A Not So Meet Cute

“Just when you think you’ve hit rock bottom, when you don’t think there’s any way you could climb the mountain again to find happiness, you stumble across a trail, one that has its bumps and bruises, but offers a gorgeous outcome.”

“Sometimes it’s not the beginning that screams romance, but rather the journey.”

“Lottie, I love you. You’re beautifully frustrating, annoyingly right most of the time, and you bring me more joy than I ever thought I’d be lucky enough to have. You complement my surly attitude. You put me in my place when I need it, and you listen to me when I need a listening ear. Plain and simple, you complete me, and I know for certain, I can’t live this life without you in it.” He pops open the ring box, revealing a beautiful, cushion-shaped diamond ring with diamond accents on the band. It’s different than the current ring on my finger, edgier, just like me. “I love you so goddamn much. Please, would you accept the contract, and will you also do me the honor of being my wife?”

“You might still hate me, you might still not want to look at me, but you’ll damn well know, you fucking crave me.”

“Ooo, a man who knows when he’s wrong. Be still my heart.”

“I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. And it hit me like a ton of bricks. I need you to be a part of my life, Lottie. I need you to be a permanent fixture. Which is why I came up with this contract.” I”

“You’re so narcissistic.” “Confident,” he replies. “A cockhole.” His brows raise. “What the hell is a cockhole?” “Cocky asshole. Therefore, you’re a cockhole.”

“As Rachel Green would say, isn’t that just kick-you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck fantastic?”

“She’s not what I was expecting. But she’s everything I fucking want.”

“You, uh, you like to choke people?” “No, but there’s something so sexy, so possessive, about being able to hold your girl at the nape of her neck.” “Possessive, are we?” I ask, trying to feel this man out. “I prefer to claim what’s mine.”

“She’s more than a catch, she’s absolute perfection.”

“I am. I’m very much attached to you, Lottie. I don’t know how you did it, but I’m addicted. You’re not going anywhere.”

“And just like that, I’m a taken man. Fucking besotted. This is what I want. Her, in my arms. Exactly like this.”

“Lottie, trust me when I say you’re not imposing. I want you in my house, in my room, in my bed. I want you on my couch, holding my hand while watching a show you’ve forced me to reluctantly binge. I want you in my pool, skinny-dipping like you enjoy so much. I want you on my roof, feeling the rain bounce off you during a storm. I want you at my dining room table, eating dinner next to me, giving me a hard time for whatever reason you come up with that day.” He lifts my knuckles to his lips and places a soft kiss to them. “I want you, okay?”

“I hope you have a sleepless night.” “Sweet nightmares,”

“I’m fucked. They’re immediate with their responses. JP: Let me guess—you realized you like your fake fiancée? Huxley: I like her. I shouldn’t, but I do. JP: Called it.”

“Need a place to stay? I have a seven-bedroom home. Need a date for your reunion? I’m your man. Need me to make a phone call to this ex-boss of yours, let her know she made a huge mistake by letting you go? I’m there for you. Want a job? I can find you one.”

“What on earth is this?” “An engagement ring,” he says casually. “Uh, this isn’t an engagement ring, this is an ice rink for a family of five.”

“Your helping heart. You don’t let people see it; you hide it away from the public eye. But as a spectator, having paid close enough attention, I’ve seen it, and it’s beautiful.”

“I want more from you. And I know this crosses the line of our agreement, but I can’t pretend I don’t have feelings for you, because I do. I like you, Lottie. I like you a lot.”

“Say it right now that you don’t want this and I’ll go back to eating my salad. If not, I’m going to eat you.”

“Lottie, she’s . . . hell, she’s fucking special. And I knew that from the first time she turned me down. She was someone in need, yet she only thought about her sister. She didn’t want her parents to be disappointed in her, so she looked out for them too. She fought me on things that deserved fighting me on, and even though I attempted to deny it from the beginning, I don’t think there’s a chance in hell I’ll be able to let her go. And that means one thing: I have to make this work. I want to date Lottie, make her feel special, because that’s what she is—special.”

“They will, trust me. Anyone who can give me as much shit as you do and bring me to my knees, they’re going to love. I wouldn’t be surprised if they showed up wearing Team Lottie T-shirts. Trust me, they’re fans.”

“This man really does have a soul. It’s right there, behind the dark chocolate of his hollow eyes.”

“The door shuts behind us, and I turn to find Huxley bent down on one knee, holding a ring box.”

“Let’s get one thing straight,” he says, his voice menacing. “I don’t have a wandering eye, never have, never will. And I signed a contract with you. That means I belong to you and you belong to me until our obligations are fulfilled within our agreement. Do you understand?”

“Name what you want and it’s yours.”

“You need to learn to live, man. You’re not living. You have all this money and you do nothing with it. Now you have a reason to do something. Take her out. Date her. If you like her, go for it.”

“Who knew a girl in a blue dress would be your kryptonite?”

“I love you.” The words stun me. They take my breath away. But they also don’t feel entirely real.”