3- Settle

DOMINIC

I sit behind the desk and watch as my father rattles on about the board, wanting me to get married. I don't understand why I must be married before handling a business I've been running for years.

“You're soft with these men. You own most of the company, so why must I get married before I can take over?”

He sighs, “Son, they own shares too, and besides, the fact that you are getting married is a good image for the company, and I also want grandbabies, too. I'm not getting any younger”.

“Dad, don't start, please. I prefer the single life; women are just too stressed. I need to focus on the work without a nagging wife”.

He smiles and says, “You might think so, son, but you'll understand when you meet your wife and have that intimacy.”

I look at my father, really look at him. He's tired, and there are dark circles under his eyes, and I can't help but feel a tinge of guilt. He's been running around looking for this marriage ever since.

“Okay, fine,” I mutter. “What's the deal with the Knights?”

He glares into the corner of the room and says, “I told him I wanted his daughter to be a virgin, and that way, we wouldn't encounter problems from her exes. He refused.” I looked at him in shock. “And we need this contract with them just as much as you need to get married.”

“Why do we need a virgin, and most importantly, why do we need that contract badly?” I can't help but ask.

He looks at me. “We don’t need a virgin,” he says with an eye roll. “It’s just to make sure whoever she is doesn’t come with the extra baggage of ex-boyfriend drama.” I nod. He’s right. “The truth is we're going to go into bankruptcy,” he continues, and I tense my body. “If we don't raise the stock numbers soon, it'll cost us a lot. The partners are saying you lavish the money on your women, and that's why they need you married to fully trust them—well, not fully, but it'll be a start”.

“I don't spend money on women.” I grit my teeth and ball my hands into a fist. “And how come I didn’t know we were going into bankruptcy? I take care of almost everything in this company,” I hiss angrily. I can’t resist adding, “It's not my fault; women throw themselves at me too”!

His blue eyes meet mine. “That’s because you don’t take care of the finances, and I made sure you were not told about it until now.” I look at him with narrowed eyes. “Plus, it is your fault if you don’t know how to shut them down; with your reputation, it's going to be a problem when you fully take over. Showing you're married and settled will send a message”.

I don't like it.

I opened my mouth to talk when his secretary entered the room, “Sir, Mr. Knight's call.” My father turned to me with wide eyes.

“I'll call him from here,” he says, motioning for the man to leave. I sigh as I watch him dial the number before calling and putting the call on speakerphone.

Although I love my father and the people working with me, I love my job more than anything. I don't want a woman, much less a wife.

Sure, I'm a man with feelings and needs, and I take care of them—no strings attached. Everyone gets what they want, and it's the end of the story.

Having a wife, however, who is more like someone I don't know is disturbing. I don't understand why the board needs to pressure me into this, but if it will make my dad happy, I'll indulge him for a year and a half. Subsequently, I'll make my own rules. Buy most of the company's shares and kick those useless men out.

The phone answers with a click. “Mr. Knights,” my father says as he looks at me, “I heard you call.”

A deep voice came: “Mr. Marshall. I didn't expect you to call back so soon”.

I roll my eyes. “Well, I had to. What's the reason for this call, Mr. Knights?”

“I think we got off on the wrong foot, but I've had time to think about it, and I agree to the proposal; actually, my daughter agreed.” I glare at the phone as I listen to him. I'm sure she was eager to be married to someone she doesn't know; everyone wants to be with me for what I have, and I'll make sure there are boundaries and rules so she can understand she isn't needed.

My father smiles and nods at me, and I roll my eyes. Again. “Wonderful; when can we meet to sort things out?”

“Would tomorrow be okay for you? I'll ask my secretary to make time”.

My father looks at me, and I nod reluctantly. I better get this over with quickly. “Ah yes, we'll clear up our schedule.”

“Perfect. Where should we meet? I think a neutral ground,” Mr Knights says, his voice dripping with arrogance.

“I agree. We should meet at the Bella Casa Hotel”. Dad agrees, his eyes searching mine, but I remain emotionless.

“Alright, we'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Marshall.”

“You too, Mr. Knights.” He clicked the phone off and looked at me, saying, “Well, you're meeting your bride tomorrow, son.”

I give him a look. “Contract Bride. It's nothing more than business”. I say, knowing Dad, this is something he won't drop anytime soon.

He smiles and “You're going to be with her for a year and a half, son.”

“And?” I asked with raised eyebrows, and I knew exactly where he was going with this conversation.

