The Arrangement

Chapter 29

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Chapter 29

I stared at the door to the study.  My heart was racing and I was beyond nervous.  I had both hands wrapped around Trent’s hand and arm.  

“Are you ready?”

I shook my head.  “Not really.”

Trent pulled his arm from my grasp and wrapped it around my shoulders.  “It’ll be okay.”  Trent knocked on the door and opened it.

“About damn time you showed up,” growled the man behind the desk.  I recognized the man from the picture in Trent’s room.   He was solid and even sitting down, there was no mistaking how large he was.  His eyes were the same shade as Nick’s but held none of the warmth.  

“Hello Dad, this is Mikaela.”

He stood slowly and unfurled himself from behind his desk.  He offered a large meaty hand.  “Donovan.”

“I’m Mikaela,” I offered as I squared my shoulders and swallowed my fear as I offered my hand to him.  I could do this.  I’d squared off against rivals for my grant.  I’d fought against government groups and government red tape to earn the right to test my theory.  I could stand up to a man, he was just a business tycoon.

He had a firm grip, but didn’t try to crush mine, as had happened before by men who’d tried to intimidate me.  “Nice handshake.”

“Thank you.” I smiled.  “I’ve learned it’s sometimes a deciding factor in whether or not people actually listen to my next sentence or not.”

“Oh?  You almost sound like a business woman.”

“Not quite, I’m a marine biologist.”

“Where’d you learn a handshake like that?”

“My father taught me.”

“He must be a decent man.”

“More than decent if I may say so myself.” I didn’t like this banter.  This was fun to him, to me it was exhausting.

“Tell me, how did you catch Trent’s eye?”

“Honestly, I have no idea.  I didn’t invite the chase, but no doesn’t seem to be an answer he’s used to hearing.” I glanced over at Trent and smiled.

“How did you end up married to him then?”

I shrugged.  I’d be as honest as possible.  “He got lucky that we had a drunken misunderstanding.  After that, he’d already gotten his foot in the door and refused to let me close it.”

Trent laughed at that point.  I looked back at him and shrugged.  

“What’s so funny, my boy?”

“She’s not joking.  It was easier to get Makoto to sell his family’s resort in Kyoto than to get this girl to say yes to a date.  I had to practically throw her over my shoulder and kidnap her.”

“Why her?”

Trent stared at me for a long moment.  “I saw something I didn’t want to live without.  Something I don’t think I can live without.”  My heart warmed at his words.  I hoped the were sincere and not something just to say to his dad.