Two

Ariana rolled her eyes in slight disgust. 

"You ordered before I got here. I guess you don't care if I starve" Ashton said dryly.

Ariana delightfully ate a forkful of spaghetti. "You are right, I do not care if you starve. And as much as I would love to stay and chat, I do not have much time."

"Oh, you would love to stay and chat? Interesting."

"Don't flatter yourself, Ashton, you know I would never be interested in having anything with you in a million years, not even if the fate of the world depends on it."

"Ouch that hurts Ariana" Ashton replied in a cutting sarcastic tone. "Can you see me bleeding?"

Ariana pretended not to hear him and continued unperturbed. "And we both know you are not interested in me either so let us not waste any time. All you need to do is inform my dad that the both of us are as incompatible as day and night and that should be the end of it."

Ashton looked as though he would yawn. 

"And why can't you tell him yourself?" Ashton asked condescendingly. "Too scared of Daddy?"

"I do not fear anybody but if it comes from me, he will just think I am speaking out of spite and hatred. So please just do the needful." Ariana said with a tone of finality finishing up her food and wiping it up neatly with a napkin. She proceeded to carry her bag and leave. 

"I do not think there is anything more to say or is there?"

Ashton watched her for a bit, and the mischievous glint in his eyes taunted her. 

"Do you have anything to say?" Ariana asked him in a flat and cold tone.

Ashton leaned closer. "You think your dad asked you to come here just for a date?"

Confusion registered on Ariana's face. 

"What are you talking about?"

"Listen, Ariana, this is not about what you or I want, it is about what needs to be done for the good of our companies and our long-term business goals." Ashton shrugged. "That is what your dad believed and that is why he signed our marriage contract."

Áriana blinked in shock. "Excuse me?"

"I am sure you are not deaf," Ashton said coldly. 

"Don't talk to me like that," Ariana said sternly.

"I will talk to you, however, I damn feel like Ariana," Ashton threw back. "You carry yourself around like a princess saying anything you like to anyone without a care in the world. Since I got here, you have been nothing but rude so don't tell me how to talk to you. You think I want this? You think I want to be married to you?  You of all people? Give me a break."

"So why on earth did you watch my dad sign a damned contract?!" Ariana exploded, drawing odd looks from other customers. "Damn it to hell! Damn you Ashton!"

"First off, lower your voice because you don't get to yell at me, understand? Secondly, if you have any form of confusion, take it up with your father. He is the one who owes you an explanation and as for me..." Ashton stood up and buttoned the lapel of his suit. "I have better things to do with my time and believe I have given you enough of it for today. I would tell you to have a good day, but I won't mean it so yeah whatever."

Without another word, he strolled out of the restaurant.

Ariana watched him go in disbelief. The nerve of the stupid lowlife! He had treated her like crap but she could not think about that now. How on earth was she married to a man she detested without her consent? Her hands shook as she called her driver's number.

"Miss Hudson?"

"Get back to the restaurant now I need to get home" She commanded

"But you said-"

"I know what I said! Get back here now!"

***

"Hello sweetheart" her father's booming baritone came over the phone. "Did you enjoy the date?"

Ariana had counseled herself over and over to approach the whole thing carefully with her dad, but hearing his cheery voice, she started to tremble with rage. 

"How could you dad?!" She shouted. "How could you?"

Alphonsus sighed heavily. "What is the matter now Ariana?"

"What do you mean?! You married me off without my consent? Signed a marriage contract? What the hell?! Who gave you that right over my life? I am old enough to choose a husband for myself!"

"Except you weren't going to, were you? No one is good enough for you" Her father said calmly.

"So you think you chose the best?" Ariana sneered. "Ashton Goddamned Drake? That is the best you could doDad? What are you hoping to gain by getting me married to that egocentric, arrogant, and pompous fool!" Ariana screamed.

In the rearview mirror, her driver Jameson briefly stared at her in alarm. 

"Quit yelling and stop throwing a tantrum. If you cannot get married for love, at least you can get married for the sake of the company you love. Hate Ashton all you want. You cannot deny that his company Richmond Enterprises is one of the hottest things in real estate. Ashton came from nothing and the young man has painstakingly worked his way to the top."

