Who Loves Them? (Who--? Series) Read online

  Christina nodded. There was little to argue with there.

  “Well, we should tell him, shouldn’t we? He cannot be enjoying a romantic vacation with his fake fiancée while his real one is here.” Kate eyed Christina. “They’ve probably been holed up in some suite with rose petals and candles and…” she trailed off as she caught a glimpse of Chris’s face. “Sorry.”

  “I cannot…I cannot marry him.” Chris breathed. “Did you see him? He looks like a movie star. And I look like….” She broke off as she realized she would never be able to hold his interest.

  “You look beautiful,” Kate said firmly. “A little tipsy right now, but beautiful nonetheless. He will be delighted to find out that he’s going to marry you.” She tried to sound certain of that, but Chris didn’t miss the slight quiver in her voice. “Just think how jealous all the other girls will be.”

  Yeah, and how available he will likely make himself, Chris thought. She nodded mutely.

  Just then, the door to the ladies’ room opened, and the thin blonde sitting with Gordon came in. Chris turned white and started to head for the door. Kate grabbed her elbow and steered her towards the mirror, pretending to mess with Chris’s hair while she looked at the blonde out of the corner of her eye.

  She looked even more like a model up close. She was perfectly toned and tan, with perky C-cup breasts and a heart-shaped face with bright blue eyes. She fluffed her hair in the mirror and re-applied her lip gloss, glancing over at the two girls carelessly. Somehow, even in the damp heat, her hair looked perfect. “You should really put something in your hair, dear,” she said to Chris. “The salt in the air will make those curls impossible.”

  Chris smiled weakly. “Thanks.” She noticed the giant ring on the blonde’s finger; a three-carat princess cut stone with diamonds trailing down either side of the band. “You’re engaged?”

  The blonde smiled brilliantly, displaying perfect white teeth. “Just last week! Gordy and I came here to celebrate before we tell his parents. His mother is such an uptight little thing. She cannot stand me. I cannot imagine why, I’m perfect for Gordy. Really, she should consider him lucky to have found me. Just imagine, he could have wound up with one of those stuck-up society girls that he grew up with. They are all like that down South. I’m going to convince him to come home to California with me after we get married. I’m sure if I can get him away from his parents long enough, he’ll see reason. He’ll do it of course; he’s wrapped around my little finger.” She smiled conspiratorially, and then swept out the door, leaving a puff of expensive perfume behind her.

  Kate scowled. “What a bitch. I cannot imagine what he sees in her.”

  Chris’s lips twitched. “I imagine he doesn’t see much past the two balloons attached to her chest.” She glanced down at her own minimal cleavage. “He’s going to have to trade that for me, Kate. I might be smarter than she is, but obviously that is not what attracts him. I’m not a trophy wife. He will not want me at all.”

  Kate huffed. “Well, neither is she, obviously. His mother is going to have a cow, arranged marriage or not. She’s just a silly bimbo with big breasts and most likely an uncanny ability to do the splits. Don’t worry, Chris. He might be caught off guard at first, but he’ll be glad he had to marry you instead.”

  “That is just the thing though, Kate,” Chris said grimly. “I’ve have yet to meet a man who is happy to be made to do anything.”

  ****

  They spent the night at the local karaoke bar. Phazed Karaoke Bar was located on the first floor of the Andromeda Hills Hotel. With a fairly sizable dance floor below a small stage, the room was jazzed up with colored flashing lights around the lyric screen and along the bottom of the stage. Christina wore a sparkly yellow sequined dress, while Kate wore her little black dress and pearls. “I’ll snag me a man!” she laughed. Christina wanted to think she had the opportunity to meet someone, but the thought of having to marry Gordon made her a little weak at the knees. She felt she was already his wife. Well, bugger that, she told herself. He has Mindy. You are not his possession! Yet…

  Kate dragged her on stage to sing a few songs, and Christina was surprised how confident she was after a few drinks. On stage, she forgot all her worries, and simply enjoyed herself as a single woman. She danced with a few men, and even though she was tempted, she couldn’t bring herself to kiss them, knowing she was already engaged. Kate urged her to do what she wanted, since she would never get the chance to do so again, but Christina felt it would be wrong to go around kissing strange men. She decided to just hang around with a few nice ones who actually wanted a conversation.

