Accidental Proposal (A Year Agreement Book 1) (4 page)

“Thank you so much, Mrs. Whitman. I will come and get that soon then,” I said, giving her a thankful smile. I stood up, not wanting to keep the movers waiting.

“No problem, hon. I hope everything goes okay for you. When you leave, just put your key in my mailbox and I’ll get it,” Mrs. Whitman said kindly as she followed me to my door.

“Thank you. And you too.” Saying goodbye, I went back to my apartment to grab the rest of my things.

I picked up the bag I’d put a few of my things in. Dressed in a pair of ripped jeans and a light blue t-shirt, I slung my bag over my shoulder and took one last glance around my apartment. Saying a silent goodbye, I walked out the door and shut it behind me, locking it. When I passed Mrs. Whitman’s apartment, I set my keys inside her mailbox and went to meet the movers downstairs, who were standing there, waiting for me. It was slightly awkward as I slid inside the moving truck, being squished against the car door and the two big men.

About twenty minutes later, we pulled up next to a huge house, which was more like a mansion. I figured Liam would live in a big apartment in downtown, but instead he lived almost on the outskirts of the city. The house was almost square, with a white exterior. It looked and screamed bachelor pad. It had a five-car garage, and I bet it had a huge pool in the back too. I stood there, gawking at how nice the house was. When one of the movers walked in front of me, I forced myself to stop gawking. I followed the movers to the front door, which was open. I hesitantly stepped into the foyer and looked around. Everything was so neat and clean, and I felt so tiny and dirty just being inside. I blindly followed the movers, still glancing around at the place. The movers were just putting the boxes in the huge living room when I came to a stop in the middle of it.

Within just a few minutes, they were done and gone. I stood alone in the living room, surrounded by boxes.
Where’s Liam?
I slowly walked around. A giant flat screen TV was hooked above on the wall, and below it was an impressive sound system. A leather couch sat on one side of the room, and a lounge chair was on the other side, a coffee table sitting in the middle. Just by looking at them, I knew they weren’t cheap items. They probably cost over a grand each. Just as I was walking over to what looked like a good DVD collection, a voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Jenna,” Liam said. I turned around, looking at him sheepishly. I knew I’d been caught practically snooping.

“Hi,” I said awkwardly.

“I’ve brought documents that I need you to sign.”

“Documents?” I asked as I walked over to him.

“Yes. I need you to sign them immediately so I can make it official and get copies.” He talked so business-like that, for some reason, it was starting to get under my skin. I’m his “fiancé”. Shouldn’t he talk to me normally, instead of like he’s doing some business deal? He handed me the documents, which were encased in a folder. I turned to the couch to sit and read through them, although that didn’t seem like what Liam wanted.

“All it says is that you will tell no one of our deal. And, after the one year, you will sign the divorce papers without any problems, and take what I promised you. After the year, I won’t see you again or hear from you.” I looked at him, almost apprehensively trying to decide if I trusted him enough not to read through it myself. Seeing as I really didn’t have a choice and that I had no clue what I was doing, I took the pen Liam handed me and signed where I was supposed to.

“Good, now that is taken care of. First thing’s first; when we are around my family or at any social events, I expect you to behave like any high-class person would. And you need to appear as if you are in love with me. Second, if you wish to have any male suitors, it needs to be done privately and secretly; I don’t want people thinking my ‘fiancé’ is cheating on me. Third, this is not a real marriage. Do not expect me to be a loving and supportive husband, because I will not be either. When we are out in public, we will act like we love each other, but when we are by ourselves I do not want anything to do with you. Also, don’t plan on me sleeping with you because I will not. You will be sleeping in your own room, but everything in here is available to you. Remember this house is mine, so if I want to bring a woman back here, I want you to stay in your room or leave so they don’t ask any questions. I get home late mostly every night or sometimes don’t come home at all. Do not wait up for me or call me wondering where I am because I won’t answer. You are to only call me if it is an emergency. We will tell my parents in a week’s time, so be prepared,” Liam explained.

