Rent A Wife

I sighed as I sat on the bench in the park. I was feeling really low as I observed the little kids running here and there while their mothers struggled to keep up with them. It made me smile, and I wished I could be as carefree as the children. I took my phone out and looked at my inbox again. There was the message that I had been dreading:

"Ms. Blake,

As stated in our previous reminder, your mother will run out of her medicine soon. Her supply needs to be restocked. Please make the necessary arrangements at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Head Nurse"

I read the message once more. It would be so much easier if I could just delete it and claim that I had never received it! 'And what excuse will you give for the calls you've ignored?' said a voice inside my head.

I looked around in despair, and suddenly, I met a pair of blue eyes—beautiful eyes that reflected the blue summer sky. What was even more remarkable was the eyes were as disturbed as I felt. It seemed like they were reflecting my own feelings.

Then, just as I was getting over the eyes, I saw that they belonged to the most handsome face I had ever seen. I know, I know, it sounds cliché, right?

But he was one of the most gorgeous guys I had ever seen. Scratch that! He was the most gorgeous guy that I had ever seen. His soft brown hair ruffled in the breeze. And he was looking at me with an annoyed expression. I looked away quickly. He must have felt uncomfortable when I was staring at him!

My face had definitely turned an unattractive shade of red. Just then, my phone rang, shaking me out of my reverie. I looked at the display. It was the nurse from the healthcare facility where my mom now lived. I sighed and answered the phone.

"Hello?" I said and winced as I heard the matron's stern voice.

"Ms. Blake, thank the lord you answered! We were beginning to think something had happened to you."

I bit my lip in guilt.

"I am so sorry, Mrs. Gupta. The truth is I didn't know what to say to you as I still don't have any funds and I am still trying to get a job."

I noticed that as I was talking, the gorgeous guy was listening to my conversation. I shot him an annoyed look and tried talking more softly.

"Ms. Blake, we do understand your predicament. Believe me, we really do. But—" now her voice took on a gentler note, "my girl, I am truly helpless. If I could, I would do whatever it took to help you."

Despite myself, I smiled, thinking of how many times the kind lady had helped me before.

"If you want, I can loan the money to you—" I cut her off.

"No! Mrs. Gupta, I really appreciate your offer, but I need to do this myself. Please, just give me some time. I promise I will come there and make the payments."

I hung up before she could hear me cry. I furiously wiped the tears that fell on my cheeks.

"Excuse me."

I turned to see who it was and saw, to my horror, it was him! Yes! That gorgeous, super-hot, blue-eyed man! He was talking to me, and I was just staring at him with half-dried tears in my eyes, my mouth hanging open slightly and my nose a snotty mess. Yes, I know, very attractive.

I finally shut my mouth and blinked at him like an idiot.

"Are you alright?" he asked, and I continued staring at him. He cleared his throat, and I snapped out of my stupidity and nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm good. All good."

He stared at me like I had lost my mind. But it wasn't my fault he was sitting so close to me. So close that I could smell the fragrance he was wearing. It was rich, spicy, and woody. And to tell you the truth, it was making it quite difficult to think clearly.

"Well, hi! My name is Jude." He held his hand out.

I shook it and said, "Natasha Blake."

"So, Natasha," he began, looking at me with those beautiful eyes, "do you live here?"

I rolled my eyes and replied, "No way! I could never afford to live here!" As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted saying them.

Seriously? I mean, seriously! Who says that? You either say yes or no! Who the hell says that they can't afford to live here? Oh, I know who does: me! I looked at him, blushing furiously. I wanted the earth to open up so I could jump in it and it could close over me! Mercifully, he ignored my stupid comment.

We just sat there in silence. I was contemplating my problem. I had to find a job. I had recently quit my job as a waitress at a cafe because I had finally stood up to the lecherous manager who had been harassing me and another girl.

I couldn't take his hands "accidentally" brushing against my body every time he was around me. But I really needed a job and had even convinced myself that all his touching was accidental.

Anyway, it was time for me to search for a job because not only did I have to pay for my mother's medication, but I also had to support myself. I had just graduated this year, and it had been an awful year as I tried to fit in studying, working, and visiting my mom.

"So," said Jude, "I sort of overheard that you need a job?"

I looked at him indignantly. How dare he eavesdrop on my conversation and then have the nerve to comment on my situation. I was just about to voice my thoughts when he spoke up.

"I have the perfect job for you." I stared at him, hardly believing what I had heard.

A group of children ran past us laughing, chasing a dog. Then my mind started working. I was sitting on a park bench, talking to a complete stranger, and actually considering a job offer from him. What if he was one of those weirdos who picked up girls in the park and asked them to sleep with him in exchange for money? Or something even worse.

