Chandelier lights spread out like a sea of golden yellow across the restaurant. The soft sound of piano music, the quiet chatter of people, and the clinging of cutleries gave life to the room. Darnell was at his reserved table at five-thirty pm. Only two other people were at the VVIP section situated on the highest floor. From up there, he had the best view of the entire restaurant. He looked over the smooth timber railing occasionally to look out for the lady he'd met the night before, as he'd inconveniently forgotten to ask for her phone number.

His phone rang and he picked it up to check the caller ID. It was Tessy, his ex. Even though he'd made it clear to her that their six-month long relationship was nothing other than business, she still called him every now and then, hoping to rekindle their relationship. It was clear to him that he'd made a mistake going for someone so young, but she was available in the short amount of time he needed her before meeting with his family. Grandfather had grown fond of Tessy, so Darnell kept her for much longer, until Grandfather started asking when they would get married. That was when Darnell knew he had to get rid of her.

He ignored the call. It wasn't appropriate now that he was about to meet his wife to be. 

Sasha arrived at a few minutes before six. At the entrance, she informed the security that she was there for Mr. Darnell King, and he pointed to the top floor. She could see from his head to his shoulder from where he sat near the railing. He was distracted by his phone, picked it up, put it back down, placed his right arm on the railing and stared ahead. His long-sleeved shirt was folded down to his wrist, exposing a watch.

As she made her way upstairs, she began to wonder if she was a little over-dressed. Or rather, under-dressed. She'd worn a sleeveless silver sequin dress that stopped above her knee. It was tight around her waist area but looser around her hips. It accentuated her curve. She'd paired it with a pair of black pointed heels and a black purse. Her goal-to be seductive. She wasn't the kind of woman that expected a man like him to want anything serious. No. She was there to sow wild oats with the most handsome man in the world.

"Mr. King," she called as she reached his table. A server helped her into her.

Looking directly at him now sent a flush of anxiety through her body. He looked at her through his lashes, with a deadly smirk spread across his face

"It's a pleasure to have your company," he said.

God, she was angelic. Her brown skin glistened under the golden lights of the chandelier. Her makeup was barely there, but it accentuated her facial features; sharp jawline, full lips that were the focus of her face, thanks to that pink shade of shiny lipgloss she'd smeared on them, and sparkly eyeshadow beautified her eyelids. Grandfather would never think of Tammy again if he brought her home.

"Likewise." She smiled.

There was a bottle of wine on the table. Darnell pooped it open and poured some of its contents into two glasses that a server had brought over.

"Red Ash," he said as he placed one glass on Sasha's side of the table. "I formulated the ingredients myself."

Sasha inhaled the wine's fruity smell before putting the glass to her lips. "This is amazing," she complimented as she tasted the wine.

"Thank you," Darnell replied confidently.

As the night progressed, they talked about why he came to America and about her job. Two hours later, they were ready to call it a night. He offered to drive her home, and so they walked to his car together.

"Miss Peirce, I'm afraid I haven't been entirely open with you all night," he said.

"Oh?" Sasha let out. Could this be the moment he used his charm to initiate something sexual? Did he want to take her home?

"I have a business proposition for you," he said.

She stopped walking. "What? Really?"

A business proposal from Darnell King? Founder of the biggest wine company in the world, new heir to King Hotels, and who was also possibly a billionaire? Was the universe about to reward her after her company failed her?

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I may have overheard some of your conversation last night," he said. "Particularly the part about wanting a fake marriage."

"Oh...well. I was just talking, you know? I wasn't really going to do it," she confessed.

"You sounded pretty serious to me."

"Well, yes. At first, I really was considering it, but my sister talked me out of it. But, why? Does this have anything to do with this business proposal you have for me?" she asked.

"Miss Peirce," he started, looking into her eyes. "How would you like to marry me?"

Sasha recoiled in confusion. "What?

"Marry me," he repeated."You want me to marry you?" she asked, as if to be sure she'd heard him correctly.

"Yes, I do," he replied.

"Why?"

"It'll be a fake marriage. Short-lived. And you'd be paid handsomely," he said.

"But, why?" she insisted.

Darnell exhaled. "My grandfather barely has two months to live. His dying wish is to see me get married. I want to fulfill it," he explained. "You only have to be my wife for as long as he lives. In return, you will get whatever you want. Go wherever you want to go in the world. And after my grandfather's death and our divorce, you will be rewarded with two million.

