Page 28 of Bridesmaid By Chance
How would this benefit her?
“I’m so glad you asked.” She stands up again and gestures to the couch. “Care to join me?”
Not this again.
With a huff, I stand from my chair, bring my coffee with me because I’m going to need it, and take a seat on the couch where she joins me.
Once again, she rests her hands in her lap and looks me in the eyes. “This could be beneficial for the both of us. You need me, and I could possibly need you.”
“Possibly?” I ask. “I doubt someone who has come into the office twice despite being fired would use the termpossibly. Looks like you need me.”
“Semantics,” she says, brushing me off. But I can see right through her. There is something she needs, and she’s come up with a crazy-ass plan on how to do it. “Here’s the thing, you want this property deal, right?”
“I don’t discuss business with people who don’t work here.”
“Hudson.” She levels with me, and hell, I like it when she says my name. “Just answer the question.”
“You already know the answer,” I say.
“So then, yes, you want the property. And you also promised Archie and Sheridan a bridesmaid, something I think you’re forgetting about.”
“Trust me.” I drag my hand over my face. “I have not forgotten about that.” That was the reason I woke up at two this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. I broke out in a sweat over the fact that I’ve gotten myself into a major mess.
“Well, it seems like you’re in a bit of a pickle, and I could help you get out of said pickle. Here is what I propose. I will be the bridesmaid that you signed me up to be, and I will be your bride so you can get into the club.”
“And what do you want from me?”
Sloane composes herself, swallows, then says, “Preferably, my job back and forty thousand dollars.”
I feel my eyebrows raise because I guess I wasn’t expecting that answer. The job, sure, but the money? She doesn’t seem like someone who is desperate for money. I mean, if she needed anything, wouldn’t she just go to Jude?
“In exchange for forty thousand dollars and my job, I’ll sign a prenup, marry you, do the whole bridesmaid in London thing, and then we can amicably divorce later and be on our way. You’ll have your property, everyone will be happy, and we never have to see each other again—after I find a new job of course.”
“Other than the fact that your brother is married to my sister.”
“Eh, I never cared for family gatherings,” she says with a wave of her hand. “What do you say?”
I take a sip of my coffee and shake my head. “I’m not in the business of buying a bride, Sloane.”
“You’re not buying me. You’re paying me for a service.”
“Yeah, I’m not doing that either.”
I stand and move back to the desk. My shaky legs nearly give out because…it would be a good solution. She gets what she needs, I get what I need—a simple solution to a chaotic few days.
Yet I can’t fathom saying yes, not when I knowwhoI’d be marrying. She’s Jude’s sister, and if he caught wind of the fact that I even considered her proposal for a mere second, he’d have my balls in the palm of his hand.
It’s a good idea but a terrible, horrible one at the same time.
It’s going to be a no for me.
I peek around the door of my office and fearfully look around, scanning for a clingy brunette, most likely shirtless and in a power suit. When Icome up short, not even asugar-freegreen drink on the desk, I know the coast is clear. I meant to contact security last night and ensure her pass was revoked, but something about that felt so wrong. This is Jude’s sister. She’s not a threat to the security of our company.
Letting out a deep breath, I step inside the office just as the door shuts behind me and Sloane says, “Morning.”
“Mother of fuck,” I yell as I cover my ears and fly into the wall, turning to see her standing there in a pink suit. This one has shorts and a blazer with no shirt. “Fuck, Sloane.”
“Aw, did I scare you?”
