Chapter 02

Liam Specter

 "What the fuck! This will is wrong, Trevor! It can’t be! My father wouldn’t do a fucking thing like that to me!" Rant, possessed of hate. As soon as I walk into my living room after my father’s damn will reading, or rather, my stepfather David Specter, who passed away a month ago. 

"Liam, David always wanted you to get married! No wonder he left you a bomb like that!" exclaim Trevor, my best friend and also, head of the finance department of my construction company. I settle in my armchair and Trevor does the same, occupying the chair in front of me. 

"There must be some way to appeal! I will not get married, nor dead!" protest and the bastard laughs. 

"My friend, you are close to turning thirty-eight, don’t you think it’s past time to settle down? Why don’t you ask Soraya to marry you? She is great!" Suggests, with a mock smile. 

"Great social climber, you mean!"

"Hey! I thought they were dating!" exclaims, still mocking me. 

"We’re having sex, it’s very different!" I correct. 

"You have no way, do you?" He laughs. 

"Look who’s talking? Until you were tied by Betina, you were much worse than me." I point, also laughing. 

"You’re right, but now I’m a new man! You should try it, marriage matures us." he speaks, proud.

"You are domesticated, like a Golden Retriever, I will never allow any woman to command me!" I declare, convinced. 

"I will laugh a lot when that happens! And I will make sure to say, loud and clear, that I warned." Prophesy. 

"Wait seated, standing will tire!" I say, when I get up, to serve us two shots of whiskey. 

"The fact is that you have to get married, my partner. The will is very clear, either marry, or lose the presidency of the construction company." he reiterates. 

"That shit doesn’t even make sense! I’ve been in the chair for years, a fucking marriage, it won’t change my competence. David was crazy when he did it, with Mom’s influence of course, she always wanted to tie me up."

"Rose is smart! She knows that married, you will have children and control of the company will be forever in your hands!"

"In her hands!" I correct. 

"Now that you only have 10% of the stock, it’s up to you to do things her way!"

"Well, I’m done with my mother’s manipulations. Especially now, that I’m pissed about this stupid will." I expose, drinking all the contents of the glass and serving me another dose. 

"Since you are incapable of falling in love, why not get married in front?" suggests and drink a new sip of your whiskey.

"Like, a contract marriage? Are you suggesting I buy a bride?" I ask, perplexed. 

"And why not? A millionaire contract would be perfect! And his mother would go crazy!" Complete laughing. 

"And how would I do that, according to your sick head?" quest, skeptical. 

"Find a beautiful girl who is in need of money. Invent a story for the press and get married as soon as possible." shrewd prophet.

"Fuck! You had it all figured out?" Earring. 

"Before I met Tina, I was about to hire a girlfriend for rent. I couldn’t stand my parents anymore."

 "I say so! Rosemary won’t stop pushing me. It’s unbearable!"  

"Well, now you have nothing to do! The best and most surgical option is a fake marriage."

"Fuck! I’m fucked! According to this fucking will, I have to get married in 3 months. But what? Do I get married and get stuck for the rest of my life?" I question, disgusted. 

"Two options: split up after a year, with any excuse, as celebrities do,  or fall madly in love with your fake wife and live a romance, I even recommend. That’s what you need. Someone to take care of, someone to care about." Advises. 

"My God, you’ve really become a Golden! Downcast soldier! I’ve lost my warrior!" Mock, and he lets out a muffled laugh. 

"I’m a passionate man, my friend! Passionate and happy! — He says getting up." See you tomorrow, think about what I said! Find a girl and make a contract, it’s your only solution.  

That suggestion from Trevor, rents a triplex in my mind. I think of all the possibilities to get away from that stupid will, but deep down, I know I’m trapped. 

Where would I find a bride? Someone who would accept a contract and, besides, keep their mouth shut to the press? Fuck! That would surely drive my mother crazy! 

Rosemary Specter, my mother, just buried her second husband. My biological father died when I was just a baby, in a car accident, while driving drunk. Rose was a housekeeper in David’s house, but she always had an affair with him. When his wife died, he finally took over, I was three. As I was lonely, the man adopted me and raised me as a father, giving me his surname and making me his legitimate heir. 

I can’t complain about my life, I have everything I want, whenever I want. More money than I need, more people fawning over me than I’d like, and women falling into my lap. For me, they are mere pastimes. Every time I wish, I have a hot, hot body in my bed, satisfying me in every way. But after all, I always sleep alone, and I like it. 

I’m sure this madness, it was set up by my mother, both to keep control of the company, and to marry Soraya Cooper, her pupil. Thanks to Rose’s insistence, I ended up dating her a few months ago, and we’ve been having sex ever since. But as with any other woman, I feel nothing but horny.  

I would never marry her, or any other, considering that every woman who approaches me, is intended to take advantage of my social position, my fortune, or both. I come out of my reveries when the phone on my desk rings. I press a button and answer on speaker:

"Yes, yes, Beth!"

"Sir, Liam! Doctor Gomez is here to see you!" Report, Beth, my secretary. 

"Let him in!" 

"Yes, sir, yes!"

I turn off the call and in a few seconds, I hear two knocks on the door, followed by Dr. Arthur Gomez, my lawyer, coming through it. 

"Good morning, Liam! Can we talk for a minute?" Ask, suspicious. 

"Good morning, Arthur! Sure! What happened?"

"It’s about that girl!"

"The baker?" I ask, irritated.

