Read Online The Wedding Wager by Regina Duke - Free Book Online Page B

here.”
    Kevin grunted. “It’s sort of a banker’s holy room,” he quipped.
    “Grover Cleveland? People would remember him better if he were on a common bill. Like Ben Franklin on the hundred. Oh, those are pretty and new.”
    Kevin nodded.
    “Why are the thousands old looking?”
    “Because the treasury doesn’t issue them anymore. These are still legal tender, but they’re not new bills.”
    “So how much cash is this?” she asked, nodding at the crisp new hundreds.
    “Forty thousand. I need pocket money.”
    His impression of Megan improved with each passing hour. If forty thousand in cash impressed her, she didn’t say so. Nor did she ask what he needed it for. She was dignified and attractive. In fact, she was very attractive, and even in her casual capris and sleeveless top, she drew stares from other men. Kevin enjoyed that.
    With a couple thousand in cash in his wallet and the rest in his brief case, he enjoyed their next stop on 4 th Avenue, where they chose her phone.
    “Something simple will do,” said Megan.
    “No, it won’t.” He addressed the salesman. “I’d like my fiancée to have the top of the line model, voice assistant, GPS, everything you’ve got. And can we sync it to mine?” He laid his iPhone on the counter. “Sort of a romantic gesture,” he added. “The monthly billing will be added to my account, but I’ll pay cash for the phone.”
    “No problem,” said the salesman. “Would you like to browse the accessories?”
    An hour later they were back in the limo. Megan was as excited as a little girl facing a tower of birthday presents as she tapped app after app on her iPhone screen.
    “It’s a camera, too! And a video recorder! Oh, there’s a notepad. And look! You can even use it as a phone!”
    Kevin laughed. “Don’t tell me. You could never afford a smartphone.”
    “Never. Believe it or not, I spent my first two years at college using the computer labs for typing up my papers because it took me a while to save the money for a laptop.”
    “Wow. I am impressed.” And a little embarrassed , he thought to himself, wondering what she would think when she met his eight-year-old brother and saw the collection of techno gadgets he had already acquired.
    Megan waved his comment away. “Impressed by poverty? Really? Poor people are not impressed by it, believe me.”
    “Well, maybe by your thriftiness, then, and your resolve to wait until you saved enough money.”
    Megan tilted her head to one side. “Okay. You can be impressed by that, because frankly, so was I.” She smiled. “I just didn’t want to grab one of those credit cards on campus and end up in debt before I graduated.”
    “Ah, yes. You abhor debt. That’s why you’re here.” His tone was pleasant with a touch of tease.
    “Well, I must say, so far this job has great benefits.” She beamed with delight at her new phone.
    Kevin pulled a soft drink from the mini fridge as Jeffrey maneuvered through traffic. He offered one to Megan and she accepted.
    “By the way,” said Kevin, “I think it would be wise if we stopped referring to this as your job. You don’t want to slip up when you’re around my family. And of course, taking my paranoia into account, we don’t want any eavesdroppers to hear you refer to me as your employer. Okay?”
    Megan nodded agreeably. “Okay. Good idea.” She made her excited-little-girl face again. “ Love has its benefits.” She giggled.
    Kevin smiled. Ever since the prenup was signed, Megan had begun to relax, and as she relaxed, her expressions became less guarded. He found her happy face extremely attractive, and he found himself wondering what he could do next to ensure that he would see it again soon.
    “It’s almost three o’clock. Would you like to pick a restaurant?”
    “Oh! I know it’s totally touristy, but I never got to go before my accident. Could we spend a little time at the Pike Place Market? If we’re leaving tomorrow, who knows when