His Contract Wife

12: 45 pm.

Where was Carlson?

Leilani May Collins hated tardiness. They agreed to meet by 12:30 pm but she was here fifteen minutes earlier. Her phone vibrated and she snatched it off the table before it could ring out. It was Carlson.

"Hey," she said into the phone.

"Hey, Leila." His voice sounded the same as it did on their previous calls. Freya, her best friend, might have put the idea that he might be a catfish into her head. "Sorry, I'm running late."

Leila stopped tapping the silk covered table and refolded the napkin. If Carlson wasn't so handsome and probably a potential man in her life, she might have left the diner. She sipped from her glass of water that had gone warm. He was one point down in her book.

"Alright. How long until you get here?"

"Ten minutes top," he replied.

"Fine. I'll be waiting."

Setting the glass down, Leila played a game of candy crush on her phone until her phone pinged with a text from Freya. She groaned almost immediately at the content of the text. It was yet another selfie from her best friend. Freya was at a wedding Leila refused to tag along to. Following Freya was equivalent to setting herself up for a blind date. It had become Freya's mission to hook Leila up with any available but eligible bachelor.

The two went back and forth, exchanging selfies and texts. Leila swiped another look at her phone. Twenty minutes were gone. She almost dialled Freya to come get her out of here but on second thoughts, she waited.

Carlson could have a good reason for being late. So far, he has been a great companion. Though this date was happening because she insisted on it, Leila would give him the benefits of the doubt. She would wait an extra ten minutes, then leave. Maybe even delete Tinder. That app wasn't working for her. It might if she put more effort into making her profile more attractive and used an actual picture of herself instead of Freya's cat.

Her brown eyes roamed the place, watching other paired diners laugh and hug with a tinge of jealousy. One peek at her wristwatch and she flashed her reflection on the window a grim smile.

Five minutes and she was gone.

Murmurs from the table ahead made her raise her head. A couple were arguing and it was attracting attention to them. While one waiter went to them to diffuse the situation, another came to her table to ask for her order. Leila remembered his face. He had come here twice already. She skimmed through the menu, confused and amused by the items on the list. This type of restaurant wasn't usually her cup of tea but she wanted to impress this Carlson guy.

"Can I have a milkshake?" The waiter glared at her like she had vomited on their off-white tablecloth. His black hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail at the nape of his neck. Might be why he was looking so constipated. "I'll order when my date arrives."

On a curt nod, he walked away without a word. She scowled at his retreating figure, was she going to get her milkshake or what? Her phone vibrated on the table. Freya was calling her.

Leila didn't pick.

The call ended and a text followed. Her best friend wanted to know if her date had arrived and she was having fun. Fun indeed. At this point, she didn't care anymore. She made to leave but the waiter approached her table with a tray holding her milkshake. She forced a smile to her lips but he didn't reciprocate it.

"Thanks."

He probably thought of her as one of those people who stopped at a restaurant without buying anything. Wrong. Leila was only here for one person. And he could go to hell.

Staring at her phone, she gave in to the urge to reply and sent Freya a text with some sad eye emojis. Her phone beeped immediately.

Freya: You should come here. The wedding is almost over.

Leila: No, thank you.

Freya: Come. Join us at the reception. Eat some cake.

Rising to her feet, Leila used the empty glass to cover the milkshake. Her feet ached from being in heels all afternoon. She wore heels for this man. To make an appearance like her silly best friend suggested. The waiter from earlier was serving a table when she walked past him but the scalding look he sent in her direction made her steps waver.

"I'm not leaving yet!" she spat at him.

Some heads turned to her, she flashed them a smile reserved for her colleagues and continued to the restroom. Gripping the rim of the sink, her heart slowed. Her reflection in the mirror stared at her and her red lips parted in a fake, practised smile.

Black hair cascaded down her shoulders, her brown eyes were highlighted by the makeup surrounding it. She wouldn't be the prettiest girl in a room by any standard but she was pretty enough. On instinct, her fingertips brushed the dark mark on her jaw. She turned on the faucet and rinsed her hands.

What if Carlson didn't come because she refused to send him her nudes? Either way, Leila was done with this stupid date. She dried her hands under the automatic hand dryer attached to the wall, patted her hair one last time and pried the toilet door open.

The male restroom was beside the female. Leila stepped out at the same time as a man in a suit who bumped into her, causing her to wobble on the damn heels. He mouthed, "Sorry," without so much as a glance in her direction and the only thing she had to remember him by was the wallet at her feet.

