??Unexpected ?
? Love ??
By: Worthy liBr@ry
Genre:R0m-nce
Tags: arrange marriage, betrayal, love, hate and revenge.
Synopsis ?
Allison McHartey is engaged. Not to the man she loves, but to a guy her parents picked out for her.
To avoid the arranged engagement and unfolding disaster, she makes a deal:
If she falls in love by Christmas Eve, she doesn’t have to marry Connor Danielson, the high school jock and annoying fli-rt.
But what she doesn’t realize is love can be found in the most unexpected places…
??Unexpected ?
? Love ??
By: Worthy liBr@ry
Genre:R0m-nce
Tags: arrange marriage, betrayal, love, hate and revenge.
Chapter One:
?The Big News?
“Allison! Get down here, please, your father and I would like to have a word with you!” I sigh and throw my magazine on the ground. What do they want now?
I stomp down the stairs and throw the dining hall doors open. “Yeah?”
They’re sitting at the end of the long dining table that seats nearly thirty people.
Their arms are folded and my mother has a worried expression un-der her many Botox treatments. This can’t be good.
“Please sit down, honey,” my father says. He motions to the chair beside his but I choose the one facing him instead.
He clears his throat and glances at my mom. She nods quickly.
“Your mother and I have some… unexpected news for you, dear.”
“Please keep in mind that we have your best interests at heart,” my mother adds softly.
She reaches for my arm and grips it ti-ghtly. I can’t tell if it’s out of love, anger, or guilt. Probably all three.
“As you know, I’ll be retiring soon.” My father looks down and my mother pats his back.
He owns a large law firm that is well known across the mid-Atlantic states worth several million dollars.
“And you have very little time to inherit the company.”
I sigh in agitation. “I’ve already told you, Dad, I’m not going to run a law firm!
I want to be a veterinarian! I’m not taking over your stupid business just so you stay home and relax all day.”
I slump down in my chair and cross my arms.
“You watch your tongue, young lady!” my father cries.
“Settle down, dear.” My mother coughs softly. “Dear, we are well aware of that. And despite our persistence for you to change your mind, you’ve stuck to your dream.”
“So who’s going to take over the family business?
” I ask. I’m confused: I’m the only heir. My mother and father were already running the business and preparing for retirement, and my grandparents are way too old.
My parents share a worried look. “That’s what we wanted to tell you. We’ve decided that, because you’ve left us no other choice, you’re getting engaged.
My jaw drops. “Engaged? But I don’t even have a boyfriend!”
“Exactly!” my mother cries. “You haven’t had a boyfriend all summer and the ones you have had didn’t last very long.
“That’s because the guys at my school are je-rks!” I push my chair back and stand up.
“Well, not all of them are, dear. Your betrothed is none other than Connor Danielson.”
“Connor Danielson?!” I cry. Not him! He’s the quarterback of the football team, a cl@$$room nerd, and one of the most annoying fli-rts you’ve ever met.
He goes throu-ghnearly ten girlfriends a semester.
“Yes. His parents have agreed to merge our two law firms and let Connor control them both with you at his side.
” My father smiles proudly as if he’s the most brilliant person on earth.
“There is no way this is happening!”
My mother glares at me. “Yes, there is. You have left us no choice, and unless you wish to take over the business-”
“No!”
“-or you have a suitable boyfriend and possible fiancee ready for us to approve, you are getting married to Connor Danielson.”
I’m getting dizzy. The room has started spinning and my parents have three heads.
I grip the edge of the table and try to wake myself from this terrible nightmare. “Well… what if I fall in love?”
My parents laugh. They actually laugh at the prospect of me falling in love!
“Well, honey, that has never happened to you and we really doubt it’s going to any time soon, but if it does, then you don’t have to get engaged.”
“So… it’s a deal?” I ask meekly. I’ll take any deal over this one. If you can even call it a deal; more like an death sentence.
“What’s a deal?” My father asks ti-ghtly.
“If I fall in love before… before Christmas Eve, then I don’t have to get married to Connor.” I smile inwardly at my brilliance.