Alphonsus stopped to catch his breath.

"If you both get married, Hudson Developments and Richmond Enterprises will become a solid, unmatched, and formidable force in the real estate industry. We will dwarf our competitors. Ashton is an astute businessman and he agrees with me."

"And me? Did you stop to think about me once?" Ariana asked.

"You are overreacting you know,"

"No Dad, you are under an illusion if you think for one second that this will work," Ariana said before hanging up.

***

Hours later Ariana was back in her luxury apartment in Tribeca with her best friends from high school and College, Mason Albertson and Genevieve Pearson.

They had all met first at Everard Academy, one of the most prestigious and elite high schools in New York, that was strictly for the wealthy. Everard prided itself on the fact that its high school graduates attended strictly ivy league colleges. So after high school, it was no surprise that the three friends all attended Harvard. Genevieve owned an upscale boutique in Manhattan where all the hit girls popularly liked to shop, even though she had a law degree from Harvard. 

Mason worked at Goldman Sachs which was one of the biggest investment banks in the world, and Ariana had gone on to Harvard business school after which she joined her father's firm. The trio had always been close right from their days in Everard and Ariana knew that they were the only ones she could tell her deepest darkest secrets to.

"I honestly do not know why you are making a big deal out of it," Mason said casually, sipping his cognac. 

Genevieve threw him a look. "It is obviously a big deal to her Mason, Everyone in Manhattan knows Ashton is handsome and charismatic but he is cold."

"Business titans are always cold," Mason countered reasonably. "Sometimes it is necessary and honestly Ari, Ashton is perfect for you. Imagine merging his business acumen with yours. Damn!"

"Yeah? Is that all marriage is supposed to be about?" Genevieve asked.

"That is why it is a marriage of business convenience," Mason said, sipping his cognac again. He glanced at Ariana who had her legs in her pool. 

"You okay?"

"Of course, she is not okay!" Genevieve responded.

"Are you her mouthpiece?"

"I will be as long as you keep bugging with all these questions."

"Don't start you two," Ariana said with weary playfulness.

"Look on the bright side Ariana," Genevieve stated. Both Mason and Ariana turned to her quizzically. 

"Ashton Drake is scrumptiously delicious."

In spite of herself, Ariana managed a wry smile while Mason chuckled in disbelief. "Seriously Genevieve?"

"Oh please! It's true. He is on the latest edition of GQ magazine and those abs, and toned  muscles, are to die for!" She threw her head heavenwards.

"God, you did one hell of a job sculpting and molding that one."

Ariana and Mason shook their heads chuckling.

"Bet you already imagined him in your bed" Mason teased.

Genevieve winked in response. 

"Who remembers when Ariana's dad brought homemade lemonade for her at Everard one day because he had a trip the following day?"

Genevieve and Ariana laughed. "That one is a classic! It tasted terrible!"

"I only drank it because of our friendship," Mason said laughing. "The things I do for you, Ari!"

"What choice do you have?" Ariana responded teasingly

"Well, I guess all I am saying is we later realized it was the thought that counted right?" Mason asked after the laughter died down. "Think about it like that now in this context. At the end of the day, your dad loves you and wants the best for you."

"Even if it is with Dickhead Ashton?" Genevieve asked incredulously.

"You just said he was hot. Which one is it? Dickhead or hot?"

"A hot dickhead"

***

After her friends left, Ariana watched the calls from her dad come in again and again and then a voicemail and another then another call. Finally exasperated, she picked up. 

"Hello?"

"Jesus Ariana I have been trying to get a hold of you!" Alphonsus said, relieved.

"Why Dad? To justify the fact that you just pushed me into a sorry excuse of a marriage?"

Alphonsus sighed heavily. "I did what was best for you. Why can't you see that?"

"No, you did what was best for you so maybe you should take Ashton to the altar because I would never do it in a million years. I never asked you to sign a bloody contract without my consent in the first place!"