  Tommy, a lawyer on holiday from Australia, was shocked when Kate told him Christina was engaged.

  “And you’ve never met the guy?” he asked, incredulously.

  Christina nodded. “Well, not formally. He doesn’t know we’re engaged. He’s actually got a fiancé himself.”

  Tommy shook his head. “That’s crazy. What’s he going to do when he finds out he’s marrying you?”

  Christina shook her head. “Only God knows. I suspect he’ll be angry.”

  They took their drinks and made their way to a small lounge area. Tommy had to sing, and then re-joined them, slightly euphoric from the experience. “You ought to have a go,” he said to Christina. “It’ll loosen you up.”

  Christina blushed and shook her head. “Maybe later.”

  Kate went off to dance with a tall, blonde guy who had offered to buy her a drink, leaving Tommy and Christina alone. Christina was not as shy as she was at the beginning of the night, which was probably largely attributed to the amount of alcohol she had imbibed. Tommy didn’t seem to care.

  “So you’re obviously against this marriage, right?”

  Christina nodded, stirring her drink with her straw. “Of course. I feel like I’m some puppet and everyone gets to pull the strings but me.”

  Tommy nodded. “I know what you mean. My parents aren’t as old-fashioned, but they do like to control my life. They’re always wondering what I’m doing with my money, where I’m going, and who I’m hanging out with. I understand why. I’m only twenty-two – anything could happen, really, but I guess I am happy they care.”

  Christina smiled. “At least they’re not forcing you to marry someone you don’t even know.”

  Tommy took a sip of his drink and smiled. “Yeah, that’s a tough one. I still cannot believe you have to do that. Why don’t you just say no?”

  Christina sighed. “I can’t. It’s a legal contract.”

  “But you know that most arranged marriages end up in divorce?” Tommy asked. He frowned. “Not that I’m trying to make the situation any worse…”

  “You’re certainly not helping.” Christina looked around the room. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. She couldn’t see where Kate had gone, but she knew her friend couldn’t be too far away.

  “I’m just saying that arranged marriages are crazy. Did you know that some parents pay for matchmaking services for their children?”

  Christina shook her head.

  “Well they do!” Tommy continued. “I guess I believe in old-fashioned love, not old-fashioned marriage. You’ve got to love someone before you marry them.”

  Christina nodded. “But what if I grow to love him over time?”

  “Then that’s great.” Tommy got up from his seat. “Want another drink? I hear it’s five dollar cocktail hour!”

  Christina knew she shouldn’t let the guy bring her down, so she smiled and said yes. “Make it a vodka sunrise!”

  The rest of the night went smoothly, and Kate and Christina left the bar with multiple phone numbers. Tommy had asked Christina to come home with him, but she declined. She didn’t know why, since she was not married yet, but she was not really in the mood to go home with him. She hardly knew him, and he didn’t seem all that interested in her. Plus, she also felt like she would be cheating on her fiancé. So she and Kate left together, laughing as they got into the ta
xi. When they finally got to Kate’s, they both sunk into the couch and turned on the DVD player to watch Pretty Woman.

  Chris took a swig of vodka and laid down on the couch, placing her head in Kate’s lap. “I still can’t believe I’m engaged.”

  Kate nodded. “I know. It’s going to be so weird. I can’t imagine you with a husband.”

  Chris nodded. “It all seems so grown up, and I don’t even own a car. I can’t imagine presenting myself as a Mrs. Me--a Mrs.--can you believe it?”

  Katie shook her head and refilled Chris’s drink. “You downed that pretty fast.”

  “I guess it just dawned on me. I’ll be a Mrs. I won’t have my last name anymore! I’ll be someone else.”

