Who Loves Them? (Who--? Series) (14 page)

Christina
frowned.  Surely Gordon was not implying she had dreamed of them making love?  He was just trying to get at her again!  He was a nightmare!  “I had a wonderful dream,” she said.  “You were drowning and I was too busy making love to your best friend to help you.”

Gordon wrinkled his nose in
distaste, and then smiled.  “A pity my best friend is in a wheelchair.  I’m pretty sure he’s lost all function below the waist.”

Christina
was mortified.  Had she just insulted his friend and made a fool of herself?  She sat up straighter.  “In the dream he was not a paraplegic, and he was a better lover than you could ever hope to dream of being.”

“You’re quite imaginative for someone who hasn’t met a paraplegic friend of mine who doesn’t exist.”

Chris felt her face redden.  “You are impossible!”

He went on, “How was your jog this morning
?  Was it everything you thought it would be?” Chris managed to turn even pinker.

Christina
was saved from answering by Jackie setting a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her.  Even though she hadn’t thought she was hungry, once she took a bite of the bacon, she began to eat everything on her plate.

That
is a strange conversation
, Jackie thought,
but at least they are having a civil conversation. 
Since they seemed to be getting along a little better, Jackie decided to go along with her proposal.  They might go for it, and they might not.  But the week was coming to an end, and they needed to learn to get along, at least in public.  She sighed.  They still seemed curt towards each other, and Gordon seemed to be picking on her.  However, maybe they could go out for lunch together, just the two of them, without her as their chaperone.

“OK, now that everyone has eaten, we need to talk.”
Jackie looked at the two and noted that they were sitting directly across from each other instead of opposite ends of the table as they had been.  Well, maybe they are already putting forth some effort, she thought.  Encouraged, she went on.

“Let’s face the facts
.  You two are engaged for all intents and purposes, and in the not-too-distant-future, you will be married.  Our time here is coming to a close and there are several things we need to discuss.  You two must appear to like each other at least in public.  Unless you want the financial aspect of this arrangement to come to light, you must make it seem like the engagement and marriage is legitimate, and not a business deal.”

Jackie paused and looked at both of them
.  Neither said anything in response, so continued on.  “So, to that end, I will be sending both of you out today—together--for a day of shopping and dining.  You will shop.  I don’t care what you shop for.  You will have lunch together, etc… and you will pretend that you are helplessly in love.  Got it?  I know this isn’t fair to either of you, but that is just the way it is.  You need to get used to it and you need to make the best of it.”

As she finished, she noted that neither one
jumped up and argued, which is what she expected.  Maybe this wouldn’t be as difficult as she thought.

“Well,” Gordon said, “I certainly don’t want the financial part of this arrangement to get
out as it would ruin my family.  I suppose I could try a little harder to pretend that this whole thing is legitimate.”

Jackie
was not looking at him or she would have seen the gleam in his eye.

“Truthfully, I don’t want the
arrangement to be known because it would be humiliating.” Christina said quietly.  “I can try to make the engagement look legitimate.  What choice do either of us have, really?” She thought for a minute about being married to Gordon, and the thought didn’t make her feel sick.  Rather, it made her feel good.  Still, she wondered if she would be able to hold his attention once they were married.

Gordon was not thrilled about having to go shopping, but he was definitely looking forward to spending more time with
Chris.  He liked playing around with her feelings.  But he had to make a fuss to keep up appearances.

“Really, do
I have to do this now, though?  I hate shopping.  Why not wait until there is someone to impress?  No one here cares if we are really engaged or not,” Gordon complained.

Christina
’s heart sank as she heard Gordon complain about spending time with her.  She had been sure that he was starting to really like her, or at least like the physical aspect of the relationship.  Maybe that was it.  Maybe he just saw her as a convenience since they were both stuck in this lodge.  He hadn’t really said anything nice to her, which was off.  Maybe he was just using her.

“I’ve already told you
.  You need to be more comfortable with each other if you are going to sell this relationship around people who actually know you.  Now, it is settled.  Go freshen up and meet in the front parlor in fifteen minutes.” Jacqueline made this declaration and then walked briskly toward her room. 

When she heard Jackie’s door close,
Christina stood up.  Suddenly, she was spun around, and Gordon crushed his mouth to hers.  After a very thorough kiss, with some strategic groping, they came up for air.  “Well, that worked out beautifully, huh? I will not have to wait until tonight to tell you about my idea,” Gordon said.

“What do you mean
?  You didn’t seem too keen on spending the day with me earlier,” she said coldly.  “And what was that about your fake friend?  You know how stupid that sounded?”

