DREAM Read Free

wears.
    “Dream Jackson, it’s a pleasure to finally met you in person. I’m very sorry about your father.” Gable’s voice is smooth and deeper than I’d imagined.
    “I believe the pleasure is mine, Mr. Butler. Thank you for your condolences.” I extend my hand for him to shake.
    “Please call me Gable,” he says shaking my hand. “I believe, since we’re going to be discussing a lot today, we should be on a first name basis.”
    “Agreed.” I put on a smile. “Please, have a seat.” I point my arm to the square table on the far side of the office. Mr. Nickerson is already seated, as is Mrs. Stones. Gable pulls my chair for me and I give him another polite, fake smile. I’m not sure what his deal is. Maybe he’s just a chivalrous gentleman.
    “Gable, you will have to forgive me for a moment; there are no notes on why you were meeting my father today.” I start.
    “The only person who has any knowledge about this meeting, other than myself and your father, is Mr. Nickerson. The only reason he knows is because he wrote up the contract.”
    Contract?
    He’s planning on doing business with JE? This could be good. This could be really good. Having Gable Butler’s name associated with ours might pull in others and buy us some time to make the revenue to pay off the debt.
    “What does this contract entail?”
    “You.” Gable smirks.
    “Wait…what?” I’m momentarily thrown off my game.
    “Gable, let me explain this to her.” Mr. Nickerson jumps in. “Dream, your father had a tentative contract set out between Gable and himself. Now, I need to warn you as your attorney that this contract really does not have any true legal bearing.”
    I look between him and Gable—the smirk still painted on his face.
    “I think once she hears the terms and conditions, she’ll be willing.” Gable says confidently.
    “Don’t hold your breath. You don’t know her,” Mr. Nickerson replied.
    “Hey.” I’m beginning to lose my cool. I don’t know what Dad and Gable have in the works, but I don’t like being talked about as if I’m not in the room.
    “Dream, let me explain everything and then you can make your decision, okay?”
    I cross my arms and narrow my eyes at Mr. Nickerson and then at Gable.
    “All right.” I agree because I’m nosey, I want to know what Dad had planned, and why does this contract have no legal bearing.
    “Your father had been desperate to save the company.” My blood is beginning to boil as Mr. Nickerson speaks frankly about JE’s money trouble in front of Gable, but I let him continue. “The last bargaining chip that your father had was you.”
    I tilt my head in confusion. Me? I’m a bargaining chip.
    “Mr. Butler is willing to bail out Jackson Enterprise, take the company back into the black, in exchange for your hand in marriage.”
    “What?” I squeak along with Mrs. Stones, whom I forgot was still been in the room. “You can’t be serious.” I add. “There’s no way my father-”
    “Dream, he did.” Mr. Nickerson hands me a stack of papers.
    I snatch them up and being reading the contract.
    Shit.
    It’s true.
    The contract states I would marry Gable within twenty-four hours of the contract execution. In return, Gable would give thirty million dollars to me to ensure JE would remain in business. I couldn’t bear to look at the sections marked ‘children’.
    “This is the most absurd contract I’ve ever read. There’s no way in hell I’m going to marry you.” I shove the contracts back at Mr. Nickerson and Gable.
    “You’ll lose JE in a few short weeks. Then what are you going to do?” Gable crosses his arms.
    “I have a plan,” I lie. I have no plan. I have nothing, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to marry him to bail out JE. I’m smart enough to do this on my own.
    “No, you don’t.” Gable calls me out. “There’s nothing you can do to save this company. I’m your one and only resource. Your father burned every bridge he had. Unless you