The Marriage Contract

6. Questionable Motives

"So," Will started as we walked, "tell me about yourself. Who are you really," he asked mockingly with a suspicious look plastered on his face.

I shrugged with a half smile, "I don't know, there's not really much to say about me."

He laughed, "Alright, let's start with your last name."

"Burke," I said simply.

His eyes widened, "As in Everett Burke, of Burke Industries," he asked, seemingly awestruck.

By now, we had made it into the small cafe a couple blocks down from the building, and were seated at a small booth in the back corner, beside a window. "Yeah," I said, not understanding why that seemed like such a big deal to him.

"Oh, wow. Your father is like my idol." As soon as he said that, I was completely turned off by him. Hmm, what a shame.

"Is he, now," I said, disinterested.

He nodded excitedly with a large smile, "Indeed he is. I just think its amazing that.."

And he launched into a big long speech about how my fathers success inspired him to acquire a degree in business. I "Mm" and nodded in appropriate places, but essentially tuned everything out.

Will was to the point where he was telling me how he all but built a shrine to my dad in his dorm in college when I saw him walk through the doors. "Oh no," I whispered just as he caught sight of me.

Ryland was still in that casual, relaxes t-shirt and jeans, sporting a determined and slightly pissed look on his face, as he marched towards where Will and I were sitting.

As he walked, heads - of both girls and guys - turned, but he ignored it as he continued on his way, until he stopped beside our booth. Will looked up at him, confused, and I stared at him with anger and embarrassment, "What are you doing," I gritted out through my teeth.

"Keeping you from a breech," he snapped a bit too fast. I narrowed my eyes at him and stared. I could see something in his eyes, and I'm not quite sure what it was, but he was lying - even though I guess he was partly telling the truth.

"Excuse me, what's going on here," Will asked, staring at Ryland.

Before I could answer, Ryland's attention snapped over to Will, and his eyes hardened, "Its none of your concern," he said in an icy tone so cold that it sent a chill down my spine.

"I think it is. This is our date," Will said gesturing between the two of us, getting a bit of an attitude with Ryland, standing to his full height - which turned out to be about two inches shorter than Ryland. "Come on Rory, lets go someplace else," he snapped grabbing my arm and pulling me - or should I say attempting to pull me - past Ryland.

"Hey, let go," I snapped. If he thought it was alright to grab at me like that on the first date, or anytime he had another thing coming.

"Don't touch her," Ryland all but growled, grabbing Will's wrist and tearing it away from my arm.

"She's with me, not you. So back off," Will snapped, making another grab for me.

Before I could properly process what was happening, Ryland pulled me gently out of the way and sent a fist flying directly towards Will's face.

Within seconds, Ryland's fist connected with Will's jaw, sending him staggering back, "I beg to differ," Ryland said in a scarily calm voice. Grabbing my hand, he led me straight out of the cafe and back towards our building.

I was completely shocked. There were no words that I could force out, just opened and shut my mouth like a damn fish. I stayed this way until about half way back when I could form a slightly coherent sentence, "What the hell was that, Ryland?"