“What
?  Oh, that.  I was playing it up since we don’t want anyone to know about our relationship yet.  Although the part about shopping was true.  But since I get to spend the day watching your butt in those jeans, I can make due.” Gordon raised his eyes suggestively.

Relieved,
Christina said, “Well, in that case, I guess I should complain more too, huh?  I will be sure to whine to Jaqueline when we get back.”

When
Christina arrived in the front parlor, Jacqueline was already there, but Gordon was nowhere to be seen.  “Has he backed out already?” Chris asked.

“I doubt it
.  He is never on time for anything he doesn’t deem important.  Work--he’s on time.  Family dinner--he’s on time.  Pretty much anything else, and he’s going to be late,” Jacqueline said as she shook her head.

Christina
jumped at the chance of being alone with Jacqueline.  “I need to tell you something.”

“What is it
?  Did the food not agree with you?”

Christina
shook her head.  “No, it’s not about me.  It’s about my friend Lilly.”

Jacqueline rolled her eyes
.  “What about your friend Lilly?”

“Well…
she’s engaged to some Von Willem guy.”

“
Peter Von Willem?  I know his family.  They are quite respected, quite wealthy.”

Christina
nodded.  “The thing is--she’s….she’s already engaged to somebody else.”

Jacqueline seemed
puzzled.  “And your point is?  Do you forget that Gordon was ‘betrothed’ before he learned about his engagement with you?  What is the problem?”

Christina
felt uncomfortable talking about her friend, considering she was still unsure as to why Lilly was upset about the match.  “Well, Lillian and her…betrothed…have already begun making the arrangements.  And she wanted to discuss them with you.  Yes, she wanted to talk to you about her wedding arrangements.  So she’s coming here.”

Jacqueline was stunned
.  “What does she want from me?  My blessing?  I have no business in her affairs.  And she certainly was not invited here.  The girl seems quite rude, for just barging in.”

Christina
shook her head.  “It’s not rude at all.  In fact, I am really excited to see her.  But I just….she cannot marry this man.”

“And why not?” Jacqueline seemed bored of the conversation, and looked around the room for an escape
.

“Because….because
Peter Von Willem hits her!”

As soon as the words left her mouth,
Christina instantly regretted them.  Her stomach churned and her heart sunk.  What would everybody think of her after they found out she lied?  What would
Gordon
think of her?  And what would Peter Von Willem and his family think of her?  They would call her a liar and her family would be shamed for life.  Nobody would invite her anywhere anymore, and her mother would be an outcast.

Jacqueline gasped in shock
.  “Are you serious, girl?” She clasped her elbow tightly. 

Christina
nodded.  “It’s just...just what I heard.  I mean…”

“Well this is a s
candal! 
This is…”

Jacqueline walked
off and left Christina standing in the room, her mouth open in horror and embarrassment, feeling as though she may have just ruined Peter Von Willem’s life for good.  She sighed.  What was she going to do?

As soon as Jacqueline had left the room, Gordon came strolling in looking so good, Christina felt her knees go a little weak.  His dark hair was still a little damp, and he had on a pair of worn jeans that fit really well.  They weren’t tight, but they fit in all the right places.  He had a light blue oxford shirt untucked, over the jeans.  He had the sleeves rolled up a few times, and the muscles in his forearms stood out.  Rather than loafers, he was wearing a pair of well-worn hiking boots.  He looked like he should have been modeling for some rugged, outdoor men’s magazine. 

Christina
suddenly forgot all about Lilly.  She looked at the t-shirt and jeans she was wearing, and wondered if she shouldn’t have worn something a little sexier.  Then she mentally shook herself.  This is who she was, and that was not going to change.

“Ok
ay, kids.  It’s time for you to go.  The taxi is out front, and it will take you to the shopping center we went to before, Christina.  Have fun!” Jacqueline reappeared and looked at them, wondering if they would even be able to speak to each other.  Her voice was high-pitched and strained, and Christina knew she was thinking about what she had said.

With a show of reluctance,
Christina started walking toward the entrance, with Gordon following behind. 

As soon as they were in the taxi, and safely on the way, Gordon drew her across the seat and kissed her until they were both breathless
.  When she sat back, and was going to move back to her side of the seat, he grabbed her hand and settled himself next to her.

Well, when he makes his mind up
about something, he goes all out,
Christina thought. 

“Do you really want to go to the shopping center?”
Christina asked. 

“No, I really don’t, but we sort of promised Aunt Jackie that
we would spend the day together,” Gordon replied.

