single gulp.

"But... I didn't." Her boss looked at her as if she was a common thief. She wasn't. Yes, she was hungry, but she could never steal from another person's hard work.

"So what is this? I thought you are a good girl and how wrong I was!" He said as he threw her bag down. "Get lost. If I ever see you here again, I will call the cops."

Humiliated and embarrassed, she looked up at the tall girl standing in front of her, hands on her hips, looking not even a bit guilty.

Alex knew she was the one who did it.

"It is Arie... "

"Ssh, not a word. I was going to promote you to kitchen duty and you... "

So now Alex knew why the woman she had thought as a friend had done it. Alex was new, but she was also perfect in doing what she did. It was jealousy. God, kitchen duty includes helping the cook, and it was nothing sort of glamorous, when compared to doing dishes, but...

"I know you did it, Arielle. But, I am woman enough to walk away and not take your next day meal off your table." She said to her when she walked away, and for a moment, Arielle looked guilty, but then she shrugged and walked in as Alex walked out, head held high.

Alex spilled a wry smile. What a funny life. Just months ago, she had lived in a mansion, a sort-of princess, and as she wished, everything appeared in front of her. And then one day, when she was comfortable in the knowledge that her dad would always be here for her, always giving and loving, always protecting, he was gone.

And gone, was her safety net, too.

With his death, came thousand lies that had been buried. Thousand masks peeled out to show true faces. The kind smile they had given to her now became fake and filled with bloodlust. They wanted what was hers.

At that point, Alex had lost everything. It was nothing but a wicked play of fate.

Her dad's partners and shareholders came up with some outlandish lies. Debts. Accounts payable. Loss statement. Bankruptcy.

She knew it was all a lie, but she was helpless as she watched them liquidate every property owned for the business and add them in their bank balance and after a month, they re-started her dad's pet projects under different name, without her.

This past one month was a wild marathon for her, she ran and ran, but she couldn’t find her destination. She was staying in a small motel, but everyday, it was becoming difficult with the looks she was receiving from the clientele of the dingy motel. It made her neck hair stood straight. And the motel receptionist, a middle aged man warned her one day with a look of concern on his face. "This really isn't a place to live, alone, and you look like a nice girl. You need to find somewhere else to stay. This place is not a good place."

He had then given her an extra lock and told her to lock safely before she went to bed.

God. She just wanted a way out from all of this. She wanted somewhere safe to stay even if it didn't have a foamy mattress.

She opened her eyes and realized it was nearing mid noon and she had dozed off in the bench. Her stomach was now screaming at her and she clutched her stomach with a grimace.

It hurt.

She opened her purse, and came up with a 50 dollar bill her boss had given before he threw her out. At least he didn't let her go empty handed.

Was this 50 enough for her to live her whole life?

She entered a small eatery at the side of the road, wondering how to stop the helicopter in her stomach with finger fries. But it had to be done.

"Cafe mocha, a French toast and a burger, please."

