Accidental Proposal (A Year Agreement Book 1) (5 page)

“It may be crazy but…okay, I have nothing.” I snorted at his response.

“That was an excellent answer.”

“I think I know what he offered you, since you’re dressed the way you are,” Garrett said, looking over at me briefly then back at the road. We were getting closer to the club.

“Hey! I am not what you think I am. I’m a bartender at the club.” He was quiet for a few minutes.

“Oh, that explains why you are so different than the other rich girls I’ve had to drive around.”

“Other rich girls?”

“Yeah. I thought you were some daddy’s girl who got everything she wanted. I was wrong.” He shrugged.

“Well, thanks I guess,” I said, getting where he was coming from. To anyone else, I probably looked like I was a spoiled rich kid having a driver and such a big house. Little did everyone know that I was actually the poor-no-house kid.

“We’re here,” he said suddenly and pulled to a stop in front of the club. I rolled my eyes at him but smiled. We would get along just fine. He started unbuckling his seatbelt to come and open my door, but I put my hand over his to stop him.

“I can get my own door.”

“What time do you get off?” Garrett asked. I hesitated, not wanting to make him take me home so late.

“I get off at one. If it’s too late for you, I can just get a cab.” I was silently hoping it wouldn’t be a big deal, since I didn’t even know the address to Liam’s house.

“No, it’s not a big deal. I’ll be right here at one,” he said with a smile. With a “thank you” and a smile, I opened the door and stepped outside. With a wave to Garrett, I headed to the employee entrance. I knocked on the door three times, and it opened up to Tom standing there once again.

“Hey, Tom,” I said, setting my bag on a hook.

“Hey, Jenna. Who did you wave to in that black car that dropped you off?” Tom asked, shutting the door.

“It was a friend,” I said, which wasn’t too big of a lie. “How long are you working?”

“Until eleven. I got a girl at home who needs some attention,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Eww, that’s disgusting,” I said, scrunching up my nose. “Since I probably won’t be seeing you before you get off, I wanted to tell you something,” I said. I knew I just had to get this over with, quick like a Band-Aid. “Today is my last day.”

I watched as his expression morphed into confusion.

“Why? You’re not running off with some boyfriend, are you?”

“No, I’m not.” I held back my laughter. “I’m actually going to go back home and…go to school,” I lied. I knew I shouldn’t have done that, and I hated that I had to. I just knew that if Tom knew about me and Liam’s deal, he wouldn’t be happy with me. Plus, he didn’t know that I didn’t have any parents or that I lived in New York by myself.

“Really? Good for you, kid!” He grinned at me as he walked over to hug me. “Be good, okay? Don’t cause your parents too much trouble, and don’t get in trouble at college. You’re there to learn,” Tom said sternly, pulling away and wagging his finger at me. I rolled my eyes.

“I will,
Dad
. Thank you, Tom, for everything you’ve done for me while I’ve been here. I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too, Jenna. If you’re ever back in New York, come by and say hi. I know Kendra would love to see ya.”

“I will. Bye, Tommy.” Before I could start crying, I hugged his big frame one last time before I left to go to work.
This is going to be a long night.

Unfortunately, it was. From the moment I walked to the bar, I was swarmed with people yelling me their drink orders. The club was packed tonight, even though it was only Thursday. When the girls did their thing at the top of the hour, we still had people lining up for drinks. Although we were busy, time didn’t seem to go by faster. Instead, it seemed to go slower. The clock was slowly inching its way to ten when finally people stopped coming up to the counter and us bartenders got a brief break. I knew Candy was off at eleven, so now was the best time to tell her. I was going to really miss working with her, because she seemed to get me. We both had been through hard times, totally different things, but it still brought us closer.

“Hey, Candy, can I talk to you for a moment?” I called over to her. She was on the other side of the bar, sent me a nod, and worked her way over to where I was in the corner, where I knew no one could hear us.

“What’s up?”

“I wanted to tell you tonight is my last night. I know it’s so sudden, and I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t need to.” I stood there, waiting for her to blow up almost like Sophia had, but instead I saw her nod.

“You have to do what you have to do,” she said, patting my arm.
Wait? What was that?

“Wait. You’re not mad at me or going to yell at me about why I’m leaving?” I was not expecting this reaction at all.

“No, because I trust that you are doing this for an important reason.” I cringed inwardly at that. This was anything but important. “You just have to make sure to keep in touch with me and come see Sky every once in a while.” I grinned at the mention of her four-year-old daughter.

“I promise I will. Oh, I finally got a cell phone, so add your number,” I said, suddenly remembering I had it in my mini pocket. When I handed her my phone, she punched in her number before handing it back to me. I smiled sadly at her and pulled her into a hug.

