Agnes met his deep gaze and asked with a smile, “What’s going on? Why so mysterious? Is Professor Fritz facing a problem that only I can help with?”
Tom Fritz looked at her and thought, how could she guess so accurately?
Agnes couldn’t help but laugh, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of your kitten. I’ll treat it like a person! It’s been sleeping with me recently!”
“It’s not about the kitten today.” Tom Fritz took his hands out of his pockets, his eyes serious.
The girl blinked at him in slight surprise, “Then what is it? Tell me, let’s see if I can help!”
She couldn’t imagine what else she could assist with.
Tom Fritz had been thinking about how to start the conversation even before she arrived. But even now, he hadn’t figured it out.
Agnes stared at him without blinking, “Say it!” She was somewhat expectant.
“My grandmother is back,” Tom Fritz began. He turned to look at the shimmering lake, a hint of frustration in his voice. “And she brought back a girl, insisting that we get engaged the day after tomorrow. If I refuse, I won’t be able to return to the lab.”
Agnes took a moment to process this, “A stranger?”
“Yes, someone I’ve never met before.”
The girl was shocked, “That’s absurd! Are engagements now mandatory tasks?”
“From my grandmother’s perspective, I understand,” Tom Fritz didn’t blame her; he just wanted to resolve the issue. “I’m 35 and still single. Once I enter the lab, marriage becomes even more unlikely as all my time will be devoted to research.”
“But…” Agnes couldn’t comprehend it and blurted out, “There isn’t an age when you must marry; there are only people you must marry.”
Tom Fritz turned to look at her, momentarily stunned by her words. It was his own belief that he had once expressed to his mother. Hearing it from Agnes made him feel touched; he had finally met someone who shared his views.
For a moment, he felt a sense of disorientation.
“Exactly, so I can’t get engaged to her,” Tom Fritz said frankly. “But she proposed a solution that I think might work.”
“What solution?”
“A fake engagement.”
Agnes frowned at him, “You don’t know her or her personality. Are you sure there won’t be any trouble when you want to end the agreement?”
“That’s why I won’t choose her.”
“What do you mean?” Agnes didn’t understand until now that this matter involved her.
Tom Fritz looked at her and braced himself to speak, “Would you be willing to help me with this?”
“What?” The girl was startled. “A fake engagement with you??”
Tom quickly explained, “I have no social life and don’t know any women. The situation is urgent; I can’t think of anyone else to ask.”
Agnes met his gaze, utterly astonished!!
Tom looked at her with sincerity and seriousness in his eyes. “We can write an agreement; you can draft it yourself, and I’ll agree to everything.”
He said, “Once the engagement ceremony is over, I’ll go abroad and won’t affect you. Then we’ll privately dissolve the agreement or include a clause in our contract that automatically terminates it after one month.”
Seeing that he wasn’t joking, Agnes put away her smile and became serious. She started contemplating without rushing to refuse.