“Also, I will hire someone to be your assistant who will dress you for important events and to get you a new wardrobe. No ‘wife’ of mine will wear clothes like what you’ve been wearing out in public. So far the press doesn’t know about you, and I would like to keep it that way for a while, so don’t go out in public for too long. I’ve deposited a hundred grand into your new bank account. You are welcome to use it. If you need more, just ask me. Here are your credit and debit cards.” He handed me two black cards. “You told me you do not have a cell phone, so here you are. There is my number, my assistant’s number, your driver’s number, and when I get someone to be your assistant, I will give you her number to put in there. Now that is all. I am heading back to work, so unpack your boxes.” After he was done, he just nodded at me and walked out the front door. I stood there in shock as I digested everything he’d said to me. I looked down and saw the brand new slick iPhone 6 in my hand, then looked back at the front door.

What the hell did I just do?

Chapter Four

I walked around Liam’s place, awed. Never had I ever been in a place so big and nice. There were even two floors! There had to be four or five rooms, not including the master bedroom, with as many bathrooms, a huge laundry room, a gym, an office, a huge-ass kitchen, and, my favorite room, a library. The walls were stocked with every book you could think of and maybe even more; I knew I would be spending a lot of time in there.

As I predicted, out back there was a huge pool with a hot tub. The backyard was amazing with a weaving path almost like a maze that had all different kinds of flowers and plants. A little ways back toward the fence was a bungalow type thing, with a comfy bench and table. It was the perfect spot to come out to read, or just to think, really. Even though the house screamed bachelor pad, it had a bit of a feminine touch to it. The house seemed empty, like Liam wasn’t here often.
Why have a nice house if you’re not going to live there?

I headed back inside to get started on unpacking and finding a room I wanted. God knew there plenty to choose from. After looking at two rooms that were kind of small and didn’t scream “me,” I walked into the third bedroom down the hallway. The moment I walked through the double set of doors, I knew I wanted this room. A queen-sized bed sat in the middle with deep blue covers. On one side of it was a side table with a pretty lamp. Across from the bed to the right was an archway that led to a big walk-in closet that had built-in shelves for clothes or shoes, and straight across from the bed was another archway leading to a huge bathroom with a bath tub and walk-in shower. The counter was made of dark marble, and dark brown cabinets were beneath.

The room was easily twice the size of my old little apartment. I was glad I had doors leading to the outside; I could easily avoid Liam if needed. I stood in the middle of the room taking it all in, and a small smile appeared on my face. I may have signed my soul to the devil, but at least I would be living in a nice-ass place and getting money out of it.

The alarm on the bedside table showed it was almost eleven, so I decided I’d better get unpacking. It wouldn’t take me long anyways. Going back down the hall, I found the living room, where I had left my boxes. I knew it was going to take a little while getting used to being in such a big place and not getting lost, with there being two separate hallways, one leading to the lower floor rooms, and the other to the laundry room and kitchen. There was a spiral staircase that led upstairs to Liam’s room and the library. With a sigh, I picked up one box and headed back to my new room.

About an hour later, I stood there, glancing around the room with my hands on my hips. All my clothes were put away, which didn’t even take up half the closet. What little belongings I had were placed throughout the room with the only picture I had of my mom and I, which we took two weeks before she left me. I had put my bathroom stuff away in the drawers and my toothbrush in a cool holder thing in the bathroom. The room still looked bare, but at least it looked slightly better than before.
With the money Liam put in my account, maybe I should get some more things for this room.
I was going to be here for a year, so I might as well make it as homey as I could. Plus, I had a feeling I would be in here quite a bit.

The growling of my stomach made me head back to the kitchen to find something to eat. When I entered the kitchen, I was once against impressed with the size and look of it—a flattop stove, double ovens, and a nice expensive stainless steel fridge. I bet the dark brown cabinets held nice cooking pots and pans, which were probably not even used. Hooked to the kitchen was a big room with a long dining room table that could seat about six people, maybe more. Instead of normal kitchen lights, Liam had dangling deep red glass lights. That was cool.

