Chapter 2 The proposition

Leah Carter balanced her coffee cup on her knee and glared at the stack of discharge papers on her clipboard. The night shift at St. Anne's was chaos - again. Babies crying, alarms beeping, doctors barking orders like drill sergeants. It was the kind of shift that made her wonder why she ever thought nursing was a calling and not a cosmic punishment.

Somewhere between triage and an IV change, her phone buzzed.

Adrian Blake.

She almost dropped her pen. She hadn't saved his number, but the name popped up anyway - the man who, thanks to one bureaucratic disaster, was now legally her husband.

She swiped the screen and hissed, "What?"

His voice came smooth and unhurried, like someone who'd never been yelled at by an ER doctor in his life. "Good evening, Mrs. Blake."

"Don't call me that," she said through gritted teeth. "I'm up to my elbows in blood pressure cuffs."

"I'll be brief," he said, unbothered. "We have a situation."

Leah rolled her eyes. "We had a situation. It's called a marriage certificate. I assume your assistant is already fixing it."

"That's the problem." Adrian's tone tightened. "My grandmother saw the notice online."

Leah froze. "The what?"

"The public marriage registry updates automatically. Apparently, she checks it weekly. Don't ask why."

"Oh, I wouldn't dare," Leah muttered. "So what happened?"

"She called. Twice. Then told my entire family she's flying in from Boston to meet my wife."

Leah pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh no."

"Oh yes," Adrian said dryly. "Which brings me to my proposal."

She laughed humorlessly. "You're proposing again? Should I start picking floral arrangements?"

"Very funny. I need you to pretend to be my wife for a few weeks. Just until my grandmother leaves the country again."

Leah blinked. "You're out of your mind."

"Possibly," he admitted, "but it's the simplest solution. If I file for annulment now, she'll think something's wrong. She'll never stop asking questions. But if we pretend-"

"Pretend to be married," she interrupted, incredulous. "That's your big idea?"

"It's practical," he said evenly. "I'll handle the legal side. You won't have to pay a thing. In fact, I'll compensate you for your time."

Leah stared at the monitors blinking above the nurse's station, wondering what alternate universe she'd stumbled into. "You want to pay me to be your fake wife?"

"I prefer the term temporary partner in deception."

She snorted. "Oh, that makes it sound so much better."

"I'm serious, Leah. My grandmother is... persistent. And she's already telling the press."

"The press?" Her voice went up an octave. "You didn't mention you were famous!"

"I'm not famous. Just... newsworthy. My firm handles high-profile cases."

Leah rubbed her temples. "This just keeps getting better."

"I'll make it worth your while," Adrian said quietly. "A stipend. Plus, I'll cover any inconvenience."

She hesitated. She could use the money - between rent, her sister's college fees, and her ancient car, her budget was one bad day away from collapse. But this? This was lunacy.

"Why me?" she asked finally. "You could hire someone."

"I don't trust strangers," he said simply. "You, unfortunately, are already legally bound to me. And you didn't seem the type to exploit the situation."

Leah exhaled, staring at the cup of cold coffee in her hand. "This is insane."

"Completely," he agreed. "But it might save us both a lot of trouble."

Silence stretched between them, filled only by the distant hum of hospital machines.

Finally, Leah said, "I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask," he said softly. "Goodnight, Mrs- Leah."

She hung up before he could finish.

---

By morning, Leah's head was pounding from lack of sleep and too many impossible thoughts. She stared at the crumpled marriage certificate still buried in her bag. Maybe this was a nightmare. Maybe she'd wake up and laugh about it.

Except when she opened her locker at the hospital, a single white envelope slipped out - neat handwriting, embossed initials: A.B.

Inside was a note.

> Dinner. 7 p.m. Le Jardin. We'll discuss terms.

- A.

Leah groaned aloud. "Terms. Like I'm signing a lease."

Her friend Tasha peeked over her shoulder. "Ooh, fancy restaurant. New boyfriend?"

Leah sighed. "Something like that."

Tasha grinned. "About time, girl."

Leah forced a smile. If only she knew.

[End of Episode 2]

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