She let a slight smile light her lips, "Perhaps this is God's way of tellin' you to slow down."
"Perhaps," he smiled too.
She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes going over him thoroughly. "I guess I can understand though. I was never courted either." She said dully. "I truly hope it all works out for you, but what are we going to do about this?"
"You'll just have to be my wife in public." He told her. "For a while."
"So now, I'm an actress, too?"
"I reckon you are." He studied her. "One thing about it though, when I make a mistake, I make a beautiful one." He smiled now with a sexy curve to his lips. Lips she had already kissed several times.
"Alright, if you promise I can be your cook, I'll do it, I need this job. You were my last hope. I'll admit, I'm dead broke and I need this job like crazy."
"You've got it, lady."
She flopped down on the bed on the other side and put her face in her hands and shook her head. "All I wanted to do was cook for you."
"Well that part won't be hard to live up to. We'll figure something out about the sleeping arrangements, until we get this settled." He told her.
"And what will you do if the real bride shows up, demanding you marry her."
"Well, I won't become a bigamist for any woman." He told her firmly.
She walked around the bed and came to stand in front of him. "What about the things they'll expect of you?"
"Who will expect?"
"Your friends."
"Like what?"
"Well, as a new bride, they'll expect you to kiss me, romance me a little, won't they?"
He looked at her and studied her, "Yeah, I guess they will."
"Of course, they will. I can't play both parts." She frowned, "Are you so desperate to please your fr
iends you'd do it?" she croaked.
"You don't understand men. I have a certain standing in the community. If most anyone knew about us, the truth I mean, I'd me laughed right out of town. You are right they will expect it of me. It's better than having them laugh at me. And we already know that kissing isn't a chore."
"I don't understand, haven't you ever made a mistake?" she challenged. "Is being laughed at so bad, especially if they are your friends."
"Yes, more so if they are your friends, they never let you live it down." he stood up, facing her, "Yes, I have made mistakes, too many in fact, and you are one of them!"
She felt that insult, like a slap in the face. He'd done it now, he'd put her in her place for sure.
"And what makes you think I'll go along with being your blushing bride?" She tried to insult him as much as he had her.
"Because, despite everything, you are my wife and we'll both have to play along until we figure out how to get out of this." He told her in no uncertain terms. "Assuming you want out of it, that is. And assuming you want to keep your job as my cook."
"You think I wanted this?" She gasped. "I don't even know you. I didn't know you were my boss until the man at the door called you Mr. Rogers, and then Lance. I like to have fainted again when I heard that. If you knew how much I looked forward to working for you—"
"I'm flattered. But what gets me is, all you would have had to do was speak up. You didn't. What am I to think?"
"Why you pompous Jackass!" she yelled and covered her mouth.
"You've got a mouth like a back-room saloon girl."