Late at night, maybe at about 2 o'clock in the morning.

Valerie finally broke her silent stand off against the foreign contract from Luca that sat on her nightstand.

Turning on her bedside lamp, and grabbing her geeky spectacles that helped her see a trillion times better, Valerie started reading exactly what this crazy marriage consisted of. If she accepted.

It read as so:

To whom it may concern,

Luca Don Vialessio Giovanni has expressed interest in you becoming his wife. This marriage, if you choose to follow through, will be completely conditional. No emotional feelings involved. If you choose to agree you will only be obligated to one year of marriage, then you will divorce Mister Giovanni. There will be no claims for his property. This includes all monetary assets.

At the end of the marriage you will be awarded one million dollars for your services. All contact with Mister Giovanni will be cut off, and if this is challenged please expect lawful actions taken against you.

The circumstances the marriage was founded on will also be kept undisclosed throughout the duration of it, and until both parties' mortal end. This contract entails a vow of silence. If you do go public with this very sensitive information it will result in lawful actions taken against you.

During the marriage you will be expected to do "typical" wifely duties. This includes:

*Sexual intercourse.

*One home cooked meal on a weekly basis on the day of your choosing.

*Keeping up your appearance. (groomed hair and nails no matter the circumstances)

A weekly allowance of five hundred thousand dollars will be awarded to you for these things. Any money not spent during that time period is yours to keep.

The five hundred thousand dollars will not add up to or take away from the a million dollars that you'll receive at the end of your year of marriage.

Things that will not be tolerated during the marriage if you choose to accept are:

*Adultery. No extra marital affairs will be tolerated or the contract will be immediately terminated and all monies must be returned or face lawful actions taken against you.

*Disobedience. It is expected of you that you will not be disrespectful to Mister Giovanni, nor will you embarrass him. Publicly or privately.

*Dominance. As the wife in this union, if you choose to accept, you will be expected to submit fully, at all times, to Mister Giovanni.

Please do know that if you have any questions about this take it up with Luca Don Vialessio Giovanni, and him only.

Signature of prospective Wife. (if proposition is accepted.)

__________________________

Signature of Luca Giovanni.

__________________________"

The contract ended right there and Valerie was absolutely disgusted.

What the hell does this man think her to be?

Desperate as hell and dumb.

She was definitely was desperate, but she wasn't dumb.

It was the coldness of the contract that was so off putting for her. She doesn't know what she expected, but definitely not that.

Maybe it was something in her demeanor that made Luca think that she would be interested in something like that filth. She needed to speak with him. Urgently, and this time there'd be no coming back. Being blackballed be damned. Valerie glanced at the clock on her nightstand and winced. It was two-twenty, and she needed to be up at nine to make her meeting with Luca. She definitely wasn't going to miss it now that she realized Luca didn't want the woman she was as his wife.

Luca wanted to mold her, like a sculptor, into something that fit his chaotic life.

He wanted a Submissive, and Valerie didn't think she fit the criteria for that. Chucking the contract into an empty waste basket, even though she planned to retrieve it in the morning, she wanted to feel as if she was rebelling in some way.

Valerie climbed back into her bed. She could hear Nicki snoring loudly through the thin wall that both of their rooms shared. It made her smile, and soon enough she dozed off.

***

The next morning Valerie almost threw up at the sight of the warm sunlight streaming through her window. She surely wasn't ready to get up and face the day.

Especially a day that involved a control freak like Luca Giovanni.

Valerie heard pots and pans banging together in her kitchen and she knew Nicki was trying to surprise her with her famous potato pancakes.

A Hanukkah staple.

Valerie shook her head at Nicki's discarded Jewish faith. When Valerie and Nicki first met it was at Valerie's old schoolmate's  son's "coming of age" celebration. The schoolmate just so happened to be Nicki's cousin.

They hit it off immediately.

Back then, Nicki didn't have blonde streaks in her dark brown hair, she didn't have three metal rings in her eyebrow, and Nicki also didn't have that stupid ass sensei of hers that Valerie was very sure that he bullshitted everything he told Nicki.

She decided to leave her faith behind when her family shunned her for being bisexual. It wasn't very hard for her either. She'd stopped praying, reading the Torah, and she stopped believing, way before she came out as bisexual. Valerie was there through every step of her transition.