  “No dear, you’ll still be the same person--you’ll just be evolved, is all. A whole new you.”

  Chris snuggled up under the blanked and sighed. “But I’m perfectly fine with the way I am now.”

  Chapter 4

  Lilly stood in front of the bathroom mirror, pinning up her curls. She was going dancing for the night, and even though she desperately wanted to invite Christina, she knew she would be busy with her new friends. Lilly felt a little replaced, but she said nothing about it. The thought of her friend marrying some anonymous rich young man was preposterous. She couldn’t imagine being married at her age…or at any age at all. She just wanted to sweep Christina off her feet and take her away from their crazy families.

  Growing up had been hard for the both of them. Christina had always begrudgingly done everything her parents asked her, but Lilly had rebelled. Oh, she had worn her hair in a certain way, and had attended dress-making classes like the rest of the girls, but she had snuck off to parties, and had told them tales of wild romances. She had even boasted about her wild romantic affair with a woman of high society!

  Ginger had been married to William Redfern, a man who cared little for his wife, and whose sole concern was to continue his family line. Lilly knew Ginger was not attracted to men the very first day she met her. She just seemed so uninterested in them, even when they would show off their new suits and their Rolls Royce and their badges of the various charities to where they had donated money. She was certain Ginger liked women more than men when she had asked Lilly to dance with her during the winter ball last month. But she knew they could never admit their feelings. That would be a bigger scandal than Gordon proposing to another woman!

  Lilly sighed. She didn’t know how to help Christina out of the horrible situation. But she knew she needed to think of something! She picked up her phone and dialled Ginger’s number. Ginger always knew how to fix things.

  “Hello?”

  “Ginger, it’s Lilly!”

  “Lilly? What are you doing by the phone? I thought you were going out for the night? Haven’t you left yet?”

  “Nope.” Lilly straightened her dress. “I’m waiting for a taxi. I just needed to ask your advice. Look, I know you said you’re busy tonight, but I really wish you’d come.”

  Ginger sighed. “You know I cannot. I need to study. Just tell me what the problem is.”

  Lilly groaned. “It’s Chris. She’s engaged to be married!”

  “What?”

  Ginger’s reaction was hardly unexpected. Lilly waited a moment while Ginger picked her jaw up from the floor, then continued. “Yes, apparently it was all arranged before either of them were even born! I don’t even know if the groom knows about it yet.”

  Ginger sighed. “Well, this is crazy! We have to do something. You have to do something!”

  “Me? What can I do?”

  Ginger shrugged on the other end. “I have no idea. It’s been a while since you saw her. Go and see what is going on.”

  Lilly nodded. “Thanks Ginger, I’ll do that. Have fun tonight. Kiss kiss!”

  “Are you sure you will not come?”

  Lilly shook her head. “Sorry, I’ve gotta pack. I’ve got a wedding I need to stop! Enjoy your night, and I’ll see you soon. Kiss kiss!”

  ****

  “You want me to do what, Mother?” Gordon hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes wide with indignation. “I know you don’t like Mindy, but this has gone too far. You cannot be serious!”

  Gordon had brought Mindy to his parents’ house for dinner to break the news of their engagement. He had brought up the topic over dessert. His father had little reaction except to snort with amusement, but his mother had gone chalk-white. She had given Mindy a cool look and quietly requested that Gordon join her in the study, where she had suggested something absolutely ludicrous.

  She had told him that he was, in fact, already engaged to be married.

  He stalked to the other side of the study, pouring himself a healthy dose of whiskey in a cut-glass tumbler. “This is ridiculous. Why on earth would I agree to marry a woman that I’ve never met?” Actually, he thought, when have I ever been made to do anything I don’t want to do?

  Annette Buck sighed, passing one hand through her short, curly black hair. “Sit down, son, and I’ll explain everything.” Privately she wished that Mr. Fontenot would hurry up and make his appearance. She had instructed a servant to ring him promptly and let him know that his presence was required on a matter of some urgency. He would know why. He had been anticipating them breaking the news to Gordy for some days now. Obviously, given that ridiculous ring on Mindy’s finger, they should have done so sooner.