“I'm sure you will learn to love her,” he says pointedly as if it is an obvious thing to say; not everything is a fairy tale; this is real life.

I scoff and stand up. “I'm just going to work, and we'll meet tomorrow.”

He smiles and nods. I walk out, and I can't help but notice the women checking me out. Not to be cocky, but I think I know what they're looking at.

I walk outside and dial my best friend's number; he answers on the first ring, “You're calling me at 3 p.m.; why is that?”

I huff, “I need to relax; can you clear your schedule for me?” I ask, hoping that he can do so, and I know he will.

“That depends. What are we going to be doing?” he asks, his voice laced with amusement, “What do you have planned?”

I shake my head. “Whatever you want us to do.”Telling Chris that was a big mistake. He's a dog, and he's a very wild one, especially with the partying and girls, but hey, if I'm going to be married by tomorrow and have to hide to do my schenegians, then I deserve one last wild party, and that means indulging him.

“Oh, you will regret that tomorrow morning.” I know he's grinning. “See you at the hell hall,” he says as he hangs up.

Oh, he means business. Hell Hall is undoubtedly what it means. It's hell because the women there are just as hot as hell, not to mention the sex you can have there.

I grin as I walk out of the building. My sleek black Mustang is waiting for me. My driver is waiting for me. I went to the window. “I'm going to be driving myself today, buddy.”

He looks at me, “Are you certain, sir?”

“Never been more sure. Ask the Valet for the key to the other car. Take a day for yourself, do whatever you like.”

I jump behind the car's wheels and zoom off into the street. I turn the radio on to fill the silence in the car. I bop my head along to “Butta my Bread” By Jzino, and I can’t help but think about what and how my life will change by tomorrow.

I’ve never been one to be interested in marriage or to even think about a long-lasting relationship, but this is what I’ll have to go through, and my father, bless his heart, shouldn’t have the slightest idea that this will be some fairy tale marriage where we end up together because we won’t.

I pull up to the underground park to find my best friend grinning like a fool beside his car. “Ah, I thought you were playing me there; you had me thinking you weren’t coming for a minute.”

I roll my eyes. “I need this more than you do,” I say as I walk past him with him hot on my heels. “That means a lot if I need wine and women.”

He looks at me and says, “Everything okay?”

I shake my head and say, “No, but I don’t want to talk about it. At least not now; maybe when I’m shitface".

He grins. “I've got just the thing,” he says as he pushes the door open to hell. The place is buzzing, and surprisingly, this place is never empty, not even during the day. Girls are grinding on poles, and I see a few men sitting, grinning like the fools they are, as they spray money on the women.

I walk past them and head to the bar. “Regular,” I say to the blond beauty behind the counter. I’ve tapped that before. She blushes when she realizes it’s me.

“Coming right up,” she answers and sashays to the other side of the bar. I hate to see Her leave, but I love to watch that ass go.

“You’re a dog.” I break eye contact with her ass and turn to my best friend “Not even five minutes in, and you’re already eye-fucking her.”

“Don’t need to; I’ve had a taste already.”

His eyes widened. “You’re lying,” he says, but I know he's aware I won't lie about something like that; he's just being annoying.

I roll my eyes and say, “Right, because I’m a penis liar.” I say sarcastically, “I know I am.”

He chuckles and waves his hands at her to bring him double what I ordered. His blond hair gives him that boyish look, and his brown eyes are vibrant. Call me whatever, but I like that my best friend is easy on the eyes like me; with his lean chest, high cheekbones, and stubble, he gets about anyone, too.

The blond beauty returned with our drinks and turned to serve another, not before giving me “the look.” I nodded my head at her, and she grinned at me.

“You did tap that,” Cyrus muses as he watches me. I shrugged as I downed my drink and tapped his shoulders.

“I’m going at the back, man; I came here for release, and I’m going to get it.”

I don’t wait for his response; I’m already walking to my regular room, reserved for me only.

I enter the room, remove my coat, hang it up, unbutton my shirt, and remove my shoes and socks.

I pick up the remote and switch the room light to red, and I sit on the bed and empty myself some champagne on the table.

Not long after, I hear a door opening before the blonde beauty enters and sashays towards me.

I wrap my hands around her slender ones and yank her towards me, and I bite on her earlobes. “Get on your knees like the good girl you are.” She makes a sound at the back of her throat, kneels before me, and begins to unbutton my slacks.

The problem with my pending marriage was long gone the minute her hands wrapped around my shaft.

This is undoubtedly what I needed.