The Girl in the Yellow Dress (ON HOLD!)

Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Get Married To Who Now???!

"I'm sorry?" I ask, confused. I'm only seventeen... is that even legal?

Dad nods and I lean back in my chair. "I know this is crazy-"

"Crazy? No, no no. We've gone way past crazy. We have now entered the No-Way-In-Hell category."

Dad gives me a look. "Language. I will have no son of mine talking like an uneducated hoodlum." 

I laugh. "Right. Hoodlum, that's me. The straight-A, honors student from the burbs. What a rebel," I joke. Dad's face is still solemn, so I quickly stop laughing. "There's no way you're serious."

"I really wish your mother was here for this..."

"I don't. Now answer my question."

He gives me another look but doesn't say anything about my comment about Mom. "I'm sorry, son. It's the only way to save the company. Now, I'm not saying I wouldn't love retirement, and we'd still have more than enough money, but if you want to run your own business, this is your chance."

"But how does getting married save the company? Is the chick rich or something?"

Dad chuckles, something that really annoys me. He doesn't laugh, he doesn't even smirk. He just gives a low, quiet chuckle. It sets my teeth on edge. Almost as much as Mom's pursing her lips when she's angry. "No. But her parents are."

I quickly rack my brain for all the rich girls at my school. There's a lot. But the only one that comes to mind is Lacey. Her parents are loaded. And she just moved here, which explains why Dad is bringing this up now. He probably thinks I like her since we're dating now. If only he knew about the girl in the yellow dress.

"You probably know her. Her parents own a law firm, and we were hoping to merge them. But, we'd have to have some reason and go through a lot of unnecessary paperwork, and it would take a few years, years we don't have. It's a miracle they even want to do this at all."

I roll my eyes. They most likely don't even know, they just think we're taking all their business. I don't think anyone nice owns a law firm. They totally live up to all the lawyer jokes. "So? Are you gonna tell me or not?" Geez.

He stops talking and gives me a wary look. "She's very nice. And pretty, I suppose."

"The name?" 

He sighs and leans back in his chair. "Allison. Allison McHartey."

My heart feels like it's closing up. Allison? She hates me! And plus, she's never shown any interest in me, ever. This is like my worst nightmare ever. Or is it? Any other girl would fall all over me. I've had tons of girlfriends, but never really loved or even liked any of them. Sure, there were a few... but nope. They weren't the girl in the yellow dress. "No. No way."

"Please, son. This is the only option."

I sigh and close my eyes. I put my head in my hands and distantly hear my father get up to leave to give me time to think. I ignore him. I do need time.

Allison. Kim had just talked to me about her today. It feels like so long ago. I have to admit, she is kind of pretty... if you like the girl-next-door type of thing. Which nearly every guy does, when he wants an actual girlfriend. When he wants an occasional hook-up, he goes for the hot, slutty girl. Girls may think we're blind, but we're not. We know who's cute and who's hot. And Allison's definitely cute. She has those adorable brown eyes and that curly brown hair to match. Her smile's cute, and she's pretty, too. She had always had that mysterious air about her that I could never get out of my head. I guess it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world...