A CONTRACT ENGAGEMENT

Julian cocked his head to the side. “Just how well do you know him?” he asked.

Before she could reply, Julian’s phone rang. She tuned into Julian’s conversation when he said her name. He was obviously talking to his mom.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“We’ll be there this afternoon. Four o’clock. Yes, I know. I won’t miss it. Dinner afterward. Nina and I are having lunch together down by the marina. We’ll meet you back at the hotel in time for rehearsal. You have my word.”

He hung up and let out a sigh as he tucked the phone back into his pocket.

“The woman is convinced I’ll flake on the wedding. I wonder how on earth she got that idea?” he said.

It was said so innocently that Nina burst into laughter. Julian joined her and business was effectively put back out of the way once more.

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The nice lunch by the harbor never happened. As Julian and Nina were leaving the hotel, they ran into Julian’s parents, Sam’s father, Sam and Grace.

Soon Abby joined them. She pulled Nina away from Julian and asked her in a quiet voice what the hell was going on between her and Julian. Nina couldn’t tell her there and then, so she just told her she’d tell her later and requested that she just play along.

Abby nodded, a part of her was actually enjoying the drama. She had never liked Loveth and obviously seeing Nina with Julian upset Loveth greatly. Abby was perfectly fine with that.

Elizabeth was thrilled, since they were on their way to lunch, as well, and she suggested they all eat together before they gathered on the terrace for the very informal rehearsal.

It amused Nina that there would even be an actual rehearsal of the ceremony since it wasn’t a big affair and the bride and groom only had two attendants each. Still, it was evidently important to keep up appearances because they were going all out with a full-blown rehearsal and a dinner and party afterward.

Loveth less than thrilled that Nina and Julian would be joining them for lunch. Sam was visibly uncomfortable.

When they were seated, as luck would have it, Julian and Nina were placed across the table from Loveth and Sam while Abby, Elizabeth and Ross sat on the ends.

As a result, Nina was treated to Loveth’s malevolent stare. The woman wasn’t even subtle about it. She picked Nina apart like a bug under a microscope.

Julian reached for her hand under the table and gave her a squeeze. She couldn’t figure out if it was a gesture of support, sympathy or a thank-you. She turned and gave him a smile. For a long moment their gazes locked and he smiled back.

“Tell me, Nina, what is it that you do? Julian tells me you live in New York too. That’s good, so you can move in without much trouble once you and Julian are married?”

Nina turned to Elizabeth in surprise. The questions were natural for a mother to ask, but Nina hadn’t been prepared for them. Who was she kidding? She hadn’t been prepared for any of this. She could also see Abby trying so hard not to laugh… And failing.

“Nina is a crack advertising executive,” Julian smoothly inserted. “Her career is very important to her. I’d never expect her to give it up. And we haven’t discussed moving yet.”

Oh, the man was good, Nina thought. If she was getting married, she’d want the guy she was marrying to say exactly what Julian had said, and she’d want him to mean every word.

Loveth sniffed. “But don’t you feel a woman’s place is at home with the children? You do plan on having children don’t you?” she asked.

Nina frowned as she stared at the other woman. Was she for real?

“I don’t see that it’s any of your concern whether I want children or not and as for where my place is, it’s wherever I’m the happiest,” Nina said. “I fail to see how I could possibly be the best wife and mother by staying at home and being miserable.”

Loveth looked genuinely confused. “I feel it’s important for a woman not to overshadow her husband. A husband’s job is to provide for his family. I’d never take that away from him.” She said,

Nina snorted. “You keep telling yourself that, honey. Call me up when your provider husband has decided he no longer wants that job and is going to leave you and the children to go find himself. Then tell me how important it was for you to depend solely on him for your support, and then tell me how easy it is to go find a job making enough money to support yourself and your children when the sole job experience on your resume is changing diapers and cooking dinner.”

Julian choked on his laughter while Elizabeth’s eyes widened in shock. Sam looked a little green while Loveth’s mouth hung open. Ross cleared his throat and actually looked at Nina with something akin to respect.

“Well said, young lady. A woman should never put the welfare of herself and her children solely in her husband’s hands no matter how solid the relationship is.” he said.

“Ross!” Elizabeth sounded positively scandalized.

Julian sat back and looked at his dad. “You see why I’m so determined to marry her. If my company ever goes bankrupt, I can stay at home and let her support me.”

The two men burst into laughter and Julian squeezed her hand harder.

“Have you two set a date yet?” Sam asked, entering the conversation for the first time.

He’d been strangely silent, and he’d studied her and Julian until Nina squirmed under his scrutiny.

Not wanting Julian to do all the talking, even if this was his charade and not hers, she smiled and looked back at Sam.

“He’s only just convinced me to marry him. I did make him wait, and he had to ask me several times.” She said,

Julian squeezed again only this time it was a definite retaliation squeeze. She grinned and plunged ahead.

“I finally put him out of his misery and said yes. He wants a short engagement.” She added. Some little evil imp made her poke Loveth a little with that statement since Julian had kept prolonging their engagement. “He wanted to elope, but I want to take our time and really get to know each other again before we tie the knot.”