More. More. Her stomach pleaded. She refused to give into that.

~~~

(Logan)

Logan stared at the woman sitting in front of him, completely speechless for the first time in his life. Did she just... Just said no?

He couldn't even believe his ears. "What? Did you...?"

"Yes, I did."

Her blue eyes shone like that of a snake’s and her smile was vicious.

“Stacie, come on. Think about it."

"I thought about it, Logan and the obvious answer is No." She shrugged and her fluffy blonde hair fell to her shoulder in a wave. He liked her hair. It was the only soft thing about Stacie.

“You’re being bullheaded and senseless." He told her, for what seemed like more than the hundredth time. Her lips twitched in pure irritation.

"I am not."

It wasn't the rejection that made him angry, it was that he had wasted a year of his precious life with this woman and here she was, rejecting him. The ring in his hand felt like a hot rod of iron.

And what irked more was... She had thrown a wrench in his plans and he hated anyone messing with that. As per his neatly drafted life plan, this was the right time to get married. He was 27, not too young to be clouded by poor judgement --though this woman in front of him was beginning to look more and more like a very bad judgement -- and not too old to properly enjoy a wife and children --two children, that would come later in the plan.

But here she was, looking coolly at him with those cold blue eyes and Logan wanted her to be sorry for doing this to him. She would be.

“Logan, stop that nonsense, I didn’t want myself to be tied in a relationship, I want to move to Paris and I want to live my dream, I can’t give it up. I’m going to Paris in two months and that’s my final decision. Now we should break up and act like we’re friends. Holding grudges is not the best idea.” She stood up. Her heels made a loud click as she stood up. Paris? Paris. Logan grumbled as she pushed her hands forward.

He took it, just as coolly.

"You won't be back, right?" He asked as she let his hand go.

"Absolutely not." She replied with a small smirk. "I know you will miss me, but try not to miss me so much that you forget you have a life."

It wasn't his heart that took the brunt of her words, it was his pride. And Logan was much more sensitive about his pride.

"Yeah? As if I am going to pine for a woman? Not in this lifetime, Stacie. Or the other. But when you want to come back, just know... I will tell, I told you so."

She laughed. A merry sound. "I love that about you. Your arrogance. Your over confidence. But this time you are so wrong." And then she left.

Logan sat there in the place looking at the cake she hadn't eaten. If she wasn't going to eat, why the hell did she order them? He picked up a cake and pushed his fork inside it. He imagined it was Stacie's stupidly sexy face.

God. Never in a day did he imagine an outcome like this. He was so sure she was going to agree to his plans and then they would start a family. But here he was, with a ring in his hand and the woman was gone.

How was he going to face his associates and acquaintances after this humiliation? How could he face Collins, the mean faced bastard, who had prophesied that Stacy would dump him? They would sneer at him... And the thought was like a slow burn in his stomach.

Oh, you will pay for this Stacie. But before that... I need to pay for my stupidity.

A plan. He needed another plan. ASAP. A believable lie. He had to come out of this with his reputation unharmed. He didn't like people making a joke out of him. He was nobody's joke.

What? What?

His thoughts were interrupted by someone's very angry voice. He looked up to see a woman arguing with the waitress.

“What? Are you trying to rip me off? My French toast and burger can not be more that 10 bucks, you know. This isn't my bill.” She pointed to the bill in front of her. Her face was set in a frown and she narrowed her eyes at the woman who shrugged.

Her thick brown hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Soft and silky. Her green eyes were screaming, if eyes could scream.

“You ordered two plates of chicken nuggets, veggie rolls, a cup of hot chocolate and one coffee. One lava cake. Don't order so many if you don't have money, girl.” The bulky waitress shouted and everyone in the eatery turned to look at the girl. She shrunk back in embarrassment and her lips trembled for a moment before she looked up with steel in her grass green eyes.

"Look here, ma'am, do I look like I can eat all those? Where is the guy who served me? You can call him and ask him. I am not lying."

"You tell me I am lying?" The waitress put her hand in her waist. She was scary. Even Logan was afraid of her right at that moment.

He looked at the woman, and then at the other girl, and her chin was raised defiantly and she refused to back down. Logan admired her for that.

Looks like our girl has got some spine.

He went back to his lava cake that Stacie ordered and didn't even touch.

What. Wait. Back up.

Lava cake. Nuggets.

Oh oh. The waitress woman was so going to be sorry!

~~~

(Alexandra)

Alex wanted to bury her head inside the Earth and never come back out. The woman in front of her was loud and very, very rude.

No matter how much Alex tried to convince her, she always came back to the same thing. "Don't lie."

For God's sake, she wasn't lying.

She was already tired and it looked like whatever she ate would be digested before she left this damn eatery. The argument wasn't stopping anytime soon. That much was evident by the look in the woman's face. She looked like a boiled red lobster, ready to eat Alex alive.

"No, ma'am. Like I said, I am not lying. Can I talk to your manager?"

"Err, don't throw posh words at ma face, girl. I have seen people like you. Stealing."

What posh word? Manager?

And thief? God. this was the second time she was called a thief in the same day and the patience she had been holding on to snapped.

She glared at the woman. "Who are you calling a thief? I am not a thief."

"You dare raise your voice... " The waitress was cut off by another voice.

"Ma'am, may I cut in?" The waitress whirled around and her face completely changed. It was such a transformation that Alex was stuck by her skill. Whoa!

"Yes, sir? What can I do for you?" Her voice was sweet as honey.

Alexandra scrunched her nose. She looked at him and he looked like he had just walked out from a business magazine. Polished shoes. White shirt and black suit. A tie. Rich. He looked rich. And ok, handsome. His grey eyes were beautiful and Alex couldn't help but take a second look before she looked away.

Why was he here, now? As if she hadn't enough embarrassment to last a lifetime, here was a rich stranger coming in to... To what? To humiliate her further?

“It is just that you’re at the wrong table." Logan said to the woman and Alex’s eyes widened. So he was here to save her. Hmm. A knight in shining shoes, look at that. Alex thought sarcastically.