“Well, we don’t have to spend the day together shopping, do we?”
Christina asked.  “I like shopping, but I like other things just as well.”

“What do you propose?” Gordon asked.

“Why don’t we get a picnic lunch at the little deli and spend the day in the park? We really don’t know each other very well yet, and I would like to change that.  I would like to know the man I’m going to marry.  We seem to be quite compatible in bed or in the woods or in the library, but I think we should actually talk.” Christina waited, hardly breathing while waiting for Gordon’s response.

“
Wow, that sounds so much better than shopping.  I was afraid I was going to have to follow you around all day and carry the bags as you bought out the stores,” Gordon replied.

Christina
laughed, “Obviously, you don’t know me very well yet, but hopefully we can change that today.” Her thoughts ran wild with concerns about Lilly, but she knew she had to keep calm.  Her friend would be here soon, and until then, she had to keep up the pretence that nothing was wrong.  And indeed, nothing
was
wrong.  At least, not between her and Gordon.

She leaned forward and told the taxi driver that they needed a deli and a park
.  The driver knew exactly what they wanted.  In under an hour, they were loaded down with a picnic lunch, a blanket they had bought, and were wondering around a delightful little park with a pond and ducks.

“This place is beautiful,
” Christina said as they walked toward a grassy area near the pond and shaded by large oak trees.

“I agree
.  It is beautiful,” Gordon replied, but he was looking at her and not at the park.

“Is this okay
?” Christina asked as she stopped under the trees.

“It’s perfect
.  Let’s spread the blanket,” Gordon said as he sat the picnic basket down out of the way.

Once they had the blanket settled, they sat down looking at the pond.

Chris turned to look at Gordon.  They made small talk for a few minutes.

“So, how do you feel about having to marry me now?”
Christina asked.  She figured she might as well take the bull by the horns and start the hard conversation.

Gordon
was not sure he wanted to reveal exactly how he felt, so he tried to turn it around.

“How do you feel about having to marry me?” he asked
. 

Christina
was a little irritated that he wouldn’t just answer the question, but she decided to just be honest.  “I think what we have may just work out to be a great marriage, despite the fact that we really have no choice.  Now that you aren’t being rude and distant to me all the time, I like you quite a bit.” She wouldn’t look at him.  She was scared of how vulnerable the truth made her.

When Gordon hadn’t responded for several minutes,
Christina got irritated and lifted her head to look at him.  He was staring at her with disconcerting intensity.

He moved closer, tilted her head up and kissed her
.  When she opened her eyes, he was looking directly into them.  “I think this might be the best mistake my family ever made,” he said.

She smiled, and he kissed her again
.  Christina pulled back and said, “We really do need to get to know each other better.  I was not joking when I said I would really like to get to know the man I’m going to marry.”

So, for the next few hours, they talked about how they grew up and their parents, and their friends, and just about every other thing that people learn about one another when they are dating
.  Due to the circumstances, Christina thought, we have to speed up the process.

Christina
’s head was spinning by the time they had taken a break from talking to eat lunch.  Gordon had insisted on feeding her chocolate-covered strawberries.  When she bit into one, the juice started running down her chin.  She laughed and fed him a piece of watermelon that was so big he couldn’t close his mouth.

Wow, I
cannot remember when I have had such a good time,
Christina thought. 
Gordon is really quite smart and he obviously loves his family.  This might turn out to be a good match after all.

If I had known how good it could be to have an intelligent conversation with a smart girl, I might have tried it in college, even if those girls didn’t put out,
Gordon thought. 
How much nicer would it be to be married to someone you liked, maybe even loved, and could have intelligent conversations with?

Gordon was stretched out on the blanket with his head in her lap
.  Christina absently ran her fingers through his hair like she had wanted to do since the first time she had seen him.  It was thick and silky, and she loved the way it felt.  Gordon was staring at the pond, but he had captured her other hand, and was holding it against his chest.

Christina
hated to interrupt the moment, but they were going to have to call the taxi to come and get them soon.  “So, what did you want to talk to me about this morning when you attacked me in the woods?” she asked.

“I did not attack you
.  I merely attempted to get your attention,” Gordon responded with a smile.

“Clearing your throat or tapping someone on the shoulder is how you get a person’s attention
.  Not grabbing them from behind!” Christina teased him, smacking him playfully on the shoulder.

Gordon sat up and turned to face her
.  Suddenly, he looked serious, and Christina began to worry.

“Okay
, here’s the deal.  We know we have to get engaged, get married, and produce a son, right?” Gordon asked, looking into her eyes.