"Sasha's eyes widened.

"Well...I...I think I need more information," she said.

"That's all the information there is to know," he said. "We get married. You become my wife until my grandfather passes on. That's it. Sleep on it. Call me tomorrow when you have an answer." He handed her a card. "Shall we?" He signaled to his car.

*

"I would do it," said Tatiana when Sasha told her over the phone about Darnell's offer later that night when she got home.

"I thought you didn't want me to get fake married," Sasha said.

"This one is different," said Tatiana, stating the obvious. "Marrying Darnell King? Two million dollars? Hell, I would take it right now if he came to me.

"Sasha laughed. "I get it. I guess I'm just worried about what I could be getting myself into. This family is powerful, you know? And, of all women, why me? I mean, I get that he'd heard me telling you that I wanted to get fake married, but I'm a nobody and he could easily find someone more...his status. Someone more believable."

"Probably because he gets to pay you two million dollars. That's nothing to him. I think you should make him increase his offer," Tatiana suggested.

"I think you're right," Sasha concurred. "Maybe, I can finally free us from Dad's debt once and for all."

"Oh, Sash. You'd really do that?"

"Of course. You'd do the same if it were you."

"I love you," Tatiana said. "Do you have to have sex with him?" she blurted out.

"You know what? I never asked, but thanks for bringing that up."

"Be careful, okay Sash? And call me if you ever need anything."

"Thank you, sis."

Sasha hung up and heard a knock on her door, followed by her mother entering her room before she could say anything.

"Are you seeing someone new?" her mother asked excitedly in her Nigerian accent. "I saw that man that brought you home. Is that who you went on a date with?"

"How did you even...?" Sasha trailed off, not bothering to finish her question as she knew her mother must have looked through the window when she heard the sound of the car.

"It's good that you're moving on," her mother continued after she sat down in a chair next to Sasha's bed. "I saw Trey the other day at the grocery store with his new girlfriend."

Sasha sprung up from her bed and turned to face her mother. It had been a month since Trey broke up with her. A week since she forced herself to stop checking his social media. Sure, he was allowed to move on. But for a relationship of ten years, it was hurtful that he had moved on so quickly while she was left treating her wounds.

"What?" she managed to let out.

"You should have told him you were ready for marriage like I told you..."

"Please, mum. Enough of that!" she yelled angrily and lay back down on her belly, with the back of her head facing her mother.

"I'm just saying," her mother continued. "Ten years. He wasted your time."

"And I told you I wasn't ready to marry either. But if you want me to get married so badly, then I will get married." Sasha rose from her bed, grabbed Darnell's card from the table where she'd kept it, and barged out of the room.

She went outside to the balcony and shakily dialed his number. It was almost nine pm, perhaps too late to place the call, but she needed to tell him as soon as possible before she changed her mind.

"Hello?" he said as he picked the call.

"It's Miss Peirce," Sasha answered. "I will marry you, but I want five million dollars."

"Done. My driver will pick you up in three days. We will go over the contract and plan a wedding next week."

"Wait, what?"

"Yes?"

"Isn't that a little too soon?" she protested.

"No," he replied abruptly.

She had already made one renegotiation and worried that another might put him off.

"Fine. But I want to know everything that is expected of me before I sign any contract,' she said.

"You will."

She ended the call and sighed heavily. She'd just sold herself for five million dollars. Five million dollars that would be hers in two months, during which she'd be married into one of the most powerful families in the world. And then, she'd be divorced. Oh, why hadn't she thought about that part? People would mock her. They'd laugh and say she was a nobody hoping to get a taste of wealth, but it didn't last. They'd say, how could someone fumble one of the richest men in the world so quickly. And her mother? She would never stop saying how Sasha's independence pushes men away.

But at least she'd be five-million-dollar richer.

The driver swerved the limo into the gate and turned the ignition off when he'd parked in the space reserved for Darnell. He alighted from the driver's seat and pulled the passenger door open for Sasha. She made her way to the VVIP section where she and Darnell had met the last time.

Darnell paced while on a phone call, so she quietly took a seat and waited for him to be done with it. There was a sealed file sitting on the table, and she surmised it contained their marriage contract. He ended his call and joined her on the table

"I expected a lawyer," she said.

"It's a private matter," he replied. "No one except you and me can know."

"My sister knows," she said."Your family can know. They can't do anything."

His arrogance irked her.

