07 | The Considering

L A Y L A

The next day, I reported for work as usual. But nothing was usual anymore. My boss had me switch to the kitchen staff, hoping to keep me away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi. They were still outside, waiting for another glimpse of me.

It wasn't the first time I had worked in the kitchen. I remembered when the Kardashians came by and ordered my famous chocolate pie cake. Everyone loved that cake. It was a family recipe, passed down from my late uncle who owned a bakery in Oregon. My aunt refused to sell it to anyone, even though we could use the money. She only let me make it occasionally for special customers.

I glanced nervously at Angie as she returned from the door with a stack of orders for Tony.

"Are they still out there?" I whispered to her, hoping she wouldn't draw attention to us.

"Yep. And they brought reinforcements. CNN, MSNBC, Fox News... you name it." She rolled her eyes and handed me a slip of paper.

"Table six wants a meatball sub with extra cheese." She says.

I took the paper and passed it to another chef next to me. I sighed and wondered how long this madness would last.

I joined Tony at the grill, feeling Angie's stare at me.

"What the matter?" I ask her as Tony slid a sizzling meatball over to me. I grabbed it with a spatula and placed it on a plate.

"So what now, the deal you had with that billionaire?" Angie blurted out.

I flinched and muttered under my breath. "I can't believe he's that guy. He's insane."

"So, you rejected his deal?" Angie pressed on, her eyes boring into me. I felt everyone else in the kitchen stop what they were doing and look at me too.

Silence falls, and I know that every staff in the kitchen is now staring at me. They've known that I turned down James's offer yesterday.

Offer, not proposal. I would never admit that he had proposed to me - the thought made me shudder.

Tony lets out the biggest sigh I've ever heard. My eyes shot wide as I heard his sighs.

"You know about this too?" I asked him.

"Yeah, Angie told me everything this morning and I agree with you, the guy is nuts but..." he trailed off, sounding weary and resigned.

My head snapped back at Angie and I shot her a look of betrayal.

Then I faced Tony again, trying to figure out what he was implying.

"But what?"

"You should accept the deal."

As soon as that word left his word, my eyebrows widen and my mouth practically nearly touch the floor.

Tony of all people, how can he think this arranged marriage idea with James is the best solution to fix my problems right now?

I stared at him in shock. "Are you kidding me?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm serious. Look, I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out."

He lowered his voice and leaned closer to me. "You know your situation better than anyone. You're in debt up to your eyeballs. You have no family to help you out except your aunt, and she is in serious debt too. You have no prospects for the future. You're stuck in this dead-end job that barely pays the bills."

He gestured at the kitchen around us. "Is this what you want for your life? Flipping burgers and dodging paparazzi?"

I felt a surge of anger and hurt. How could he say that? He was supposed to be my friend, not my judge.

"Tony, you don't understand," I said through gritted teeth.

"I do understand," he said softly. "I understand that you're scared and confused and overwhelmed. But you have a chance to change everything. A chance that most people would kill for."

He looked at me with earnest eyes. "James is offering you a way out. A way to clear your name, pay off your debts, to live comfortably, to travel the world, to do whatever you want."

He paused and added with a smirk. "And he's not bad-looking either."

I rolled my eyes at that last remark. James was more than not bad-looking - he was gorgeous.

Tall, muscular, brown-haired, and hazel-eyed, he looked like a movie star or a model.

But he was also arrogant, cold-hearted, and ruthless.

"I know the deal is tempting but it should be up to her to decide. It's her life." Angie chimed in from behind us. I felt a surge of gratitude for her support.

"Angie's right," Tony said quickly. "I'm sorry if I crossed the line, Layla. I shouldn't have said that but..."

"It's okay, Tony. I know you just trying to look out for me and I'm really grateful for it." I cut him off with a warm smile. He smiled back before turning his attention back to preparing our customer orders.

***

I switch off the vacuum cleaner and lean against the sofa in our cozy apartment. Markle is busy stirring the pasta sauce on the stove, humming a tune.

"Do you think that I should marry him?" I blurt out, feeling anxious.

Yes, Markle also knows about the offer. She's look shocks when I first brought it up to her but eventually like Angie, she said it's up to me, it's my life after all.

I know it's my decision, but I still don't know which doors of choice to walk into. It terrified me.

She stops humming and looks at me with concern. "Sweetie, you know I love you and I want you to be happy, right?" she says softly.

"Of course," I nod.

"Then listen to me, you should not marry that billionaire just because he controls one of the most influential news and media companies in the country." She says and shakes her head in disbelief before continuing the cooking.

"The guy drops death gorgeous. If I was your age, I would marry him in a heartbeat. But for you, my precious niece, you don't deserve that. You deserve more than that. Your marriage should not be a marriage of convenience." She says.

"Thanks, Markle." I smile, sighing, and she winks at me.