$10,000,000 Marriage Proposal (9 page)

It was not
Nicholas. The rejection letter had been signed by Nicholas, but the man who stood up to shake her hand introduced himself as Tom Greenfield. He smiled nicely. That was what Caroline noticed first. He looked embarrassed and eager at the same time. He gestured for her to have a seat on the pale linen sofa. It was hard to take it all in. There was Tom, lean and handsome, with green eyes and a slant of dark hair, and the office, with its neutral tones and dramatic art, and the intrigue of the great Greenfield enterprises.

“Hi, Tom,” she said, laughing and shaking her head. “I have a lot of questions for you.”

He grinned sheepishly. “I'm sure you do. Fire away.”

Tom,
she was thinking.
This is the man I've been wondering about, and his name is Tom. He is still a total stranger, but now he has a name. Will it come to be familiar to me, so familiar that it seems there's always been Tom?

“Are you definitely you? The mystery man? I mean, I got a letter from Nicholas, and there have been so many interviews that I just need to know—”

“You've reached the end of the line,” Tom said. He smiled again, and Caroline's heart dipped a bit. “I'm it. I'm sorry for that letter. Those were my words, but I used Nicholas's name on your letter—and different names on the other letters—because I was counseled to keep my name out of all the correspondence. I know it sounds ridiculous. I mean, it
is
ridiculous! But as you might imagine, I have my own share of doubts about this process. Thank you for enduring all of it, for being here.”

Caroline looked around. “I feel like I'm still being interviewed. See my perfect posture?”

“You're right. I'm an idiot. No, actually, I had to meet another candidate—”

“Janey,” Caroline said.

“That's right, you two have met. I'm sorry about that, too. It must have been awkward,” he said.

“It's okay, actually. We kind of became friends. At least I like your taste.”

“But I did think—if it's okay with you—we could get out of here.” He pointed out the window, which had an expansive view of the beach. “It's better over there.”

Caroline smiled. Rich though he might be, he wasn't arrogant.

Venice Beach was
wide, a long trudge through sand from the footpath to the edge of the ocean. They were quiet as they walked, and Caroline wondered if they would find their footing once they literally found their footing. Close to the water they came to a vacant lifeguard station. It was picturesque; a rough wooden ramp led up to a platform, in the middle of which stood a tall lifeguard chair. Without needing to discuss it, they headed up the ramp, its surface a relief from the drag of the beach.

“Is this okay? I didn't plan this part,” Tom said.

“Good,” said Caroline. “Not planning is perfect, and this is perfect.”

They sat at the edge of the platform, legs dangling off the side, arms hooked over the lowest rail.

“I believe in soul mates,” Tom said. “But not just one. Think about it—all these people find true love, but how many potential mates do they encounter? A few hundred? A thousand?”

“Four?” Caroline suggested jokingly.

“There are no perfect mates, but there are hundreds of potential soul mates that you might never encounter. I believe love is hard to find but easy to recognize. So I tried to improve my chances. And here we are.”

“Not to fish for compliments, but why me? Don't get me wrong, I like myself well enough. But I used to—well, my mother used to make me audition for tons of stuff, and I have a track record of not winning. I was never anyone's top choice.”

Tom leaned toward her, nudging her a bit with his shoulder. “That. Your honesty. At least, that's part of it. This wasn't a game for you, something you wanted to win. To tell the truth, I actually liked that you applied because your mother insisted.”

“It was for only five hundred dollars! See? I'm a cheap date!”

“And I might have thought your heart wasn't in it, but the more I learned about you, the more I thought that you were afraid to let yourself hope. That boyfriend who left you—”

Caroline covered her face. “Oh, my God, you really do know everything about me.”

“We'll even the score, I promise,” Tom said. A cool wind blew off the water, and Caroline pulled her hands into her sleeves for warmth. “I'm going to use that as an excuse to help you stay warm,” Tom said, moving right next to her and putting an arm around her shoulders. “Is this okay?”

Caroline leaned into him. He was warm. It was more than okay.

“Speaking of soul mates—I think there might have been real chemistry between Suze and one of her interviewers,” Caroline said.

“Oh, right!” Tom said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Thanks for reminding me. I'm making a note to myself to put Miguel in touch with her.”

Caroline smiled. That was the one. Miguel. There was hope for him and Suze yet.

Putting his phone away, Tom said, “I was right about you. The fact that you're thinking of the two of them and not yourself right now…I saw that generous spirit in your devotion to the kids you work with. Society has given up on them—too soon—and you haven't. You believe in people.”

It's true,
Caroline thought. “That's pretty fundamental to who I am,” she said.

“And that's how I knew that underneath it all you were open to possibility. I wanted someone who was open to this process, open to new experiences, open to exploring the odd twists that life might offer.”

“Someone willing to believe that love might be hiding behind door number three,” Caroline added. She was impressed. Tom seemed to get her. It didn't feel like they'd just met. “It's just—you're so…accomplished. And, full disclosure, I'm temporarily living with my mother. And she, full disclosure, is a piece of work. I worry that I'm not as together—”

He put up a hand. “Not to interrupt, but I was briefed. World's Worst Mother-in-Law. You know what? I'm up for the challenge.”

They both laughed.

“Think of it from my side,” he said. “Am I really supposed to limit my dating pool to people who have gotten to a certain point in their lives? There are so many other factors to consider. And though I have this one part of my life squared away, it doesn't mean I have
everything
figured out. Even my house—I rent everything that's in it. I didn't want to furnish a house according to my taste and ask a woman to join me in it. I want to make a life with someone and build it from scratch. I want a partner.”

