When the Contract Ends

4. The Wedding

"You ready for this?" Harry helps me into my suit jacket.

"To be married?" I scoff. "No."

"At least you're honest."

"With us." My good friend, Mark, adds.

"Yeah," Harry laughs, then gets a serious look on his face. "But you know that Grandfather is going to kill you if he finds out about this."

"He's not going to find out." I snap. "Only you and Mark know and no-one else is going to find out."

"Because one million suddenly coming out of your account, right after your divorce, doesn't look suspicious." Harry mutters sarcastically.

"I'm not stupid." I tell him, straightening my pink tie. "I plan on transferring a small amount of money to a private account every week."

"That's genius actually..." Mark looks stupefied, like he didn't think I thought this whole thing through.

"You boys ready in here?" Harry's wife, Jenna, comes into the room. Her nine month pregnant self practically waddling.

"Hey baby," Harry pulls his wife to his side and kisses her forehead. "I think Sebastian is almost ready?" He looks at me for confirmation.

"Almost." I turn back around and look in the mirror. I watch through the mirror as my brother and his wife whisper indistinctly to each other. Sometimes I look at Harry and see how happy he is. He has a beautiful wife, two beautiful children, and a third on the way. He's happy where his life is.

But then, I remember he gave up Grandfather's company for that life. That's not something I'm willing to do. I may not be as happy as he is now but I know once I get the company, I will be.

"I can see that" Mark jerks his head, motioning toward Harry. "Being you a few months from now." He smirks at me. "I think Paisley will have you wrapped around her finger by the time this year is up."

I snort. "That's not gonna happen."

"Yeah, it is." He nods. "And you're going to be following her around like a lost puppy.

"I will never be that guy." I tell him, unable to emphasize enough.

"Never be what guy?" Jenna asks, while she ties Harry's tie.

"The guy that feels like a lost puppy whenever his wife's not home." Mark grins.

"Sebastian, I just came from the room your bride is getting ready in." Jenna leans in and whispers. "You are going to spend the rest of your life following Paisley around like a lost puppy, and you're not going to be sorry." Then she walks away, giving Harry's tie a quick tug on her way out of the room. "Now hurry up! Your beautiful bride is ready."

"If this blows up," Harry points at himself and shakes his head. "I never knew. She really likes Paisley and she will literally kill me if she finds out I knew the whole thing wasn't real."

"Got it." I nod, knowing how Jenna gets when she's disappointed.

"Wait." Mark's face scrunches. "Since this is a fake marriage, does that mean no sex?"

"The contract states no physical relationship." I explain, I figured it was the only way to get Paisley to agree. "In or outside the marriage."

"So you're supposed to go from bedding a new women every night to no sex for a year?" He looks horrified. "You have to learn to control yourself for a whole year?"