"Is this like some sort of rebellious stunt?" my father growled as he paced before me and my mother sitting on the couch. "This isn't something that you can just walk away from two months later! No, I won't let you do this."
"It's not like you can stop me. I'm 21 and I'm not doing this as some sort of rebellious stunt. Believe it or not I want to help the family business and who knows, maybe I'll find I get along better with older men than I do guys my own age."
"That's not funny Emilia," my mother sighed as she squeezed her temples and shook her head.
"I'm not trying to be funny and you both need to stop freaking out. He only wants me to be there for the rest of spring break. I haven't agreed to marry him. He just wants me to get to know him. Plus I've never been to the Willamette Valley. It will be like a vacation, all expenses paid."
My mother gaped at me before shrilling out,"You can't just go about this like you do everything else in life!"
My face scrunched up defensively. "What do you mean by that?"
"What if he's a serial killer or something?" my father speculated as his eye twitched. "He's just luring you there, so he can tie you up in his basement."
"Really? I didn't realize serial killers made themselves known to the parents of their victims. Look, you have the address, my number, and his number. I honestly think in about a two days he's going to realize I'm 21, still trying to figure out life, and that we have nothing in common. That will be the end of that, but... I will have at least made nice with him and maybe, just maybe, he'll realize that's enough to put his faith in the business."
"Maybe she's right," my mother sighed looking up at my father.
I looked at my mother a little astonished by her sudden understanding, but picking up my dropped jaw I added with a false confidence, "I know I am."
"No. I don't like this at all," my father said shaking his head.
"I know dad, but please let me at least make an attempt to smooth this over," I said standing. "I won't feel right until I have." And that was the truth. It was the first time in my life that my family had to depend on me and I couldn't just step away from that.
My father let out a fumed breath through his nostrils. "I will knock him on his ass if he tries anything on you. I want you to call me every day, okay?"
"I will," I agreed walking over to him and giving him a comforting hug. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."
But really, I wasn't fine. Though I basked in the glory of being the family's possible savior I was also regretting my decision on agreeing to Benjamin's newest proposition and dreaded the days I would have to spend with him.
Why did I agree to this? I wondered as I made my way back to my room to pack my bags.
In truth, I hadn't felt myself since I had called Benjamin two days prior and he gave me the answer Rubbish. I found myself actually considering the benefits of his offer. I would be helping my family, I would never have to worry about tuition, and the design studio was everything I wanted and more. However, in the back of my mind I knew it wasn't reason enough to marry some stranger; some old man.
In truth, it wasn't the age difference that bothered me the most. It was the idea of a loveless marriage. I felt it would be a betrayal of everything I stood for. I was always a believer in following your heart, being honest with yourself and those around you, and staying true to your passions. With that in mind, I decided that I couldn't marry Benjamin and couldn't be my family's ticket out of bankruptcy. I knew that would mean I would have to drop out of school, but at least I wouldn't have to degrade myself.
"Why can't I just walk away from this?" I sighed to myself as I folded up a shirt and shoved it in my bag.
For whatever reason, I couldn't shake that kiss from our shared dream. My lips tingled and my heart flutter when it came to mind. I think if it wasn't for that kiss I could have just put the whole situation aside, but the night following our phone conversation he entered my dream again. In this dream, I stood on a balcony overlooking a beautiful vineyard. I would have guessed Tuscany had it not been for the aspects of nature that looked more west coast. Still, it was gorgeous; a perfect combination of charming farmlands, rolling hills, distant peaks, and serene skies. It was enough to make any painter's heart stop and anyone else's breath vanish.
"And you could have all this too," said a warm deep voice behind me.
I turned around with a slacked jaw. "I must be in your head because I couldn't have dreamed this up."
"It's your dream, but yes," Benjamin said slowly making his way over to me. "I think I somehow brought this to you."
"How?" I breathed turning my gaze back to the sunset that was just beyond the sloping hills.
"I can't tell you that, because—I'm unsure."
"Do you have any theories on how this is happening? You entering my dreams?"
"I may, but I can't tell you," he said with a tone of regret. "Emilia, if you agree to marry me you'll have many questions that I won't be able to answer straight away, but I promise, one day I will and on that day everything will make sense. I just need your patience and trust until then."
"Why do you have to bring up the M word?" I moaned dropping my head in frustration. "Can't you just let me enjoy this dream?"
