Chapter 3

“I don’t believe you.”

“Oh, sorry. Do you need my ID?” I knocked on the car window and Gerald pulled the passenger's window down, “I need my license from the glove compartment.”

It didn’t take Gerald more than a few seconds to hand it to me. I handed it to…

Oh shit.

“I apologize for not asking sooner but… what’s your name?” I asked sheepishly, handing him my driver’s license.

“Sawyer,” he said as he scanned my photo and my face a couple of times until he’s satisfied. He huffed a breath and handed it back to me, “You’re Eleanor Ashford.”

“That’s me.”

“Then why?”

I looked at him, confused at what he just asked me. What does he mean exactly? We're in a situation where there are a lot of questions that start with ‘why’ yet none of them came to my mind first.

“Why what?”

“Why do you need a husband in 3 days? Better yet, why do you not have a husband? You're one of the most talked about people in the finance industry and you're telling me you’re really, truly single?” he asked, tilting his head slightly to the right as he studied me.

I groaned under my breath. Being the most talked about in an industry is not the first thing I'd want to be known for.

He’s still looking at me. Those tired but careful eyes made me look away. There's something in them that I can't explain. I just know that it makes me nervous and I feel…

Exposed.

“My parents want me to marry someone from the business circle and as much as I don't like stereotypes, money just can't buy class,” I answered, forcing myself to look back at him, “And yes, I don't have a husband. I love the everyday freedom that I have from communicating with men who think they're better than me.”

He went quiet for a second. He took a deep breath before crossing his arms in front of his chest, tucking his folder underneath. He squinted his eyes at me.

“How are you sure I won't do the same?”

I thought about it.

Is it because I know he needs money? Is it because I think he's not better than me? Is it because I’m still trying to believe that there are still a number of decent men around?

I breathed out, “I’m not.”

He frowned.

“What?”

“I’m not sure,” I admitted. "I'm just making an educated guess based on what I saw today."

“You saw a total stranger. How do you know I wouldn’t take advantage of you?”

I hummed, “Seven.”

“Seven?”

“You've looked at that folder seven times since we started talking. People planning to exploit someone don't usually keep reminding themselves why they need the money.” I paused before shrugging slightly, “If we’re talking about taking advantage, you would've taken the bait the teller offered. That’s what taking advantage of someone looks like.”

He opened his mouth to argue. No words left it. He closed it again before letting out a quiet groan. I watched carefully as he opened his folder a little bit.

Bills.

Debt.

Lawyer.

Three labels. Three different problems.

He closed the folder before I could look any longer. The exhaustion in his eyes suddenly made sense.

Sawyer turned the business card over between his fingers as though expecting the ink to disappear if he looked at it long enough. “I don't think I can decide today. I’m tired and I don’t want it to cloud my judgments,” he breathed out a tired sound, “Can I call you tomorrow? I'll let you know then.”

I nodded. “No problem. Do you need my personal cell or does the number in there work?”

“No, this works. Thank you. I’ll call before tomorrow ends.”

He let out a small smile.

“Do people usually ask strangers to marry them outside banks?”

“I certainly hope not. That’s tragic.”

“Ironic,” he chuckled dryly, the smile disappearing almost immediately, as though he had remembered he wasn't supposed to be enjoying this conversation.

Fair enough.

I wasn't exactly offering him a normal Tuesday evening.

“I’ll talk to you soon, Eleanor Ashford.”

He walked away, putting my card inside the folder of debt and doom.

I hummed. That ‘Lawyer’ column… What was it for exactly?

I opened the car door and Georgia appeared out of nowhere. She waited for me to be seated before getting in and closing the door with a thud.

Gerald started the car and drove quietly, the hum of the engine softly roared as we rolled into the traffic. The city blurred past the tinted windows.

Normally, I'd be halfway through tomorrow's agenda by now.

Instead, all I could think about was a stranger carrying a folder labeled Lawyer.

What kind of twenty-four-year-old needed a lawyer badly enough to carry the paperwork around?

None of us spoke in what felt like hours but only minutes in reality. Until Georgia cleared her throat, typing on her phone.

“So… Would you like me to connect the work phone to your personal cell? It wouldn’t take too long, I’m sure.”

“For what exactly?”

“The recruited husband said he’ll call you before tomorrow ends. That’s a long span of time, Miss Ashford.”

She’s correct.

“His name is Sawyer. Not ‘the recruited husband’ or ‘husband’. Not yet.” I protested. “I’ll stay at the office. I have reports to review so it’s not going to be a problem.” I reasoned even though we both know that’s just a coincidence. Or it could be that I’m just saying that to make myself feel better about having to wait for a man.

Georgia hummed in agreement. She put her phone down, looking at me now.

“Are you really doing this?” her voice got lower as she asked. Not as my assistant but as a friend.

I winced slightly at her question. Closing my eyes tightly before looking outside the window.

Silence. Because actually admitting the reason out loud hurts me more than anything.

“I might lose everything I’ve worked hard for in a span of three days, Georgia. What needs to be done has to be done.”

She nodded as she breathed out. Georgia didn't answer immediately.

She didn't need to.

She had been beside me long enough to know that I never used that tone unless I'd already made peace with sacrificing something.

The only question left was what it would cost this time.

She looked down to her tablet and slid it towards me. “I made sure the teller got fired. William didn’t know she was doing that but the loan manager is indeed her friend. It’s still unclear if she got in because of her or through her own merit. Would you want the HR team to investigate further?”

I took the tablet, reading William’s response and the termination email that was also forwarded to us. I tutted, shaking my head as I read everything.

I am simply disappointed. I didn’t know a person like that had infiltrated the integrity of my company.

“Tell them to investigate the entirety of the loan and referral department. Start with the loan manager. No press, no media involved for now. I need this to be clean and quiet.”

Georgia nodded, opening her color-coded binder before writing something on the purple tab. She looked at me as she was about to close it and she stopped half-way, opening it to the blue tab to write something.

“What’s that for, Georgia?”

“Your legal team. For the husband.”