What if he wanted to make some kinky videos of me? I would be a complete idiot if I continued this conversation. Yet, the next words out of my mouth were, "What kind of job?"

He looked up at me. He was a little hesitant. This did nothing to allay my fears! It just made me think that maybe I was right. He did want me to do something stupid.

As he pondered what he had to say, I thought, 'What if he wants me to do something illegal? Like deliver drugs for him, or maybe help him rob someplace?' He looked rich, though. He was wearing a Calvin Klein T-shirt, and his shoes were Timberland. Well, maybe he had to steal to live the high life, if you know what I mean.

"I want you to come live with me."

Smack! I don't know how, but it seemed like my hand moved of its own accord. How dare he suggest something like that? This time, though, I voiced my thoughts.

"Look here, you rich rat. I don't care how rich you are and what perks come with being rich. If you think that I will sleep with you just because you used the euphemism 'come live with me,' that I'll be all smiles and fall down your feet in gratitude, you are wrong!" I yelled the last bit out, and quite a few people were looking our way.

But I didn't care. Yes, I needed a job. Yes, I needed it very badly. And, yes, I had very little time to get one. But there was no way I was going to resort to prostitution! Jude seemed to have recovered.

"Get your mind out of the gutter! Confident much? Who said anything about sleeping with me? Seriously? I have plenty of girls to choose from, and I don't need to pay a single one, thank you very much!"

I stared at him. "Then what do you want from me?" Personally, I was a little miffed. I wasn't sure whether I was relieved or hurt after what he had just said, and I found myself wondering what he had in mind...

He took a deep breath, looked into my eyes, and said, "I want you to be my wife."

I'll admit, I did think, like every other girl, that someday a handsome guy, ie, my 'prince charming,' would say those words to me, but never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be like this. It was supposed to be romantic, not so crass and confusing!

"Are you serious? Is this a hobby of yours, freaking out strangers you meet in parks? I don't even know you!"

He looked at me exasperated.

"Look, hear me out, ok?"

I looked at him. Any girl with common sense would've walked away, but not me! No sir, I just sat there, hanging on to every word he said.

"I come from one of the richest families around here."

I rolled my eyes. That had to be the biggest understatement of the year.

He ignored me and went on, "I just graduated, and now my parents want me to marry a 'nice girl,' settle down, and take care of the family business. It's either that or they cut my trust fund completely."

I'm not exaggerating when I say that he actually pouted at that last part.

I looked at him, amused, and said, "So why me? I bet you have a girlfriend."

At this, he smirked and said, "I have a lot of girlfriends. The problem is my parents won't approve of any of them. Besides, none of them would agree to divorce me later on."

He was brimming with so much self-confidence that I wanted to slap him. How could he assume that about those girls?

Nevertheless, he continued, "Now, my parents have never met you, so even if you are a wild party animal, they will never know! All they want is a mature girl who will make their son toe the line!"

I stared at him incredulously. Seriously? Did parents like that even exist anymore? Well, I guess they did.

"So," I started cautiously, "what's the deal?"

He smiled and nodded approvingly, "Well, nothing much. You have to marry me, and after a year, we can get divorced with mutual consent."

I looked at him, flabbergasted. A wedding was every girl's dream. But in that dream, she married the man she loved. The guy whose world revolved around her. But this jerk was trying to ruin that for me. I could've said no—I really could've—but the problem was I actually couldn't.

I was running out of time.

"Ok," I said, "but on one condition: you have to pay me weekly. Otherwise, the deal is off."

He looked at me with a glint in his eyes. "So," he said, "am I correct in my assumption that you're high maintenance and keep running out of money to buy expensive things?"

I turned around and almost slapped him again, but I stopped myself just in time. This arrogant jerk could think what he wanted to. I didn't want his pity anyway.

"Don't talk about things you know nothing about," I said coldly.

With that, I got up and started walking away.

He followed, "We need to exchange numbers."

I gave him my number and saved his number as well. He then surprised me by offering to drop me at home. Seeing my dubious expression, he justified this by explaining that if we wanted to get this act right, we would need to share the details of our lives with each other.

I saw his car and let out a low whistle. It was a red high-end Porsche. We drove in silence, and I spoke only to give him directions to my home.

When we arrived, he wrinkled his nose and asked, "Do you live here?"

I didn't deem it necessary to answer that. Of course I lived here. It was not in an expensive part of town, but still, it was ok.

When my dad was alive, we lived in a better place and were certainly much better off.