Christina
was worried.  She nodded slowly.

“Now, hear me out
.  Don’t say anything until I finish, okay?” Gordon asked as he took her hands in his.

Christina
was really worried now.  A million things were running through her mind.  What could he possibly want?

“We have no choice in this
.  Our families set us up for this without our permission or even knowledge of it, right?” Gordon asked.

Christina
could only nod.

“Granted, I think this marriage is going to work out well for the both of us, but it doesn’t change the fact that it is an arranged marriage, does it?” Gordon asked.

Again, Christina couldn’t say anything, so she just shook her head at his question.

“What if we got back at our families by using the loopholes?” Gordon asked.

“What?  What do you mean, get back at our families?” Christina asked.

“Well, they have put both of us in a very difficult situation, so I propose that we teach them a lesson about trying to control our lives
.  I love my family and I know you do too, but do you really want them to control our lives even after we are married?  Do you want to become a society wife, and chair committees, or do you want more?” Gordon rushed on, “I know you didn’t get to go to the university like you wanted, so why not go after we are married?  Our families might frown on it, but what can they do?” Finally, Gordon stopped talking and looked anxiously at Christina.  He hadn’t even approached his main suggestion yet.

Christina
didn’t speak for several minutes.  Her mind was spinning.  What if she did go to the university?  It was what she wanted, of course, but could they face the consequences?  Was Gordon really willing to stand up to his family for her?  This could change everything.  She had never wanted to be a society wife like her mother.  Before she could form a response, Gordon went on.

“Just think
.  What would be one way to really prove to our families that, while we have to live up to this contract, we will not be controlled?  What if we eloped and cheated our families out of the big wedding they all want?” Gordon said the last in such a rush, he was not even sure Christina could understand what he said.

Christina
was really speechless now.  She could imagine the anger and hurt her mother would feel.  Well, Christina thought, to be truthful, her mother would be most upset at not getting the chance to control the whole event and be center stage as the mother-of-the-bride.  She had always done what she was supposed to, Christina thought. 
If I don’t start standing up to my family now, I never will.

Gordon mistook her silence for disapproval
.  “Just think about it Chris.  We will still be upholding the contract and our families will still be safe financially, but with a few little rebellions, we can be ourselves.”

Chris
’s mind began to swirl with possibilities.  Could she do this?  Could she really go against what she knew her family would want?    Why not?  She was going along with the marriage and the other stipulations of the contract, why not take some initiative?  They couldn’t argue that they had negated the contract.  So what if it caused a scandal in their social circle?  That thought stopped her.

“You do know that if we do this, we and our families will be the talk of the town for years
.  This will be quite a scandal among our group.  Are you prepared to cause that kind of scandal for your family?” Christina questioned him carefully.  She thought about the scandal she was about to reveal to Gordon when Lilly arrived, and wondered whether it would be too much for their families to bear.  How could they tell everyone about Lilly’s reluctance to marry Peter and then just run off and get married?  It would be mean as well as unethical.

“Well, normally I wouldn’t be, but they had no care for what I wanted when they set up this arrangement
.  My mother is going to get to continue living in the way she always has.  The least they deserve is a scandal.” Gordon had obviously given this a lot of thought. 

“Besides,” he continued, “what is to stop them from choosing to manipulate us again with some other brilliant idea?”

On that, she agreed.  “My mother will have a heart attack,” she said.  “Well, truthfully, she will just be really angry that I’ve stolen that day away from her,” she admitted.

Suddenly,
Christina thought of something about the wedding.  There was no way they could pull this off by themselves.  They would need help, someone who was trusted implicitly and yet who would conspire with them.

“Gordon, I don’t think we can pull this off on our own,”
Christina said.  “There are just too many things to do and we would arouse suspicion.”

Gordon grinned
.  “That is the other brilliant part of my plan.  Aunt Jackie will help us.  She never married, and she hates the idea of me being forced to marry because of some contract.  She knows there is no way out of it, but I am certain she would help us.  It would appeal to her sense of justice.”

“I don’t know
.  Are you sure she would help, and wouldn’t give us up?  She’s pretty loyal to your family,” Christina responded. 
And what about after I tell you about Lilly? 
she thought.

“Sure
.  She is loyal, but we aren’t doing any permanent damage to the family, and Aunt Jackie will see it as them getting what they deserve for forcing us into this situation all because of the choices our parents made,” Gordon argued.  “And hon, you needn’t worry about anything.  I know that everything will be just fine.  We’ll sort it all out.”