Chapter 207
**Tom**
Sara choked mid-sip, her eyes darting to mine with obvious confusion. I set my glass down harder than necessary.
"We've only been dating a few weeks. Nothing serious yet." I shot him a warning look that he completely ignored.
"Few weeks?" Leo's eyebrows shot up. "And you didn't think to mention this to your own brother? We had dinner just last weekend, and you sat there complaining about Dad's marriage ultimatum without breathing a word about Sara."
I took a long sip of wine. "I was going to introduce her properly once things progressed."
Kate swirled her wine glass, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "You know Tom, that big fancy clock in your father's study isn't just for show. Tick tock."
"Please don't remind me about Dad's ultimatum."
Sara shifted beside me, her fingers drumming against her wine glass. "Hold up. What's this about a clock and ultimatums?"
"Oh, you haven't told her?" Leo's grin widened. "Our dear father gave Tom here a deadline. One year to find a wife, or he'll start arranging marriage meetings with every eligible socialite in the country."
I shot Leo my best 'shut up now' glare, but he just kept grinning like the cat who caught the canary. Sara's hand stilled on her wine glass, her eyebrows climbing toward her hairline.
"You never mentioned any of this." She turned to me, eyes sparkling with amusement. "I thought we were just casually dating, and you've got a ticking marriage clock hanging over your head?"
"It wasn't relevant." I took another gulp of wine. "And it's not exactly first-date conversation material. 'Hi, nice to meet you. My father's threatening to marry me off if I don't find someone in the next twelve months.'"
"That's oddly specific. What happens then? Do you turn into a pumpkin?"
"More like he gets paraded around at society events like a prize stallion." Leo chuckled, clearly enjoying my discomfort.
"Leo," I warned, but Sara was already grinning.
"Oh, I see how it is." She set down her glass and crossed her arms, eyes dancing with mischief. "You're keeping your options open, aren't you? Probably have a whole lineup of potential wives waiting in the wings. Can't settle for just anyone when you're shopping for a society bride."
"That's not-" I started, but she wasn't done.
"Let me guess - they need to know which fork to use at fancy dinners?"
I groaned. "I don't need any of that pretentious crap. Can we talk about this later?"
"Oh no, Tom." Sara's eyes sparkled with mischief as she leaned forward. "Do they also need to know how to properly sip tea with their pinky up? Walk with books balanced on their heads?"
Leo burst out laughing. "I like her. She's got your number, Tom."
"The proper fork etiquette is quite simple," Kate said, enjoying this too much. "You just start from the outside and work your way in."
Sara snapped her fingers. "Ah, that's where I've been going wrong all these years. I've been starting from the middle and working my way sideways."
"You're all hilarious," I muttered, draining my wine glass. "Really, comedy gold."
"Don't worry." Sara patted my knee. "I'll expect a full PowerPoint presentation on this marriage ultimatum thing later. With charts and graphs, naturally. And maybe a pie chart showing the percentage of eligible bachelorettes in your social circle."
"Sure, right after I finish grading papers on proper society wedding protocols."
"Oh, there's a class for that?" Sara's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Is that what you really teach at the university? 'How to Marry a Billionaire 101'?"
Leo nearly choked on his wine. "Tom, wherever did you find her?"
"Sometimes I wonder that myself," I replied, but I couldn't help smiling as Sara stuck her tongue out at me.
"Just for that, I'm adding a quiz section to our later discussion," she whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. "Multiple choice questions about acceptable marriage proposal venues. Is a yacht too cliché?"
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to whisper in her ear. "You're enjoying this way too much."
"Obviously." She grinned up at me. "It's not every day I find out my boyfriend's got a ticking marriage time bomb."
"You're making it sound far more dramatic than it is." I traced circles on her shoulder, enjoying how she leaned into my touch despite her teasing.
"This is better than any drama I've watched." Sara turned to Leo. "Does the whole family have these ultimatums, or is Tom just special?"
"Tom's special, alright," Leo said, refilling everyone's glasses. "He's the heir apparent who'd rather grade papers than run our company."
"I happen to enjoy teaching." I shot back.
Sara stretched lazily against me, her wine glass dangling precariously from her fingers. "You know, there's this revolutionary concept called 'doing both.' I hear it's all the rage these days."
"Both?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Mhmm." She took a sip of wine. "Join the fancy family business, wear your expensive suits, make billions - then teach part-time because you're, you know, a billionaire who can do whatever he wants."
"That's..." I paused. The idea hadn't actually occurred to me.
"Brilliant?" Sara grinned. "Revolutionary? Further proof that I'm a genius and you should worship the ground I walk on?"
"I was going to say 'not terrible.'"
"Coming from you, that's practically a marriage proposal." She winked at Leo and Kate.
I cleared my throat. "I've been attending the board meetings regularly. Dad's idea of 'keeping me in the loop.'"
"See?" Sara poked my chest. "You're already halfway there. Next, you'll teach 'How to Be a CEO 101' to wide-eyed business students."
"She's got a point," Leo said. "Though I'd pay good money to see Tom try to teach while running the company. 'Sorry class, I had to buy a company today. Pop quiz tomorrow.'"
Kate nodded enthusiastically. "It's actually perfect. You get to keep your beloved teaching career and stop your Dad from having an aneurysm about the family legacy."
"Plus," Sara added, "think of all the real-world examples you could bring to class. 'Today's lesson: How I Accidentally Bought a Billion Dollar Company During My Coffee Break.'"
I couldn't help laughing. "That's not how corporate acquisitions work."
"I'm sure it involves lots of fancy paperwork and stern looks across mahogany tables. Maybe a gavel? Do CEOs use gavels?"
"No gavels." I pulled her closer, enjoying how she fit against my side. "Though there are plenty of stern looks."
"Well, you've got those down pat. All those times you caught students texting in class? Pure CEO material."
Leo raised his glass. "To my brother - future CEO and professional stern-look-giver."
"I haven't agreed to anything yet," I protested.
"But you're thinking about it." Sara tapped my nose. "I can see those wheels turning. Imagine all the corporate jargon you could torture your students with."
Kate checked her watch. "We should probably head out. Some of us have actual jobs to get to tomorrow."
Leo stood, pulling Kate up with him. "Yes, and I expect regular updates on this..." He gestured between Sara and me. "Development. No more hiding girlfriends from your favorite brother."
"You're my only brother."
"Exactly!" Leo grinned. "And you two better not disappear into thin air. I want proper family dinners, holiday plans, the works."
I walked them to the door. "You should focus on your own relationship. How long have you and Kate been dating now? And still no ring?" I smirked. "Talk about taking your time."
Leo wrapped an arm around Kate's waist. "I'm waiting for you to get hitched first, big brother. Can't steal your thunder."
"How considerate," I deadpanned.
"Besides," Leo winked, "Dad's too focused on your love life to bother with mine. Keep up the good work!"
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