I shook my head. “I can’t take on someone else’s problems. I’m having a hard enough time handling my own.”
“That’s why he’d be perfect for you. He’s a very powerful man,” she added.
“I couldn’t care less about power,” I snorted.
She tilted her head to the side and quirked an eyebrow. “Not even if the arrangement comes with access to a hefty bank account?”
I thought back to the offhand comment my brother had made about being willing to accept charity if it meant that he’d be able to get the surgery. “How many zeroes are we talking about here?”
“Think real estate mogul money.”
That was more than enough zeroes to get my brother what he needed, but I knew as well as anyone else that there was no such thing as a free lunch. “What’s the catch?”
“He’s basically looking for a trophy wife.” She eyed me up and down. “You’re beautiful, put-together, educated, and articulate.”
“So are plenty of other women in the city.”
She reached over and pulled a file off the edge of her desk. “My client also needs his wife to convince his family that it’s a love match. During your maid of honor speech at Sylvia’s wedding, you shared a story about the acting class the two of you took when you were freshmen in college. I believe you mentioned that you enjoyed it as much as she hated it. So much so that you went on to take several more during the course of your studies.”
“I did.”
Flipping the file open, she lifted a photo out of it and handed it to me. “He also expects this to be a real marriage where you both honor your vows. Not one of convenience.”
Whoa. That comment brought reality to a screeching halt. He wanted a physical relationship? From what she was saying, it sounded like the man basically wanted a paid companion. If I went through with this…could I go through with this knowing it would make me nothing better than a high-priced call girl?
I was ready to turn her down flat when my gaze landed on the image of her client. With blond hair, hazel eyes, and tanned skin, he was exactly my type. He was gorgeous enough to attract just about any woman, without the help of his bank account. With it, he could literally have anyone he wanted. Now I was very curious. “Why does he need to use your services when he could go out and find his own wife with barely any effort?”
Her eyes lit up, and the smile she gave me was radiant. “For the same reason you’re considering saying yes. Family. His mom is an old college friend of mine and set the appointment up for him. He’s laser-focused on his career, but he doesn’t want to disappoint her. An arrangement with just the right woman will keep her happy without interfering with his work. It also gives him the perks of companionship without the responsibility of devoting time to building a loving relationship. Something I think you both could benefit from.”
I looked down at his picture once more and sighed. If I was going to sell myself to someone, at least he was a freaking Adonis. My phone chimed, and I threw Julia an apologetic glance before checking my text messages. Graham had sent me a selfie of himself and his thermometer, which read 98.6 degrees. He was making a funny face, but I could see the pain clouding his blue eyes. A wave of affection rushed through my body, and my eyes filled with tears at the thought of his suffering. My brother would do anything for me, just as I would for him. Yet here I was, considering turning down what could be the perfect solution.
Putting my phone away, I realized that maybe the hand of fate that Julia had mentioned when we talked on the phone really was at work. His mom and the matchmaker were old college friends. One of her clients and I were college friends. He didn’t have time for a relationship, and neither did I. He was doing this for his family, and so was I.
“I’ll do it.” My answer was confident—I’d do a heck of a lot more to ensure my brother’s well-being. And that meant I had a requirement of my own. “I have a condition. I’m going to need a signing bonus of three hundred thousand dollars.”
Chapter Three
SULLIVAN
“What is your educational background?” I asked the knockout blonde preening on the chair across from me. I couldn’t fault Julia on this one’s looks, although I was pretty sure that it was all paid for, from the roots of her bottle-blond hair to her nose, overly-puffy lips, veneers, enhanced breasts, to the tips of her fake nails.
She…Brittany, I think…giggled, and the sound grated on my nerves, but I smiled politely and waited for her to answer.