Chapter 4

Dennis knocked on Alex's door and waited for him to open it.

He had spent the entire night wallowing in self pity over Stacey's betrayal.

He had texted her in anger and said a lot of things—things he wished he could take back.

But thinking about it now, she deserved it for cheating on him.

He sighed and knocked again.

The door opened just then and Alex stood in the doorway in nothing but a white towel tied around his waist.

Dennis averted his eyes and cursed. What was the man trying to do?

They weren't even married yet and he was trying to seduce him.

“Come in.” Alex said and stepped aside to make room for him.

Dennis walked past him into the house still trying to avoid his eyes.

“So, have you had time to think about it?” Alex asked and Dennis nodded.

He had picked up his phone yesterday meaning to text Alex however he had chickened out and sent a text to Stacey instead.

“I'll marry you,” Dennis said and then turned to look at him. “But I'm not gay,”

Alex scoffed. “I'm not gay either. I just need to get my parents off my back.”

Dennis grunted but didn't say anything else and they fell into an awkward silence.

“Well, I guess we're doing this,” Dennis said after a while and Alex nodded.

“Tell me about it.”

A brief pause before Dennis spoke again.

“Are you sure your parents would believe you though? I mean no disrespect but you have a reputation sir for being…” he trailed off unable to finish his statement and Alex chuckled.

He’d thought about it too and Mark had even asked him how he intended to pull it off.

“It's simple,” he explained as he sat on the sofa facing Dennis. “I was a playboy just so I could hide my true self. I felt ashamed and I didn't want them to think any less of me.”

Dennis blinked. He had really thought it through it seemed and he was right, that sounded so genuine he almost fell for it.

“I guess it could work.”

“I'll go get dressed and then we can go.” Alex got up and started to walk away.

“Go? Where are we going?” Dennis asked, also rising to his feet.

“To get married.” Alex answered but he didn't stop walking.

Dennis slumped back on the sofa in a daze. This was really happening, he was really doing this.

He let out a whoosh of air.

A few hours later, Dennis played with the gold band around his finger, his mind swirling with different thoughts.

He had imagined this moment a hundred times before now but under completely different circumstances.

When he had been single, he had imagined himself being happy with a faceless woman on his arm about to start their lives together.

And when he had found Stacey, she had become the woman he imagined his life with.

Now he was with Alex, a man!

“Dennis,”

He couldn't believe how his life had turned out just because of Stacey.

If she hadn't betrayed him like this then he'd never have accepted Alex's proposal.

“Dennis,”

Or he might have but the situation would have been different because Stacey would be right by his side supporting him because she knew he had to raise money for his mother's surgery.

His mother…

That was the only silver lining in the grey cloud that had become his life.

“Dennis!”

Dennis felt something warm touch his hand and flinched.

Looking up, he cleared his throat as he saw Alex standing there, giving him a questioning look.

“Did you say something?” He asked.

“Are you okay?” Alex asked, ignoring his question.

Dennis nodded and looked around him. They were at a photo studio about to take some wedding photos to further prove the marriage was real.

“I'm fine,”

Alex sighed and squatted in front of Dennis. He placed a hand on his thigh. “I know this is a lot but I promise, it will be over before you know it.”

“How can you be so sure?” Dennis asked. He could think of a million ways this could go wrong, one being that Alex's parents wouldn't fall for their scam.

When that happened he'd be back to square one looking for ways to raise money for his mother's surgery.

“Trust me, they'll believe me.” Alex sounded confident but Dennis couldn't shake the feeling that something could go wrong.

“Come on, let's get these pictures taken,”

A tall skinny guy with braces and tattoos all over strolled towards them with a cheshire grin. “We're ready whenever you are.”

****

“Now just relax because you're in safe hands,” Tattoo guy said, holding up a camera.

Dennis looked down at Alex who was now seated on an elegant chair.

He flushed when he saw that Alex was already looking at him.

“That's perfect guys, doing great!” They heard and the moment was ruined. “Oops, I didn't mean to ruin the fun. Thankfully I got a picture of that.”

Dennis gave the guy a hard look. If only he'd just shut up, they'd be out of there quickly.

“That's fine.”

A few more pictures and several comments from the tattoo guy and then they were done.

Dennis and Alex got into his car.

Dennis was seated in the driver's seat and his eyes were focused on the road.

Even if they were married, he didn't want to cross the line seeing as Alex was still his boss.  

“I had my lawyer prepare a contract for us just so things can be clear.”

Dennis scoffed. Wasn't it already too late for that? They were already married in the eyes of the law.

“When we get home, we'll go over it together and then you can let me know whatever you want revised or added or even removed and I'd get it done.”

Dennis nodded but didn't say a word, his mind stuck on two peculiar words from Alex's speech.

Alex had used home when referring to his house and we, signalling that they were in the situation together.

“You can ask for anything you want, no matter what it is and it's done.” Alex continued and Dennis sighed.

“I don't want anything from you sir.” Liar.

Alex frowned. “Really?”

Dennis opened his mouth to explain but Alex's phone rang cutting him off.

Alex stared at his phone with a frown on his face.

Dennis noticed the phone was still ringing and glanced down at it.

His entire body froze when he saw it was Alex's dad.

“Hello Dad,” Alex finally picked up the phone and placed it on speakerphone.

“Alexander Taylor, why haven't you been picking my calls?”

It was his mother.

“Mum, I…”

“Save it Alex. You're having dinner with us tonight, no excuses.”

Alex glanced at Dennis before he sighed and said, “Mum I am busy today, can't we move it till tomorrow?”

“No it can't wait Alex. I have something important to tell you.” His mother said and he stiffened.

What more could they have in store for him?

“Also bring the man you married today. I want to meet him.”

Dennis's hands on the steering wheel froze and the car swerved off the road.

***