Chapter 2

Rachel's POV 

Convinced that he was perhaps not in the habit of sexualising women, I peeled my eyes away from him but he was much too swift. Locking his eyes with me, he frowned, “Is everything alright?” He asked,

“No, it’s perfect,” I shrugged, “My dream first date.”

With a blank look, he heaved a sigh. I could notice that my sarcasm was beginning to frustrate him, but I enjoyed seeing him struggle. For all I cared, he completely deserved it. “Do you disapprove of the place?”

“I disapprove of you pursuing me.”

“You sure about that decision even after seeing me?” He asked. Although he was joking, I wasn’t sure if my sex drive would approve of turning him down. But his arrogance put me off, and it was so out of his character.

“Seen better.”

That earned me a chuckle from him as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table.“Well, why are you here if you’re not interested? Would’ve saved us both time and trouble.”

“If it were that simple, I wouldn’t be here, trust me.”

He looked taken aback for a second. As if on cue, the waitress approached with our orders. He continued to analyse me as the wine glasses filled up, and muttered a small thank you before she left us alone again. My annoyance was ticking.

“I know.” He said after the waitress was a good distance away from us.

I looked up in confusion, a frown edging between my brows.

“I know that you don’t want to get married.” He repeated for me. “Well, neither do I when it comes to it. But, I’m not getting any younger and neither are you.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at him. “I’m 29.”

He shrugged. “And you think you’re too young?”

An incredulous scoff slipped of me at his audacity, “You don’t marry somebody because you’re getting old. That’s not a reason to get married.” I said, “You marry when you love someone and you don’t even know me! The last time I saw you was perhaps three years ago. So much had changed since then.”

“Isn’t that why we are here?” He asked. “So that we could get to know each other?”

I sighed in annoyance, “I can’t refuse to marry you.” I was almost pleading him. “You cannot make use of my weakness here, Alan, you know I don’t have a say in this matter. You do!”

“I never said I did.” He leaned back slightly to defend himself. “I’m as helpless as you are.”

“So you’re saying your dad’s forcing you into this too?”

“Maybe.”

“That’s a lie.” I said, “Your dad loves you. He would never force your hand at marriage.”

“Well, he loved me enough to give me the liberty of choosing the bride.”

“I have a boyfriend.” I lied in a desperate attempt to change his mind.

He frowned, “You have a what now?”

“A boyfriend.” He didn’t look convinced.

“Well, dump him. Can’t have a husband and a boyfriend right?” He said, “I don’t stand infidelity.”

“Are you serious? I can’t marry you! I have a boyfriend, and I love him.”

“Really?” He asked me in mockery, “Well, then what’s his name?”

“Um.. Mark.”

“Are you asking me?”

“It’s Mark. Why do you need his name anyway?”

“Because I think you’re merely using him as an excuse to get out of this marriage, Rachel. And I’m inclined to believe that you’re just making it up.”

Utterly dejected, my shoulders fell. Not bothering to mask the whimper, I asked, “Why me?”

He stilled, “What?”

“Why are you doing this to me?” I asked, “I don’t want to get married just yet. I want to pursue my dreams. There’s still so much that I want to do. You know it, and yet you insist on disappointing me.”

I felt as though I had detected a small sign of guilt in his face, but that could as well be my wishful thinking. My prior affections for him were clouding my judgement.

“This marriage won’t stop you from doing anything. You will still be leading your life on your terms. For what it's worth, I am not going to be a block in your path. If anything, I’ll be supporting you every step of the way.”

Unconvinced, my gaze lingered on him until I looked away in a sense of defeat. I was immensely upset with him, and more so, with my father. I couldn’t believe that I was being forced into something like this by my own family, and I was being subjected to this humiliation at the price of my dignity.

“I hate my dad,” I mumbled to myself.

“I’m slightly relieved you didn’t say I hate you.”

I rolled my eyes before looking back at him. “Well, I thought it goes without saying.”

He smiled at my response, “So he’s still hard on you?”

“You think?” I muttered. “I think you already know it but.. the only reason my father wants me to marry you is that he wants that chair in the board meeting. He’s sucking up to your mom.

“He made a deal with me a few years ago. He let me follow my dreams in exchange for taking the liberty of choosing my husband. Somehow marrying some bloke seemed easier than spending the rest of my life typing before some computer. So I made the deal.”

His face was brimmed with unforeseen astonishment. I let out a dry laugh at the sight.

“I mean,” I continued, “I was an eighteen-year-old girl full of dreams, ready to conquer the world. The most important thing to me at that point, and even now, was the freedom to choose a future I wanted and believed in. So when it came down to a bargain, I thought I made the right choice.

“It didn’t help to know that my father would never approve of any man I brought home. I’d be forced anyway so I thought, why not get something out of it? So that stupid clause had led me to go on a date with you. Not because I wanted to waste your time. Only because I had no choice. I still don’t.”

I paused to see if he was even remotely interested in what I said. When I noticed that he was, I asked, “What are you going to tell your parents when you go home?”

“Rachel..” His tone grew softer, “You know I want this.”

I looked up in a desperate attempt to hide my agony “So you’re not going to budge? At all?”

He remained silent, and that was a clear answer. When I understood it, I nodded to myself and went for the glass of wine. “Well, I suppose we’re truly going to get married then. My opinion is not going to stand a chance at my home so, cheers to that.”

“Trust me, if I had a choice, I’d really do something about this,” He replied. “Getting married wasn’t one of my goals. And marrying you would be something I’d be trying to avoid as much as I could if it were up to me.”

I scoffed, “That didn’t help me a bit.”

“I know.” I said, “Nothing I say will. But I’m still going to try. I assure you, Rachel, I’ll treat you well. Sometimes, situations tend to ask the worst of you. And I’ll tell you from my experience, sometit’s easier to give in than to fight against them.”