The Marriage Contract by Marlee Kimbrell (the snowy day read aloud txt) 📕

"So," Will started as we walked, "tell me about yourself. Who are you really," he asked mockingly with a suspicious look plastered on his face.

I shrugged with a half smile, "I don't know, there's not really much to say about me."

He laughed, "Alright, let's start with your last name."

"Burke," I said simply.

His eyes widened, "As in Everett Burke, of Burke Industries," he asked, seemingly awestruck.

By now, we had made it into the small cafe a couple blocks down from the building, and were seated at a small booth in the back corner, beside a window. "Yeah," I said, not understanding why that seemed like such a big deal to him.

"Oh, wow. Your father is like my idol." As soon as he said that, I was completely turned off by him. Hmm, what a shame.

"Is he, now," I said, disinterested.

He nodded excitedly with a large smile, "Indeed he is. I just think its amazing that.."

And he launched into a big long speech about how my fathers success inspired him to acquire a degree in business. I "Mm" and nodded in appropriate places, but essentially tuned everything out.

Will was to the point where he was telling me how he all but built a shrine to my dad in his dorm in college when I saw him walk through the doors. "Oh no," I whispered just as he caught sight of me.

Ryland was still in that casual, relaxes t-shirt and jeans, sporting a determined and slightly pissed look on his face, as he marched towards where Will and I were sitting.

As he walked, heads - of both girls and guys - turned, but he ignored it as he continued on his way, until he stopped beside our booth. Will looked up at him, confused, and I stared at him with anger and embarrassment, "What are you doing," I gritted out through my teeth.

"Keeping you from a breech," he snapped a bit too fast. I narrowed my eyes at him and stared. I could see something in his eyes, and I'm not quite sure what it was, but he was lying - even though I guess he was partly telling the truth.

"Excuse me, what's going on here," Will asked, staring at Ryland.

Before I could answer, Ryland's attention snapped over to Will, and his eyes hardened, "Its none of your concern," he said in an icy tone so cold that it sent a chill down my spine.

"I think it is. This is our date," Will said gesturing between the two of us, getting a bit of an attitude with Ryland, standing to his full height - which turned out to be about two inches shorter than Ryland. "Come on Rory, lets go someplace else," he snapped grabbing my arm and pulling me - or should I say attempting to pull me - past Ryland.

"Hey, let go," I snapped. If he thought it was alright to grab at me like that on the first date, or anytime he had another thing coming.

"Don't touch her," Ryland all but growled, grabbing Will's wrist and tearing it away from my arm.

"She's with me, not you. So back off," Will snapped, making another grab for me.

Before I could properly process what was happening, Ryland pulled me gently out of the way and sent a fist flying directly towards Will's face.

Within seconds, Ryland's fist connected with Will's jaw, sending him staggering back, "I beg to differ," Ryland said in a scarily calm voice. Grabbing my hand, he led me straight out of the cafe and back towards our building.

I was completely shocked. There were no words that I could force out, just opened and shut my mouth like a damn fish. I stayed this way until about half way back when I could form a slightly coherent sentence, "What the hell was that, Ryland?"

He said nothing, just shrugged with a passive look on his face, although his jaw ticked every now and again, giving me the idea that he was pretty pissed off.

We both stayed quiet the rest of the walk to the building. My nerves were already bad enough after seeing Ryland very nearly knock out the guy I was on a "date" with, and now I had to deal with getting on the stupid elevator.

As my nerves increased, the more and more it showed on the outside. Even to the point where my hands were beginning to sweat.

"Hey, its alright. Nothing is going to happen."

Ryland's voice cut through the painfully uncomfortable silence like a knife and I glanced at him in shock. He was comforting me?

"Thanks," I said, making it almost come out like a question. I was so stuck in my shocked state that I almost didn't notice when the elevator doors opened to our floor. 

Stepping out of the elevator, relieved, I followed Ryland into the apartment. I didn't really know what to say to him, so I simply turned and walked towards my bedroom.

It was when I made it inside and collapsed into my bed that I realized what time it actually was and how absolutely physically and mentally drained I was. In a matter of days, I had gone from happily single to grudgingly - and contractually - engaged to a man that I'm not even sure I like as a person. I mean he has given me no reason to enjoy his presence..

