The FAFSA Bride. ||| on hold |||

Chapter 3: The Proposal

"So, do you honestly think this beast is going to make it to Leavenworth and back?"

Bryce looked at the sad little civic with a look of confusion and shock. Michelle rolled her eyes at him.

"Well, Mr. I don't need a car in Seattle, do you have another option?"

"No, but I am afraid," Bryce joked. "How long is the drive?"

"Two hours, give or take," Michelle replied. "So, we have plenty of time to talk and get to know each other."

"Sounds like a plan, beautiful," Bryce said.

They got into Betsy and started to drive, glancing over at each other occasionally.

"So, do your roommates know about me?"

"Magda calls you 'Mr. Caliente', and they think you're just a guy I am sleeping with."

"Except they are wrong," Bryce said. "I'm your platonic husband to be. But I like the nickname."

"It suits you," Michelle said, laughing. "So, anything you want to know about your bride?"

"How about everything? Favorite sports, bands, what it's like to be a millionaire.... All the details, basically."

"Ok, let's play a game," Michelle said. "We'll ask each other twenty questions, taking turns. You can pass if you want, but let's try and be honest with each other. Sound good?""

"What are you, the interrogation specialist?"

"No, I just like games," Michelle said. "See, you already know one more thing about me."

"Ok, I will go first," Bryce said. "Tell me about your one boyfriend, the one who you said left after you guys..."

"Oh, him," Michelle said. "Long story short, we dated for a while. We went all the way, and I found out he just wanted to be with me because I was rich. He was always asking me to pay for things, and he told his friends he didn't even think I was pretty. It hurt, but he was using me the entire time."

"What? Is he blind?"

"No, Bryce. He saw me for what I am, and he moved on. It hurt, because I thought I loved him. But he wanted someone better, I guess."

"Well, he is a moron," Bryce said.

"It's my turn," Michelle said. "Ok, since we're on this train, have you ever been in love before?"

"Not really," Bryce said. "I mean, I've dated a lot of girls. And I lived in a frat house last year, which meant I had a lot of hookups..."

"Wow, I am marrying a frat boy," Michelle said. "I didn't think you were the type."

"Well, my best friend made me join. It was fun, but I want to buckle down this year. I need to work hard to get into med school."

"I see...so no serious girlfriends?"

"Not yet," Bryce said, glancing at Michelle.

He was trying to be upfront with her, tell her the whole truth about the women he'd been with. It was what it was, and Bryce was just not the kind of guy who'd been in a serious relationship before.

"So, how many siblings do you have?"

"Three, all older sisters, two of them married."

"Ok," Michelle said. "I'm an only child."

"So Michelle, why do you want to be a lawyer?"

"I just want to do something that I'd be good at, and I think I'd be a good lawyer."