"Yeah! She kicked me out of the store again. Wouldn’t even let me talk."

"Damn it, Arthur! If you can’t negotiate with a mere baker, I’ll start to rethink the exorbitant salary I pay you every month." I pronounce, more arrogant than I’d like. However, I don’t mind. He’s wrong and knows it. 

For months, he’s been trying to negotiate with the stores on the block, where I’ll build the biggest mall in town. Almost all shopkeepers accepted our generous offer, but some people are resisting, and this blessed confectioner is one of them. 

"Sorry, Liam! But she’s impossible, got me to run! Almost hit me with a cup of hot chocolate, not hot, boiling." You argue and I roll my eyes. 

"Oh! Do me a favor, Arthur! She’s just a poor girl."

"I tried everything, offered twenty-five thousand, and she wouldn’t."

"Well, if you can’t tame that savage, I’ll have to do it myself." I say, and he widens his eyes. 

"Will you go there?"

"No! We’ll both go! I’ll teach you how to do your job! Come on, let’s go now!" I demand and get up next. 

When we get to the damn bakery, I listen to what I believe to be the wild baker, talking to a guy in a suit, who for the cheap suit, is certainly a lawyer. Arthur makes mention of opening his mouth to speak, but I stop him by making a sign with his head and keep listening, while she unburds the man, without noticing our presence. 

[...] "If that lawyer shows up again in front of me, I’ll turn a sack of flour over his head…” [...]

Arthur stares at me with wide eyes, and I need to hold the laughter. 

[...]" I’ll sell the store to anyone but this preposterous prick.”

"What a cheeky girl!"

I clasp my fists in anger and also strangely admired his audacity. I keep listening and find that for some reason she needs to get married and that she has no boyfriend. 

Surely why not! Despite being an insolent, I can not lie, she is beautiful! I’ve never seen eyes so blue and bright, mouth fleshy and red, and body? Damn! As I listen to her account, my mind spins, in sinful thoughts, imagining what lies beneath the pink dólmã, this cheeky confectioner.

I shake my head trying to clear my polluted mind, make a sign with my hand and Arthur approaches it. 

Irritated by the lack of firmness of my lawyer banana, I decide to intervene. But when I stare at her sweet, embarrassed, and simultaneously seething with anger, I need to work really hard to maintain my posture. I never felt this heat in my chest, mixed with something cold turning my stomach. 

"What the fuck is that? If it controls Liam!" I scold myself, internally. 

"Who do you think you are, to threaten me?" says the cheeky. 

"Fuck! Nervous, she can get fucking more beautiful."

"Liam Specter, the preposterous prick, who will buy your store!" reviled sharply.  

When I reveal who I am, her eyes bend in size, and she stares at me puzzled, swallowing dry soon after. 

"Liam… You know, Spec…"

"Specter, yes, miss! Now let’s talk like two civilized human beings!" I determine. 

"I have absolutely nothing to deal with you!" opposes, practically spitting out the words. 

"You know you do! Or will you throw me a sack of flour, like an unbalanced savage?" I tease and watch her get redder than a bell pepper. 

"Unbalanced? I’ll show you who’s unbalanced! You little jerk-off!"  scream coming towards me, like a real pinscher, angry and tiny. 

She raises her hand to beat me and holds her wrist firmly, pulling it against me and sticking her body to mine.  And even if I wanted to, I couldn’t take my eyes off hers, it’s like there’s something magnetic between us. I feel warm, as if an electric current dominates my entire body. The girl paralyzes and by her face, the attractive confectioner, felt the same as me. 

"Calm down, Harp!" asks the suit to grab her by the waist and away from me.

That little shit’s gesture makes my blood boil. 

"Why is he touching her? And why the hell does it piss me off?" 

"Calm down? This man comes in here,  calls me unbalanced and I have to calm down?" Complain, possessed. 

"Do not lose your mind, Harper." The man advises, while releasing.  She straightens her clothes and takes a deep breath, while I face her with my hands in my pockets. 

"Harper, what a beautiful name!" 

"He’s right, H.a.r.p.e.r!" I say her name slowly, savoring every letter. She stares at me firmly, and I hold her gaze.  "And I did not offend you! It was you who said, that I would turn a sack of flour on my lawyer." I add, and she breathes deeply, as if trying to control herself. 

"Look, sir whatever, my store is not for sale, I have no interest in your offer!" expresses, with his hands on the waist." Go away and do not come back here! Kindly!" He says, giving me his back and walking towards the back of the bakery. 

"A hundred thousand dollars! And it will be my last offer, before I file a court order!" She stops the moment she hears my phrase, and there I realize that I touched a wound: She needs money! 

She doesn’t turn around. So I leave the bakery without looking back. But the crazy idea of Trevor, hangs in my mind, ringing like a thousand bells without stopping. 

"I can’t be thinking about it, I can’t! Would it work? It has to, it’s perfect!"

"Arthur?"

"Yeah, yeah, Liam!"

"I want a file on that girl on my desk today!"

"Dossier?" He looks at me astonished. 

"Yes! I want to know everything about her, from the day she came into the world to today. Family, friends, habits, bank balance, background, medical history, everything. I even want to know what she eats for dinner!"

"May I ask why?"

"No, Arthur! Just do as I say!" Reply, no patience and get in my car. 

"Yes, sir, yes!"

I close the door, take one last look at the bakery and see Harper staring at my car, as if he knew I was looking back. 

"I think this baker, beautiful and wild, can be more useful than I imagined."