I shook my head, pushing all of those weird thoughts away and forced myself off of the bed. I walked across the room towards my closet and opened my underwear drawer; picking out a pair of black underwear and bra, I laid it across my bed and went to take a much needed shower.

As I started the shower, the warm water pelted my skin and relaxed my tensed muscles, taking away the lingering tension from watching the  half-way brawl in the dinner earlier.

My honey scented soap filled my bathroom and placed a calm, serene vibe down over me. I scrubbed my hair with the vanilla scented shampoo and conditioner - and very nearly put myself to sleep.

After a good half hour - and after the water turned cold - I dragged myself out of the shower and wrapped myself in one of the plush white towels from the cupboard. I dried my body and used one of the scented lotions from Bath and Body Works that sat on the counter; subsequently, I towel dried my hair and watched as each strand gradually dried and curled up slightly.

Placing the towel in the hamper, I walked back into my bedroom and pulled on my underwear that I had laid out for myself. I also pulled on a large black t shirt that - upon a deep, and further inspection - I found in the back of my closet underneath all of the skimpier night pieces.

I sighed in contentment as I laid back on my bed, but just as I got comfortable, there was a slight tapping on my door. Raising a brow, I
Pushed up on my elbows, "Yeah," I called, and the door slowly crept open.

Ryland stood on the other side, clad in black sweat pants and a white t-shirts that contrasted very well against his skin. He rubbed at the back of his neck and looked down at the floor, then back up at me, "Would you want to, uh, watch a movie with me? I was going to watch the new Jurassic Park movie," he said paused and looked down at the ground again, crossing and uncrossing his feet.

I smiled to myself, it was almost cute how awkward he was. If he was any other guy, I would've kissed him by now - what? Don't judge. Awkward is endearing to me!

Eventually, I took pity on him, "Will there be take out," I asked, half serious with a smile on my face.

He smiled back and nodded, "Whatever you want. It's on me."

I hopped up off of the bed and walked over to him, "Deal," I said with a smile and walked out the door and back into the living room.

As I made my way back into the living room, the Main Menu screen was already up at the beginning of the movie; couple of blankets were spread messily - which was a huge shock to me, with knowing how much of a neat freak Ryland is - across the back of the couch. Walking over, I plopped down on the couch and pulled the closest blanket down over me and wrapped it around my shoulders. Ryland followed suit and looked over at me, expectantly, "So, what are we eating?"

I looked at him, still a little bit shocked at how...nonchalant he was being. As far as I knew, this was way out of character for him. After shaking off my obvious shock, I pondered what exactly it was that I was in the mood for. "Pizza Hut," I asked with a shrug and a small smile peeled across his face.

"Like you read my mind," he said, the same smile still in place. Getting up off of the couch, he pulled his phone out of the pocket of his sweat pants and walked towards the kitchen. Again, I sat there, shocked. He really seemed like he was trying to make an effort to get along with me - or he just feels bad for how things went down earlier. 

Within a couple of minutes, he walked back into the living room with a couple of glass Coka-Cola bottles in his hands. Sitting down next to me, he cracked his open and then handed me the other one. "I hope you don't mind, I ordered a meat lovers and a pepperoni," he said, picking up the remote to the DVD player and pressing play to start the movie. 

It was quiet as the first few beginning credits rolled through, and not an uncomfortable one, just a casual one. It wasn't long before the door bell rang, signalling that the pizzas had arrived. "I got it," he said, getting up and moving towards the door.  I sat there for a minute, but my excitement for food overrode my lazy instincts. I got up and followed Ryland's path to the door. 

When I came up behind him, the petite little blonde was hard to miss. She looked like she was my age, or maybe a bit younger with pale blue eyes and boobs that were obviously fake - though how a Pizza Hut delivery girl could actually afford a boob job was completely beyond me . She stood there doing the typical air head flirt move - cocking her hip out, crossing her arms to push her already too-big-for her-body boobs out, while  simultaneously twirling a piece of her bottle blonde hair - as he fished the money to pay out of his wallet. 

"So, d'you think that, like, we could-"

Before she could even finish that sentence - in which she was undoubtedly about to ask him to hook up - I walked up behind him with the sweetest smile that I could muster, "What's taking so long, babe? The movie is going to start soon."  

The girl sent a me a heavy glare while Ryland turned his