Opening the fridge, I glanced at its contents, trying to find something to eat. A lot of the food was in plastic containers and looked to be portioned out. I grabbed what looked to be spaghetti, shut the fridge, and started searching for a bowl. After opening five different cabinets, I finally found the one that held two different types of bowls as well as plates. Grabbing the first bowl I saw, I went to the drawer where I’d seen silverware earlier. I put the cold spaghetti in the bowl, and sliding it in the microwave, I washed the container as best I could before setting it in the dishwasher, knowing I couldn’t get it all the way clean myself. When the microwave dinged, I took out the hot bowl and sat at the bar.

As I ate my spaghetti, I looked out the windows toward the backyard, thinking about my life. I never thought I would have to stoop as low as marrying a random guy for money. If my mother were here, I wondered if she would be ashamed of me. Just thinking of her made me sad and angry. Being only five years old and left alone in a new place, I’d felt like it was my fault my mom left me. Was I bad? Did I do something wrong? Of course, as I grew I went through different stages, from crying that it was my fault to hating my mother. I used to tell myself that she left for a good reason, that she wouldn’t have abandoned me if she didn’t have a choice. I even convinced myself for a few years that she was dead and that’s why she didn’t come back for me like she said she would. I mean, who would just leave their child at a doorstep and not want to come back for them?

Now, at the age of nineteen, I didn’t care whether my mother was dead or alive. After years of wondering and blaming myself, I decided it didn’t matter and that she was no longer my mother. She stopped being one the moment she left me at an orphanage. I’d once wanted to find my father, but with nothing to go on and my hidden hatred of him leaving my mother and me, I didn’t do it.

There were plenty of times I wish I still had my mom. Like when a group of kids at the home would pick on me and I wanted to run to her to feel her arms around me, listening to her telling me things would be okay. Or when I went through my teenage years having to experience everything by myself and being confused when I got my first crush and the same boy being rude to me. Then at graduation, unlike most kids whose families had come and had people yelling for them when they went to receive their diplomas, I had no one there. I walked on the stage while a few people clapped, feeling bad for me. Then, when it was over and my friends went to their families, I handed in my gown and walked home alone. The couple that ran the orphanage couldn’t come because they had to watch the little kids.

That night, after crying myself to sleep, I finally realized that I would always be alone. Over the years, I’d slowly come to accept that. What I said to Sophia about not ever falling in love was true. I had only ever had one boyfriend, and that was in my junior year of high school. We dated for almost a year b
efore one day he told me at school he didn't want to
see me again.
Of course I was hurt beyond repair. It made me realize that everyone I love just left. The best way to not get your heart broken was to pretend like you didn’t have one.

I hadn’t been with anyone else since then, and I didn’t plan on it either. This was the first time I had even gotten this close to a guy besides the ones from the club or the diner. Sure, Liam was attractive, very attractive, but with his cold demeanor and this deal, there wouldn’t be anything happening between us.

My food was long gone, and it was nearing one. Since I didn’t have to be at the club until five, I grabbed my new phone and headed outside to the backyard. Might as well play around with it to keep me busy before I had to get ready. Plus, it was nice outside for the first time in a while. We probably had only a few weeks before it started to become colder, and then it would be winter. Whenever it’s warm in New York, you made sure to take advantage of the warm weather since it stayed cold for months.

I was kind of hot in my ripped jeans and light blue shirt as I sat down at the gazebo, looking down at my phone. Don’t get me wrong, I knew I hadn’t had a cell phone before, but I wasn’t an idiot. I’d played around with my friend’s phones, Sophia’s and even Candy’s. My friends in high school, Millie and Emily, always used to beg me to get a phone so I could get Facebook, that way we wouldn’t stop being friends when they went off to college. All those girls in high school who made promises with their friends to stay friends forever should know it never happens. The moment they or you go off to college, everything changes. That person becomes someone different, and soon the texts between you become slower and smaller, until you don’t talk to that person anymore.