"There are some ground rules that you must obey while you're married to me," he said as he opened the file.If this were a real relationship, she would have walked out at that moment.

"You can't see anyone for the duration of our marriage," he started. "No boyfriends, lovers dates, or anything of the sort. If you must, limit it to internet stuff until we're divorced. Cheating is a scandal in the family. We want to avoid that," he added.

"Does that apply to you as well, or is it just me?" she inquired.

He raised his head and looked in her eyes. "Just you."She hated him. She hated him badly. Of course he was that kind of man. Of course, he believed infidelity was only a problem when a woman did it.

He turned his attention back to the file and continued reading. "You also can't work for the duration of the marriage. Whatever you need would be provided for you."

"What about my job? Am I supposed to just quit?" she asked.

"If it's important to you, then you can have it back after the divorce," he assured. "I'll see to it that your job is still there when you return. Any more questions?"

"You brother owns my firm. What if he catches me someday? What if I get a promotion that requires me to see him face-to-face?" she asked.

"You only get to see each on the day of the wedding. I doubt he'd ever remember you," Darnell replied.

"Okay...and...do we...would you...do I have to...sleep with you?" She looked at his face to see his reaction.

"That's entirely up to you." He smirked."Well, I don't want to," she said as-a-matter-of-factly, hoping to deflate his overinflated ego.

"If you say so."

"So, where do I sign?"

"Right here." He pushed the contract to her side of the table and tapped on the spot.

She signed the paper after scanning through the contract, then pushed it back to him. "Anything else?"

He leaned back in his chair. "I don't think you like me very much."

"Is that a problem?"

"No. I think it's great," he replied. He wouldn't have a problem getting rid of her after their divorce.

"But I do think we should spend some time getting to know each other. If we're going to live together, we must make sure we don't want to kill each other," he said. "Resume our dates from where we left off?"

"What more is there to know?" she asked."Your previous intention," he said. "What did you hope to get out of going on a date with me?"

The piano man stopped playing and it dramatized the moment he asked the question.

"I thought you were nice. And I wanted to sleep with you," she said. "Anything else?"

She was a grown woman who didn't care if anyone judged her. And she needed him to know that she didn't like him. He was just for sex, nothing more.

"But that was before I knew you were kind of an ass," she added before he could answer.

"Tsk. Maybe, I should have waited a little longer before I popped the question," he said.

"Are you teasing me, Mr. King?" she leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table and looking into his eyes through her long lashes with a smirk across her lips.

"Call me Darnell," he said in a low drawl, with his eyes staring right back at her. "And I'll call you Sasha." His smirk had disappeared and his eyes read danger.

It did something to her internally. She pulled back and turned her eyes away. He smiled with satisfaction.

"I have to go," she said and started to leave. "See you at the wedding."

He wasn't used to the kind of woman she was-razor-sharp mouth, blunt, and fearless. Other women melted easily for him. This woman didn't. She liked to be in control.

This should be fun, he thought to himself.

*

As Sasha packed the rest of her things into a cardboard box, she looked around her office one more time and wondered if she was making a mistake. She'd never imagined herself leaving this office so soon, despite having been there for seven years. But Darnell had promised she would get it back. She hoped to God that he would keep his words.

She heard a knock on her door and turned around to see Tom McCarthy standing at her door. He was tall, and his head almost reached the door frame. His dirty blonde hair was groomed to lay at the sides, with a few short hairs falling in front to form a fringe. He was in his 40s, but still had that youthful playboy air about him.

"Remind me again why you're abandoning us," he said as he entered the office.

Sasha smiled, "I just...want to see what's out there for once."

"Not to discourage you but...there isn't always better out there, you know?" said Tom. "Sometimes what you have is the best you can get, especially in this economy. And you were so great at your job. It's a pity." He shook his head.

"Thank you. And...I'll take my chances. Who knows, maybe if I don't succeed out there, I can come back and my old job would be waiting for me."

Tom gritted his teeth and tilted his head. Sasha laugh.

"Speaking of," Sasha said. "With all due respect, I expected to get that promotion for director. You always said I worked so hard. Even now. And I've been in this company for seven years. So, why him and not me?" She continued, "Under normal circumstances, this would be inappropriate, but since I don't work here anymore, I might as well ask.""About that...," Tom moved closer to her. "I did think you deserved the promotion. But you just didn't convince me enough that you wanted it.""I don't understand."

