Episode 73

Iris was putting on the finishing touches to her outfit , when her friend Mitchell called and asked her if she would be coming into work soon.

Mitchell was Mr. Raymond's private secretary and she had some important information to tell iris about their boss.


Mr. Raymond was a man in his late sixties. he was short with silver hair. Being a real family man with a wife he adored, and two sons who were both famous in their own right. one was a doctor who was over in Africa helping a small village, taking care of the ill, the other an actor.

Neither of his sons wanted any part of their father's
business. He was always away, traveling with his wife and visiting his sons so he put iris in charge.


She started working for him right out of college, and proved to him how quickly she could learn every aspect of the business. She loved every bit of her job, it turned out to be her passion. Her boss trusted her so much she was pretty much in charge of running everything.
On some occasions, she would have to run some things by him.


Reaching the building where she worked, she was greeted by the others as she passed them on the way to her office. She knew they were watching her, some of them didn't like her, they thought she was a rich stuck up snob who was loved by their boss. She knew what they called her behind her back, rich bitch, Ice Queen and the woman with no heart.

The only friend she had was Mitchell, who had been her friend since high school. What everyone said about her rolled off her back, she was here to work and make a name for herself in the cosmetic world, hoping someday to have her own company. With the trust fund that she received from her grandmother and her own savings, she was close to making her dream come alive.
There was a knock at the door and mitchell entered, carrying a coffee for her.
Iris sat down behind her desk, looking at Mitchell thinking how really beautiful she was. Tall, blonde and had a figure that had men taking second looks. She was indeed blessed with womanly features. She had men eating out of her hands, but not when she was in school. she was shy and kept her beauty hidden under loose clothing. her hair was always in a ponytail and she wore glasses. Mitchell was the opposite of her who flaunted her beauty in school, had the boys drooling, her high school days were full of dates, fun and wild parties.
Reaching for her coffee, she gives Mitchell a warm smile.

"OK, so what is this important news you have to tell me?" Iris inquired as she sat down across from Mitchell, crossing her right leg over her left one.

Mr. Raymond is retiring and planning on selling the company. This is your chance to own your own company, just like you always dreamed of."
Sitting straight up she stared at her friend. "Are you serious?"
"Yes! I just got a memo from him and he wants to sell and move to Italy. Mr. Raymond really likes you and I'm sure he'll give you first crack at buying it. He knows how hard you've worked and how much you love this company. I haven't got all the details yet."


Iris couldn't believe her luck, this was so much better than opening her own company from scratch and being his competitor. "This would be perfect and you could work for me as my personal assistant."
"With a pay raise, right?" Mitchell asked, smiling.
"Yes Of course, a big one," she replied, winking .


Rachel got to her feet. Alright, I better get back to my desk. I'll let you know when I find out the details. Oh, before I forget I got the invitation for our high school reunion, did you get yours?. "I haven't checked my mail yet."
"I'm sure you got one, so are you going to go?"
"I don't think so, I'm too busy."
"Come on iris loosen up a little and have some fun. It'll be great seeing our old friends again, and see what they look like and what they're are doing. How long has it been since you've been on a date?. You can't work all the time, you need love and romance. you need to put that engine of yours to work or you'll grow cobwebs down there. "Mitchell queried".
"I don't have time for romance. And the men I meet, I wouldn't dream of going out with them. But I will think about going to the reunion, no promises though.


When mitchelle left, she sat back. she was sure Mr. Raymond would sell the company to her. She had the money, the experience, and the passion. All her hard work was finally going to pay off. As for men she could have anyone she wanted, they were always after her but she found them boring. There were times she missed the touch of a man or the feeling of being kissed. but, no one could get her juices flowing.


Two days later, she had lunch with mitchell and she could tell there was something on her mind. "So do you want to talk about what's bothering you?"


Mitchell looked at Blair, hating the thought of breaking the news. I have more information on Mr. Raymond selling the company. I'm afraid I have some bad news for you.


What bad news? "she asked, feeling her heart sink".
"Mr. Raymond will only sell to someone who is married. He wants his company to go to someone who is in a stable relationship, and will eventually have a family. I'm so sorry, but he wants to keep it as a family business. I feel really bad for you, I know how much you wanted this."
Iris sat back in her seat, using her index finger, twirled a strand of her hair around it.

This news was devastating, she was so sure her boss would have sold her the company. This isn't fair, I could do so much, bring this company further into the future. Just because I'm not married or have children shouldn't matter.
Well, maybe when he comes back next month you could convince him to sell to you, maybe offer more than he's asking.