As much as Valerie was annoyed by her friend most times, she loved her to death.

Unconditionally.

If she expected that much from a simple friendship, why the hell would she settle for a conditional, loveless marriage?

Slipping her favorite bunny slippers on Valerie trudged out of her room. Only following the divine smell of crispy potatoes. Nicki smiles at Valerie when she sees her.

"Good morning, sunshine," Nicki greets cheerfully.

Valerie tries to at least scraps a few garbled sentences together for a greeting, but it was no use.

"Mornin'." Valerie managed to rumble out audibly from a string of other mumbled garbage.

Setting a dark blue ceramic plate in front of her Nicki, very easily, slides a pancake on the plate. It leaves a lovely grease trail from its descent on the pan.

Nicki puts her much smaller portion of potato pancake on a bright orange plate. Then, she produces a bottle of ketchup and puts a nice sized puddle on both of their places.

"Enjoy!" She pipes, right before dipping her fork into the ketchup and putting it in her mouth.

This makes Valerie scrunch her nose up, but fondly.

Nicki's love for that tomato paste called ketchup was no secret.

Her head was finally clearing, "Thanks so much for the breakfast Nick." Valerie croaked, her voice still lined with sleep.

Nicki and Valerie proceeded to eat their potato pancakes in comfortable peace, that is until Valerie went and dug in her bedroom waste bin and Nicki caught sight of the contract.

"What is that?"

Nicki asked, her curiosity obviously peaked.

A deep red blush spread onto Valerie's cheeks.

The contract said not to tell a soul...but, I can trust Nicki, cant I?

Valerie decided against it. She didn't want to chance anything, and who knows letting Nicki in might result in her getting hurt later. "Oh, nothing." Valerie lied smoothly, bringing the contract even closer to her and farther from Nicki's prying eyes. She was never too keen on lying and now her life seemed to be adding more and things that required it. Valerie had to learn how to recover quicker because the tell tale shake in her hand that held her fork and her face now being beet red would not hold if she was being seriously questioned.

Nicki sat back in her chair with her a smirk on her face,"Valerie," she started, "Are you really going to sit here and lie to me about what that little piece of paper is? You know you're blushing up a storm right now and you only do that when you're lying or when my cousin Julian is over. I don't see that douchebag Julian anywhere so spill."

Valerie sighed and rolled her eyes irritably, she also felt her cheeks heat up a few more degrees. "Jeez Louise, Nicki. I told you there was nothing to know. You know I tell you everything. So, when I say this paper is nothing, but another letter from a job I didn't get accepted to I want you to believe me."

Nicki rolled her eyes right back,"Whatever. No need to get all worked up about some stupid paper, Val." Then she proceeded to pout while she scraped up the left over ketchup on her plate.

That's when Valerie took her cue to leave the counter they were eating at since Nicki had started one of her famous pouting spells. It could last for seconds or weeks. No one ever knew. Taking her greasy, ketchup streaked plate to the sink with her utensils and dropping them in Valerie walked to her room with the contract in hand.

Slamming her door with a force, just to show Nicki that she wasn't getting the best of her Valerie hopped in the shower. For some reason she felt like she needed to look good for Luca, and she never felt that way. Valerie was always a love me or hate me type of person and now suddenly she's onto showering on a daily basis days after she meets this man? What the hell did the city start putting in the tap water because this was crazy.

Valerie brushed her teeth and combed her hair up into a neat pony tail that stayed neat for at least five minutes before little curly hairs started springing out of place and ultimately framing Val's full, caramel colored face.

She went to her closet and chose a peach colored body-con dress. It was stretchy sweater material and Valerie loved it. What she didn't love was the little pudge of tummy that always protruded a little.

Shrugging her shoulders and not allowing the demons of her bullying days to come out, Valerie shrugged on a heavy, light blue jean jacket and her wheat fur boots. Grabbing her purse, cell, and of course the contract, Valerie said goodbye to Nicki; who was now tapping away on her cellphone, and left out of their apartment.