It wasn't hers. Scowling, she picked it up and followed the path he took. She ignored the waiter giving her cold looks, rushing out to find the owner of the wallet. She wouldn't be so silly to make an order without paying for it.

The cool afternoon air hit her face, her hair tickled her neck and she whisked it into a high bun. Where was he? Straining her neck to see beyond the mini fence separating her from the parking lot, she caught sight of him and jogged as fast as an amateur on heels could.

Bent over with his hand flat on the roof of his car, she could barely get a glimpse of his face. His side profile was stiff. He was still on his phone call. Bits of the conversation filtered in and out of her ear.

"Jesus Christ! I am on my way, Madonna," the man barked into the receiver. Leila flinched at his tone. She didn't want to be on the other side of the phone. As if noticing her for the first time, he cocked his head slightly without giving her a full view of his face. "Yes?"

Okay. Someone was in a mood. Leila pointed behind her, trying to form the words to explain to him that his wallet dropped to the floor in front of the restroom. The man sighed. He moved his phone from his left to his right ear and opened the backdoor.

"Step aside, lady. I don't have time for this."

With that, he slid into his car and shut the door, leaving her to glare at her twin image on the tinted window. She scoffed. Very well, she pivoted on her heels and stormed back to the restaurant.

The gentle breeze from the air-conditioner welcomed her back in. She manoeuvred to her table and sunk into the seat. The milkshake had almost melted but she slurped on it that way. Her phone vibrated as she was rounding up and she unlocked it to view the message from Carlson.

He was here.

Eyes roaming the diner for the tall, model-like man on Carlson's profile, her heart slammed against her chest when a short man who she might even be taller than waved at her from the door. The milkshake no longer tasted milky, she tried to stand, maybe run out of here but her feet refused to work.

God, please no. Let this not be her date. This could not be Carlson. But the man strolled towards her table.

"Leilani, right?"

"R... right," she whispered.

He pulled the chair in front of her and sat. "Hi.

Leila was floored. She pinched her thighs to wake herself up from this nightmare but the man didn't disappear.

"Hi," he murmured. "I'm Carlson."

"Hi," she replied. Pulling out her phone, she tapped on Carlson's Tinder profile and zoomed in. "Um, I don't mean to be rude but I'm waiting for this person."

Leila slid the phone to him so he could see the man on her screen. A tall, handsome man with blue eyes that saw into her soul, not this short man over here with brown eyes and a scalp that was almost balding. He didn't even have a beard.

The fake Carlson laughed. Was his name even Carlson? It could be but he wasn't her Carlson?

"Yeah, that's me, Leila." Her heart rolled to her feet. The urge to slap off the smirk on his face grew and she clenched her hands under the table. No, this was a prank. "You work an eight to five job. Your friend owns the pet you used as your profile picture."

Right. "I don't believe you." He laughed again. Her misery must be funny because why the hell was he laughing? She grabbed her phone, stared long and hard at the man on her screen, then back at the different man seated across her. "We had a video call."

"With my cousin," he supplied.

Drumming her fingers on the table, she said, "So this person is real but it's just not you?" Carlson nodded again. His confidence annoyed her. He should be on his knees, grovelling and begging for forgiveness. Not like she would forgive him. She lost interest the minute he waved at her from the door. "You're short."

Her face squeezed in horror but she didn't take back the words. He lied. He lied about everything. Even his face wasn't the same.

"Am I?"

"Your bio says you're 6 foot 4."

"Does it?" He laughed through his reply and her hand closed around her milkshake. She should pour it on him and call it a mistake. This date was a mistake. "Oops, must have meant to write 5'4."

Leila was 5'8.

Unlike him, she didn't find this funny. And when the dumbass finally noticed, he asked, "Does that bother you?"

"Yes. A lot, actually." She gathered her things, shoved her phone into her handbag. Bringing out some dollar bills to pay for her drink, her glare froze Carlson in place when he offered to pay. Leila slapped the bills onto the table. "I can pick my own tab, Carlson. Thank you very much."

For once, he looked uncertain. Did he really think she would have laughed this off? He must be out of his mind. Him and his stupidly handsome cousin.

"I'm sorry," Carlson murmured.

On her feet, she replied, "Yeah, me too."

"You're leaving?" No. She was getting ready to sleep here. One more stupid question out of him and she would smash his face with her handbag. "I thought you said appearance didn't matter."

"Appearance doesn't matter when the man you're chatting with looks like your cousin," she said.

