Isabella was not interested in falling in love. Marco was not looking for a relationship.
The perfect combination for a foolproof agreement.
Right?
*
Isabella Hammond, the first female billionaire in her city, is a smart, straightforward and stunni...
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ONE YEAR LATER
Ours is the only car in the parking lot.
Which makes sense.
It's almost one in the morning.
Who stops for cheesy fries at one in the morning?
The woman I'm in love with, that's who.
"Come on, grandma," my loving girlfriend tells me, "I'm not missing out on my cheesy fries because of you."
"Isa, we're the only ones here," I tell her, as we crunch the gravel under our feet as we walk to the door of Al's, "I'm sure no one's taking your fries."
"If they're out," she threatens, as I hold the door open for her, "I'm finding some crocodiles and feeding you to them."
"Promise me that you'll feed them cheesy Marco and not plain, old Marco?" I tease.
Isa rolls her eyes at me. "Oh, Marco is definitely cheesy."
It's quiet inside.
Al and his wife, Isla, are seated at a table, watching TV.
"You guys still awake?" I ask.
Isla smiles at us both. They're used to having up by now.
"Well, we heard about the event at the Chateau," Isla says, standing, "So, we kept the fryer on. I figured you kids would be around here soon enough. I even told Al."
Al nods. "She told me that I can't go to bed until you two get here. She wants me to close up tonight."
Isla, can be heard from the kitchen. "We've been married forty-three years and I can count on my hands the number of times that you've locked up, Al."
Al gives me a sheepish look.
I pat him on the shoulder as I walk towards Isa, who is seated at our usual booth.
I slide into the opposite side and look at her. For the past, almost two years, her hair has been completely, naturally black and it's the most beautiful thing. It's like she's from some kind of fairytale.
"You want to take a picture, there, Clyde?" she asks me, teasingly.
I grin at her. "You're beautiful. You come here often?"
"Only at one in the morning," she answers, "But don't let my boyfriend hear you talking to me. He will drop a house on you."
I have to laugh.
In the time that I've known her, Isa's mouth has always been one of my favourite things about her. All the atrocious things that she says in the most inappropriate of moments.
And for me to think that she forgave me after everything I put her through is a mystery in itself.
I know now that, for me, Isabella Hammond is the person who was meant for me, in every single way. And in the ways that we might not be meant for each other, I just try to make her happy because that's what she does for me every day.