He followed me inside, and when I glared at him, he just shrugged and said, "Look, this has to seem real. Like, we have to convince them not only that we know each other, but also that we've been dating and love each other so much that we can't live without each other."

I wanted to punch him so bad. I just barely controlled my urge. "Ok, so you can leave. You know where I live now." I crossed my arms and stared at him.

"Ok," he said, "but tomorrow we need to meet again and plan this out. You need to meet my friends, and I need to meet yours. Also, we need to get to know each other."

I started having second thoughts. My heart was beating really fast, and my palms were sweating. What was I getting myself into? I looked up at him, and he must've seen the fear in my eyes. He looked like he was about to say something, but I blinked quickly so he couldn't see the uncertainty in my eyes. I nodded and started walking towards the door.

Then, suddenly, he turned around and said, "What? No kiss goodbye?"

Before I could reply to that, he pulled me in and kissed me. He actually kissed me! It wasn't one of those soft romantic kisses, either. It was one of those passionate kisses, the ones that send your blood rushing through your veins. But all too soon, it was over.

He smirked as he stared at me. That did it. I punched him hard.

"Don't ever try that again!" I spat and slammed the door in his face. I turned around and leaned against it, waiting for my heartbeat to slow down.

Jude's POV:

I stared as she slammed the door in my face. She had managed to land a punch to my cheek, and it stung! Well, she was one feisty woman. Yet, as I was leaving, she looked at me with such vulnerability...

Looking back, I realized that I had kissed her on impulse.

When I saw her sitting in the park, her wavy red hair flying, her green eyes lost in thought, she looked like a little child. It was as if her shoulders bore the weight of the whole world. She was your average girl. Nothing stood out about her looks really, except for her eyes. They held a really sorrowful expression in them.

Yep, she had really pretty eyes, and maybe in another place and time, I would've asked her out. She was a refreshing change from all the other shallow girls I dated. But not right now. I couldn't afford to mix business with pleasure.

This deal we had had to be completely professional. Otherwise, I would have to deal with a complicated mess when the relationship failed. My relationships always did. After Stephanie, the longest I had been in a relationship was 2 months; by then, they all got too monotonous. I felt a pang at the thought of Stephanie, but I blocked all thoughts of her from my mind. I would not go down memory lane.

Besides, all these girls ever wanted was my money. I hated my parents for their stupid demands! No wait, I loved my parents—it was their demand I hated.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't one of those ungrateful brats. I loved my parents. It was just that right then, in that moment, I wasn't feeling any loving feelings for them. I sat down in my car and looked around once more. Seriously, how could a girl survive alone in this neighborhood? It was dangerous. No wife of mine was staying here! 'Whoa! Hold up there, buddy. She's going to be your pretend wife. And pretend wives can do whatever the hell they want!' I gave myself a mental shake and zoomed off.

Once home, I tossed my shoes in one corner and trudged about in my socks. I took off my clothes and went to the kitchen. It was almost dinner time. I saw a casserole left by my housekeeper, Mrs. Bower. What a blessing!

Sure, she nagged a lot, but she was kind of my substitute mother in the city. Most weekends, I drove off to the countryside, where my parents lived. I put the casserole in the microwave to heat it and switched on the TV.

As I flicked through the various channels, I found myself wondering if I had done the right thing. Was Natasha the perfect girl for this job? Would she divorce me at the end of the year, or would she cling to me for my money?

That she needed the money, I didn't doubt. From what I could tell from her conversation over the phone, she already owed someone big time. Starting tomorrow, she was going to charge me for her time, and weirdly, I felt myself becoming impatient for tomorrow to come. I had no intention of telling anyone that it was a pretend wedding, not even my friends...

Natasha's POV:

God, he was so arrogant! But he was also freakin' hot! How dare he kiss me! And that smirk of his! It was like he truly believed that he was God's gift to all women. I wanted to slap him, but the best I could do at that time was push him out the door and slam it in his face!

I turned around and put my shoes on the shoe rack. I quickly changed into shorts and a singlet that I loved to wear at home. I went to the fridge and saw that I had just about a glass of milk left. Well, I guessed that would have to do for now. It wasn't like I had money to spare for a square meal. I found two slices of bread in the bread box and toasted them.

As I sat in front of the TV with my food, I contemplated the mess I had gotten myself into. I thought about what my best friend Joanna would say about it, and then I realized I couldn't tell her. She would instantly disapprove. I finished my food and washed the dishes. I flipped through the TV channels but quickly switched off the TV as there was nothing interesting on. I switched on the radio and heard Ronan Keating's 'If Tomorrow Never Comes.'

I shook my head as I realized that was exactly how I felt...