Unlimited. “You're really being very decent about this. I don't know how to thank you. I realize my plan must sound a little off the wall, but I really think it will work.”
“It might at that.”
“I just had a thought.” Annie studied him closely. “Excuse me for prying, but are you, uh, romantically involved with anyone at the moment?”
“No.”
Annie relaxed again. “Well, that makes everything much easier, doesn't it? I mean, it might have been a little difficult to explain our arrangement to another woman. Not that I would have even asked you to do it in the first place if you were involved with anyone else. After all, there are limits to the claims of friendship as well as business.”
“What about you?” Oliver asked slowly. “Are you involved with anyone?”
“Nope. Starting up a small business takes up a lot of time, you know.”
“I know.” Oliver looked at her. “So there's no one else concerned here. Just you and me.”
“Right. But if this thing drags on for a while, I want you to know I don't expect you to give up your private life entirely. You should feel quite free to date or whatever.” It was hard to imagine Oliver on a date. “After all, it's not like this will be a real marriage.”
“If word gets out that the marriage is a sham, your brother's creditors will panic. They might not believe we'll stay married long enough for me to save the company unless they believe we're in love.”
Annie groaned and slouched deeper into her chair. “I suppose you're right. I hadn't really thought about that part. I guess we're going to have to make this thing look real, aren't we?”
“If you want it to serve the purpose you intend, yes.”
“There will be questions, I suppose. People will be surprised at how quickly we decided to marry.”
Oliver looked thoughtful. “We'll tell them we've been seeing each other for quite a while but preferred to keep the relationship private until such time as an announcement seemed appropriate. Now, with Daniel gone and the company in need of leadership, we decided to go ahead and formalize our relationship.”
“Hmm. Sounds okay. You already have a reputation for being something of a mystery. Still, there are going to be lot of little problems, aren't there?” Annie glanced uneasily around the study, wondering if she would actually have to move into Oliver's austere penthouse.
“Yes, you will,” Oliver said politely as if he had read her mind. “No one will believe we're seriously married if you don't live with me.”
Annie felt a brief stirring of genuine panic. “This is going to get complicated, isn't it?”
“Don't worry about it, Annie. I'll take care of everything. That's why you're marrying me, remember?”
3
It took the patience of a saint or the devil himself to propagate ferns from spores. Oliver had that kind of patience. He took quiet satisfaction in the process, even though it could take anywhere from six months to two years to see the results of his efforts.
Rain beat down on the huge rooftop greenhouse as he carefully misted a tray of tiny hybrids. Around him cascaded ferns of every size and description. Ferns were his passion, and the greenhouse was devoted entirely to them. Here on the roof above his penthouse he had created his own private rain forest.
There were many species represented in the greenhouse, although Oliver favored maidenhairs and staghorns. Adder's-tongues, tree ferns, glade ferns, and shield ferns occupied several rows of metal mesh benches. More plants hung suspended from the ceiling, forming a canopy of green. A few examples of some aquatic species floated on the surface of a small grotto pool at the far end of the structure.
The lacy young maidenhair ferns Oliver was misting were only an inch tall, but he was hopeful that he had created a new and interesting variety with this latest attempt. He would not know for certain, however, until the mature fronds appeared, which
“It might at that.”
“I just had a thought.” Annie studied him closely. “Excuse me for prying, but are you, uh, romantically involved with anyone at the moment?”
“No.”
Annie relaxed again. “Well, that makes everything much easier, doesn't it? I mean, it might have been a little difficult to explain our arrangement to another woman. Not that I would have even asked you to do it in the first place if you were involved with anyone else. After all, there are limits to the claims of friendship as well as business.”
“What about you?” Oliver asked slowly. “Are you involved with anyone?”
“Nope. Starting up a small business takes up a lot of time, you know.”
“I know.” Oliver looked at her. “So there's no one else concerned here. Just you and me.”
“Right. But if this thing drags on for a while, I want you to know I don't expect you to give up your private life entirely. You should feel quite free to date or whatever.” It was hard to imagine Oliver on a date. “After all, it's not like this will be a real marriage.”
“If word gets out that the marriage is a sham, your brother's creditors will panic. They might not believe we'll stay married long enough for me to save the company unless they believe we're in love.”
Annie groaned and slouched deeper into her chair. “I suppose you're right. I hadn't really thought about that part. I guess we're going to have to make this thing look real, aren't we?”
“If you want it to serve the purpose you intend, yes.”
“There will be questions, I suppose. People will be surprised at how quickly we decided to marry.”
Oliver looked thoughtful. “We'll tell them we've been seeing each other for quite a while but preferred to keep the relationship private until such time as an announcement seemed appropriate. Now, with Daniel gone and the company in need of leadership, we decided to go ahead and formalize our relationship.”
“Hmm. Sounds okay. You already have a reputation for being something of a mystery. Still, there are going to be lot of little problems, aren't there?” Annie glanced uneasily around the study, wondering if she would actually have to move into Oliver's austere penthouse.
“Yes, you will,” Oliver said politely as if he had read her mind. “No one will believe we're seriously married if you don't live with me.”
Annie felt a brief stirring of genuine panic. “This is going to get complicated, isn't it?”
“Don't worry about it, Annie. I'll take care of everything. That's why you're marrying me, remember?”
3
It took the patience of a saint or the devil himself to propagate ferns from spores. Oliver had that kind of patience. He took quiet satisfaction in the process, even though it could take anywhere from six months to two years to see the results of his efforts.
Rain beat down on the huge rooftop greenhouse as he carefully misted a tray of tiny hybrids. Around him cascaded ferns of every size and description. Ferns were his passion, and the greenhouse was devoted entirely to them. Here on the roof above his penthouse he had created his own private rain forest.
There were many species represented in the greenhouse, although Oliver favored maidenhairs and staghorns. Adder's-tongues, tree ferns, glade ferns, and shield ferns occupied several rows of metal mesh benches. More plants hung suspended from the ceiling, forming a canopy of green. A few examples of some aquatic species floated on the surface of a small grotto pool at the far end of the structure.
The lacy young maidenhair ferns Oliver was misting were only an inch tall, but he was hopeful that he had created a new and interesting variety with this latest attempt. He would not know for certain, however, until the mature fronds appeared, which
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