His expression crumbled but she felt nothing but pity for herself. Appearances didn't matter as much to her like she told him earlier. But for him to blatantly lie to her and expect her to forget everything, now, that was the height of this.

"Thank you for showing up," she told him.

After one last fake smile directed at the waiter approaching their table, she stepped out and inhaled Carlson free air.

Stupid men. Stupid Tinder. Stupid her.

Walking to the gates with no clear destination in mind, her steps slowed when her phone rang. She knew before she picked the call, it was Freya. Leila kept close to the curb, the honks of cars zooming past her muffled by the earbuds she plugged in.

"What about your date?" her friend asked.

The wallet caught her eyes as she pulled out her purse from her handbag. It would be a miracle if she found the owner. "He died. Where are you?"

"He died! How?"

Leila paused so she could think up a better reply. People brushed past her without so much as a glance in her direction and she hugged her bag tighter to her chest. What about her date?

"Did I say die? I mean, he...he couldn't make it."

"Leilani May Collins." She winced at the use of her full name. She had to do better as a liar since she was terrible. "What happened to your date?"

"I'm going to say this only once." With two fingers raised up, she flagged down a taxi. The taxi stopped in front of her, she moved her bag to the other hand and opened the backdoor. "I got catfished."

A sigh escaped her as she settled into the backseat of the taxi. She pulled the phone from her ear to be sure Freya was still on the line.

"Where are you?" Freya whispered.

"In a cab."

The driver clapped again to get her attention and she held out a finger to signify patience. Freya was yet to laugh. Why wasn't her best friend laughing at her?

"I'm at Total Gardens. Come. Join me."

The call ended before Leila could protest. With a big forced smile, she told the driver, "Take me to Total Gardens."

On the ride there, Leila reported Carlson's account. The idiot had left her a message there. Shaking her head, she blocked him on all social media platforms. A minute before Leila arrived at the location given to her, she sent her best friend a text.

Freya was waiting for her when the taxi drove to a stop. Her friend engulfed her in a hug and Leila mumbled into her shoulder, "I'm deleting that app."

"Don't." Looping her arm through Leila's elbow, Freya tugged her in the direction of the reception. The wedding was over. "He was just one guy and a fucking liar. Doesn't mean the rest of them are."

"I doubt they are different," Leila murmured.

They entered a garden decorated with flowers and Leila bent before a bouquet hit her square in the face.

"Keep it until the end of this year."

"Year?" Leila cried out in horror. "Hell no."

The tables had been set, chairs arranged around them in a circular pattern. An aisle divided the tables. Beside the makeshift stage, a band played soothing music that tugged at her heart. She still couldn't believe Carlson was a catfish.

Freya guided her to a table and pulled out a chair for her. "Fine. What about a month?"

"No, a week." Taking out her compact mirror, Leila smacked her lips and added another layer of red lipstick. "I'll go on one more date and I'm done."

"Fine." Leaning closer to her best friend, Freya whispered, "Some of the guests are hot. Just wait."

And Leila was uninterested in them. Being single wasn't the end of the world. "I don't care, Freya."

Freya laughed. "You will once you see them and you might have no use for Tinder anymore."

Out of curiosity, her eyes scanned the garden as Freya tapped on her phone, probably chatting with her husband. The place was empty except for them, the band and the caterers setting up the meals.

Oh. There was one other person.

A man.

The man's head was bent over his phone. His grey tux fit snugly to his body and each time he moved, his biceps tugged on the material of his suit. He must have felt her eyes on him because he lifted his head. His fingers ran through his hair like he was angry at something and Leila blushed.

He was hot. Hotter than Carlson's cousin.

He arched a brow when she continued staring and she looked away. Her cheeks warmed, she picked her phone and pretended to type into it. He was familiar. She should know him but at the moment, she couldn't place his face.

Freya stood. "I have to get something outside." Leila could feel the stranger's eyes on her but she didn't look. Freya adjusted her hair and gown. "How do I look?" Leila gave her best friend a thumbs up. As always, Freya was stunning. "Thanks. Have fun without me."

She could try but fun was more of Freya's thing. And she was still traumatised from Carlson.

One of the servers dropped a bottle of wine on her table and Leila muttered her thanks.

Faint voices filtered into her ears, the band changed song as the bride and groom walked in. The man smiled at his wife and she grinned back. Leila didn't know them. They were friends of Freya.

She felt those eyes on her again and she peered from under her lashes to get a better look at him.

Thick brows. Full lips. Chiselled jaw. Delicate nose. Short hair that was constantly falling over his forehead. She wanted to walk up to him and smoothen the hair out of his face.

