3 Chapter 3: The First Meeting

(Reagan’s POV)

I couldn’t focus, I couldn’t think, all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry, cry until I couldn’t cry anymore. But that wasn’t me, sure crying might have made me feel better, but it wasn’t going to solve my major problem. As my mom liked to say, crying never did anything for anybody and it didn’t fix problems. If you wanted a problem fixed, you needed to go out there and do it yourself with a positive attitude, she used to say. For me, at this moment that seemed impossible, and doing it with a positive attitude didn’t seem like an option right now.

I couldn’t stop looking at that letter, I had even brought it to class with me this morning, just because the whole situation seemed so utterly unbelievable. Now here I was, sitting at my desk, my books open in an attempt to study and I couldn’t even focus on that. I laid my forehead on the desk, so tired and worn out from my sob session yesterday. Blake had tried to comfort me and put my mind at ease but even that hadn’t helped.

At this point, I was considering dropping out of college and working mediocre jobs for the rest of my life. But when I lifted my head and looked at my mother’s picture sitting in a black frame on my desk in front of me, all of those thoughts left my head. I had to remember why I had decided to attend college in the first place. My mom had always believed that education was important, especially since she had only graduated from high school and never attended college herself. After she had died, I had promised myself that I would make my mom proud and do whatever it took to get into college.

“But I don’t know if I can do it, Mom,” I whispered, looking at my mother’s bright, smiling face that used to light up a room, “how can I do it if I can’t even afford it? I wish you were here so that you could tell me what to do because right now I am so lost.”

I lifted my head and felt my eyes water again, so I patted my cheeks in an attempt to not cry again. Taking a deep breath, I closed the books on my desk, figuring that if I wasn’t going to get anymore studying done I might as well get ready for work. In the shower, I let the water just run down my body for a few minutes, the warmth of the water, easing my muscles and creating a sense of calmness and serenity within me. When I finished, I got dressed, washed my face, did my hair and makeup, and headed out of the door to my car. On the drive to the diner, I had multiple urges to cry again but attempted to pull myself together.

At the diner, I tried to focus on my work, but it was difficult when all I could think about was my $20,000 outstanding balance that I owed. I didn’t even have a clue where I was going to be able to come up with $20,000 even though they hadn’t given me a due date yet for the money. I knew though that if I didn’t pay for it soon though, they would give me one. I didn’t want to ask my dad because it was hard enough to send me here. Right now he was working three jobs to try and help me, but that wasn’t even enough. Even with my job here at the diner and him working, all of our combined income wasn’t enough to pay $20,000.

“I said could I have a grilled cheese, with a side of potato salad and onion rings, please?” I was snapped out of my daze by a female customer whose order I had been taking.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I apologized, quickly jotting down her order on the notepad I was holding, “would you like the cheese to be cheddar, American, pepper jack, swiss, or provolone?”

“Cheddar would be fine, thank you.”

I jotted down cheddar, “And would you like ham included in that grilled cheese, ma’am?”

She shook her head, “No thank you.”

I wrote down no ham and smiled at her, “Anything for you to drink with your order today?”

She nodded, “Yes, could I please get root beer please?”

“Of course, sorry for the delay and your order should be with you shortly.”

I took the order ticket to where many others were placed yelling to the cook the order before I saw Mary come up to me. “You don’t look so good today sweetie, yesterday there seemed like there was something wrong and today it seems the same way. Now normally I wouldn’t pry but I feel like today you need to tell someone what’s going on.”

I had promised myself that I wasn’t going to break but I couldn’t take it anymore. So I stood there trying to quietly sob right in where the tables and booths were placed, telling Mary all about my predicament, how I owed the university $20,000 and how I had no idea how I was going to come up with it. Mary took me to the bathroom and helped me clean myself up, telling me that everything was going to work itself out and that if she needed my help coming up with money that she would do everything she could to help me. I knew that there was no way that Mary could help me with a $20,000 bill, but I thanked her anyway and wiped my eyes taking a deep breath before heading back to the main floor.

As I was making my way to a booth, a felt a hand grab my arm, “Hey buddy, this isn’t a free grab session you can’t just grab someone’s arm.”

I spun around and was surprised to see the blonde mystery man, who looked even more gorgeous up close than he had on the internet. His grey eyes were incredibly mesmerizing and I thought that I might get lost in them if I stared too long. Rays of the sun that were streaming through the bright glass windows of the diner highlighted his hair, making the blonde strands look like they had been woven by gold.

“I apologize, it’s just I overheard you talking about how you were in a predicament and I was curious to see if I could help.” he smiled, looking me up and down.

No matter how gorgeous I thought his eyes or his hair were, he had no business grabbing me so I snatched my arm from his grip and narrowed my eyes at him, “Anybody ever told you that it’s rude to eavesdrop on other people’s conversation and grab them?”

He chuckled, “Like I said I apologize, but I didn’t know how else to get your attention. Also, if you didn’t want anyone to eavesdrop you should have talked a little more softly.”

“Look I don’t have time for this,” I explained impatiently, “I’ve got other customers to attend to but if you need someone to take your order I would be happy to get someone for you.”

He shook his head, “No, I want you and only you.”

Wow, this guy just keeps on getting weirder by the second, I thought to myself as I looked at him. He seemed like the time of person that wouldn’t take no for an answer and he looked like someone who would use his looks to get his way. The way that he was looking at me right now made me feel weak to my knees, his grey eyes were staring at me intensely as if begging me to hear him out.

“What do you want?” I asked, exasperated.

He motioned to the seat facing him, “Please sit, I would rather do this with you sitting down.”

I took a deep, exaggerated breath before taking a seat, “You better make this quick, I’m working and I don’t think my boss would appreciate me talking to you while I’m supposed to be taking orders.”

“You mean, Sal? I already let him know of my intentions to speak with you so he won’t be bothering us.”

I glared at him, “So what is it exactly that you want with me?”

He leaned forward, “What if I told you I could help you with your little issue?”

I frowned, “Unless you’re some kind of millionaire with tons of cash there is no way that you can help me.”

He leaned back, folding his arms across his chest, allowing me a glimpse of his muscles straining against the fabric of his suit jacket, “Do you know who I am?”

I snorted, “Am I supposed to? What are you somebody famous?”

“Not exactly but I am quite popular in the media and if you knew who I was you would know that I have tons of money.”

Man, this guy sure was full of himself but I was curious to see what else he had to say, “Ok so if that’s true what could you do to help me?”

“I would give you your $20,000 that you need to stay in your university if you agree to become my fiancee and marry me in two months.”

I shot up out of the seat, “What?! Are you insane?!” I lowered my voice when I noticed heads turned in our direction, “Look buddy up until today I had never spoken to you, I mean I don’t even know who you are why are you all of a sudden out of the blue asking me to marry you?”

“Let’s just say you would be doing me a favor in return for me doing you a favor.”

I shook my head, “You’re crazy you know that, absolutely insane.”

This time he stood up, pulling a small white business card out of my pocket, “All I’m asking is that you think about it.” He took my hand and placed the business card in my palm, causing me to look up so that we were staring directly into each other’s eyes, “Here is my number if you ever decide, I hope to hear from you, Reagan.”

With that he gave me a cocky smile and turned to exit the restaurant, leaving me standing there not being able to move. When I finally broke out of my daze I looked down at the card in my hand, the name on the card was Alexander Griffin along with a phone number. I walked over to the trash can to throw the card away but instead stuck it in the pocket of my poodle skirt. Who exactly are you Alexander Griffin, and what is it that you want from me?