“What do you mean, sir?” The waitress asked, now subtly trying to cover her irritation. He pointed his fingers at his table, just left to hers.

“This bill’s for that one.” His voice was sweet, but his eyes, his eyes held irritation.

Alex looked at him with relief. She wanted to slump into her chair as her body felt weightless from it.

“Thanks.” Alex muttered and he shook his head. As if he was summoned, the waiter who first served Alex came from whatever rut he was hiding in, with a cup of coffee and her bill. Alex wanted to punch him in the nose, instead she just jerked her head and looked at the woman, who now looked distressed.

“Oh, now give me that, ma’am." He almost pried the receipt away from the waitress' hand and paid the money. And then he turned to the waiter who had Alex's and paid for it, as well.

Everyone who was staring at Alex now returned to mind their own business, but they didn’t forget to reprimand the waitress. Alex shook her head as she finally sat in her chair with a heavy sigh and took a sip of her coffee, before she opened her bag.

“Here’s the bill you paid.” She handed him the money back, but he refused to accept it with a shake of his head.

“Never mind. You were humiliated and it’s ok, it isn't a big deal.” He told her and shrugged and she looked at him with disbelief clear in her eyes.

The feeling of gratefulness became irritation as she watched him sitting there in her table, as if he owned it now, because he paid freaking eight bucks. What arrogance!

“And you think 8 bucks can balance out my humiliation?" She gave him a ridiculous look and then shook her head again. “Oh yes, it is not a big deal for you, but it is for me. And I don't like to be in anybody's debt." She pushed the money to his side and his eyes widened in disbelief.

"I didn't say that... You are mistaken."

She shrugged. "Whatever."

His eyes, grey eyes, stayed on her face as if he wanted to know every one of her secrets. He gave her a look that made her feel like he was reading all her thoughts, but she had become good at hiding her thoughts and showing people only what she wanted them to see. So she stared back at him with cool green eyes that refused to back down.

He blinked first. "Okay." He took the money and put it inside his wallet. "Okay."

She finished her coffee and gave him a small smile.

~~~

(Logan)

He stared at her eyes wide with befuddled wonder. What was with him getting rejected by women today?

One rejected his ring. Another rejected his money.

But this rejection didn't feel so sore. It didn't make him angry. It made him curious.

He pushed his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"Okay." He said as he took her money and pushed it inside his wallet. "Okay." He said again and she smiled.

And her smile... Oh God, that smile. It was like a miracle happening after a long time. She transformed in front of his eyes. The smile made her face bright and her eyes shimmered in the innocence of it all. It took his breath away.

Something about her made his curiosity burn, was it going to kill him?

"How old are you?"

"What now?" She gave him a tired look.

"How old are--"

"I heard you alright. I am 23. Okay?"

"You look much younger."

"What do I say to that?" She chuckled.

"Thank you?"

"Ok. Thank you. See you or may be not?! Bye." She walked out and he stared at her back. After two minutes, he got up and walked out and stopped when he saw her sitting in the bench on the side of the pavement with her eyes closed.

She looked tired. She looked like one of his newly formed plan. Yes. He knew what exactly he wanted to do, but what would she say?

Yes, yes, she will do very well. She isn't greedy and she has some steel in her spine. She needs that to survive in his world.

She was exactly what he needed right now. His only solution to all the problems staring at his face. So what, another year of his life would be wasted, but his reputation, that was worth more than a year.

She looked at her watch and then stood up.

"Hey... You..." God, why didn't he ask her name? She stopped and turned back.

"Yes?"

"You look like you need some money and food."

"You look like you need a slap?" She rolled her eyes.

"I have loads of it."

"What? Slaps?"

"Money."

"So?"

"Can we talk?" He asked as she looked at her watch with impatience.

"Must we?"

"I have a business proposal."

"Umm? Okay. Go on."

"And it has many finer points, but the main point is..." He stopped and looked at her. What if she said no? He didn't have time to find someone else. It had to be done. She was the perfect candidate and he wouldn't find anyone like her.

Yes, any woman would say yes, --except Stacie, a little voice annoyingly added, -- but he wouldn't know whether they would be selfish or greedy.

This one looked like a safer bet.

"Go on. I would like to hear what you are going to come up with this time?" She glared at him. "And remember, if it is anything I dislike, I will punch you. I am broke but not broken."

"Will you marry me?" He asked and added, "Please don't punch me."

Her mouth hung open.

~~~