Page 45 of The Stallion
Ponyboy…
Of all the nicknames I would have considered her giving me, that was one I hadn’t even considered.
It made sense, though, seeing as it was the most popular song we danced to in the show. The moment that song played, the entire theater erupted into a pandemonium of screams and shrieks from all the women in attendance.
I released a sigh, staring down at the black marble counter where I had Bria caged, right before she turned down my advances and stormed out of the kitchen.
I was strong enough to stop her, but I let her shove me aside as if I were nothing, to give her a confident moment of victory.
I could only hope that her hate of our unconventional arrangement would fade with time.
Long-term, I didn’t want a loveless marriage. I strived to have a connection like my parents. However, with the pressure to retain my leadership position, I had to make a tough choice.
There were only two options: I could’ve waited for the right woman to come along, bonded, and married her with time—most likely losing my status in the process. Or pull the trigger when I felt the slightest hint of a gut feeling, hoping it wouldn’t lead me astray—obviously, I chose the latter.
Bria was my gut feeling, and not a single second has passed since that made me regret my ultimate decision—even from that very first night with her.
She’d be the one—eventually.There was no doubt about that.
As far as I was concerned, there was no one else better for me—only her.
I gave Bria her space for what was left of the morning, lounging in the living room with the TV on. I sat there lazily, my arms fanned out across the back of the large couch I had slept on the night before, and one foot resting on the coffee table.
If I was going to wait for Bria to come out of hiding, I could at least make myself comfortable.
Time felt like sand passing through an hourglass, and I knew I still needed to prepare for my meeting with Dustin.Oh, how fucking wonderful that conversation was going to be.
My mind was so far from where it should’ve been that I couldn’t recall half of the shit that was addressed on the news. The TV was nothing more than background noise to my internal thoughts.
An audible click from the hall caught my attention, and I shifted my gaze from staring off into nothing to the hallway where Bria now stood, fully dressed in a pair of tiny cutoff denim shorts and a plain black tank top.
“I need a car. Ash and I always carpooled together, and if I have to drive back and forth between here and Phoenix, I need a reliable vehicle.” Her demand was brazen, as if she had spent this entire time rehearsing her request.
I half expected her to still hold a grudge against me from my earlier remark.
“We can go shopping for one later today when I return from my… work meeting. What do you have in mind?”
“Well, since you need me to play the role of your wife—convincingly, I might add. I want a Jeep Wagoneer… Series three…allthe additional accessories and packages.”
If she thinks her expensive vehicle choice will immediately throw me off my game, she's got another thing coming.
I’ve got all the money to burn just for you, sweet girl.
I’ll give Bria everything her heart desires, no questions asked.
“Color preference?” I asked with a broad smile, and I could see it catch her off guard by the way she hesitated with her reply.
“Bright white.”I expected her to want the black or maybe even red. I didn’t take her for bright—“Actually, scratch that, I want the Diamond Black.”That’s my sweet girl.
“Done.”
“That’s it? You’re not going to try to talk me into a cheaper car? Something smaller? More affordable?” Bria narrowed her eyes atme as if I were toying with her, playing some mental game that she was more than prepared to win.
I had to admit I loved how forward and unafraid she was to call me out on essentially anything, but as for winning…
“Why would I do that? You’ve seen what I drive, where we live…”
“Well, yeah, but—”