“I’ll miss you,” I mumbled.

“Me too, Jenna. But we will stay in touch,” she said firmly, pulling away from me. My eyes pooled with tears, but I forced them back. I wasn’t going to cry. Unfortunately, our little moment got ruined as a guy came up to the bar wanting a drink. With a sigh from both of us, we got back to work.

When eleven hit, Candy said one last goodbye to me and made me promise to text her tomorrow before leaving. I looked after her, feeling sad, but at the same time happy. I was glad she wasn’t mad at me nor did she push me to tell her why I am leaving. The rest of the night passed by quickly after that. Soon, I was walking up the stairs to Teddy’s office to tell him I was leaving. With a deep breath, I knocked on the door and entered when he called for me to come in.

“Oh hello, Jenna. Is everything okay?” Teddy asked, gesturing for me to sit across from him.

“No, everything is okay,” I answered, taking a seat. “I just came up here to tell you tonight is my last night here.”

“Oh.”

“I know it’s sudden, and I am sorry for the inconvenience that it may cause, but I have some things I have to take care of for a while.”

“You’re not in trouble, are you? You can tell me.” I smiled at him but shook my head. Knowing all these people cared for me made me feel warm inside. “Well, if you ever need anything, you can come to me. We’ll miss you around here, but you gotta do what you gotta do.”

“Thank you for understanding, Teddy,” I said sincerely.

“It’s no problem, hon. You can come by for your check next week, or I can give it to Candy.”

“I’ll come by in a week. Thank you again,” I said, standing up.

“Just take care of yourself. You’re a great girl.” He pulled me in for a hug, giving me a tight squeeze before letting me go. With my final goodbye, I nodded at him before leaving his office and heading back downstairs.

I wasn’t all that close with any of the other workers, so I didn’t stay and say goodbye. I didn’t think I had another goodbye in me, to be honest. With a smile at the guard by the door, I nodded in thanks at him before stepping out into the cool night air. Before the door could shut, I took one last look at the club, saying a silent goodbye. When I turned around, I saw Garrett parked at the curb, where he said he would. Walking toward the car, I opened the passenger’s side and got in.

“Thanks for picking me up.”

“No problem. Home?” he asked. I could tell he was tired, so I nodded.

During the ride back, I leaned my head on the headrest, staring out the window as an Ed Sheeran song played softly in the background. As we passed cars and buildings, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d made a mistake.

Chapter Five

The next morning, I woke up to the sun shining on my face. I rolled over, covering my face with my pillow. When I got home last night, I found the house empty, not really to my surprise. I’d changed and slid into my new bed, but as I lay there, I couldn’t fall asleep. I’d stared up at the ceiling, willing myself to sleep, but for some reason I couldn’t. All night, I tossed and turned. Sleep finally overcame me around five this morning. I peeked open one eye and saw it was only nine.
I only got four hours of sleep!
Groaning, I laid my head back on the pillow, not wanting to get up.

The idea of having to get out of my comfy bed to face reality was not what I wanted. I wished I could just sit in bed all day and not worry about anything. In fact, I wished I could stay here for this entire year, only to leave it when my deal with Liam was done. If only it were that simple. After five minutes of protest, I finally got up and headed to shower. I hated that I was one of those people where if I was up, I was up. No going back to sleep for me. I turned on the big shower, letting the water warm up before stripping out of my PJs. You would think since I got up early almost every day I would be used to it, but nope. Instead, it seemed to get harder every day.

Stepping under the warm water, I closed the glass door behind me. As I tilted my face up, I let the water run down me, feeling all of the tension seep out of my body. I continued on washing my hair and body before reluctantly getting out. My fingers were pruned as I wrapped a fluffy baby blue towel around me. It was the softest towel I’d ever felt! With my blonde hair hanging down in my face and shoulders, I walked to the mirror.

The girl staring back at me was the same girl I’d seen for the past three years. I hadn’t changed much since puberty hit or since I left high school. Only a few things were different: my blonde hair was longer, since I hadn’t cut it since I left the home; my green eyes were duller with huge bags under them; and I looked a tad bit skinnier because I sometimes didn’t get enough to eat. I guess I could be considered lucky I didn’t gain the freshman fifteen that most do after graduating. Staring back at me was the same girl who had worked countless useless jobs for nothing and who hadn’t had the easiest life. With a sigh at my reflection, I grabbed my brush and brushed my hair before leaving the bathroom to get dressed.

