MAYA:
"Marry you?" I said scornfully.
Aiden took a few steps closer to me. "Why are you saying that as if it is a bad thing?" He asked and I looked at him from his head to his toe.
I looked around the ledge to see if there were any hidden cameras around. Maybe this was just a prank or just another new social media trend. Aiden seemed to notice so he asked. "Wha…Wh…what are you looking for?"
"Is this a joke or something Mr. Jabari?" I asked sharply.
"Why should I waste my precious time and energy coming to save you from falling off the ledge to end up joking around with you? Maya, I want you to marry me." He said and pulled out a file from his large coat and handed it over to me.
I blinked my eyes multiple times and I just couldn't take my eyes off him. "Oh, you're damn serious?"
"This is a contract. I prepared it earlier today." He said.
I looked at the file and took it from his hands. "And you've been carrying this around all day?" I asked rhetorically.
"The contract binds me and you in marriage. Technically we would not be married but legally and to the eyes and ears of people you would be the Mrs Maya Jabari that Mr Aiden Jabari loves with all his heart but immediately the doors of our home are shut, we are loveless strangers to each other." He explained.
"Can you hear yourself talk, Jabari? A contract marriage? Why should you even consider getting married to me, I am just a low-life orphan girl trying to survive vicious men after my little life." I said to him,
"Well, that is more reason for you to accept this arrangement. You need protection and I need perfection. With you by my side, I can get the support and endorsement from the vice president in running my campaign as the next governor of Florida. The vice president will forever be indebt,ed to you and what better way to use the opportunity to further my political career?" He replied.
I nodded my head affirmatively and pinned my lips as he spoke. "I see how subtle this is."
"Look, we both need each other. I need the people's approval to see that I am good enough to run as governor and you need protection, and that is something I can one hundred percent give to you." He added.
I sighed exhaustedly and my throbbing heart seemed to be calm. "So you're saying it's not a real marriage, just a contract and you would protect me?" I asked to be sure and he nodded.
"Yes Maya, it is more like a fake marriage that no one should ever know about. It shouldn't leave the mouth of the both of us to anyone. The contract should last till about a few years and hopefully, in my tenure as governor, the vicious men should have already been caught." He replied.
"Years?!" I exclaimed in shock. "For how long are we talking about?" I asked sharply with a whole lot of curiosity.
"Five years."
"Five wha…Five whole years! No, Two years, the contract should be two years." I disagreed.
"Four years." He stated plainly and I refused.
"Three, three years and that's my final bargain." I pressed.
"Done." He accepted.
The registrar stared at the both of us awkwardly. It was already a few minutes close to ten pm when we got to the magistrate's house for the impromptu wedding. Aiden Jabari being a billionaire was able to pull some strings to enable us to get married that same hour.
I wore a fake smile on my face all through to raise no suspicions as the procedures were done quietly. "Where is your witness?" The registrar asked and fell quiet as I glanced at Aiden.
Just then, a young attractive man with long blonde hair walked into the room with his head held high. "Me, I am the witness, sorry I am late." He signified with a big smile on his face.
My eyes widened and I pulled Aiden, whispering into his ears. "Who is that?" I asked with my side eye glaring at the elephant in the room.
Aiden looked behind him and nodded at the young man. "Oh him, that's Kylan Devon." He replied.
"Kylan Devon? Did you pay him or something?" I asked curiously and he shook his head negatively.
"Kylan is my best friend, he is cool and he knows about the plan," Aiden replied and I almost got choked.
"What happened to let no one know about the contract?"
Aiden stared at me as the registrar glared at both of us bickering between ourselves. "Compose yourself, Maya," Aiden ordered me and I grew wild immediately.
"I should be the one telling you that! It's not up to twenty-four hours and you've already broken one rule in the contract and now you're telling me to compose?"
The registrar stared at us for the second time and Aiden chuckled dryly and just then, I felt his hand on my waist as he pulled me in for a kiss that caught me off guard.
"She's….Forgive us, she's just overwhelmed. You know marriage frets." Aiden lied to the registrar but he didn't say a word.
He pulled me closer and said. "Can we finish and talk about this later, please?"
I softly hit his broad chest and pouted. "You kissed me. It isn't a part of the contract." I whispered.
"Sorry, I had to, you're giving this bald old man a reason to doubt this union." He replied plainly.
I sat still until the procedures were finally over and I was officially Mrs. Maya Jabari. It is true what they say, the universe works in mysterious ways indeed. I stared down at the marriage certificate and other papers with my name and signature which were boldly written on them. Mrs Maya Moore Jabari.
"Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Jabari." The registrar said to us and I smiled.
"Thank you." Aiden and I said in unison as we shook his hand one at a time.
We took a few pictures holding the certificate and Aiden held me all lovingly like he had known me all his life. He was a great mind-blowing actor to be able to pull this off unnoticeable when I couldn't even stand it.
A couple of minutes later, we decided to head for his home in the bursting part of Florida where he has his millions of dollar mansion but as we were about to leave, The registrar stared at me in such a very creepy way.
Aiden seemed to notice with the way he pulled me aside and glared at the man. "Is there any problem, Mister?" He said to the registrar.
He shook his head negatively and pointed a finger at me. "No, no, not at all. It is just that she looks familiar, where have I seen you before?" He asked and I looked away but Aiden held me back.
"You are that girl from the news, Maya Moore." He blurted out and immediately, the blonde-haired guy chipped in. "Uh, We have to go now, Aiden." He said while scrolling through his phone.
"Wait!" The registrar tried to stop us.
"Aiden, we have to go, like right now." Kylan pressed hurriedly.
What was going on? I thought.
Aiden quickly pulled me and we charged out of the magistrate's house. He turned to face Kylan who was still by the door. "Take care of him, would you?" He said to Kylan and he nodded his head affirmatively.
"Take care of him? How?" I asked curiously as Aiden pulled me towards the exit.
"With a few dollars to keep his mouth shut, nothing much," Aiden replied with tense.
I was already losing my breath as we ran, "Wait, Wait, why are we running?" I asked as I halted.
Aiden stretched his hands toward the window. "Kylan got information that there are a few paparazzi out there waiting to fill the blogs with nonsense, they must have spotted when we walked in."
"Oh. So what would we do?" I asked.
"Pass through the back door, my car is already there." He replied and we both ran over to the back door but unfortunately for us, there were a few reporters already by the car.
Just then, flashes of the camera began to blink multiple times toward our direction. I couldn't see where I was going, damn it, I couldn't see anything to start with.
"Mr Jabari, Mr Jabari, Mr Jabari over here, over here." The reporters chanted his name like their lives depended on it.
Aiden blocked their cameras and covered me with his large coat as he tried to make room for us to get to the car. "Mr Jabari, what are you doing here?" A reporter shoved his microphone into our faces.
"Who is she?!" another screamed and I felt like I was a scared cat.
They were becoming crowded and I hung my head around Aiden's neck in fear. "She's my wife and if you could please give us our privacy," Aiden replied with a tinge of anger in his voice.
The crowd gasped as they stared intensely at me. "Wife! Oh my God, she's Maya Moore!" One of the paparazzi identified me under the large coat.
"Good observation, She is now Maya Jabari."