***

When Valerie boarded the subway she couldn't help but notice that a man was staring at her from a far. Since she wasn't a stranger to the New York streets Valerie dug in her purse and clutched her pepper spray a little tighter. Out of all the people on the train, Valerie did tend to stand out because of the bright color she was wearing, but that's about it. Being singled out on public transportation often spelled out for a dangerous disaster.

The man didn't look dangerous though. He looked nerdy, and every time he and Valerie made eye contact he scribbled something down in a notepad. The stranger donned a pair of thick glasses and a burgundy beanie and really looked as if he could do no harm, but these days you had to be weary of any and everybody.

As the subway car pulled to a stop and Valerie quickly shuffled to the doors of the car. She was trying to get as close to an exit as possible. Weaving through the shoulder to shoulder congestion, suddenly she felt a hand grasp her shoulder and she immediately whipped out her pepper spray and jammed her index finger down on the nozzle, hard.

The next thing you could hear was the man's strangled cries of agony and Valerie's heavy footsteps as she fled the scene. The doors of the train opening seemingly at the perfect time.

She continued running for a few blocks before finally stopping to catch her breath. She looked behind her and of course the man was no where to be found. Honestly, Valerie felt kind of bad. What if the man wasn't a creep and wanted to compliment her some weird oddity he found fascinating.

What if he was a creep though?

Valerie thought as a shiver ran up her spine.

What if he was a Russian spy who was sent to gather intelligence on her because her great-great-great-great grandfather was apart of the mafia and had yet to pay back some drug money? What if he was there to kill her and sell her body parts to the black market?!

Or, maybe she just watched to many Lifetime channel dramas.

Valerie shrugged off her ill-placed guilt and silently hoped the man wasn't too badly hurt.

***

When Valerie arrived at Giovanni Enterprises it was busier than usual. There was a line of women standing outside the office, many of them pampered and dressed to the nines.

Tapping one of the women who wasnt  primping herself Valerie asked what was going on.

The dark blonde woman looked at her like she was dense. "Girl are you living under a rock?! Luca Giovanni has opened up his assistant job to the public. Like the public public not the rich, snooty, college degree public. Every girl in the city is trying to impress him.

Of course I'll be the one to woo him, though." She finished off, patting her pin straight hair, her crimson nails glinting in the sun.

Oh really, Luca? You're looking for a wife and a sleazy secretary? Not a good combo.

Valerie marched into the building, chin jutted in the air. It was the only way she was going to make it in without one of the girls in the lines sending her a hateful glare and sending her off track.

Once again, Valerie and the receptionist met. Today though, the poor woman looked swamped with all the woman crowding her desk and when Valerie sauntered up to the lady she looked miserable.

"Ugh, at least I know you're not some psycho I have to screen." The woman mumbles and lazily grabs her black land line telephone."Mr. G, Miss Stevens is here. You're welcome." Then she hangs up and pointedly looks at the couch.

She took the time to learn my name. Isn't that a start?

Valerie takes a seat on the couch and takes in the scene of at least fifty women inside the lobby. It reeked of cheap perfume and faint mouthwash. Each of them oozing a bit of insecurity as everyone fidgeted with themselves. No red heads though, at least not yet.

After ten minutes the elevator dings and the girls who've made it inside the mile long line start screaming.

"Oh my gosh, he's mega-mega-mega hot Chelsea!"

"Look at that sex hair! Mmm... Can't wait til my fingers run through it."

"Shut up! As if you'd even get the job. It's obvi going to me!"

Luca paid the overly hormonal girls no mind. His eyes solely focused on Valerie, and for some reason that made her swell with pride. She felt the stares of the women in the room, but his confidence was infectious. Rising to his arrival, Valerie softly returned his smile.

He offered his hand and she brushed him off, declining it. If she came here to decline his proposal, she'd definitely have to decline everything else too.

Luca stood there defiantly until Valerie took his hand.

Glancing quickly around, she didn't want to make a scene.

That was a telltale to how this meeting was gonna go.

Stubborn bastard.

***

When they were both comfortably seated in his office Valerie put the blank contract on his desk.

Luca looked down at it, his confusion displayed blatantly on his handsome face.

"There's no signature from you on here." He even took the contract and held it up to the light, baffled.

