She turned to search his face, looking for anything that might give away how the conversation had gone. There was nothing. Not even the regular residue of hatred he had for Joel, that he carried everywhere like a badge. He had an amused look instead, as he swirled his glass of wine in one hand.
“Don’t tell me you went to see him yourself?” Rina asked, knowing that something beyond the ordinary must have occurred. “What did you tell him, Zayn?”
“Nothing much, actually,” he answered, shrugging, still with that amused look. He seemed to be having a lot of fun with the situation and was making no attempt at hiding it. “I just had a business meeting with him. He seemed really okay with the conclusions we arrived at before we shook hands.”
“Zayn,” Rina tried not to let the anxiety she felt seep through in her tone. “I’m sure one of the items for the meeting didn’t include informing Joel that he couldn’t go to see a movie with one of his models whose identity was supposed to stay anonymous but somehow got to you, right?”
“Of course not.” Zayn chuckled, but in the blink of an eye, his expression had become serious. “But you don’t have to worry about the movie. I’m sure he has a lot on his plate, and wouldn’t be calling you anytime soon. It’s the weekend. Have it to yourself.”
She looked at him, waiting for Zayn to say more. But upon discovering that that was all he was going to say on the matter, she decided to let it go for now. “You said you had something to discuss with me,” she started, walking away from the window. Her legs hurt and she needed to sit.
Ignoring the bed, she edged around and plopped on the couch at one end of the room. “It was the reason you asked me to spend the night here. What is it?”
“Our marriage,” Zayn answered, and the weight of those words dropped onto Rina’s lap, almost making her fall to the ground. Her pulse suddenly started racing, just like it did each time that topic came up. It was inevitable, seeing as it was the reason they had this liaison in the first place. If Rina didn’t get on with it as planned, she was sure as hell that Zayn was going to walk out the door.
And she didn’t know if she wanted that to happen just yet.
Zayn joined her on the couch. “When do you think we should have it? Of course, we are going to have to see my parents first, and then have a formal announcement about it. I’m thinking of a grand proposal and engagement in Paris. It would give something for the tabloid to talk about just in case someone doubts the veracity of our love story.” He raised his fingers in the air to describe a double quotation on ‘love story’ and Rina felt something break inside her.
“Don’t you think that’s all too fast?” Rina asked in an awkward tone.
“Are you having cold feet, Rina Powers? I know brides always develop one, but you’re not going to be an actual bride. Let me remind you that it’s going to be solely paper-based. We are going to be living in the same mansion but in different parts. Our activities are going to be distinct so as not to get on each other’s nerves. I will give you a secretary who will be in charge of aligning our schedules just in case I need you to make a public appearance for or with me.”
Rina felt she was hyperventilating. She didn’t understand how Zayn could casually talk about committing his entire life to someone for five whole years, and not feel a thing about it. It felt like there was a list from which he was ticking off items.
“And remember a part of the contract was modified,” he continued, oblivious to the thoughts running through Rina’s head. “You cannot be with anyone else for the duration we would be together, and if you want to get a divorce before five years elapse, you are free to. We would cook up a very good reason for the public and go our separate ways. Of course, we would sign a prenup before getting married so…”
“Can we take a little break?” Rina whispered, her eyes going in and out of focus suddenly. It was too much information, and taking them all at once was giving her a headache.
“What is wrong?” Zayn asked at once, putting down his glass. “Do you need to lie down?”
“Its not that,” she sighed. “I just.. I just need some time to think about this.”
“You don’t want to do this anymore.”
It wasn’t a question, but even if it had been, Rina still didn’t know what to say to that. She tried to ask herself the same thing what she really wanted. But it was a jumbled up in her head, like a web of lines. The thought of having Zayn walk out of her life was scary, but so also was getting married. It didn’t help that she had just gotten out of a terrible marriage that was built on lies and that she had just lost her baby because of Kayla.
“I need time to recover from everything that happened to me,” Rina whispered.
“Then let me help you.” Zayn turned on the couch so suddenly that Rina didn’t have any time to move away from his reach. Their knees bobbed as he leaned in closer, encroaching on her personal space. And Rina liked it. She leaned in to smell him, immersed in his masculine and woody scent.
“Let me help you get over this, and get back at those bastards that dared wrong you and destroyed your image in the industry and the country. You have the most powerful man in the country on your side. Do you know what that means?”
“What?”
“If I become your husband, you will be unstoppable. And the Reese family would be nothing next to your name.”