Iris waved the waiter over and ordered another bottle of wine. No! I know him, when he says he wants a family person to take over he won't change his mind. Every man out there is only after money, they don't give a damn about family, but not Mr. Raymond just my luck.
Then start up your own company."
She looks at Mitchell. But I want this company."
Picking up her glass of wine, she smiles at iris. Then my dear, I guess you'll have to get married, and soon. she said, chuckling at the thought of her friend getting married just to own a company.


But then she saw the look on iris's face, knowing her she was hatching a plan in her head. No! I don't know what you're thinking of doing but don't attempt it.


If being married is the only way what would be the harm?"
For one thing you aren't even dating anyone and for another thing, it's just plain stupid to marry for this reason."
"It wouldn't have to be a real marriage. All I have to do is find someone willing to be my husband for a few months and then we can get it annulled. I would make it worth his while financially. but, who could I get to go along with it?.


Irish, this plan is never going to work."
The more I think of it the better it sounds. Let's go back to my place, open some more wine and try to come up with the right candidate.


Shaking her head, she gets up and follows iris out. I'm only going to try and talk you out of this nonsense.


When they got to iris's penthouse, the doorman greeted her with a friendly smile and hello as he held the door open for the two ladies. She lived in one of the finest suites that had high-end security. It was on the top floor overlooking the city with a balcony. Everything inside was expensive right down to the furniture and the pictures that hung on the wall. Her sofa was genuine white leather, she had a small bar over to one side. The bathroom was one fit for a queen, with its double size tub and shower. the faucets were gold plated. She had a cleaning lady come in three times a week.
Open the wine while I change into something more comfortable. "she said to Rachel as she headed to the bedroom". Coming back out minutes later wearing sweats and a tank top, her hair pulled up into a ponytail.
Sitting down, they went through a list of all the men they knew.


"OK, so who do we know that would like to earn some easy money?" she asked Mitchell taking a sip of her wine.
"What about liu from accounting?"
No, I don't want anyone who works for the company. I need someone who has nothing to do with us or has any interest in the company.
After finishing off a bottle of wine and opening another one, they were starting to get a bit tipsy. It was getting late after going through the list of all the men they knew and getting hungry,ordered a pizza.

By the time it arrived, they were both wasted and giggling like a couple of school girls. Paying the delivery man she looks him up and down.Are you married?" she asked him.
"No Miss."
"Would you like to marry me?"
Mitchell pulled her back and smiled at the confused guy. Sorry, she's just kidding around, goodbye now she said, closing the door.
"What? He was kind of cute," iris said, taking out a slice of pizza and started eating.
"Yeah, cute for a teenager," she snapped.
Mitchell jumped up from the sofa. "I know, I'll get out our high school yearbook, maybe we'll find someone in there."
They sat flipping through the book, laughing and making fun of some of them, each guy mitchell pointed to, iris shook her head.
"What about this guy?" she pointed, showing iris a picture's of a skinny guy wearing glasses. He had braces on his teeth and acne on his face. "Remember him? he followed you all around, carried your books and did anything you wanted him too. That boy was so much in love with you, but you treated him like shit so I guess he's out of the question."


Looking at the picture she smiled. Mike Brendan. I haven't given him a second thought since school. Oh, I could wrap him around my little finger. I know he liked me but come on, look at him, he was such a nerd and was also naive. I wonder what he's doing these days? You know what? I bet anything I can get him to go along with my deal."
Mitchell picked up the laptop. One way to find out. I'll just google his name and see if I can find out about him.

After a few minutes, she gasped out loud. Omg! you aren't going to believe this. Your mike is a lawyer, a very successful and affluence one at that.


So, he's still a nerd, but is he single?"
Yes, he's single and lives right here in Los Angeles. But I don't think you'll have a chance of getting him to help you.
"Why is that?"
You better take a look at his picture, he looks nothing like the mike you knew in high school."
"Oh, let me have a look, she said taking the laptop and looking at mike's picture. "This can't be the Austin we knew." This picture was of a guy that was smoking hot. His ache was cleared up, he didn't wear glasses and his body was so toned with masculine features.
Wow! he's gorgeous. So what? I bet you anything I can still wrap him around my finger and get him to help me. I wonder if he's going to the reunion.
"Only one way to find out iris, email him."


Smiling, she sat down and started typing.
Hello mike, I'm not sure if you'll remember me, iris dorwen from high school.

Our school's reunion is coming up and I'm hoping you'll be there, maybe we could catch up. Hope to see you there. "iris".

Pushing send she closed her laptop.