The MC said something Leila didn't hear because she was focused on this stranger but it made the guests laugh. The stranger's lips quirked like he knew the effect he had on her. Her cheeks warmed, she returned to her Tinder app, determined not to give the hot stranger the satisfaction of meeting his gaze again.

Her brows furrowed at her screen. She had been paired with someone. A Kelvin. That was odd. It usually took a while for her to get paired, thanks to her bland profile. Carlson had been a lucky match.

The guy's profile was almost the same as hers. Short and uninteresting. His display picture didn't show his face but a toned body and the mouth-watering six packs made her hesitate.

What if the body belonged to Kelvin's cousin?

Throwing caution to the wind, she hit the accept button and a message popped in immediately.

Kelvin: Hi.

Tempted to reply immediately, Leila opened the candy crush app instead. She didn't want to give off the impression of being desperate.

Someone laughed in the crowd. The garden had filled up now and they were raising a toast to the couple. Leila reached for the glass of wine on her table and cheered to the air.

Where was her best friend?

Nearly everyone in this garden was paired except her. One more reason she hated attending weddings.

Another message came in from this Kelvin guy and she didn't take her time to reply to this one.

Kelvin: Are you busy?

Leila: Kind of. I'm at this wedding my best friend forced me to attend.

Force was not the best word to describe the true story. But Leila could bet her left ankle that Freya would have dragged her out of her house if she went there instead of coming to this wedding.

Kelvin: same. In my case, I lost a bet so I had to come. I'm bored out of my mind. Weddings are not my thing but a single man has no say in such matters. My sister is trying to hook me up.

Kelvin: I didn't lose the bet to my best friend. I lost it to my sister. I'm here on her behalf.

She laughed. He was rambling but she liked it.

Leila: I'm bored too.

Leila: Oh my God. You get it. I didn't have a choice either and now my best friend is nowhere to be found. Yay me!!!!! The perks of being single.

Leila: I really wish I could leave.

Kelvin: me too. I could be your ticket to leaving boredom land. What do you say?

Rolling her lip between her teeth, Leila nodded like he could see her. Kelvin didn't have a face on his profile so she had no expectations but she couldn't help herself from typing another reply to him.

Leila: Are you short?

Kelvin: What?

Leila: forget I asked. Count me in. I'm at Corey street. The sad lady in a black gown, red lips, little makeup, hair down, waiting for her prince charming to show up. Lol. You can easily hear the music playing down the road but if you don't, hit me up for directions. Here's my number. Call, don't text.

Giddy with excitement, Leila left him her number. At least, Freya would get off her back for a minute. Speaking of best friends, Freya was taking too long. She sent her a text and groaned at the reply from her best friend.

Something came up. Will be back in a jiffy.

All the more reasons for her to leave this place.

The chair Freya once occupied squeaked, she looked up to see the hot stranger.

"Leilani." Her mouth dropped. How did he know her name? He waved his phone and she saw his Tinder profile. Kelvin. The hot stranger was her Tinder match. "Sad lady waiting for her prince charming, remember? Well, I'm here now. Be sad no more." Leila laughed. That line sounded so much better on text. "Red looks really great on you, Leilani. Is this seat taken?"

He sat down before she replied and she stifled the urge to roll her eyes. Up close she could see his eyes were grey and his lips more pouty than they looked from afar.

"I feel like I should know you," she muttered. Kelvin quirked a brow, she roamed through her purse till she found it. Leila dropped the wallet beside his phone. "Looks familiar?" He opened his mouth but she beat him to it. In a voice that barely resembled his, she said, "Step aside lady. I don't have time for this."

Kelvin snorted. "That was you?" She nodded, his head fell back with laughter and her lips twitched from fighting off a smile. "I'm so sorry. My sister was ripping my head off for not being here early. Thought you were one of..."

"One of what?" she asked, clearly interested in what he didn't say.

"Never mind, Leilani." Leila raised her brows. She minded. A lot. Her curiosity was piqued but the young man said nothing. Kelvin pointed at his wallet on the table. "Can I have this?"

"Of course, you can. It's yours."

They had only spoken for a few minutes but Kelvin seemed like a better company than Carlson. Maybe Freya was right. Carlson was just one guy; a liar. It didn't mean all men on Tinder were liars.

"Thanks."

Without meaning to, Leila's eyes trailed to his chest hidden under his tux. "Can I ask a question?"

"Sure," Kelvin replied.