When I walked into my huge closet, I was struck again with how big and nice it was. As I got dressed, I wondered why people would need a closet so big. I slid on a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans, a cute maroon and grey quarter-sleeve shirt, and a pair of dark blue flats. I grabbed my cell phone and headed to get something to eat. I honestly didn’t know why I even bothered to get dressed when I wouldn’t be leaving the house, but whatever.
I guess I better ask Liam what I’ll be doing, now that I don’t work.
Walking into the kitchen, I froze mid-step as Liam sat at the bar drinking a cup of coffee and reading the paper.
What is he doing home? It’s almost ten in the morning.
Not knowing if I should say good morning or not say anything at all, I walked toward the cabinet and grabbed a coffee mug, filling it up.

He was dressed in a black suit with a white button-up shirt and a dark blue tie. He must be getting ready to go to work, or he’d already been at work. I wasn’t sure which. Liam didn’t say anything as I moved around the kitchen, but I could feel his blue eyes following my every move. Gathering some courage, I turned and faced him, holding my cup against my chest, almost like a shield.

“So…” I started to say, “I quit my jobs.”

“Good,” Liam said in his smooth voice, no longer looking at me but down at the newspaper in front of him.

“Is there something you want me to do? Like clean the house or…” I trailed off, not knowing if he was even listening to me.

“No, I have a maid for that,” was all he said. I couldn’t help but glare at him. It was like talking to a wall, for crying out loud.

“Then what am I supposed to do?” I asked, trying to keep my anger at bay.

“I don’t know. Keep yourself busy.” He shrugged, then stood up and made his way over to me. I thought he was going to hug me or something, but instead, he pushed by me to put his cup in the sink. He walked past me again, out of the kitchen. I followed, wanting some answers to our little deal.

“Liam!” I called after him. “Are you going to leave me in the dark about our whole fake marriage?” I asked. It would be nice if I knew what to expect or something, anything.

“I already told you,” he said, coming to a stop and turning to face me.

“No, you didn’t. I need to know what is going to happen and what I have to do. I uprooted my entire life for you, Liam. The least you could do was answer some of my questions,” I reasoned. He stared at me for a minute before sighing loudly, like I was ruining his day or something. He turned back around and walked into the living room. I took that as he was going to answer my questions, so I followed after him and sat down on one side of the couch while he sat in the chair. He looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to ask.

“What am I supposed to do, now that I don’t work?” I asked first.

“I don’t know. Read, write, workout, swim, go shopping,” he said, sounding bored already.
Yeah, like I was going to go shopping every day for a year.
I almost snorted at that thought.

“Why did you want me to quit my jobs?”

“Look, I don’t care what your situation is, whether you ran away from home because Daddy wouldn’t give you what you wanted, or if you came to New York for some stupid dream that didn’t happen. I do not honestly care. All that matters is that my parents like you and that we get married as soon as possible so I can get the business. After this year, I do not plan on seeing your face again.” I stared at him, wide-eyed and hurt, as he stood up and walked away.

Liam didn’t know anything about me, and it hurt that he made assumptions.
Why does everyone assume I’m some rich daddy’s girl and will throw a fit if I don’t get what I want?
I glared at the seat Liam had just been in, wishing he was still there so I could burn holes into his body with my eyes. I hated when people just assumed what I was like. Everyone judged a book by its cover, and they shouldn’t. That book could be interesting, and maybe it’d gone through hard experiences. But they would never know. Maybe the outside cover was worn and weathered, but that didn’t mean that the inside was same way. The pages could be in perfect condition or only slightly ripped and torn.

I heard a door slam shut down the hall, and I knew Liam had left.
Must have left through the garage.
The only place I hadn’t seen yet. Taking a deep breath, I stood up, pushing my anger toward Liam down, and went to grab my coffee I left in the kitchen. I then headed to the garage.
Let’s see what Liam’s got in here.
I opened the door and walked out, turning on the light. I stared around the huge garage and at the expensive-looking cars. There were three sitting there, and there was an empty spot for the fourth, which Liam must have taken. The garage wasn’t just for cars, though. On the left side were shelves that had what looked like tools and food storage. And on the right was a weird closet thing that held I didn’t know what. Setting my mug on the counter right beside a sink, I walked toward the first car.

It was a deep grey color and kind of small. It looked to be a Porsche, sleek and fancy. Moving onto the one to the left of it, I ran my finger over the cherry-red paint of a Jeep. I couldn’t help but stare in awe. I’d always wanted a Jeep. As I moved away from it, I glanced at it over my shoulder before heading to the last car down by the weird closet. It was a white Range Rover. It looked to be in the same great condition as the other two.
Wonder what car Liam took?
I wondered, looking at the empty spot.

