Reluctant Consent Read Free Page A

Andrew’s disappearance from her life.   She had no idea what he had been up to
in the meantime, not that she would seriously consider the mandate anyway but maybe
he was already married?   Surely
that would reverse the clause?    Could she be penalized for not doing the impossible?
    If
he hadn’t married, Denise wondered if he were bribe-able?   Perhaps she could offer him a huge
chunk of cash to marry someone else very quickly.  
    This
was doubtful, of course.   The
Neanderthal lived by a weird code and such a thing was sure to violate his
principles.
    Her
head ached.
    ***
     
    Two
days later Denise was ushered into the office of her lawyer. Mellissa Ambrose
did not look like a Killer Law Dude but she was willing to trust Robert who had
assured her Melissa was The Man .   “Her balls are metaphorical,” Robert
intoned, “but real.”   He wrapped an
arm around her in a supportive manner, whisked her into the inner office, and
helped her into a chair as if she were ninety.
    “You
asked for the bottom line, Ms. Marrow.”   Melissa the Killer Law Dude stated.   “Here it is: I can’t help you.”
    “Why
not?”
    “No
one ever really wants just the bottom line.”
    “What?”
    Melissa
waved her hand.   “This is a well
written document.   Sound law.   No holes.   You might be able to buy off the other parties.   But your executors have to impose the
restrictions.   You can appeal of
course, but it will be years in process and in the meantime your brothers will
be grandparents and will have grown up with your aunt anyway.   Marry the guy.”
    “I
can’t.”
    Melissa
looked mildly interested.   “Why
not? Ugly? Fat? Stupid?   Money can
fix just about anything.”
    “What
if the man is a complete sicko?   Could that help?”
    “Sick,
how?”
    Denise
gaped.   No way she’d answer that
one.   “Could it help?”
    “It
might.” Melissa sighed.   She’d been
hoping for something good.   Sex with puppies.   She’d heard about a man who wanted to marry a cow he kept in his
bedroom.   Something good.   “Sick is subjective.    It would have to be pretty
universally acknowledged as perverse, detrimental, and still you’re talking
years in process while your youngest brother starts to shave at Auntie’s
house.”
    “Call
it a philosophical incompatibility.”  
    Melisa
shook her head.   “Nope.”
    ***
        Denise was no more
successful when she met with her aunts.    Perched with perfect posture on the edge of their
chairs, the three aunts were flanked by spouses wearing solemn thoughtful
faces.   Her own brothers looked
like young Golden Retrievers awaiting the signal to frisk off after birds.
         She used all of her
powers of deceit, persuasion, bribery and black mail but to no avail.   An Aunt, clearly designated as
spokesperson, made their own effort at bribery. Denise
declined.
        The aunts filed out in
quiet disapproval, a united front.   The Golden Retrievers broke loose and hurled gratitude and questions
until Denise put two fingers into her mouth and whistled at which point they
fell silent.
    She
lied blatantly.   “It will all be
okay!”   Then she stalked from the
room.
     

 
    Chapter Two
     
         “Denise Marrow
calling.”
    Andrew
Cross grinned.     He’d been expecting the phone call.   “I recognize the number, Denise.   What can I do for you?”
    “I
have to ask you a personal question.”
    “Have
to, Denise?   If there’s someone
holding a gun to your head give me a cue and I’ll send a SWAT team around.”   Here was one complaint about
Denise.   Everything was overly
dramatized. He was a man. No drama.   His motto.
    Denise
sighed.   “I should have known you’d
be a dick.”
    Andrew
quirked a brow at his phone, grinned, shrugged, and pressed the end
button.   He laid the phone on his
desk and kept his eyes on the second hand sweeping its way around the face of
the clock.   He made himself let the
phone sound