"I do want you to enjoy this dream, but at the same time I don't want to hide my intentions. I want to marry you, Emilia."
I let out a long sigh and turned around to face him. He was young again and seeing the anguish in his big blue eyes I almost looked away. "Benjamin, there's got to be a million girls who would marry you, girls that are looking for the kind of lifestyle you have to offer them," I said forcing myself to meet his gaze with a serious expression. "You should try with them because I can't marry you. I'm the kind of girl that marries for love or not at all. I don't think I'll ever settle unless it's the kind of love that is equal to or more than my other passions. I'm the sort of girl that ends up with the suffering artist type or struggling musician. Not a rich old guy."
"Who said I wasn't a suffering artist?" he asked with a weak grin. "And I'll have you know I not only can play the guitar but also," he gave a dramatic pause, "a pretty mean kazoo."
I laughed turning back around, but my laughter faded as I found myself once again gawking at the view. "God, you're making me feel like Elizabeth Bennet when she toured Pemberley."
"I don't remember the part where Mr. Darcy confesses to her that he plays the kazoo," he joked coming to stand next to me.
"Oh, it was in there. He had a big kazoo solo."
We laughed and feeling his gaze I glanced up at him with a shy smile. "Are you always younger in your dreams?"
He shrugged and leaning against the banister he peered out at the vineyard pensively.
"I wish you were young outside dreamworld," I admitted quietly.
"Would you consider marrying me then?" he asked returning his gaze back to me.
I shook my head. "It still wouldn't feel right. I can't marry a guy because he's offering me things, and it sucks because one of those things would be a big help to my family, but I would be disgusted with myself."
"What if you found that you could love me? Would you want me then?"
I couldn't answer to that straight away. I was so certain before the dream that nothing would convince me to marry him, but love wasn't anything I had ever considered. "I've never been in love," I finally answered, "so I don't know what I'd do."
He turned around, crossing his arms and leaning his back against the banister. "Never been in love?" he questioned with an intrigued smirk. "Have you ever had a boyfriend?"
"Yes, I've had boyfriends before," I said rolling my eyes at him. "Just none that I really felt anything deep for." I then tilted my head towards him asking, "What about you? I'm sure by your age you've been through a few relationships."
"Lust? Yes. Love? No, but after a bad situation with a… despicable woman," he said rather harshly as if another word would be more suitable, "I've kept myself away from the dating world."
"Was this woman like a stalker?"
His lips tightened into a straight line and he looked skyward, bitterly. "No. She was my stepmother."
"That must have been awkward."
"It didn't end well, but let's not talk about that." He then looked down at me and his eyes bore into mine. His expression was difficult to read and I found myself unable to look away as I tried to understand it. "What I want to do is make you another offer, one that's maybe a little more realistic," he finally said.
"Like what?"
"Stay with me for a week. I won't expect anything from you, but I would like you to get to know me and give me a chance. At the end of the week if you want nothing to do with me then I'll stop pursuing you. I'll reconsider my previous business offer and maybe come up with another exchange for my investments."
"A week?" I clarified.
"Yes."
"Hmm... that would be the rest of my spring break, so I suppose that's do-able," I muttered to myself. I then turned to him with an arched brow. "And you won't like try to kidnap me and force me to marry you or something sinister along those lines?"
"You have my promise. All I ask is that you spend time with me, maybe enjoy a glass of wine with me, and honestly consider a life with me."
"I… I guess so. Ya, I can agree to that, but why though? Really, why do you want me?"
"You're the first girl I've ever met with hair the color of wheat and lavender," he answered as gently wrapped his finger around a lock of my hair.
"That's kind of poetic, but it's a really odd reason to want a girl," I pointed out as I glanced down at his winding finger and realized my hair was free of its usual braid.
"We all have our own reason for what we see as beautiful," he said in a soft, low voice as his wandering gaze darkened.
My cheeks reddened and I turned away from him trying to hide my smile. Internally I was berating myself for weakening to his charm, but in other ways I welcomed it. Returning to face him again I was prepared to say something along the lines of, flattery will get you nowhere, but he wasn't there. The world around me melted away like a freshly painted scene suddenly splashed with water, and I found myself rolling off the edge of my bed. I shrieked just before my back hit the floor and groaning in pain I stared up at the ceiling. The fall not only woke me up but cleared my dreamy mind.
"Oh god," I whined. "What did I just agree to?"