  “You’re right, son. I don’t approve of Mindy, but don’t think for a second that I wouldn’t suffer her coming into the family if I thought it would make you happy, and if circumstances would allow. After all, I am hardly one to discriminate in matters of marriage,” she finished with a trace of bitterness.

  “Then what is it, Mother?” Gordon asked, with some exasperation. His mother had always doted on him, and he could not believe she would really have agreed to this. “Surely you cannot expect me to believe that you really have locked me into some archaic arranged marriage? This is 2011, for God’s sake! These things just don’t happen anymore! Why would you ever think I would accept this?”

  Annette sighed. “They do in our circles, son. Not as officially as this, of course, but parents have more of a hand in their children’s unions than you realize. It was only because my father loved me so that he allowed me to marry your father.”

  A swift rap sounded on the study door, and Annette went to open it. A distinguished elderly gentleman that Gordon didn’t recognize entered, followed by a servant who quickly went to fetch a glass of whiskey for the new arrival.

  “Gordon, this is Mr. Christian Fontenot. He is the grandfather of your fiancée and the originator of the marriage contract. Mr. Fontenot, this is my son, Gordon Buck.”

  Gordon walked forward to shake the man’s hand, feeling as if he were caught in some sort of very odd dream. “I would say it’s a pleasure to meet you, sir, but I’m not sure that is entirely the case. I’m quite confused at the moment. When I woke up this morning I was not aware that I was already engaged.”

  Christian chuckled. “I understand. I imagine it’s all a bit of a shock. Have a seat, son, and let’s have a drink while we talk things over.”

  The three of them took a seat, and the servant refilled Gordon’s glass and brought a glass of sherry to Annette before leaving the study.

  “My mother tells me that I’m pre-contracted to marry your granddaughter, Mr. Fontenot. I find the idea absolutely ludicrous, not to mention insulting to the woman that I have actually asked to be my wife. Can you tell me how such an arrangement can possibly have come about?” He was trying very hard to be calm and rational as he had been raised, and not yell at this stranger who was completely messing up his life.

  Christian took a swallow of his drink. “Yes, Gordon, I can. Your late grandfather came to me twenty-one years ago in some distress. His son-in-law, your father, had made some serious financial errors that had left him and your mother in danger of poverty. He wished to help, but didn’t dare settle any more money on your mother, as you
r father would have mishandled it as well. I offered to settle a sizeable sum on her, in her name only, on one condition--that you would be betrothed to my granddaughter, who would be born a few months later. My daughter-in-law was unable to have any more children, leaving my son with no sons of his own to inherit the name. The arrangement allowed your grandfather to reasonably will the rest of his legacy to you instead of your father, and he agreed that the children that you and my granddaughter have will carry the hyphenated surname Fontenot-Buck, to help make up for my lack of male progeny. I agreed to give half of the sum of my granddaughter’s dowry to your mother at the signing of the contract, and I will give her the other half when you and your wife-to-be produce a son. I will also settle a sizeable inheritance on your first son.” He made the whole affair seem so reasonable and logical that Gordon had to remind himself they had arranged his marriage.

  Gordon looked astonished. “Does your granddaughter know about this?”

  Christian nodded. “We told her on her eighteenth birthday. We wanted to give you a bit more time, since you would be away at the university. We didn’t want to burden you with the knowledge of a fiancée whom you hadn’t met. As it happens, perhaps we should have been more prudent, but we certainly didn’t expect you to find a woman to marry so soon.”

  Gordon frowned. “When is this supposed wedding to take place?”

  “The engagement will be announced this fall at the beginning of the season, and the wedding will take place in March.”

  “I want to see some evidence of this. A contract, some sort of binding legal document.”

  Christian obligingly opened the slender black briefcase he had brought with him, and handed a sheaf of papers to Gordon.

  Gordon flipped through them. The majority was full of unfamiliar legal terms, but one section stood out to him as clearly as day.