V & V (wlw)

Chapter 3 - The one with the contract

"You said this wasn't a sex thing!"

"It's not!" exclaimed Victoria, finally cracking. "Look, can we move to the couch? We'll talk about it there. I have a presentation for this."

"You have a presentation for this?"

"Yes." Victoria projected her marriage proposal slides onto a screen on the wall as Ron sat herself on the couch.

"Can I get a drink for this, at least? I know you executive types keep a stash somewhere."

"No. I need you entirely sober for this. And I'm a publicist."

"I thought you were a divorce lawyer." Ron crossed her arms.

"I have a diverse career."

Veronika watched the other woman fiddle around for a while until Vic cleared her throat.

"Again, let me remind you that you cannot discuss this matter to anyone."

"Yes, I read the NDA. Hell, you even had my name on there. I didn't think you knew how to spell it."

"I typed it up last night."

"You typed up an entire NDA last night?"

"Not the entire thing, just your name -" Victoria pinched the bridge of her nose. "May we begin?"

Veron snapped her mouth shut as the slideshow started. The information she needed to know wasn't even on the slides, it was just visual cues as Vic talked about it. Victoria walked her through the history of the Ja-el Corp. Inc.; its early roots, how it bought out other companies and became bigger, and finally why she should care.

"My grandfather set up a fund for me to inherit when he passed. He's been dead for years, but I can't collect it unless I fulfill one specific condition."

"Which is?" But Ron was sure she already knew.

"To get married."

They stared each other down. Ron said, "What's the inheritance?"

"That isn't relevant information."

"It is if you're marrying me," said Ron. "Is it money?"

A pause. "Yes."

"How much?"

"Enough to ensure I never have to work a day in my life again."

"What, you don't have enough already?" She asked, and Vic glared at her. Ron changed tact. "Why now? Gramps's been gone for a while, right?"

"I have my reasons."

"You're being very secretive," Ron said, putting her hands on her hips. "I don't think you understand what marriage entails."

Victoria hung her head and expelled a lungful's worth of air through her mouth. "So will you do it or not?"

"Now hold on. I have questions of my own. Like, what am I getting out of this exactly? Is this like a forever thing?"

"Ten million. Every month, you'll get a payment, let's say a hundred grand. At the end of the agreement, which will take over a year, you'll receive the remainder of the amount promised."

100k a month; that's more than what she makes in a year. Ten million would change her life.

"Question, again," Victoria nodded at her. "Why don't you just get real married? To someone? Don't you have like, a partner?"

"I don't have the time."

Veron snickered at that response, just to provoke. Victoria gave her the reaction she wanted - a vicious roll of the eyes. "Another one: Does it have to be a woman?"