Millie, Emily, and I were pretty close, but I wouldn’t say I was best friends with them. They had totally different lives than I did and didn’t get why I was the way I am. After graduation, I only heard from them a few times, and after a few weeks we stopped talking altogether. They were planning on going to the same college together and getting an apartment. Of course those plans didn’t involve me. I would like to say I felt hurt that I wasn’t involved, but I really wasn’t. What they wanted was not what I wanted.

I spent the next hour or so playing around on my phone, actually downloading Facebook and Instagram. I didn’t really have anyone to add on either of them, but I might as well have them so I could stay busy. Setting my phone down on the bench beside me, I pulled my legs up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. I laid my head on my knees and looked toward the house and the pool. The place was silent, besides the humming of a few bees and the slight breeze blowing through the trees. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of the warm air.

Just being outside helped relax me, and I felt my head clearing. All I had to do was make it through this year, then I would be gone and out of Liam’s life.
I can do this.
I stared out at the lawn, not really seeing anything. I kept trying to figure out how I was going to talk to Teddy and Candy. I hadn’t really noticed it until now, but both of my jobs were so similar. At the diner I only had Sophia as my friend, and at the club I had Candy. Both of my bosses were practically the same as well.
Nothing gets by me,
I thought sarcastically to myself.

Noticing the time was nearing four already, I reluctantly stood up and headed back inside. I was not looking forward to tonight, and it didn’t help that I didn’t get off until one or so. As I was getting dressed in my short shorts and light blue tank top, I remembered Liam said I had a driver. Might as well call the number instead of having to take a taxi and pay for it. Once I was dressed and pulled my blonde hair up into a ponytail, I grabbed my phone and dialed the number that said “Driver”. A second later, a young man’s voice said hello through the phone.

“Uh, hi, I’m Jenna. Liam said you’re my driver?” I said, or more like asked.

“Yes I am, miss. I’m Garrett. Is there something I can get you?” he asked.

“Um, yeah, I need to go to work. It wouldn’t be a big deal for you to drive me there, would it?”

“No, ma’am, it wouldn’t. I will be there in just a minute.” Telling him thanks, I hung up and slid on my shoes before leaving my room and heading to the front door. I opened the front door just as a slick black car pulled up. Out stepped a tall, dark brown-haired guy who couldn’t be more than three years older than I was. He walked around the car, toward me. I shut the door behind me and met him halfway.

“Hello, miss. I am Garrett.” He extended his hand. Up close, I saw that he was very cute. He had dark brown hair that was kind of shaggy, his eyes were light brown, almost hazel, and he had high cheek bones with a sharp jaw. He smiled down at me, showcasing a set of white teeth.

“Hi, I’m Jenna.” I shook his hand, smiling back at him. He looked to be in his early twenties. I could feel his eyes roaming over my body before he looked me in the face.

“It’s nice to meet you. So work, you said?”

“Yeah I have work at five.”

“Well, let’s get you there.”

“Wait. I don’t have any keys to lock the house up,” I said.

“Don’t worry. There’s a keypad on the side by the door that locks the door after five minutes.” I turned and saw what he was talking about.
Shit, this guy must have a lot of money to have an automatic keypad lock.

“Oh, okay,” I said. He walked to the car and opened the back door.

“Actually, would it be okay if I sat up front?” I asked. He looked surprised but nodded, opening the front door for me. I slid inside with a “thanks” before buckling up. Garrett came around to the driver’s side, starting the car and heading down the driveway.

“Where to, miss?”

“You can call me Jenna. 224 South Morton Street.” I hated when people called me miss, especially if Garrett was going be my driver for the next year. From the corner of my eye, I saw him raise an eyebrow, but he continued on anyways.

“Is Mr. Stanford your uncle? Or family friend?” he asked.

“Um…” I had no idea what to tell him now. I looked over at him, trying to see if I trusted him. “You can’t tell anyone, okay?” If I’m going to be here for a while, I might as well try to have a friend.

“I won’t. I promise.”

“Okay…I’m his fake ‘fiancé’.”

“Fake?”

“Yeah. He offered me a deal, and I know it’s crazy, but I took it,” I said, leaning back in the seat, staring out the window.