Unholy Matrimony

Chapter Four: The Bet

I woke up late the next day with a sense of embarrassment and humiliation. What came over me yesterday?

I took a long shower, letting the warm spray envelope me.

I got dressed for the lunch today, making an effort to look nice to redeem myself for my episode yesterday. Not that Tobias noticed.

As I applied the finishing touches on my makeup, I noticed a phone on the side table by my bed. That wasn't my phone.

I went over and checked it out. I was trying to unlock it when I heard a voice behind me.

"What are you doing with my phone?" I dropped the phone quickly, turning to find Tobias standing in the doorway. How did he unlock the door?

"What is your phone doing in my room?"

He strode in and grabbed it off the bed. "Come on. We're leaving now."

I followed him out and down the stairs. I almost expected him to open my car door, but who was I kidding, of course he didn't.

It was a short drive to the restaurant and his parents were already waiting for us.

"Look, my parents expect us to be a happy couple so don't be as cold as you usually are," he said to me quietly.

"Right, I'm the cold one," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"You're just proving my point."

We sat down after doing the appropriate greetings, exchanging the right amount of small talk before his mother, Madaline, got down to business.

"So I know you two kids are just getting to know each other but I'm glad you're hitting it off so well," she started. Right. "And I know you two didn't get to have a honeymoon because Toby here was away, so I booked you a trip!"

I tried not to choke on my pasta.

I felt Tobias shift next to me. "Mom, a honeymoon is completely unnecessary. Talia and I don't even want one."

"Oh, come on! Everyone needs to have a honeymoon. It'll be great, trust me."

We left after Madaline filled us in on the details of our "honeymoon", which was at the end of this week on some island in the Bahamas. Two days from now. Great

On our way out, I was surprised to see a few paparazzi waiting outside the restaurant. Why the hell would they care about Tobias and me?

Well, he had been in the magazines a fair bit. Always photographed with some gorgeous model or actress or whoever else. I guess the attention came with being a young, attractive billionaire CEO.

"Mr Anderson! Over here!"

"Mr Anderson, are you and Julia still together?"

"Mrs Anderson, what do you think of all the rumors about your husband and model Julia Steinway?"

"Mr Anderson, what do you say to the cheating allegations against you?"

As we were bombarded with questions as we headed to our car, I made the connection that the paparazzi wasn't here for us at all. They were here because Tobias had dated Julia Steinway, a socialite model with a huge social media following. She was sort of like a Kardashian; in fact I'm pretty sure she's friends with Kendall from all the runway shows they did together. When we were away from the small group, I felt a hand on my waist, pushing me forward. I flinched in shock.

I twisted back to look at Tobias. "Get your hands off of me."

"Shut up and act natural."

His touch was warm through my thin dress, and I realized this was the first time we had made physical contact. Other than the little peck near the lips at our wedding, but that didn't count.

He opened the car door for me this time to please the cameras before quickly driving away. However, when we got home all his gentlemanly features went down the drain and he left me in the car and beat me to the house.

I followed him in and found him waiting for me.

"What?" I asked.

He looked at me a moment longer. "Nothing," he said, walking away.

So weird...

I went upstairs and started packing for my trip, knowing if I started tomorrow I would never actually get it done, and called Jasmine as I did, filling her in on the daily events.

"Oh, I know Penelope. She used to be Tobias's date to all the big events before he married you," she told me.

"So they were romantically involved?" I asked, trying not to sound too curious.

"Are you jealous?"

"No! I just want to know. She's already out to get me; it's good to understand your enemy's motives."

"Enemy, huh?" Jasmine chuckled.

"Yeah, enemy. She deprived me of some major sleep. If that doesn't make someone your enemy, I don't know what will."

We chatted for a while longer before I hung up to get an early dinner so I wouldn't be stuck eating with my dear husband again.

Outside the kitchen, I heard people whispering. I leaned into the door to hear the conversation. Yes, I love eavesdropping.

"I give her one more week. Look at those dreamy dark eyes... not to mention his body," one of the maids was saying.

"Hey, maybe he'll be the one to fall first. I mean she's gorgeous. Any guy would kill for a woman like that," someone else said.

"I think you're forgetting that he's with Julia Steinway. You know, she's just on the cover of Sports Illustrated and is a Victoria's Secret Angel. No big deal," the same maid responded. I noted that she didn't use the past tense, saying that Tobias is with Julia instead of was.

"I have to say, I think Talia is way hotter than Julia. She just has this something..." a different male voice popped up.

I smiled in victory. That was probably the biggest compliment I had ever received.

"$300 on Talia falling first."

"$200 on Tobias."

"$400 on Talia."

An array of bets were placed, and I found myself feeling quite offended that they would bet on our marriage. And even more offended that most of them thought I would be the one to fall in love with Tobias.

I wanted to tell them to consider that third and most plausible outcome: we were never going to fall in love. I mean, we barely even talked. Tobias didn't even look at me.

I waited for all the chatter to go down before I came into the kitchen, not wanting anyone to know I heard everything. I was glad to see that Ella wasn't there. At least she hadn't betrayed me.

I tried to get my own plate of dinner and eat it upstairs, but I guess the staff was playing matchmaker now to win their bets and wouldn't let me.

"We have set the table for you and Mr. Tobias. Dinner will be served in five minutes."

I sighed and retreated back to my room until the chef called me.

What I came down to, I was not expecting.