contract between Aiden and me?"
It sounded like both a question and a statement. Why did young people have such a difficult time expressing themselves?
"Yes," Judith supplied.
"Well, what if we had a contract? Between us. I'll get my parents to sign it, too."
Aiden gave the slightest shake of his head. He probably didn't even realize that he'd done it. But Judith noticed. Noticed and noted.
"To what end?" Judith said.
"Well, I was thinking that if they agreed to be civil and all that, you would see that they're actually pretty nice people. And that since they are nice people, maybe, by extension, I'm a nice person, too?"
The girl really was desperate, Judith knew. She so badly wanted Aiden to hold onto Carbide Solutions. And it was pretty clear she'd do just about anything to make that happen. But just how far would she go?
Judith intended to find out.
Again, Aiden shook his head a little. His lips tightened momentarily when he glanced at his fiancé.
He's frustrated with the girl. He knows that I would never allow something as silly as this contract.
"That is acceptable to me," Judith said. Aiden jerked in shock, and a huge grin spread across Gwen's face. First you divide , Judith thought, and then you conquer . "However, I do not find the terms of your contract acceptable, and I offer this one and only alternative. In addition to this vow of civility, your parents will also agree to not finalize their divorce until after you and my grandson have been married for at least a year."
Gwen made a choking sound. "What?"
Aiden stood up from the table, shaking his head in earnest now. "See? I told you this is all a game to her. I think we've endured enough. Are you coming?"
The tension crackled between the two of them again. Judith sat back and enjoyed it, reaching up to bend the brim of her cap to block an errant ray of light that dared to caress her cheek.
"Gwen?" Aiden said.
She ignored him. "If we sign this contact and follow through on it, you'll stop this whole thing with trying to split us up?"
Judith bowed her head slightly, trying to keep the corners of her mouth from twitching up and betraying her true feelings. "If you and your family follow through on your end of the agreement, I'll not meddle anymore. You and Aiden will have my blessing. In fact, I'll transfer my controlling share of Carbide Solutions to him."
For a second, Judith thought that she'd gone too far. That she'd blown the ruse and that Gwen would lift her blinders for a moment and see what was really going on.
"Okay, we'll do it," Gwen said.
"I'll be back in the suite," Aiden said, the irritation in his voice plain. It was music to Judith's ears.
She waited for Aiden to storm out of earshot. Gwen started leaving as well, before Judith stopped her with a clearing of her throat.
"I'm glad you find the first part acceptable," Judith said.
"The... the first part? There's another?" Gwen said, suspended between sitting and standing, unable to decide which course of action to take.
Judith had originally been intending to leave it at the first ridiculous deal, but just as Aiden marched off in a huff this second part occurred to her. After all, why not have a bit of fun with this?
"Yes, another agreement, between you and myself," Judith said.
***
"W hy did you stay behind?" Aiden said.
Gwen shut the door behind her and found Aiden sat on the couch, watching the mountains. For some reason, Gwen felt like it should start getting dark. As though it had been a long, arduous day.
A quick glance at the clock on the wall told her that it was really only noon.
"She just wanted to really make sure I understood the consequences of our deal," Gwen said. The lie rolled off her tongue more easily than she thought it would.
"And do you?" Aiden said.
"Yes," Gwen replied. Of course Aiden didn't know about the second deal. And she thought she was ready for it. She hoped she was.
***
G wen didn't know how, but Judith somehow got the contact written up
It sounded like both a question and a statement. Why did young people have such a difficult time expressing themselves?
"Yes," Judith supplied.
"Well, what if we had a contract? Between us. I'll get my parents to sign it, too."
Aiden gave the slightest shake of his head. He probably didn't even realize that he'd done it. But Judith noticed. Noticed and noted.
"To what end?" Judith said.
"Well, I was thinking that if they agreed to be civil and all that, you would see that they're actually pretty nice people. And that since they are nice people, maybe, by extension, I'm a nice person, too?"
The girl really was desperate, Judith knew. She so badly wanted Aiden to hold onto Carbide Solutions. And it was pretty clear she'd do just about anything to make that happen. But just how far would she go?
Judith intended to find out.
Again, Aiden shook his head a little. His lips tightened momentarily when he glanced at his fiancé.
He's frustrated with the girl. He knows that I would never allow something as silly as this contract.
"That is acceptable to me," Judith said. Aiden jerked in shock, and a huge grin spread across Gwen's face. First you divide , Judith thought, and then you conquer . "However, I do not find the terms of your contract acceptable, and I offer this one and only alternative. In addition to this vow of civility, your parents will also agree to not finalize their divorce until after you and my grandson have been married for at least a year."
Gwen made a choking sound. "What?"
Aiden stood up from the table, shaking his head in earnest now. "See? I told you this is all a game to her. I think we've endured enough. Are you coming?"
The tension crackled between the two of them again. Judith sat back and enjoyed it, reaching up to bend the brim of her cap to block an errant ray of light that dared to caress her cheek.
"Gwen?" Aiden said.
She ignored him. "If we sign this contact and follow through on it, you'll stop this whole thing with trying to split us up?"
Judith bowed her head slightly, trying to keep the corners of her mouth from twitching up and betraying her true feelings. "If you and your family follow through on your end of the agreement, I'll not meddle anymore. You and Aiden will have my blessing. In fact, I'll transfer my controlling share of Carbide Solutions to him."
For a second, Judith thought that she'd gone too far. That she'd blown the ruse and that Gwen would lift her blinders for a moment and see what was really going on.
"Okay, we'll do it," Gwen said.
"I'll be back in the suite," Aiden said, the irritation in his voice plain. It was music to Judith's ears.
She waited for Aiden to storm out of earshot. Gwen started leaving as well, before Judith stopped her with a clearing of her throat.
"I'm glad you find the first part acceptable," Judith said.
"The... the first part? There's another?" Gwen said, suspended between sitting and standing, unable to decide which course of action to take.
Judith had originally been intending to leave it at the first ridiculous deal, but just as Aiden marched off in a huff this second part occurred to her. After all, why not have a bit of fun with this?
"Yes, another agreement, between you and myself," Judith said.
***
"W hy did you stay behind?" Aiden said.
Gwen shut the door behind her and found Aiden sat on the couch, watching the mountains. For some reason, Gwen felt like it should start getting dark. As though it had been a long, arduous day.
A quick glance at the clock on the wall told her that it was really only noon.
"She just wanted to really make sure I understood the consequences of our deal," Gwen said. The lie rolled off her tongue more easily than she thought it would.
"And do you?" Aiden said.
"Yes," Gwen replied. Of course Aiden didn't know about the second deal. And she thought she was ready for it. She hoped she was.
***
G wen didn't know how, but Judith somehow got the contact written up
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