Deciding I wanted to snoop, I opened the weird closet. Inside were boxes taped shut with no labels. Glancing around, making sure no one was really around, I reached for a box.
Wonder what he has in here.
The tape was loose, so I was able to get a fingernail under one side and pull it. I lifted the sides and peeked inside. Confused, I reached in and pulled out football trophies.

2007-2008 Football Championship

Liam Stanford

Wow.
Liam played football?
I set that trophy back inside and opened the box further. The entire thing was filled with trophies and medals, but of different sports, such as baseball, football, and basketball. I let out a low whistle, impressed. I could almost see Liam playing sports, but the image of a cold businessman still stuck in my head. Putting that box away, I pulled out another one. This one was filled with pictures. I pulled one out, and I smiled down at a picture of Liam from when he looked to be only ten or so. He was holding a football under his arm and grinning at the camera, missing a tooth from his bottom and top jaw. His features were younger and rounder, his smile genuine. I set the picture down and pulled out another one. In this one, he looked a few years older, his brown hair floppy and long, hanging around his face. His face was sharper than in the picture from years before. He had a set of straight white teeth, which could be seen from him grinning at the camera. He gripped a basketball in his hand, holding out in front of his body. Liam looked happy, and his blue eyes were twinkling.

As I grabbed another photo, my grin got wider. This picture had to be from Liam’s senior year. It was of him standing in a baseball uniform. He had a hat on, but I could tell his floppy long hair was gone, replaced with a shorter style. His shoulders were wider, and I could practically see his muscular arms through his shirt. His sharp, high cheekbones and jaw line replaced his rounder face from years before. There was black marker on his cheeks under his eyes. His feet were shoulder width apart, a baseball bat held between his hands across his shoulders and a mitt with a baseball at his feet. In this photo, he wasn’t smiling. He was just looking hard at the camera.

I stared at the photo, amazed that he had done all three big sports in high school. As I set the photo back, I noticed multiple ring boxes under a pile of photos. Curious, I moved the photos and grabbed a dark green ring box and opened it. Inside laid a football championship ring. It was huge and had a green stone in the middle, and surrounding it was the word
“Football.”
Shutting it, I grabbed a few more to open them. I got the same result, but with other sports. Liam had five rings total: two football, one basketball, and two baseball.
Goddamn.
They were all huge and nice looking.
Why are they packed away in a box outside?
If I had ones like these, I’d have them inside and maybe wear them from time to time.

Instead of going through the rest of the boxes, I put my current one away and shut the closet doors. Still thinking about the rings, photos, and trophies/medals, I grabbed my half-full coffee mug and headed back inside. I dumped my coffee out and leaned against the counter, biting my bottom lip in thought. If Liam was as good as those trophies and rings showed, then why wasn’t he still playing? He’s only twenty-four, not at all close to the age where he couldn’t be playing a sport anymore, whether it be football, baseball or basketball. And how can the boy in those photos look so different then the man I see today? Did something happen?

I knew I wouldn’t get any answers if I asked. Plus if I brought up anything about what I saw, he would know I’d gone snooping. Sighing, I let it go, but I knew I would be asking about them soon. Between looking in the garage and finding those things, that killed about thirty minutes of my time. I glanced around the kitchen and tapped my fingers against the counter. It was only eleven and I was bored.
This is going to be a long-ass year.
With nothing to do, I figured I might as well check out the library for a while. With that thought in mind, I headed there. I was going to stop by my room to grab my phone, but with no one to call or text, I just left it there. No use in grabbing it, since I might end up leaving it in the library anyways.

As I walked into the library, I was again stunned at the room. It was basically a real library inside of a house. The walls were jammed with books. A big, comfy couch and chair sat off to the side, and a long table sat in the middle where you could work if needed. The little bit of wall I could see was painted a deep red, and the entire room screamed peace and home. I’d always loved the library, whether it was the school’s or the one a few miles from the home. When I needed to just get away I always went there or the small bookstore, but that was usually too far for me to walk. A smile spread across my face as I slowly walked along one side of the room, running my fingers across the spines of books.

The scent of the room was a mix of old books, wood, and something else I couldn’t place. Something about it made me feel at home and relaxed; this was definitely going to be my place in the entire house. I looked over the titles of books before they landed on a familiar one. Grabbing the spine, I pulled out George Orwell’s
1984.
I’d read it in high school and somehow fell in love with it. Something about the story fascinated me and made me think about what if society was really like that. What would happen to us? Who would I be and what would I be doing? Would I be Winston and break the rules wanting to know the truth, or would I be Parson, who is ignorant of everything around him?