*So is iris spoiled?. will she convince mike to be a temporary husband?. Will he be able to resist her beauty and charm or will he fall for her? What can possibly go wrong with her plan? Besides his looks do you think he might have changed for the worse? I would love to know your thoughts. Thanks for reading, remember to comment and like.*
[03/06, 12:36 am] Sunny: THE TEMPORARY WIFE CHAPTER 2

Mike left the court after having won his case. he defended a man who was falsely accused of the beating and rape of a young woman. It was one of the hardest cases he'd had in some time and he was tired and needed a break.

His assistant and friend, larry Millian walked in, dropping his briefcase down on the desk.


Mike , you won the case, so why don't you look happy?.
Pouring coffee from the machine, he hands one to larry and sits down behind his desk.

Leaning back in his chair he rubs his eyes. The girl, I can't help feeling sorry for her. There's no doubt she was raped. I really hope the man that did it gets caught.
So do I, but she had no right to say it was him when it wasn't.


But she was so sure it was him even though he wore a ski mask and blindfolded her.
Mike, they were having an affair, why would he rape her?.
I don't know, but I keep thinking I missed something.
Maybe she was mad when he broke it off with her and wanted to punish him. Yes, she was attacked but she really didn't have any way of knowing who did it so she accused him.

Look, you saved an innocent man from going to prison, you should be out celebrating. Let me take you out for a couple of drinks."
No, Not tonight, I'm beat he said, pulling his laptop closer opened it and checked his messages. I'll be.. damn! he said when he saw one of the messages that caught his eye.


"What?" Larry asked, his attention drawn to the laptop.
Remember that girl from high school I told you about? "Iris dorwen".
Yeah I remember, the one that used you and broke your heart. what about her?".


She sent me an email. he answered, reading the message silently to himself.
Wow! after all this time. So are you going to tell me what she wants or is it private?.


She wants to know if I'm going to our school's reunion, says she would like to see me and hopes I'll be there. I can't believe she reached out to me. I wonder what she wants.


What makes you think she wants something?"
Whenever iris says she wants to see me it's because she wants something from me. It was the only time she ever paid attention to me. When I think back to how she had me panting and following her around, it makes me sick. I carried her books, tutored her, even helped her cheat on exams. Oh, I was just a fool.

When her friends were around she would mock me and still, she had this power over me."


You were both kids back then, surely she has changed.
Women like iris don't change, they just get worse. It broke my heart everytime she dated one of the football players or the popular guys. I really hate her and if there was a way I could make her pay for the way she treated me I would.

That girl destroyed my self-esteem, she made me feel worthless. So when I graduated high school and went off to college, I started working out. I had eye surgery and became one of the best criminal defense lawyers in Los Angeles at the age of twenty-seven, hoping to someday come across her and make her sorry.

So what are do you have in mind?.


I'm going to the reunion to find out what she's up to. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet, maybe I'll take her into the janitor's closet and make out with her, then leave her there feeling degraded.
What if she doesn't agrees to your quest?.
Then I'll think of something else.


Are you sure you want to do this? It isn't like you to deliberately hurt someone, especially a woman.
Trust me, she deserves it.


What are you doing now?" he asked
when mike started typing on his computer.
I'm googling her name to find out what she's been up to. Here she is, she works for a company called New Women's Cosmetics owned by a Mr. Raymond I've never heard of it, have you? he asked, looking at larry.
"Are you kidding me? My wife buys their products, she says it's the best around. Very high-end stuff, and expensive. What does this iris do there?" he asked, looking over mike's shoulder.

"Wow"! is that her?" he asks, pointing to the woman on the screen.
Mike stares at her picture, she hadn't changed much since high school, except she was more beautiful. She had the face of an angel, her long brown hair had some blond highlights in it. It brought back memories as he looked at her picture, and not good ones.

Yes, that's her. It appears she is Mr. Raymond's right-hand man, practically runs the company.
Wait, is she the daughter of Marcus J. Dorwen, multi-billionaire and retired senator?
"That's right, she's his only child and he spoiled her rotten."


Mike, I think you better stay away from her and forget about your revenge. If you harm his daughter, he will crush you like a bug. It's not worth losing everything you've worked so hard for."


I'm no longer that poor orphan boy who had to live with his elderly grandmother when his parents were killed in a car accident. I'm wealthy, a well-respected lawyer and I am not afraid of her father. I honestly can't understand why she is even working, she has a trust fund that could foot her bills.


Well, if you do, go and meet her, find out what she wants before you do something you'll regret. She might be wanting to apologize for the way she treated you, maybe it has been bothering her and has regrets.
I doubt it. Have a good weekend with the wife and kids, say hi to them for me.