"I was in a tight spot. The CSO of our office in Seattle is a good friend. He wanted me to give the job to Mr. Fletcher, so I put him into consideration. So, you see...it's not enough to be good at your job. It's better when you have...a trusted relationship...with someone powerful."

"W...what are you trying to say?" Sasha stuttered.Tom laughed. "How old are you? 29? 30? You're mature. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. All the compliments that I give you? The good things I only have to say about you? You know what I'm talking about. You chose to pretend not to."

Sasha's gaze shifted between his eyes. They were a light blue but carried some darkness in them. She closed her mouth when she realized it was open."

I can still guide you in this industry," Tom continued. "I know people in high places. I can get you another job..." he snapped his fingers. "Just like that. Maybe, you thought it was unprofessional, and so you ignored me. I get it. But now, we can connect. What do you say?"

Sasha shook her head and exhaled."Goodbye Tom. Till we meet again," she said and headed for the door.

*

A few days to the wedding, Sasha and Tatiana went shopping for a wedding dress. Darnell had assigned an assistant, Mary, to go with the pair. Sasha and Tatiana had taken the opportunity to shop other things. With two bags each in both hands, they hopped out of the store and headed for the limo where a driver waited for them. They were close to the car when Sasha spotted him.

"What?" Tatiana said when Sasha stopped. She followed the direction of her gaze and saw Trey on the other side of the road, about to cross the street. "Oh."

He spotted Sasha and Tatiana and waved. Tatiana waved back while Sasha just stared, her mind filled with anger. Trey crossed the road and approached them. 

"Hi," he said nervously.

"Hi?" Sasha repeated, still looking him in the eyes.

"How have you been, Sasha?" he asked.

"What do you care?" she fired back.Trey sighed. "What do you want me to say? It's been more than a month, Sasha. Are you going to hate me forever?"

"You know, I wasn't sure, but then I heard from my mother that you got a new girlfriend already, and so I decided that maybe you deserve to be hated forever," she said. "What happened to wanting to find yourself? What, you got lost in another woman's vagina?"

"Look, I..." He shrugged. "It just happened."

"How could it take you ten years to realize you didn't want to be with me and less than a month to be with someone new?"

"Do you really want to do this again? Here? Fine. You weren't exactly easy to be with. You...you didn't make me feel needed," he said.

"You mean I didn't shrink myself to make you feel more like a man?' she fired. "Your fragility is not my responsibility, and I will not let you or my mum or anyone else make me feel like I'm too much, because I'm not."

Just then, Mary neared them, carrying the wedding dress Sasha had picked in a transparent garment bag as she headed to the car.

"Let's go, Sash. Your wedding dress is ready," Tatiana said to the hearing of Trey.

"I don't understand," said Trey. "Who's getting married?"

"She is," Tatiana said.

"You didn't feel needed because you weren't enough," said Sasha, as she caught on to her sister's act. "You didn't deserve me, so I found someone who did."

"Wait, wait, wait, what?" Trey narrowed his eyes and tiled his head in confusion. "How long have you been seeing him?"

"Goodbye, Trey." Tatiana pulled Sasha away.

"Wait! Sasha!" Trey yelled after them.

But Sasha and Tatiana jogged on, giggling.

Doubt pervaded Sasha's mind on the day of the wedding. Even though she had never been one to care about marriage, her first wedding ever being a fake bothered her. Tatiana was the only one there to support her because she had decided against telling her mother. She had told her instead that she was going on a two-month work trip.

The only thing her mother hated more than her singleness was a divorce. If she knew about the marriage and learned that they were divorcing only two months later, she would never stop saying it was her lack of submissiveness that threatened men. Sometimes, Sasha was tempted to tell her that if she had divorced their father when she needed to, they wouldn't be in the situation they were in.

The wedding was held at the garden in Darnell's grandfather's estate. Apart from Tatiana, Grandfather, Joshua, and his wife, Maya, and the wedding officiant were at the wedding. Tatiana walked Sasha down the aisle to no music, and joined her with Darnell next to a floral arch and the officiant.

As the officiant read the wedding sermon, Sasha struggled to maintain eye contact with Darnell, who had no issue looking into her eyes with a smirk across his face. It was soon time for the vows and the officiant began with Darnell.

"Repeat after me. I, Darnell," he started.

"I, Darnell," Darnell repeated.

"Take you, Sasha."

"Take you, Sasha."

"To be my lawful wedded wife."

