Page 19 of Isn't She Lucky
“Okay, so he was asking me about my job. I told him straight up that I was at a job I didn’t like, and I had financial obligations, which is why I stayed. He didn’t like that I was doing something I wasn’t passionate about. Said he remembered how passionate I was back then. Sometime after that, he offered me a million dollars to marry him.”
Diedra’s face goes blank. “Stop playing with me, Giada.”
“I lie to you not.”
She takes a sip of lemonade. The color is still drained from her face when she says, “He offered you a million dollars to marry him? What in the world?”
“He said he can’t get access to his inheritance unless he’s married.”
“Wayment…that don’t-een sound legal.”
“It is if that’s how your parents wrote up their will.”
“A million flippin’ dollars…” she says, mulling over my words, trying to make sense of this.
“Yes. That was the offer.”
“What did you tell him?”
“I told him he was crazy.”
“Girl, isyoucrazy? A million dollars? Shoot, for a million, I’d do more than marry him. I’d—”
“Hush, Diedra. I don’t want to hear what you would do for a million dollars. I, on the other hand, am not desperate for money.”
“After all them bills you pay for your mama, you should be!”
“Wait—are you saying I should consider it?”
“When do you think you’re going to get another offer like that? I mean, you just have to marry the man.”
“Oh, yeah. That’s all I have to do—marrysomeone as if marriage isn’t a sacred union. Life is complicated enough as it is. I don’t think I can do that.”
“But he’s not asking anything else of you, is he? Just marriage?”
“That’s all he said.”
“Where’s your phone?”
“Why?”
“Because you calling him not right now, butrightnow!”
“No, I’m not, and the answer is no.”
“Giada, you’re not thinking rationally.”
“That’s whathesaid.”
“Think of what a milli would do to your life. You could buy a house, pay off your car,andyour mama’s car. Shoot, you could buy your mom a house! And not to mention you’d be married to your childhood crush.”
“I’m good.”
“Giada, you’re breaking my heart,” she says, being all dramatic like she usually is.
“Well, you better go over there and grab that box of Kleenex.”
I feel my phone buzz in the pocket of these comfortable lounge pants I have on. I take it out and see that I have a new text message notification from a number that’s not saved in my contacts.