My mother gives me a wary look.”Fine. You can present your new love to us at the annual Christmas Party on December 24 by midnight.
If you have no man to present, you and Connor will formally announce your engagement.”
“Great! Then it’s a deal.” I shake both of their hands quickly and run up to my room.
“Well, that was a narrowly avoided disaster,” I tell my cat, Kate.
Now all that’s left to do is fall in love with the perfect guy… in four months.
??Unexpected ?
? Love ??
By: Worthy liBr@ry
Genre:R0m-nce
Tags: arrange marriage, betrayal, love, hate and revenge.
Chapter 2
The Plan
“So, wait, let me get this straight. You’ve got four months to fall in love or you have to marry Connor Danielson and inherit your dad’s business?”
I fall back onto my bed and hold the phone to my ear. “Exactly!”
My best friend, Kimberly, sighs. “I can’t believe this! You get to marry Connor! The Connor!”
“Kim, no. I have to marry Connor. He’s a je-rk, how can you be excited about this?
I’m getting engaged to a guy I’ve never even dated before!”
“Still! If I wasn’t dating Gavin, I would so tap that.” I hear her sigh and I roll my eyes.
“Look, Kim, I’m going to nee-d your help.”
“My help?” I can hear the shock in her voice.
“Yes.”
“Sure! What can I do?”
“Well, I have exactly four months to date every guy in school and fall in love.
And since you have so many… connections, I’m going to nee-d you to set me up with each of them,” I explain.
“Even your ex’s?”
I pause. Do I really want to go there again? “Yes. Even my ex’s.”
“And does every guy include Connor?”
I moa-n. “I forgot to tell you! My parents say I have to date him and pretend we’re in an open relationship while he claims that we’re madly in love.
So, yeah, preferably somewhere public for him and somewhere… not public for the others.”7
She laughs. “Why are you laughing at me?!”
I can hear her smile throu-ghher voice. “I’m sorry, it’s just so funny!
I mean, a few days ago we were picking out our first day of school outfits and worrying about what cl@$$es we’ll have together and now we’re trying to get you to fall in love!
It just feels like some sort of bad dream.”
She’s right. It seems unreal, this falling in love business.
Which sparks another question: What does love feel like?
I mean, I’ve never actually fallen in love or even come close to it.
Will I know how it feels when i see it? And is there a way to control who I fall in love with?
This plan suddenly seems crazy. It’s why my parents agreed to this; they know I’ll never fall in love with the perfect guy, who’s ready to get married and inherit a powerful law firm, in four months.
“What does love feel like?” I ask quietly after a minute of silence.
“Why are you asking me? I’m not in love with Gavin
Now it’s my turn to laugh. “You’ve been dating for three years. Of course you’re in love.”
She giggles. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It feels like… well, when you first realize it, you’re floating.
You think it’s too good to be true. And after a little while, it finally settles in and it becomes comfortable, like an old pair of jeans.
You feel like you belong and the missing piece you’ve been trying to find is finally found.”
“Wow… that was very sentimental.”
“Yeah, well, don’t expect it to happen again. Now hang up, if you want my help I have to make a few calls.”
I laugh and hang up the phone. I throw it on my pillow and stand up. I stand in front of my bathroom mirror and stare at my reflection.
Why me? I’m not even that pretty. How can i be engaged when I’m only seventeen? It’s just not fair.
Why don’t I have an older brother or sister to take over the business for me?! Oh, that’s right, I was supposed to do that. Too bad there is no way I’m doing that.
I move back to my room and sit in front of my laptop.
I scroll throu-ghConnor’s pictures and see his past girlfriends.
Beautiful, bikinis, and blonde. All of them. I’m a short and skinny brunette who couldn’t wear a bikini if you paid me. He’s agreed to marry me? Why?
I sigh and close my laptop. I go throu-ghmy closet and get my first day of school outfit ready.
I straighten my hair and set my alarm extra early.
Let the dating begin.
TBC
The Game on!!!!!