LOVED SIX

Ophelia looked at this man, she remembered him all too well, she even remembered him from just seeing his name, he was the man she had spent the night passionately with when she was in her third year at college. She could never forget him no matter how hard she tried, she had always hated that he found a way to pop into her memories once in a while.

She blinked her eyes at him multiple times, how did he remember her so well even up to her name? When she woke up that morning she had run away from the room before he could wake up and tried her best to forget about him.

She never thought she would have a reason to ever encounter him ever again, considering the fact that she would be leaving the city behind anyway. For her own sanity, she never went back to that club in case she ran into him. How shameful it was for her that a girl who ran her mouth so much was a virgin.

She did not think that her father's first choice for her would be this man sitting across from her, she did not know he was from the same city as her. How could she have known when she was busy sticking her tongue down his throat instead of having a normal conversation with him? She was so sure at that moment that she needed to do everything she could to turn him down and she had to do it fast.

“So you are not Toria?” he asked taking off his jacket and draping it over the chair.

“No, I am not” She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. She had already declared her real name to him why wouldn't he stop bringing up her past?

“Oh my, that is some resemblance. You look like a girl I have been searching for. It has been two years since”

‘Wow he was searching for me’ Ophelia thought to herself. “Ans you are still searching? Was she your first love?” she asked and he began to shake his head to refuse what she was asking.

“No, she was just an interesting woman,” he said as she took her cup to her mouth. “It is weird seeing that face on you and you not being Toria” he added.

“Seems to me like feelings lingered for you after she disappeared” Ophelia said and as soon as the words left her mouth she knew she had said things she was not supposed to say.

“She disappeared? How did you know?”

“Well I do not know that, I just guessed since you said you have been searching for her and can't find her, and it seems like I made the right guess” she said at a fast pace. She could not believe she had almost implicated herself. There was no need for him to bring up the past. Why was he clinging so much to a one-night stand he had two years ago?

“Since you are not Toria I guess I should introduce myself, I am Cade Fred Vale” she snickered as soon as he finished talking. “What is it?” he asked confused at her snicker. Did he perhaps joke and not know it?

“Fred? Your name really is Fred?” she asked and he nodded. “Oh my god, that is some old man's name” she added and burst into a fit of laughter causing the entire restaurant to stare at their table.

“What are you doing?” Cade asked in a low whisper at her. She wiped the corners of her eyes as she studied him. Was her plan working already or was he just as thick-skinned as she remembered him? She had teased him a lot that night two years ago but unlike other guys, he did not stand up to leave angrily, mauve that was part of the reason she jumped him like that.

“Oh so sorry” she said taking the cup to her mouth while still pretending to stifle a laugh.

“Shall we order?” he asked signalling to the waiter as if she had not just laughed at his parent's name choice for him.

‘Tough guy right?’ she thought to herself.

“Do you want to go first?” Cade asked her as the waiter waited to take their order.

‘A gentleman? He was not that much of a gentleman that day now was he’ she said in her mind. He was making it more difficult to fault him and make them come to terms that they could not go on with the marriage. What was she going to tell her father the reason for breaking off the marriage was?

“Yeah sure” she said giving the waiter her order. He took their orders and then left. “So let us get straight to business, we know the reason we are here, there is no time to be asking about favourite colour and whatnot,” she said as soon as the waiter was out of hearing.

“I agree, so when is the wedding date”

“What?” she blinked multiple times watching him.

“I need this wedding to go through,” he said simply.

“So you are comfortable marrying someone you do not know?” she asked. Why was he comfortable with the idea?

“I have to get married anyways so why not just do it now, the circumstances of my marriage would not change it would just be a different person, I am too busy to be going from person to person so I would just end it here with you” he said.

“If you want that then I have conditions” she said hoping that would deter him.

“Then we will draw up a contract”

“It is that easy for you?”

“I won't use the word easy, I have a time limit, I must be married before my birthday in August so unless you have a real reason not to marry me, I say we do not waste time and just go ahead with it,” he said taking a sip from his cup.

“You make a fair point but we are doing this on my terms. Deal?” she stretched her hand to him. He studied her hand before going in and shaking it.

“Deal”