Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 90448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“You mean besides the obvious reasons?” I shook my head. “Like the fact that you can’t date other men, but he can date other women. I mean, that is seriously barbaric, sexist, and assholist.”
“I don’t think assholist is a word.”
“Well, it should be.” I shrugged. “There is also no future in this situation with Chase. I like to be in relationships that are heading towards something more. You know what I mean, right? Marriage, children, and the two of us old and rocking in a chair on the porch of our retirement home. There’s no way I’m raising children in a situation where I have scheduled evenings with their father. And what would our kids call you all anyway, aunts or harem mates?”
“Wow. You’ve really taken some time to think about this.”
It was all I’d thought about for the plane ride once I’d fled from his lounge. The very idea of me joining his arrangement was crazy. No matter how I looked at it, I just kept returning to how out-of-the-box it seemed to my ideas of love and commitment.
And I wasn’t sure I wanted to stray away from my views just to spend time with one desirable man.
“Okay. I see your point on the kids argument,” Lucy said, “but you’re only twenty-two.”
“How old are you?” I raised my eyebrows.
“Twenty-eight.”
“You don’t want kids or marriage?”
“No way.” She waved her hands. “Never happening for me.”
“Why not?”
She placed her glasses back on her eyes and ignored my question. “So let’s grab these orange things.”
We waited in line beside a few people. I concentrated on the smells and guessed there could have been some honey in the sticky stuff the woman poured onto the dough once she fried it.
Anticipation sped up my pulse.
“You do have several years before you would actually have kids, right?” Lucy turned to me.
I considered the question for a few minutes. “Probably. I wouldn’t want kids until I’m thirty. Hopefully, I’m better at taking care of myself by then. I’ve heard the thirties are when you truly know yourself.”
“Goodie. I can’t wait for that to happen for me.” Lucy dove her hand into her purse. “Since you’re not about to rush off and have a litter of little Jasmines, and Chase is pretty desperate right now, maybe you can compromise with him.”
“I doubt he’s desperate.” I replayed what he’d said on the plane, how being with him would happen eventually.
What an overconfident caveman.
“He’s definitely desperate.” She held her free hand out. “Let’s not overlook that he flew us all to India just so he could talk you into being with him.”
I paused and pondered that fact. “Well, he’ll get the picture soon.”
“I’ve known him since I was five. He never gives up. Right now he’s playing fair, soon he’ll go overboard.”
“A trip to India isn’t overboard?”
“No. This is normal Chase.” She shook her head. “Just try to compromise with him. Think of all the things you want and don’t want in this situation and then sit him down to discuss it. He’ll work with you because he wants you that much.”
I rubbed my eyes. “I don’t know.”
“If he was a single guy would you have dated him?”
“Yeah,” I said as we advanced in the line.
“If you were both just dating he would probably be dating other women anyway, right? Why not just try it out for a few weeks, and if you don’t like it, then walk away.”
“I’m not sure I could do that.” I blew out a loud breath. It would be easy to spend time and date him.
But what if I fall for him?
It would be so hard to walk away.
This is such a hard decision.
Part of me thought the arrangement was abrasive. The other part enjoyed the fun moments I had with him and was interested in experiencing what it meant to date a gorgeous man of his prestige and wealth.
“Jasmine, just give him a few weeks.”
“Well, maybe I’ll do a trial period if he meets me with my own rules.”
And there would be a bunch of them. I had to try my best to guarantee I wasn’t putting myself in a situation that would destroy me physically, emotionally, or even mentally. The last thing I needed was a stressful relationship that shoved me into depression.
“Yes!” Lucy did a fist pump into the air. “Oh yeah! We’re sisters now. And did you see the dresses he bought for us to wear tonight? They’re so gorgeous.”
“No.” I turned so she couldn’t see me and rolled my eyes.
First rule: I date who I want. Second: No more dressing me.
“So do you have any questions for me?” Lucy asked.
“What is your relationship with him? He told me you don’t have sex.”
“Nope. I’m not a sexual person. At least, not like what people conceive a sexual person to be.”
“Huh?”
“I’m complicated. Basically I don’t have sex at all. So what Chase and I have is mainly companionship. We’re never intimate or touchy in any way.” She tossed her red hair over her shoulder.