His grey eyes noted every movement she made and Leila was acutely aware how handsome he was. But she had to ask. She opened the Tinder app and tapped on his profile picture.

"Is this your cousin?"

Kelvin's brows furrowed. "I don't understand."

"Is this you or your cousin?" His frown deepened and she lost her train of thoughts. "I mean, this is not your cousin. It's your body, right?" Kelvin's mouth opened but no word came out of him. She was making their meeting awkward and Kelvin made it worse by undoing the button of his suit jacket. Leila flushed. "What are you doing?"

Kelvin shrugged off the jacket and undid the top button of his dress shirt. "Showing evidence."

"No." Cheeks burning hotter than an oven, she shook her head. "No need. Thanks. I believe you."

"Are you sure?" he asked, laughter colouring his voice. She relaxed when he pulled on his jacket.

Leila laughed freely for the first time. "Very."

The duo fell into a companionable silence. A waitress came close to their table and Kelvin accepted a glass of sparkling wine from her. Leila was still nursing her first glass so she was stunned when he downed the content of his glass in one gulp and requested for another.

"You shouldn't be drinking so much," Leila said.

"I shouldn't." But he called a new waiter over and requested for his third glass. "But I am."

"Tough day?" she asked.

"Yeah." Kelvin cradled his glass, taking slow sips from it. "Where's your best friend?"

"She left," Leila replied.

They sat in silence for a while and she fiddled with the strap of her purse. "Do you want to leave?" he asked.

She couldn't possibly leave with a stranger so she shook her head. Inviting him over had sounded pleasing on the phone, a good way to forget about the disaster that happened earlier. On another look at him, he was above her league but Freya would approve of him.

"I think I'll stay here for a while."

Food and snacks went round the tables. Her mouth watered at the delicacy placed on her table. The band was playing a slow song to match the mood. She dug into her canapés but Kelvin's plate remained untouched.

"Have you ever wondered why people get married?" he asked as she munched on her snacks.

A lot of times. "Yes. It's a beautiful thing."

But she couldn't say for sure she would experience it. Marriage and love was a fairy-tale that didn't exist to Leila. She sipped from the glass of wine used for the toast and took a good look at Kelvin. He massaged his jaw and his head turned slightly so he could wink at her.

Heat crawled up her neck and she used her hair to cover the evidence of her embarrassment.

"What do you think about marriage?" she asked.

"It's cool." His fingers drummed on the table. He picked a diced apple from the fruit tray and returned it. "I don't see myself getting married."

She didn't either. "Why not?"

Kelvin finally ate the apple and took another slice. She finished the rest of her canapés and he pushed his to her front. Her lips pulled into a smile of gratitude and he smiled back.

"I don't know, Leilani. Finding the right one is harder than it seems. I kind of miss the old days when parents found partners for their kids."

"You could bring it back," she said to cheer him up. He looked better when smiling or smirking. "You could find yourself a partner you don't know. That was how it worked."

The older methods were awful. Kids were betrothed to people they didn't know. It was a no from her but Kelvin's eyes crinkled with a smile that told her he liked what she said.

"Do you want me to bring it back?" His tone was as light as hers, full of teasing and mischief.

"Sure. Why not?" Leila downed the rest of her drink and shuddered. Emboldened, she said, "Who doesn't want to marry a stranger?"

Kelvin straightened up in his seat. "So if a stranger asks you to marry him, you will say yes?" Her smile fell off. He was taking the joke seriously. Kelvin's eyes darted around the garden and he scratched the back of his neck. For the first time since his arrival, he looked nervous. "I'm about to ask you for something crazy, Miss Leilani."

"How crazy?"

"Very crazy." She cocked her head and sized him up from top to bottom, then gave him the go-ahead to speak. "Marry me, Leilani."

"What?"

Of all the crazy things she had heard this year, this was the craziest. And the fact she was thinking about it made her crazier than the man proposing to a total stranger.

"We will have rules. There will be a contract."

Eyes widened in shock, she muttered, "You want me to be your wife? A contract wife?"

His Contract Wife. Surprisingly, Leila wasn't appalled by the idea. Heck, it was a good one. But marriage? Straightaway? He was still a stranger, handsome but still unfamiliar.

"I'm kind of lonely," Kelvin confessed with a sad laugh that tore open her heart.

Laughing to mask her words, she admitted, "Me too."

Kelvin leaned forward to take her hand. Their gazes collided and she forgot everything she should have said. His tongue swiped over his bottom lip, he swallowed. "Then marry this stranger."