Chapter Two

Chapter Two. 

Alex Smith had a fortune at his fingertips. But to get the one thing he wanted he needed a wife

Alex believed in many things, working hard to accomplish a goal. Controlling anger and resorting to reason when a moment became confrontational. And creating buildings that were solid and beautiful. Smooth angles and sharp lines blending together. 

Bricks and concrete and glass attesting to the solidity that people craved in ordinary life. The Short moment of wonder when a person looks upon the final creation for the first time. All of these things made sense to him. 

Alex did not believe in marriage, love or even family. This things made no sense to him, and he had decided not to incorporate them into his life. Unfortunately, uncle Billy had changed the rules.

Alex 's guts coiled, and his sick sense of humor almost caused a laugh to spill from his lips. He rose from his leather chair and stripped of his jacket. He quickly changed into his gray sweatpants and matching tshirt. He turned to the treadmill and tried not to think about smoking. Even after five years, when the stress kicked in, he still longed for a smoke. When the urge hit, he exercised. Running soothed him, especially in his perfectly controlled environment. No loud voices interrupting his concentration,no scorching sunlight, no rocks or gravel impending his path. He set the panel and began the steady pace that would lead him toward a solution. 

Even though he understood his uncle's intentions, the sense of betrayal slowly ate him up. Alex shook his head, he should have seen this coming. Uncle Billy had spent his last months emphasizing on the importance of family.

As Alex drifted in and out of relationships one thing became very clear to him. All women wanted marriage, and marriage meant messiness, fights and emotions. Children tearing them up wanting attention, needing more space, until the end, divorce with children as casualties.

No thanks.

He pumped up the incline and adjusted the speed as his thoughts whirled. Uncle Billy remained optimistic. The heart attack had struck fast, when the lawyers came to read the will of their uncle, Alex thought the legalities were going to be easy. His sister Olivia had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with the business. Uncle Billy had no other relatives. So for the first time Alex believed in good fortune. Finally he would have something that was completely his.

Until the lawyers read the will. Then he realised the joke was on him.

He would inherit majority of the dreamscape shares as soon as he got married. The marriage must last a year, to any woman he chose, and a prenuptial agreement was acceptable.

If Alex decided not to comply with his uncle's wishes he would retina fifty percent of the shares and the other fifty would be split among the board members. Alex would be nothing but a figure head. Instead of creating buildings he would be stuck in meetings and corporate politics, exactly what he did not want to do with his life.

And uncle Billy had known about it.

So now Alex had to find a wife.

He got of the treadmill and grabbed a bottle of water from the minibar, and walked back to his chair. He took a sip of the ice cold water and placed the sweating bottle on his desk. 

He wouldn't waste any more time griping about unfairness. So he decided to make a list clear of all the attributes his wife would need, and see if he could come up with any suitable appropriate candidates.

Immediately, an image of Diana arose, but he squashed the thought. The stunning supermodel he currently was dating was perfect for social functions and great sex but not marriage.

Diana was a sharp conversationalist, and he enjoyed her company, but he was afraid she was falling for him. She had also hinted at her desire to have children, which was a deal breaker. No matter how he laid out the ground rules of a marriage, emotion would ruin it. She had become jealous and demanding, like any Normal wife. No pre nup would ever stand up to her greed once she felt betrayed.

He took another sip of his water and ran a thumb in circles over the rough edge of the bottle top. 

He set the pen on the left edge of the page and wrote a list.

A woman who does not love me.

A Woman i do not desire to sleep with.

A woman who does not have a big family.

A woman who die not have any animals.

A woman who does not want any children.

A woman who has her own independent career.

A woman who is not overly emotional or impulsive

A woman who will view the relationship as a business venture.

A woman I can trust.

Jordy read the list over, he knew some of this qualities were optimistic but he intended to offer many fringe benefits, but he wanted the marriage in name only. No sex equals, no jealousy, no messiness which would lead to a perfect marriage.

He sifted through all the women he had dated in the past, every female friend he had exchanged words with, every business associate he ever lunched with.

He came up with nothing.

Frustration nibbled on the edges of his nerves. He was a thirty year old man, reasonably attractive, intelligent, and financially secure. And he couldn't come up with one decent woman to marry.

He had one week to find his wife.

His cell phone rang, he picked it up, "Alex,"

"Alex, its me Olivia." she paused, "Did you find a wife yet?"

A chuckle strangled his lips. His sister was the only woman in the world who got him to laugh on a regular basis. Even if sometimes it was a his own expense. "Working on it now."

"I think i found her."

His heartbeat sped up, "who is it?"

Another pause. "You would have to neet her terms, but i don't think they will be a problem. Be open minded, i know you can trust her."

He Checked the last item on the list, a strange buzzing hummed in his ears as if in warning of his sister's next words "Who is it Liv?"

Silence fell over the line for a beat. "Maya."

The room whirled in a dizzying blur at the familiar name from his past. His only thought flashed like a mantra in vivid neon, over and over. 

No frickin way.