Secret Marriage

Condition #1

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Action spoke louder than words. That’s what his uncle, Robert Thompson and Lydia’s old boss used to say and Harvey believed in that saying as well.

Lydia had been miserable all day since she had walk in, in his office. The glum face had already told him her decision before she handed the contract back to him during her first break. He had called his lawyer and best friend, Blaine Torres to pick the contract up and finalise it.

It was around noon when he arrived at his office to pick up the contract. They exchange a few words to each other before going back to their work. Lydia had been sent for her lunch break half an hour ago and he expected her to come back in half an hour, leaving him plenty of time to go through his plans.

It was two weeks ago when he received an invitation to his younger sister’s wedding along with a later written by his sister. The letter contained a warning that their mother and grandmother will be there and she expect him to be there for her wedding and not to bail out on her. However, she had warned him that they are expecting him to settle down or else, they will take it in their account to find him a suitable wife.

However, Harvey knew better as well as anyone else who had heard his reputation that he was not the type of guy to settle down to just one woman and he didn’t want to ask one of the many girls that are after him to pretend to be his girlfriend or even his fiancée.

It was about a week ago when he learn about Lydia’s problem. She had asked her so called ‘friends’ for help but none of them helped her. After further research he learnt that her mother needed a heart transplant pretty badly to live. After learning her little dilemma, he knew what to do and he knew he chooses the right person to make a deal with.

It was two days ago when he offered her the deal. Two days ago, she had yelled at him and called him insane before regaining her composure. She apologise for her action but not what she said which he admire her courage and let her off. But the day before, he gave her the copy of the contract that he and Blaine made the night before and told her to ‘think about it’.

At first, she rips the first copy until one of the pieces of the paper landed in front of her. It was the amount he was willing to give her if she agrees. He had watched her stare at the torn piece with wide eyes. He knew he have her. It was cruel to take advantage of her situation but that’s what he is famous for.

Deceiving, controlling and merciless.

She had asked him if he was serious about the payment. All he did is grin and pulled out another copy from his drawer. He threw it just in front of her. She looked at him with calculating eyes before looking at the contract.

“You can take the rest of the afternoon off and think about it.”

Lydia took the paper in daze and walk out the office without a word. He wanted to order her to send someone to clean up the mess she made but decided not to. He paged his secretary in charge to send a cleaner up instead.

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Harvey had booked a table for two at one of the best restaurant in town and owned by the Thompson Corp., Doux Amour. His mother had name the place, a sign for her love, to whom? To the outside world, they see it as a sign of her love to her husband but everyone knew in their society that she never loved him.

He had arrived ten minutes early. He knew he didn’t need to wait long for her to come. It was one of the traits he liked about Lydia. She comes in five minute before the time she is supposed to come, that was why he came in ten minutes early. He knew he is an asshole to some people but he was still raise as a gentleman – meaning his mother, sister and grandmother made sure that he will not make a lady wait.

Just as he had suspected, Lydia waltz in the restaurant five minutes early. The waiter escorted her to their table and he couldn’t help but grin at her, satisfied.

He had sent her with ordered to attend every appointment he had made that afternoon to have her hair and make- up done and to have Susan – her mother’s personal stylist – to look for a suitable clothes for her for tonight’s dinner.

Harvey saw the look of discomfort from her as she walks towards their table. He knew what was making her feel discomfort, he could tell by the way she was walking.

Her dress had a low neckline, showing more of her chest area as she tries to cover it up with the purse on her hand. Meeting his gaze, she glares at him, clearly not please.

“I demand to know what all of this supposed to mean!” She demands, not so nicely.

“We are going to have dinner together and talk about our plan.” He gently queried. The woman in front of him was clearly not amused as he was. He sighs and asked nicely, “what exactly are you referring to?”

“This!” Lydia referred to her dress by making hand gestured. “I don’t need a make over or a new dress! I have plenty of dress on my own and I would prefer to buy it myself. Thank you very much!”

Harvey looked at her like she had grown another head and chuckled. He had never encountered a woman before who didn’t want to be showered by gifts in his life and he had lived long enough.

“I don’t see what's so funny!”

“Forgive me. I just find it amusing that you don’t liked being showered with gifts like most woman.

“Well I am not most woman! What’s wrong with the way I looked in the first place?”

Harvey eyed the five-foot-six woman in front of him. She was a natural beauty, he knows that well enough. She wore less make-up than the women he had been seeing, she’s curvy but in the right places than his usual type which are model-thin but athletic body and she has chestnut hair while his women are blonde.

He shrugged his shoulder as the waiter offered them some red wine. Lydia thanked the man just as he leaves and took a zip of her drink. Harvey watch her, watched how graceful she moves.

He studied the woman in front of him. He realised, he never seen her with her hair down and not wearing trouser and a blouse as well as the glasses she wore all the time making her looked more of a librarian than a personal assistant.

The company didn’t have a strict rules about uniform, as long as it looked professional and smart was good but Lydia had took the whole look too seriously. She had wear blazer over her blouse during winter and a waistcoat during summer. She never wore skirt like the other women employee and her hair is tied up in a neat bun wearing her glasses all the time.

“What?” Harvey snap out of his thought and realised he had been staring at her for too long while he got caught up with his thought.

“I was just thinking, I never seen you without your glasses and wearing formal clothes.” Lydia blushed. Harvey had to control himself as he watched her blush but it was true when he said about the clothes she wore.

He had invited her to a charity gala before and she had asked if it was work related. He regret his answered before and even now, that it was indeed work related and she came wearing a uniform, following him behind like she normally do at work.

He called for a waiter. He ordered the food he wanted to eat and patiently waited for Lydia. Lydia took her time picking but he knew she was looking at the price more than the actual food. “It’s on the house.” Harvey watched as Lydia looked relief and ordered a steak.

“Let’s get down to business.” Harvey didn’t expect to hear those words out of her mouth but he knew she was nervous as he eyed her hands tightly clenching one another and shaking.