Always the Bride

10. Heartbreak

The look Russell gives me is one of complete shock mixed with confusion and disbelief. I’m still a little shaken myself. I’ve never proposed to a man before. Of course it wasn’t a full blown get-down-on-one-knee proposal but I still offered to marry him. Good lord I’ve totally lost my mind!

“Are you freaking crazy?” Russell asks, his mouth contorted in such a way I can’t tell if he wants to yell or burst out laughing.

“Probably,” I confess. I mean let’s face it, I am crazy.

“You would do that? You don’t even know me!”

I look at him with a raised eyebrow. “And that’s different how? Did you even know the other girl?”

He looks away sheepishly. “We emailed a couple of times...”

“Did you even know what she looked like?”

“No.”

“Well then this is actually better, don’t you think? We’ve at least chatted and you know what I look like.” Of course I don’t add that this isn’t really me anyway.

He looks at me and I can tell he’s resigning himself to the idea. “So what’s the catch? Why would someone like you offer to do such a crazy thing?”

“Someone like me?” I ask with an evil glare. “What exactly are you implying?”

“Well, look at you,” he says eyeing me up and down, “you’re gorgeous. I’m sure you can get any man you want.”

I can’t help but glow inside from his compliment. Not many people call me gorgeous. Then my reaction is to laugh in his face and tell him to stop being silly. Of course I don’t because I’m not Teresa, only Teresa would do that. I’m Julia and she would accept it confidently. Instead I just shrug and say, “Perhaps so but you seem like a decent guy, this is my favour to you. Why don’t we just say you owe me one? I’ll help you through your current predicament on one condition.”

He looks at me warily. “And what’s that?”

“I get all the wedding gifts.”

Okay so this is out of character for Julia but come on, what was I supposed to do? This is illegal for me, not him. He’s supposedly marrying an available woman. I’m marrying under false pretences. The least I can do is get my mitts on the one thing I really want.

“Come again?” he asks as if he hasn’t heard me properly.

“I want to keep the wedding gifts, after the year is up.”

“That’s a strange request. May I ask why?”

Oh god, I didn’t think this through properly. Well I’m not about to confess my strange addiction to him so I just say, “I think it’s only fair. I’m not asking for money or any of your possessions.”

He shrugs and finally relents. “Fine but if you’re saying no to money now, don’t come asking for it in twelve months’ time.”

I roll my eyes. “I won’t, don’t worry about that.”

“Good...” he trails off then looks at me with a small smile. “So we’re really doing this?”

I nod and my stomach squirms as realisation sets in. “Looks like it.”

He takes my hand and says, “I know how insane this is but you’re saving my butt and I appreciate it. What else can I do to show my appreciation?”

“Nothing,” I say honestly. “But I do have a few other conditions.”

“Shoot.”

I count them off on my fingers, “First: I’m not having sex with you. Second: I get to do my own thing and you don’t ask what I’m doing and vice versa. Third: apart from your family, my family and friends are not to know anything about this. Fourth: neither of us is to act like the jealous husband or wife. And finally, fifth: once the year is up, and once you have your inheritance, we are both free to go.”