"I know." She answered, smirking. It felt good to not be at his mercy.

"Why isn't there a signature on here? Are you denying my offer?"

"Yes sir, I am. I don't know who you think you are, man. I'm not your play thing, and I won't let some bogus ass contract order me to let you treat me as one."

The room was silent. Valerie was afraid she'd made him angry. She stood her ground though, bracing herself a little more sturdily against the chair she was sitting in. Her palms were lakes at this point.

Then, the man grinned. Smoothly pushing the contract back towards her and placing a pen on top for her to sign.

Valerie made no movements to get up and sign. She met his gaze with the same expectancy and level. That's when his grin dropped and his eyes narrowed instead, regarding her with curiosity now.

"You're serious?" He asked, sobering up. Luca slides the contract back to him, opening a drawer on his desk and dropping it in.

"As a heart attack." Valerie deadpans, now boredly fidgeting with her nails just to sell her calm cool demeanor. He was eating this exchange up, it was becoming more and more apparent he had a problem with the word no.

"What would I have to do for you to even consider becoming, Mrs.Giovanni?" Luca sat back in his large chair, making him more intimidating as he leveraged with her from across the room. His energy commanded her attention though, even though he was far away, it felt as if he was standing directly over her.

"Why are you even arguing with me over this? There are hundreds of women in your lobby clambering over each other just to get a job close to you. You have no reason to fuss over me, I don't even like you." Valerie stressed, she was exasperated.

She just wanted to go home and sleep, and this man was keeping her from dreaming.

Luca took everything she said as a challenge. As something to be conquered.

"Because I want you. Not them. I know what kind of women they are and I'd drag this company through the ground before I put my family name on one of their heads." Luca bit out, his eyes heating.

Valerie felt bad for even suggesting the idea now. But, she had to know why he wanted her. Now she knew. It was nice to know that he didn't want her to because he thought her to be dumb.

If he really wanted her he'd have to romance her first though, and make more than a few amendments to that god forsaken contract.

"Fine. Fine. I get it, okay?That doesn't change my stance though. You don't know me, Luca. I don't know you, and I'm damn sure not marrying no man I don't know. So, for me to marry you, you'll have to go all out. I want the works. The hearts and the flowers. It's what I think I deserve. If you can't give that to me, then you might as well let me go now."

Valerie was asking for what she thought she deserved, she wouldn't let up till she got just that and no less.

Luca sat there at his desk, his hands clenching the edges of it so tight his knuckles were turning white. His face was calm, relaxed even as he regarded Valerie with slight amusement on his face.

"Come here."

His request startled Valerie, it took her a minute for her to register what he was saying.

"I will not." She told him, her face screwing up into absolute disgust. She even imagined herself digging her heels into the ground to keep her rooted to her seat even though her body called to him like a siren at sea.

She'd just put her foot down to not being ordered around and this man was calling her like a dog to his lap now?

He must be sick in the head.

Valerie swore she saw him roll his eyes as he got up from his desk and walked around to her. He stood right in front of her then crouched down to her sitting level. His very very expensive looking shoes creasing under his weight as he steadied himself on the armrests of the chair she sat in.

It really was his scent that turned her on the most. It was exhilarating just like his presence. The light of the room illuminated his eyes in just the right way that made her feel like she was staring into deep pools of amber. Him finally looking up at her instead of vice versa was a sight to behold.

"I mistook you for quite the docile woman when we first met, but can you blame me? You dropped to your knees to apologize for a stranger..." Luca began, a warmness in his eyes when he thought back to the two week old memory now. Valerie's body began to heat with embarrassment.

"Your stubbornness is intoxicating, Valerie." Luca told her almost incredulously. "You can probably infer I'm a man who likes to keep control of everything around me. In my contract, you even got a taste of what that's truly like. I would like a submissive woman, an obedient spouse. Could I find that in you?"

Yes.

"No. I don't think so, Luca." Valerie answered with an ill concealed breathlessness. His closeness was making her lightheaded, and he was practically between her legs.

His eyes flickered mischievously at her answer. His grip tightened on her armrests.

"I've realized this. However, I will never be satisfied just leaving you alone. So, I'll accept your request, sweet. If it's a chase you want—

A chase you'll get."