When the Contract Ends

25. The House

"Mr. Hayes." Kelly's squeaky voice sharply catches my attention. "You seemed too desperate yesterday, Mr. Bender is lowballing you."

"It's fine." I mutter not really focusing, my mind wandering to my conversation with Paisley yesterday. Just the thought brings bile to the back of my throat.

"He's my fiancé." She had said, anger clearly directing her.

'And I was your husband.' I had wanted to yell back but I knew that wasn't fair. No physical relationship was part of the contract. What hurt the most was that I knew how she felt about it.

"Do you even know how many women you've slept with?" Paisley asks as we sit together on the couch, some cartoon playing in the background. We've been married for a month and it going better than I expected. My family is completely fooled and while I miss late night company, watching Paisley come out of her shell is almost as entertaining.

"No." My brows furrow, I've never really thought about how many women I've been with, it's never mattered to me.

"So you don't have notches on your bedpost?" She asks and this time I laugh.

"You know that's just a figure of speech right."

"Of course I do!" I laugh harder when her little fist bump my stomach. "You just seem like the guy that would keep track, you know, to compare with buddies."

"That's not not my style." I shrug my laughter dying down.

"What about you?" She seems definitely not the type for flings but I'm sure she's had a serious lover here and there. "I'm sure you know how many for you."

She snorts. "Zero."

I don't hide my shock well because she flushed when she looks at me. "What?"

"Seriously?" I choke. "No one."

"No, I'm-" she pauses, thinking. "Old school I guess. I want the man I'm with for the first time to be the one I plan to be with for the rest of my life. I want something full of love not something meaningless."

I want to laugh at her but I can't, the conviction in her tone scares me. I can't help but wonder what it would be like to actually believe that love existed, and believe that one day I would find it.

"Mr. Hayes, his offer is is less than half of market demand."

"It's fine." I repeat myself, I don't care about the money, I want the house gone.

"But Mr. Hayes."

"Either have my lawyer draw up an agreement or have my lawyer find me a new realtor." I grit, slamming a glass of whiskey in the counter and she jumps.

"Okay." She mutters meekly, grabbing the phone.

It's a little after noon and a sleazy Jack Bender is sitting at the dining table. He's grinning at me as is he thinks I approve of his plans for the home. The home built to give to the woman I love and for our children to grow in. Instead, it will be a gift to one a Jack Bender's mistresses.

Ever since I was a teenager I refused to think about marriage and children. I convinced myself I wasn't meant for it. In only a few short months Paisley completely changed my point of view.

But this, right here, proves I was right. I'm just not meant for the picket fence. A dream was all it was, one that never stood a chance.

Kelly comes in placing a manila envelope between Bender and myself.

"Mr. Bender, are you sure you don't want your lawyer to review the paperwork?" Kelly asks, for the third time, as Bender grabs a pen from his shirt pocket and almost groan. It will take at least a week for his lawyer to review everything.