Caroline chuckled. “I was a little put off by your rejection letter. And then you changed your mind so quickly. But now I see it's actually kind of a plus. I'm glad you aren't 100 percent confident in this strange method of yours—or in yourself.”

“See? I'm still a work in progress.”

Tom wasn't at all what Caroline had expected. He didn't seem like a high-powered businessman. He wasn't checking her qualities off on a list or impatient to seal the deal with her. And then there was the matter of how close he was sitting to her. She was hyperaware of every point where their bodies were touching. It made her shiver, and the more she shivered, the tighter he held her.

“You said you believe in more than one soul mate,” she said. “It sounds like you've been in love before.”

“Yes,” he said, and as she watched, a riddle of emotions passed over his face. Was he about to laugh or cry? He took a deep breath and said, “About ten years ago, when I was in my late twenties, I lost someone I loved. After that I started this company and put everything I had into it. All my time, all my energy. I couldn't replace her, so I worked my ass off instead.”

“If your success is a measure of your grief, then you must have missed her a whole lot,” Caroline said with all the sympathy that she felt.

“I'm proud of what I've done, and it brings me joy to succeed. But I've always felt that the most meaningful accomplishment in my life was loving Mary.”

He was matter-of-fact—Caroline could see that although he had obviously been greatly affected by this woman's death, it had been a full decade. He had recovered as much as he ever would. And yet his enduring love for her, and respect for the value of that love, was moving.

“I haven't been a total hermit. I've tried to date. But it never seemed to work out. Maybe someone else could appreciate this kind of success by himself, without a partner, but that's not how I'm wired. Love is the most important part of life.”

They had been looking out at the water, but now Caroline put her hand on his and turned to face him.

“Thank you for telling me that,” she said. And for a moment they just looked at each other, feeling strange but comfortable, unknown but known, unsure but hopeful. When Tom spoke, his voice was quiet and serious.

“This ten-million-dollar thing was a crazy scheme. But there was always a possibility that it could work, that I would meet the right woman. And if it worked, it would all be worth it. So that brings the two of us to the present, right here, right now.”

Caroline felt dizzy.
What was happening to her? She didn't believe in love at first sight, but the world seemed to be spinning a little faster than usual.

“I need to stand up,” she said. “Can we walk?”

“Of course,” Tom said, jumping to his feet and helping her up. “I know this is a lot.…”

Side by side, they walked along the shoreline. It was a clear day, as always, and the low tide left the sand at the water's edge flat and easy to walk on. Tom held Caroline's hand, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

“You said if there was a
possibility
you could find the right person.…” Caroline knew her way around an audition, but she had no idea where she stood with this still mostly mysterious man.

“That's right,” he said softly. “Caroline, I liked you before I met you. But being with you is better. It feels easy. I'm sure it's not the same for you…not yet…but I think we have a shot at happiness, and that's all I was looking for. You are the winner. The ten million dollars is all yours.”

“But…,” Caroline gasped. What was happening? Now that it came down to it, she didn't believe this contest was actually real. It couldn't be true, that he was actually going to give her ten million dollars. It was incomprehensible. For all the auditions she'd failed, the parts she'd lost, the contests she'd never won, it couldn't be that her life was a fairy tale after all. And yet—she hadn't auditioned. She hadn't played a role. She had just been herself, the whole way through. She had never pretended to be perfect, or even much of a catch. She'd been honest every step of the way. If he liked her for who she really was, that changed everything.

And then—Tom knelt down next to her.

“No!” Caroline exclaimed.

“Don't worry,” he said. “Please just hear me out.” He took both her hands in his. “I realize we just met, so you don't know me, but I know you. You are funny, and kind to your sister, and tolerant of your mother. But what draws me to you most is something bigger than a witty answer in a questionnaire or a heartfelt conversation with a likeable interviewer. It's the way you see the world. I trust you implicitly. If there's anyone I would trust to make all my decisions going forward, it would be you.”

“Me? I have no idea—”

“Being with you feels right. To be honest, it's hard not to take you in my arms. I know you're a step behind in knowing me, so I'm trying desperately not to move too fast.”

Caroline blushed. She felt more ready to be taken in his arms than she was willing to admit. She knelt down in the sand so that she could see him face-to-face.

Tom squeezed her hands tightly. “I see your heart,” Tom said. “Your heart has a very good sense of direction. I hope it comes my way. That is to say…” He paused and looked right into Caroline's eyes. “Will you marry me?” But before Caroline could speak, he held up a hand, stopping her. “Don't answer. Yet. This is just a proposal. For now, I hope we can get to know each other. I'll wait as long as you think we need. When you know me, when your heart guides you, then you can decide whether to accept the proposal. That's up to you.”

“Oh, phew,” Caroline said. “Because, well, this is a lot to process all at once. I feel…excited, scared…confused. I can't believe this is happening.”

“I know,” Tom said. “We have plenty of time. And just to be clear: the money is yours no matter what.”

Caroline looked around
a bit unsteadily. The man in front of her had been a complete stranger a couple of hours ago, and now there was so much at stake. Prince Charming had asked for her hand in marriage. This was her mother's dream come true—but was it hers?

“So I can leave right now, right?” she said. “I can just walk back to my car with the money, if I even decide to accept it.”

Tom's face changed. It was subtle, just a shadow of sadness or disappointment in his eyes, but he nodded and gave a small smile. “Of course,” he said. “Well, not exactly with the cash. We'll have to wire the money into your account or something. Trust me, I'm good for it.” He rose to his feet and stepped back to give her space.

Caroline moved toward him. She got closer. Closer. Then she held his face in her hands and looked into his eyes. Now there was a twinkle in them as he appreciated her unabashed appraisal. She liked his eyes.

“Here's to possibilities,” she said. And then she kissed him.