"To be my lawful wedded wife."

"To have and to hold, from this day forward."

"To have and to hold, from this day forward."

"And to love and cherish."

"And to love and cherish."

"For better for worse, in sickness and in health."

"For better for worse, in sickness and in health."

"To love and cherish, till death do us part."

"To love and cherish, till death do us part."

Even though they had practiced it, the vows felt too heavy to say to a fake husband, in a fake wedding, in front of their own families, but when the officiant turned to Sasha and said the words, she repeated the lies. After the exchange of rings, the officiant declared them husband and wife.

"You may kiss the bride," he said.

That was the part they never practiced. Darnell began to lean in, and Sasha closed her eyes. But he bent his neck so that the back of his head was facing the audience and pecked her on the edge of her lips.

He pulled away and smiled at her as everyone clapped.

"Welcome to the family, Mrs. King," he whispered.

When the ceremony was over, Grandfather hosted a lunch at his dining room. A large table that occupied almost the entire room was covered with food, with a whole roast suckling pig as the centerpiece. Sasha changed out of her wedding dress before she and Tatiana joined the rest of the family. Grandfather was wheeled to the head of the table while everyone else took the sides-Darnell, Sasha and Tatiana all on one side, and Joshua and Maya on the other side.

Grandfather was a frail man due to his illness, but still maintained some looks for his age. His coily white hair was full but trimmed. White stubbles appeared along his jaw and under his neck. Two guards stood behind him at the far end of the room, near a giant window.

"So, tell me about you," Grandfather said to Sasha as they began to eat.

She swallowed her food forcefully and coughed. Not once did she think she'd have to talk about herself.

"My name is Sasha..." She regretted the words as soon as they came out, but it was too late.

It felt odd introducing herself to her new family like a total stranger. What kind of family was this that didn't think only knowing their family-in-law on her wedding day was suspicious? How couldn't they see that the marriage was a total sham?

"I grew up here...where I've lived my whole life," she resumed. "I love to paint and..." her voice trailed off as she tried to avoid giving specific details, just as Darnell had warned her.

"And your parents?" Grandfather asked. "Oh, don't answer that. Darnell told me you are an orphan. Accept my apologies. I'm a very old man. My memories are failing me," he added in-between breaths.

"No apology needed, Mr. King," said Sasha.

"Please, call me Grandfather."

Sasha's chest tightened. Why had she agreed to deceive this poor man on his last phase of life?

"I have arranged for you and Darnell to have your honeymoon at my resort in Sacramento. Danny tells me you don't want to be far away from home. You can stay there for as long as you like." Grandfather smiled as he announced the news.

"Oh," Sasha breathed. She nudged Darnell. "You obviously wanted to surprise me about the honeymoon, didn't you?" she said with a fake smile.

"Don't worry, we're not going," he whispered in her ear.

"I've also made arrangements for a jet to take you there," Grandfather added.

"Oh, thank you so much, Grandfather," said Sasha. "We're so excited for this." She turned to Darnell. "Aren't we, honey?"

Darnell pressed his lips together. "Yes, we are. Thank you, Grandfather"

Lunch was over in a few hours. Sasha and Darnell headed to his home after saying goodbye to the family. The drive was long, quiet and awkward. They soon made it to his estate and Sasha heaved a sigh of relief when the car ignition was turned off next to a fountain.

"Home sweet home," Darnell said as he opened his side of the car door.

The driver opened Sasha's side of the door. She'd never been to Darnell's home, so she took in the massive estate. As she turned around, her eyes met his.

"Ready to go inside?" he asked.

She nodded in the affirmative, and he gestured her ahead. At the entrance of his mansion, he pushed the door open to let her inside. His butler, Andrew, carried her luggage and led her to her room upstairs where Mary had arranged her new wardrobe. The room was twice the size of her room at home, with a king-sized bed and a walk-in closet. She strolled to the window and pulled the curtain open to scan the view of the compound.

"Are you comfortable?"

The voice startled her. She twirled to see Darnell standing at the door, occupying the entire frame.

"I'll fit in just fine," she responded.

"Good," he said. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, we leave for our honeymoon," he added and walked away before she could protest.

*

Early the next morning, Sasha was woken up by a knock on the door and was informed by Andrew to pack up for her flight to Sacramento. By the time she got into Grandfather's jet, she didn't have to worry about any awkward silences between her and Darnell, as she'd slept off like a newborn as soon as the plane went into the air. About an hour later, she was woken up with a tap. She opened her eyes to see Darnell standing above her and staring down at her.

