Chapter Five

She said, flushing with shame, "That's me."

He didn't appear to notice. Or otherwise, he played poker like a madman. He backed away along the corridor while gesturing for her to follow him. Jo questioned if it was okay to leave her coat here alone, but since it was empty, she decided to leave it and concentrate on following his lengthy steps. At the end of the hallway, he came to a stop and motioned for her to enter.

"Thank you to wait inside. Mr. Harrison will be there for you shortly."

Jo sat down in the sizable space. It felt like bliss after being outside in the rain and frigid weather. There was a sizable fire going nearby, and heavy drapes were pulled to block out any drafts. The aroma of freshly made bread and sandalwood filled the space. On the wall opposite the fireplace, she noticed a large round table beside the fire and a cabinet full of glasses and different types of alcohol.

From behind her, a voice asked, "Do you like it?"

When she turned, she saw a bald, lanky man, perhaps in his fifties.

He had a smile on his face and a pair of wire-rimmed glasses on his humorous face, giving him a harmless aspect that she much enjoyed given how anxious she was right now.

She replied, not sure if she should call it a house or an office, "It's a great place."

"I'm grateful. The center of the household is here. Down here, there is space for working by the fireplace or in the kitchen. Although there are distinct living spaces upstairs, the house is set up for entertaining on this level."

"I see. I must admit that I'm still unsure about my purpose in this situation. The woman who contacted me was a bit imprecise and the advertisement wasn't particularly clear."

"And yet, you still showed up at a stranger's house on a street that was largely deserted. It takes guts. We value courageous women."

Jo tightened. She wasn't sure if the phrase was innocent or if it had a hidden significance that would only become apparent when it was too late to flee. Clearly, this was a mistake. She just kept on making them, it seemed.

"Relax. Although this location might appear a little unusual, we aren't your typical agency."

A woman walked in and said, "Sorry I'm late."

When Jo looked around, she saw a middle-aged woman arrive with a friendly smile and a short blonde bob. Although she had a delicate appearance, Jo sensed that she might be misleading in other ways.

"No worries, honey. Mr. Harrison is still not here."

"Wait? Not Mr. Harrison, are you?" Jo enquired. She had only presumpted.

"No. My name is Joshua Bryant, and this is Helen, my wife. Our client is Mr. Harrison. He'll be present when you interview him."

"You mean tryout,"

Same thing applies in this case.

"Which exactly is what?" Jo enquired.

"Sit down, Ms. Claybourne. Do you want a drink?" Helen enquired.

Jo respectfully answered, "No, thank you."

The reality was that she was dying for a drink right now, but she couldn't risk endangering her senses, and she wasn't sure she could trust that they wouldn't be heightened without her knowledge, such as by drugs.

She was regretting accepting this invitation and contemplating leaving then a man entered the room behind her.

"Mr. Harrison, I see. Welcome inside."

After making introductions, everyone took a seat at the table. The three of them were given drinks by Helen, and Jo was given an uninvited, sealed bottle of water. She seemed to have read her mind. Jo gratefully accepted it, thanked her, and opened it to sip.

Mr. Bryant said, "Let's start by getting to know you a little bit."

"Oh, you want me to just. okay," I replied.

Jo briefed them on the essentials without divulging too much. She recited information about being divorced, starting over, and relocating while stating that she needed a job to support herself.

He said, "What are your current living arrangements?"

She thought that was a strange question for an acting job, but she didn't want to come across as coy, so she answered honestly while taking care not to give away the precise location or any other personal information.

"A man and his wife are renting a little space to me."

"Have you signed a lease?"

"No. Just day to day until I can stand up."

"You mentioned being divorced. What took place there?" Harrison enquired.

"That's a little too intimate for an audition, don't you think? I don't intend to sound ungrateful for the chance." She answered.

"Probably."

He stopped speaking after that, and she saw that she was really staring at him. He had thick, waved brown hair that complemented his soulful brown eyes and well-kept beard. She didn't find the Bryants to be disarming in the same manner, but there was something about him that she found to be so. Although not in the conventional sense, he was attractive. He had a rough, wild appearance. That's how she saw him, at least.

Then, she realized that she was responding to him without hesitation. She had felt fully at ease in those brief moments when her own green eyes had locked with his.

"We were two distinct individuals. He couldn't accept the fact that I couldn't have kids. He thereafter focused on other activities. usually other females. He then started acting violently, so I fled."

"You're infertile, right?"

"Yes."

What is the reason behind that? Because she was in need of work and was prepared to give up some of her secrets in exchange, Jo cringed a little as she answered all of the intimate questions, not knowing where they were going to lead.

"I'm not sure. My spouse has become tired of me not being able to give him children since I have simply been unable to conceive them."

"You're still married, then, right?"

"Right now. When I can afford to pay a lawyer, I'll file for divorce. Possibly a while."

"And the spouse? He's still an issue, right? You claimed that he is violent."

"No. He doesn't know where I've gone because he is in New Jersey. He'll be content enough to divorce me and pretend i never existed."

"I'm not sure if I should say I'm glad or that I'm sorry," the speaker said.

"Neither is necessary. I have to start at the bottom and work my way up, but on many levels, I am much better off here without him."

Excellent enough.

"When will we get to the point when you talk about the acting job you've posted? We still haven't talked about why I came here, even though you've learned a lot about me."

"I want to find a wife."

Jo gave him a blank look. Had he not just heard her say that she was still married and that matchmaking had nothing to do with her acting career?

"Pardon me?" Finally, she said, observing that Mr. and Mrs. Bryant were silent, possibly not even listening. He asked all the questions as they sipped their drinks and had a glazed expression on their faces.

"I apologize. I didn't phrase that well. I require a person to pose as my wife."

"Oh, I get it. like for a gathering? a nuptials? a gathering? "

"Indefinitely."

"Could you be a little more specific?"

"Not really, not just now."

"I see. Well, as I indicated in my response, I have no acting experience, so I'm not sure whether I'm willing to commit for an outlined period of time."

"Perhaps not, but in the short time I've known you, you've struck me as someone who can keep things looking the way I want them to."

"I'm not sure,"

"I have five million reasons why you should do this for me,"

"How many millions?"

"Yes. For as long as I need you to be my wife, I will pay you five million dollars. We can cap it if that's what you want. You know, things do happen. When we come to the point, you can choose to leave with a circus or go home to handle family matters, depending on what works best with the circumstances. For anything that lasts longer than the predetermined period of time, I'm willing to pay you more money. My only real criteria is that a few people think we are married, but everything else is completely up for grabs."

"Suppose they do a check."

"They will not. They won't look past my bogus paperwork because I'll have them. They have no excuse for doing so."

"It's alluring, but I fear I'll need to learn more before I agree to something so. . . Well, unrealistic."

"Well, how about we let Helen and Joshua return to their houses while we discuss everything while we unwind by the fire?"

"What? I mistook this for their home." When he took over, she noticed that they had hardly spoken at all.

"No. We run a business that offers private services to VIP clientele like Mr. Harrison. We would be pleased to stay if that is what you would like. We would be pleased to stay if that is what you would like. If not, we will end the conversation and allow the two of you work out the specifics. We will get in touch with you in the morning to complete the agreement, if one has been reached. Before we depart, I just need you to sign a simple non-disclosure promising not to discuss anything with Mr. Harrison that was discussed today. Once you're finished, your driver will transport you back home."