Chapter 1: How about we get married?
Jane Scott was an accomplished woman. At twenty seven years old, she was editor-in-chief of Barry Magazine, a serial fashion magazine that is the most widely read magazine in the country and yet she figured, she was still just another single woman being pressured to marry.
Her phone rang which startled her out of her thoughts. She hastily took out the phone from her bag and a look at the caller ID made her let out a groan in frustration. "Hello, mom," she drawled.
"Where are you now? On your way to your blind date?" Jane's mother, Chantelle Scott asked in a direct tone.
"Yes, to the rose café, I'll be there soon, you can be rest assured," Jane answered resignedly as she walked down the street to where her car was parked.
"Well, that's much better!" her mother exclaimed excitedly and Jane could imagine her nodding her head in satisfaction. "Jane Scott, I can tell you, that your blind date today, Aliver Cromwell is the son of your father's best friend. He just came back from France after completing his Master's degree in Business Administration, and you know its standard practice to have a degree, with such a moneyed family…you have to give a great first impression, are you listening?"
Jane cringed at her mother's choice of words and rolled her eyes, "I got it, mom, I will try to bring him back to you as a son-in-law," she said sarcastically.
"If only you knew how much I think he's an excellent choice!" her mother said with so much enthusiasm not registering her sarcastic tone.
After listening to her mother go on and on about how important this date was, Jane was finally able to hang up the phone, and she could not help but let out a sigh.
Ever since she turned twenty five, she had been set up for numerous blind dates that she couldn't keep count of. At the beginning, she resisted and stood up to quite a number of them much to her mother's chagrin but now she has accepted that she needed to settle down to get her mother off her back even if it meant pulling a random man from the street who was willing to marry her.
Yes, she was that desperate as the pressure was beginning to get to her.
"God, give me a man!" Jane gritted her teeth in frustration as she looked up to the sky, completely ignoring how ridiculous she might have looked to the passers-by.
As she entered her car to drive to the café, she had one thought in mind - to find a man who can give her mother the marriage she desires.
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Rose Café.
Jane admired how the characters on the entrance of the cafè sign gleamed brightly. She stepped out of her car and walked in, taking the first step to the entrance door when her high heeled clad feet lost its footing and she could sense an unavoidable fall looming.
"Ah-" she gasped. She fell sideways because she couldn't regain her balance, and at that moment a man who was about to enter the cafe steadied her from hitting her back to the ground with his strong arms.
Alex Fletcher was a man not used to the proximity of strange women, it was just out of politeness and the situation, he did not push Jane away from him. "Are you all right?" he asked in a curt tone.
"No...It's okay…Thanks…" Jane stuttered, feeling embarrassed. She looked up at the man that saved her and the moment her eyes caught a good look at his face, she was blown away.
Oh my God... This man is so handsome! She thought unashamedly.
In her twenty seven years of existence, she hasn't seen a man like him. Being an editor of a fashion magazine, she has certainly laid eyes on a lot of handsome men, but she has never seen one like him. In front of her was a man whose temperament screamed lazy yet noble, handsome and resolute, every move he made exuded a domineering persona, his features were exquisite, clear-cut, a pair of slanty eyes and thin lips made him look so sexy.
Jane stared at him so straight and with bright eye, as if not believing the existence of this man.
Alex pursed his lips and was about to say something when Jane jolted back to reality, straightened herself and pulled out of his arms saying, "Thanks again."
Alex nodded his head in response and for the first time took in this woman's appearance. He was captivated at her beauty and her…smell. A light scented fragrance oozing of charm and subtle sexiness emanated from her body and he couldn't help but take a whiff at it. He was a sucker for a pleasant scent.
Alex was basking in the delightful smell when a man from inside the cafè called out his name. He turned and saw it was his good friend, Caleb Wright. He called out his name. "Alex, come on in. You're quite late!"
Alex stepped inside the cafè, hugged his friend and strode away with him.
Jane stared at the back of his head and her lips curled into a sneer: "Uh-huh, such a handsome man also needs to go on a blind date like me."
Then, thinking no more about it, she walked into the cafè.
Glancing around from the entrance of the cafe for a minute for a clue to where her date will be seated, Jane's eyes were fixed on a rose on a table near the window, where two men were sitting with their backs to her.
By the window, roses... That's right! She thought and walked that way. She suddenly stopped walking, because she clearly saw that one of the men sitting on the table was the handsome man who had just helped her from falling.
It was him!
Jane was shocked and suddenly remembered that her mother said her date's name was "Aliver" which was what the man inside the cafè just called out a while ago but it was only his first name he called and she couldn't imagine he was the Aliver she was meeting.
What a coincidence! He was Aliver Cromwell. Her blind date for today?
Jane did not hesitate and went over to the table where Alex and the other man were sitting and sat on the chair opposite the both of them.
"Are you Aliver Cromwell?" Jane asked softly.
"You…" Alex looked surprised, as he was looking at the beautiful woman with the pleasant fragrance.
Jane bit her lip, stretched out her hand and smiled, "Hello, I am Jane Scott, your date today."
Caleb had been surprised by the strange woman who just sat opposite them, and hearing her suddenly introducing herself as Jane Scott made him let out a laugh as she was clearly mistaken but Alex had raised his hand to stop him from uttering those words.
Jane Scott?
Is she Jane Scott?
Alex was startled as he heard her name. Then he realised her hand was still outstretched so he held it, and said, "Hello, Miss Jane!"
Caleb was immediately shocked, the corners of his mouth drew in confusion and wondered what his friend was doing.
Alex looked at Caleb and gave him a look with a small smile and motioned to him not to say what was on his mind.
After she shook hands with him, Jane thought for a moment and decided to get straight to the point, as she had a meeting in the afternoon, and did not want to waste much time. "Mr.
Aliver Cromwell, I know you must have heard about me, and if you have any further questions about me, ask me and I will not deceive you. I am satisfied with you without wanting to know more. And the reason for this blind date was arranged by our parents. So why not cut to the chase and just get married straight away to please our parents for the time being. A marriage of mere formality. We will enter into a contractual agreement with terms and conditions. Or what do you think?"
Jane just wanted to find a man for a temporary marriage to quench her mother's pressure and her mother seemed quite satisfied and happy with this Aliver Cromwell. As for her, she was really tired of the blind dates!
The two men were suddenly speechless as they had never seen a woman so straightforward on a blind date.
What she said?
Satisfied with him without wanting to know more.
Are you kidding, Girl?
You have mistaken the people sitting in front of you.
"Have you seen me before? Or my photos?" Alex asked.
Jane was surprised at the question that didn't relate to her question and said, "Well come to think of it, I think my mother has shown me your picture before."
It's just that she couldn't remember when she had seen the picture!
"Oh, really?" Alex chuckled and looked her straight in the eye. "Is Miss Jane a magazine editor?"
"Eh? Yes," Jane said, unsure where this conversation was heading. "I'm a magazine editor."
He stared at her again, and there was a pause. Jane must have been too direct about her marriage proposal. She bit her lip and said, "I see you don't want to get married according to these terms, Mr. Cromwel. I-"
Before she could finished her sentence, Alex interjected with a knowing smile, "Miss Jane, let's get married. How about we go directly to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get the marriage certificate?"
