One More Chance

The Arrangement

Giana

The man's timing is terrible. Why couldn't he wait a few days until after Grandma was feeling better? Instead here he is mere hours after her surgery and he's already telling me how much we're going to owe.

Granted, I did go to the billing office this morning to ask for an idea of how much the bill would be and that could they let me know as soon as possible but still... They could have at least given me a day. But terrible timing or not, it's done.

Still, even with insurance paying their share, how could they bill my grandmother so much?

My head is spinning, thoughts running a mile a minute inside my head. It'll mean living more frugally than I've ever done but I'm sure I can handle it. What matters is that my grandmother's out of surgery and I have a job.

I can do this.

As the man walks away, I turn away from the door only to find myself face-to-face with Bryce. What the hell is he still doing here?

"May I have a word with you?" He glances back at my grandmother. "In private."

"What do you want?"

"Just a word. We need to discuss something important."

I eye him suspiciously. Is he firing me after all? "Is this about work?"

Bryce shakes his head. "It's just for a moment, Giana. Please?"

"Grandma, we'll be right outside, okay?" I say as my grandmother nods, yawning.

"Take your time, dear. I'm going to close my eyes a bit."

Bryce and I step out onto the hallway. All around us, people walk down the hall with determined strides, doctors, nurses, orderlies, each one paying us no mind at all.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I saw your bill."

I cross my arms in front of me. "That's private."

"I know, and I'm really sorry that you're facing an absurd medical bill."

"So says the man whose family name graces the pediatric cancer ward," I say, my patience running thin. "Are you just adding insult to injury, or what?"

"I can help you."

I scoff. Of course, the rich guy can help me. "Let me guess. And in return, you want to arrange something beneficial."

"Yes."

I frown. "Is this a joke?"

He shakes his head. "No joke. I need a woman, Giana. I need someone who is willing to go along with what I want her to do."

"Is this some sort of a sex thing?" I ask. "Because you're a rich guy and I'm a woman in financial distress. Not completely since I can make payment arrangements for the next two years, but I've read enough romance novels to know where this is going."

"Wait. What kind of romance novels do you read?" He pauses. "No, don't answer that. Look, I'm really sorry it came out wrong but this isn't a sex thing. In fact, there's no sex required."

"Oh." I don't know whether to be disappointed or not. "So what is it?"

"I need a fiancée and I need one fast. Before this weekend."

I frown. "Why?"

As Bryce leans against the wall, loosening his tie, my stomach clenches. I've never allowed myself to pine for Bryce because I knew he'd never look at me as more than just another of his junior assistants. But this changes everything. Sure, he only needs a fiancée for show and there's no sex involved but the mere thought of being alone with him is sending my imagination into overdrive.