Saturday night:

mike stood in front of his mirror in his Italian tailored suit, his dark hair carefully styled back. He was pleased with the way he looked, his features are ravishing.

He wanted to show off to all those who snubbed him in high school, the ones who treated him like dirt or ignored him.

But it was iris who he wanted to see how much he had changed. He wanted her to want him so that he could show her what it was like to be treated like she didn't matter. With any luck he would have her in bed, screw her and leave her hurt and confused and broken . Grabbing the keys to his black Porsche 911 he headed out the door. The closer he got to the school the more his hands started to get sweaty, he was fidgeting. he hoped he could go through with his plan.

What if she still had that power over him, where when he looked into her eyes he would melt and would do whatever she asked him to.
___________________
Iris decided to wear a short black dress, it was strapless and very expensive. She didn't care if it was too fancy for a school's reunion. it was important that mike notice her, and in this dress, she knew he wouldn't be able to keep his eyes off her.

Her hair and makeup done she called for a cab to take her and Rachel to the school, hoping that she could persuade mike to drive her home at the end of the night.

The cab pulled up at Mitchell's place and she got in next to iris. "Are you still going through with this ridiculous plan of yours?"
"Yes, why wouldn't I?"
For one thing it's just wrong and another thing is, he has probably changed and not crazy about you anymore. What if he is already involved with someone? "Mitchell asked".
I checked, nowhere did it say he was seeing or has anyone.


Relax Mitchell , nothing is going to go wrong and I haven't met a man yet I couldn't wrap around my finger. I'll have him eating out of my hand in no time.

Now, tonight let's have some fun, it'll be great seeing the old gang again.
"He might not even be here tonight, he never answered your email."
Iris smiled. "Oh, he'll be here," she said with confidence.
As soon as they entered the auditorium and grabbed their name tags people started coming up to them, mostly to iris.

But everyone was surprised to see the new mitchell, she has blossomed into a real beauty, the guys were kicking themselves for not having paid attention to her during their high school years.
One of the guys she dated back then.

Daniel Han who was the football star came over, handing her a drink.
"Wow"! Iris, you haven't changed a bit, you look good.
She took the drink he offered her, taking him in with her eyes. She wished she could have said the same thing about him, but he had gotten heavy, sporting a big old beer belly. "Daniel, hi, how have you been?" She cringed at the thought of how they use to make out, letting him feel her up, but she never had sex with him.
I'm good, married with three kids, all boys.
That's wonderful!. "She exclaimed".
Will you excuse me please ? I see someone I need to talk to.
OK, maybe we can have a drink later. "He said as she walked away, not answering him".
Several of the guys she had dated came over, wanting to strike up a conversation with her. She was polite, answering questions and asking them what they have been up to.

Her eyes kept going over to the entrance, watching for mike.

Having been here for over an hour she was beginning to give up that he was going to show up.


Finding Mitchell surrounded by guys she goes over, dragging her away.


I don't think he's coming so I might as well go home. Are you coming?
Iris, it's still early. Let's wait a little longer, I'm really enjoying myself and that boy I had a crush on back then, he's single and wants to have a dance with me when the music starts. So, why don't you relax and have some fun for once.

All you do lately is work, it's time to let loose and be the former iris."


I only have less than a month to find someone to marry me and there's no one here I want, mike was my best shot.
"What about Peter?" she points to a guy standing alone at the bar.


Peter? have you forgotten he's gay?
"Then he would be perfect!. you wouldn't have to worry about sleeping with him. I bet if you paid him he'd do it. It's not like you plan on staying married."


She looks at peter, he was a nice guy, maybe a little dull. "I don't know, maybe. I guess I could use him as a backup plan if mike doesn't show up. I'll go over and see what he's been up to over the years. My luck he's probably married or involved with someone."


It looks like he's here alone. "mitchell said, as they looked over at him".
Before iris could take a step towards him, Mitchell poked her in the side. "I think Mike just walked in."
She turned her head and saw him. when, he glanced in her direction she felt butterflies dancing in her stomach.

She was captivated by his handsomeness. as he made his way towards them, a shiver coursed down her spine when he got closer.

He was much more handsome in person with his chiselled cheekbones and those enticing lips of his. He was no longer the skinny guy from high school. Something told her that under his suit jacket laid muscles and a six-pack.

She found out she couldn't move, nor speak when he stopped and stood in front of her and Mitchell.

He was staring at her with his piercing gaze. This gave her goosebumps.