Jodie’s system was still in full adrenalin-producing
mode as she confronted Lorenzo across the width of
his desk.
'Why should we not? It is customary within my
family, and will be expected.'
'You should have told me before. I thought we
would just be having a civil wedding. Being married
in church will make it seem so real…'
Lorenzo was frowning now.
'Our marriage will be real,' he informed her. 'That
is the whole point of undertaking it. It has to be
'real', as you put it, in order for me to fulfil the
terms of my grandmother’s will. Or at least, 'real'
in the sense that it will be conducted as a real wedding.
We shall not, of course, be consummating it.'
'No, we most certainly won’t,' Jodie agreed vehemently.
'I’m beginning to wish that I had never got
involved in any of this.'
'It is too late for that now, and besides, you will
be well remunerated.'
'I’ve already told you I Don’t want your money.
All I want is for you to attend John and Louise’s
wedding with me.'
'I could hardly have that put in the marriage contract.
As it is, there is bound to be some degree of
gossip and speculation about our relationship. You
have Alfredo on your side, though. He was obviously
afraid that your feelings had been hurt by the necessity
of legalising the financial aspects of our marriage.'
'You could never hurt my feelings. You aren’t important
enough to me, and I intend to make sure that
no man ever is from now on.'
'You intend to die a virgin?'
He was mocking her, Jodie knew.
'And if I do? There are more important things in
life than sex!'
'How would you know? By your own admission,
you have never truly experienced it.'
Jodie had had enough.
'A woman does not need to have penetration in
order to experience sexual pleasure. Nor does she
need a man,' she told him frankly.
'Is that the only way you feel able to allow yourself
to reach fulfilment? Either by your own hand or
through the use of some battery-driven device that
cannot—?'
'No! I wasn’t talking about me. I just meant… I’m
not listening to any more of this.' Jodie could feel her
face burning with self-conscious colour as she covered
her ears with her hands.
'I am simply making the point that you are rejecting
something without having experienced it.'
'What about you? You’re rejecting marriage, aren’t
you — at least a proper marriage? And you haven’t
been married, have you?'
'I haven’t been married myself, but I have witnessed
the marriages of others and seen what a destructive
sham the state of marriage is — how it is used
to cover greed and selfishness, and how children born
into it are left to deal with the fall-out from their
parents' deceit.'
'That isn’t true of all marriages. Some Don’t work
out, yes, but there are happy marriages. My cousin
and his wife love one another very deeply, and my
parents were happy together…'
'Really? So how come this wonderful gene that has
enabled them to achieve the rare state of bliss bypassed
you?'
'It’s all down to having the ability to pick the right
partner. I realised with John that I Don’t have that
ability, and that is why I never intend to let myself
fall in love again. But that doesn’t mean I Don’t believe
marriage can work or that some people — other
people — have the ability to make the right partner
choice and to share commitment.'
'Only a fool believes that sexual love can be permanent,'
Lorenzo told her challengingly, as though
he expected her to disagree with him. But Jodie was
wary of getting involved in any more arguments that
featured sex. Every time she did, a funny little sensation
deep inside her sprang into life and pulsed in
such an intimate and demanding way that she could
barely concentrate on what she was saying because
of it.
'Oh, and by the way,' Lorenzo continued, 'Don’t
think that I was taken in by that artful comment of
yours about not wanting the million pounds. What are
you hoping? That if you refuse it now then later,
when we divorce, you will be in a much stronger
position to claim far more? If that is the case, let me
warn you—'
Jodie had had enough. 'No, let me warn you that
the only reason I am marrying you is so that I can
show John he isn’t the only man in the world, and so
that I can hold my head up high at home, instead of
being pitied. It’s my pride that’s motivating me, not
any desire for money. I do not want your money! And
I certainly Don’t want your…your sexual expertise,
either!'
