Page 19 of Takeover
Lance was silent for a long breath, but then he finally spoke."Maybe if your Dad knew?—"
My stomach cramped painfully, and I had to stop and use a post on the corner for support as a knot of anxiety and quick flash of fear dissipated.Lance and Morgan only knew some of what had happened with Jacobson.Lance would have jumped off the deep end and ruined his whole career if I’d told him everything.But Bronson Jacobson was the devil.That one stupid date.I had never regretted anything more.I walked away unscathed, but God knows Morgan wouldn't have.
"Unlike my sister, I don't need saving, Lance.I've got this."
Lance sighed."But what about love?He's not going to make you happy."
I chewed on my bottom lip."It doesn't matter.My sister and my team are what matters.For them, I can do this.People agree to arranged marriages all the time.Besides, it’s unlikely that I'll see him very much in advance of the nuptials, and like I said, it will buy me some time to figure a way out of this.In the meantime, I guess I'm engaged to the coldest man in New York.The saving grace is that I know he works nonstop.I'll never see him.We'll be like ships in the night.It'll probably be a month before he realizes that he's got a fiancée in the city somewhere."
"How are you going to take this guy touching you?I mean, you don't even know him."
Lance's question was soft, and there was a gentle tone to his voice, which clued me in to just how worried he was.I passed a gaggle of tipsy bridesmaids peeling out of a bar and winced as one held her friend’s hair back as she vomited on the sidewalk.
“Lance, you need to stop worrying about me.I'll figure this out.And like I said, I'm never going to see the guy.I'll be in my apartment, and he'll be in his.This will all be very civilized.In the meantime, I'm just going to find a different solution to the money issue."
He was silent again."I'm just saying, you haven't had a serious relationship since Michael.And then that shit with Bronson Jacobson went down, and I worry."
"Have a little faith, would you?I can handle Price."
"Can you?When was your last date?"
"I might not date a lot, but I do things.I have hobbies.Interests.Besides, I don't need love."
"Name one interest.Just one.From the last year."
Low blow."I don't know… I-I…" Fuck.I had things that I liked to do.And I used to do them all the time.And then everything changed."I dance."
He laughed."When was the last time you went to a class?If you tell me it was this week, I will leave you alone.Hell, if you tell me it was anytime this month, I'll stop harassing you right now."
When the hell was it?Maybe it was six months ago.I’d told myself I'd feel better if I just went.But then instead, I just felt worse because my body didn't work the same way, so I didn’t go back again."Don't be a dick, Lance."
"I'm just saying, you're going to need help with Price.You need to convince him to go slow, or wait, or something."
"I love you, Lance.But I'm not discussing my theoretical sex life with you.Besides, it's not going to be like that.This is an arranged marriage.He'll have his affairs, and I'll do whatever I normally do."
Lance sighed."Look, I'm just saying this guy might have a red room of pain or something.I've heard rumors."
“Rumors that he’s into pain?”
“Rumors that he’s into sex.Kinky sex.No holds barred sex.Make women line up at his door sex.You’re out of your depth.”
Maybe he had a point."Look, I'm not planning to sleep with him.And honestly, it might not even come to that.You need to trust me."
"I'm just looking out for you."
"I know, and I appreciate it.It's going to be fine."I really hoped it would be.But I didn't have a choice.I’d made this bed, and now it was time to lie on it.
"I hope you know what you're doing," he said with more than a little doubt in his voice.
"Me too, but it's me or Morgan, so I will figure it out."
"Would it be so bad if Morgan had to be the one to fall on the sword for once?"
Something bitter twisted on my tongue."Yes, it would."
Chapter8
Atticus