"Rise and shine." He smiled.

She propelled herself upward and followed him out of the plane to Grandfather's Kingdom Resort, taking in the luxurious view as they strolled down to the reception room. The place was surrounded by palm trees and a pool of water that meandered around it.

"Mr. King. Mrs. King, it's a pleasure to have you here," the receptionist said as she saw them. "Your honeymoon suite has been made ready for you." She turned to the porter that was carrying their luggage in a carrier. "Please, show Mr. and Mrs. King to their suite." She handed him a key card.

Sasha called to Darnell when the porter was ahead of them.

He turned to face her. "Yes?"

She leaned in and asked in a low voice, "Are we sharing the same room?"

"It's a honeymoon suite, what do you think?" He smirked.

"I want a separate room," she said.

"And raise suspicions? What if Grandfather has someone spying on us?" he joked.

She frowned.

"Fine." Darnell headed back to the receptionist and spoke to her. He waited for her response, then returned to Sasha. "Unfortunately, all the rooms are occupied until tomorrow. Looks like you're stuck with me for the night, mon amour."

The porter had kept their luggage in the corner of the room by the time they arrived. He handed Darnell the key card and Darnell squeezed a wad of cash into his hand before he left.

"I'll give you some space to freshen up," he said to Sasha and left.

Left alone, Sasha took in the aesthetic of the room. It was where Afrocentrism met modern architecture. The large window opened up to a view of the pool, and the huge bed's frame had a spiral pattern. At least, she wouldn't have to worry about sleeping too close to Darnell, she thought.

She decided she needed to cool off in the pool before taking a shower, so she changed into her bikini, smeared on some sunscreen, and opened her phone to text Tatiana when she saw a missed call. Her heart skipped a beat. Even though she had deleted the contact, she recognized the number. After ten years, it was impossible to forget. His text was also on her screen. She clicked it:

Hey, Sasha. It's me, Trey. I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I realized how much I miss you. I'm sorry for hurting you. Text me back?

She closed her eyes and fought back the tears that threatened to fall. Of course, now he wanted her back, just like Tatiana said he would. He wasn't sorry. He couldn't fathom the idea that he didn't mean so much to her after seeing her get married so quickly. Now, he knew exactly how he'd made her feel.

She texted Tatiana to update her on her arrival and headed toward the door. She pulled it open and nearly bumped into the familiar figure in front of her.

"Sorry," she uttered.

He didn't mean to, but Darnell's eyes landed on her breasts. They sat perfectly cupped in her red bikini bra. He forced his eyes away and looked into hers. She tilted her head to look up at him. The way her beautiful eyes shone and her lips parted tempted him to pull her face in. On the inside, he fought the urge to step back so he could see her full figure without so many clothes.

He wasn't sure how long they stood there staring at each other, but he eventually moved aside to let her walk past him. Perhaps, he had imagined it, but she almost looked disappointed. When she was a few steps away, he allowed himself to stare at her full body. Even with a scarf around her waist for modesty's sake, her rear moved in a way that lured him like a siren song to a pirate.

At the pool, Sasha unwrapped the scarf around her waist and lowered herself into the cold body of water. She rested her arms and the back of her head on the edge of the pool, so that her face was to the sun. She closed her eyes and relived the last few minutes between her and Darnell and began to regret playing hard to get in the first place. Maybe, he was a shitty man, but he wasn't worst off than most of them. At least he was hot. Very hot.

A few minutes later, she went back into their room. It smelled of male cologne, and she immediately thought Darnell must have freshened up and headed out somewhere. She couldn't help imagining how he'd taken off his clothes, headed into the shower, and let water run down his dark, muscular body.

She snapped out of it and headed into the shower herself. After a short bathe, she climbed on her bed and navigated her phone. When she got bored, she read a book. Someone rang her doorbell and she nervously opened it, but it was only the cook bringing her lunch.

As night grew closer, she grew more anxious. She began to pace around the room, wondering what it'll be like between her and Darnell when he returned. Another ring on her door made her jump. She opened the door, but her heart rate return to normal when she saw that it was the cook again bringing her dinner.

After dinner, she took another shower and brushed her teeth, applied her creams, and smeared on a scenting lotion. If Darnell returned and decided she was getting lucky, she needed to smell good.