Page 18 of When Love Takes Over
“We met less than twenty-four hours ago, and you just asked me to marry you. Crazy is the perfect word to describe this situation.”
“Maybe it is a little crazy, but it’s a serious question. Will you marry me?”
“You seem like a great guy, and I can’t deny my attraction to you, but I can’t marry you, and I don’t believe you really want to marry me.”
He sighed. “Let me explain.”
“That would help, but it probably won’t change my answer.”
“My father is set to retire in a few months, and I’ll be taking over the company. I thought it was a done deal, but earlier this week, my parents and grandfather told me I had to get married by my thirty-fifth birthday if I wanted to runSSG.”
“When is your birthday?’
“About three months from now.”
“Oh. That’s pretty soon.”
“I know. My mother has already chosen a few women she believes are suitable to be her daughter-in-law, but I’ll be damned if I marry one of them.”
“You don’t think she’ll pick the perfect woman for her one and only son?”
“I love my mother, but she has no idea the kind of women I like.”
“I’m sure you’ve never dated a woman like me, so . . .”
“That’s true, but?—”
“No, Kenzo. You don’t have to make excuses for your preference in women.”
“I don’t have a preference, and I wasn’t about to make excuses, but I want to be upfront and honest with you.”
“Okay.”
“You’re rare, Malyah. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were special. I wanted to be pissed that you were roaming around the building after hours, but when I looked into your eyes, they spoke to my heart. You’re in a terrible situation, a situation that would break most people, but your attitude remains positive. You’re making the best of it, and I admire that.”
“Kenzo—”
“Let me finish. You were on my mind for hours after we parted ways last night. I wanted to call or text you but didn’t know what to say. Instead, I snooped on your Flikstagram for hours. I studied every picture and video, memorizing every feature and expression, how the dimple in your left cheek appears with the slightest curve of your lips, how you bite your bottom lip when you’re mixing ingredients, and the tone of your voice when one of your recipes turns out perfectly. This isn’t how I pictured myself proposing, and I’m sure this isn’t your dream proposal. We’re not in love, but I already like you more than any woman I’ve ever dated. You need a place to stay, and I need a wife, so let’s help each other out.”
“How do you know you like me and we just met?”
“I rarely remember my dreams, and when I do, they’re about random things that don’t mean anything, but never about women. You were in my dreams last night, and it felt so realthat I was disappointed when I woke up. That has to mean something.”
I shook my head as I said, “I don’t know about this.”
“I’ll pay your tuition and give you a one hundred thousand dollars, half now, and half after we get married. When you get pregnant?—”
“Pregnant? Hold up. You want me to have your baby?”
“My grandfather is eighty-five and wants to make sure there is someone to continue his legacy after me. Did I forget to mention that?”
“Yes, you did. I don’t need to hear anymore. Take me back to the hotel, please.”
“Malyah, baby, please listen.”
“No, Kenzo. You think because I don’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out, I’ll pimp myself and my womb out to you. I’m not that desperate, and I don’t even know if I want kids.”
I tried to stand, but he grabbed my wrists, forcing me to remain seated. People were already walking past us on the trail, and I didn’t want to make a scene.
