The Marriage Contract

CASSANDRA'S POV

"You don't seem very happy. Penny for your thoughts?" Juliet, my best friend and my boss' sister says to me waving a hand in front of my face.

I turn to her and see her run a finger through her unruly hair. In all honesty I'm not quite sure she's even had a chance to properly look at a mirror today but by some cosmic miracle she stands out like a polished gem, attracting stares of appreciation from each person that passes by.

The intricacies of having a hot friend…

Clearing my throat, I reply, "There's no need for me to be elated after all, I'm not the one who's getting married."

She peers at me. "Not exactly, but you are the one who orchestrated this entire fiasco. You're the one that managed to accomplish the impossible."

"Oh come on… now you are simply exaggerating. It wasn't that bad."

As though what I had said had answered her suspicions, she leans forward to me across the table. "Now I know that something is most definitely wrong with you. What happened? Are you sad Jarred is getting married? Cassandra Lilly Day!!! I told you not to fall for him!..but then again…there really isn't much to fall for anyway. So I repeat what happened?"

Sighing, I use my left hand to pick at non-existent lint on my dress. The yellow color bright against my skin, making me seem happier than I actually am. "I…I just got an email saying that I didn't get the position at Hemingway. I don't know what to feel at the moment."

"Oh no…I'm so sorry Cass," Juliet says, scratching the back of her head uncomfortably. "I know how hard you worked on getting that interview. Hell, I was right beside you when you kept on googling different slides on balancing ledgers."

It had been four long months that I had spent every living day working on the presentation for the Archer company's human resources department, yet they still rejected my job transfer. It honestly hurts a lot more than it should. I mean I know that I wasn't exactly trying to get the best HR position, I still felt that I deserved to get it. I had hoped and dreamed of taking the company to heights never seen before and showing them what I've got, but I guess that I'll never really be able to.

Better luck next year… I guess

"I guess I wasn't cut out for the job," I say with a resolved sigh.

"Excuse me if I sound crass but that's a load of steaming horse shit," Juliet says so matter-of-factly that I start laughing.

"If it's any consolation, you still get to work alongside the man who runs Archer corporations."

I roll my eyes at my best friend. "Yes because I've been foaming at the mouth to continue to work with the country's coldest and most arrogant CEO."

"True…big brother does tend to be far more conceited than your average male."

"Hence the theme," I say, waving around the room with a shit-eating grin.

Juliet glances around, taking in the pink decor, napkins that are folded in the shape of a swan, and a very questionable flower arch that bore the flickering neon sign "It's my engagement bitches!" and raises an eyebrow. "If he doesn't love it, then it only proves my point that he's a monster."

Batting my eyes with faux sweetness, I ask, "Why wouldn't he love it? I only planned the party like he asked me to. If he wanted a different kind of party, then he should have said so."

Juliet shakes her head at me. "You my friend are the spitting image of the word lethal. Remind me to never get on your bad side."

I reach out and grab her hand. "The day you do, sweetie, I'd suggest you rent an underground bunker in some third world country because the repercussions won't be funny. "

Juliet contemplates on my words for a second before fake shivering and yanking her hand out of mine. "So… where's our blushing bride-to-be?"

"Jared said he wanted to go over the ground rules with her, so he decided to meet her before the announcement."

Her eyes widen just a fraction. "What?!" She exclaims so loudly it attracts a couple of stares to our table, which she shoos with a wave of her hand and a muttered sorry that I'm pretty sure was not heartfelt but because she's beautiful she somehow gets pardoned for it before turning to look back at me again. "What I mean to say is… why ever in the world would you let him do that?!" She whisper-yells at me.

"Uh… because he hasn't met her yet and I thought it wouldn't hurt anyone if the soon-to-be bride and bridegroom are on a first-name basis."

Juliet parrots my words in a sarcastic tone. "He hasn't met her yet…of course he wasn't supposed to meet her yet. It's a terrible idea."

"You think he's going to make her change her mind, don't you?"