Wrong Man at the Right Time

Any character you recognize belongs to JE. Not mine. Not making any money from this. Just enjoy the hobby of writing.

Lester's POV

Everyone knows that life can change in the blink of an eye, but when those moments actually present themselves, we're hardly ever prepared for them.

I was sitting at my desk at Rangeman, helping Rodriguez get caught up on some searches. It seems like there are a million of them these days, and even with Steph helping out part time, it still seems like there are always more waiting to be run.

Normally, I'm a pretty cheerful guy, but today, these pesky searches are bringing me down. I hate being confined to a desk and everyone knows it. It's not like I'm the only one who hates it though, so I have to help out when and where I can.

At the moment, I don't have a skip to bring in, so desk duty is what I'm stuck with. It could be worse. I could be on monitor duty. The thought made me shiver. I'm looking forward to the skip Bobby and I are scheduled to pick up this evening at 5 PM. We have to go down near Stark Street, but I don't care. Anything to get me away from this cubicle.

I was running a search on a guy named Clint Higgens when my desk phone rang. "Santos," I said in a flat tone. I listened to the person on the other end of the phone and then asked them to repeat some of the information. I asked a few questions and wrote down the name and number of the lawyer I was told I needed to call. I hung up the phone and sat in stunned silence. It was one of those moments where my life was going to change in the blink of an eye. In more ways than one.

It was almost lunch time, but I let Tank know I needed to leave early to take care of something personal.

"Everything okay, man?" he asked with a frown.

No doubt he was wondering what was so important that it couldn't wait fifteen more minutes.

"Yeah, everything's cool," I told him, giving him a thumbs up on my way out of his office.

Once I was in my apartment on the fourth floor, I wasted no time dialing the number of a lawyer named Trip Herzog. After listening for two or three minutes to some god-awful recorded music, Mr. Herzog finally picked up. I identified myself and I told him why I was calling.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, I hung up the phone with a shaking hand. It seems a distant aunt of mine, one I've only met a couple of times, has died and left me her fortune. A large fortune, as in 40 million dollars. I should be ecstatic, right? Not that I'm glad she's dead, but the fact is, she's dead, and I hardly knew her. The last time I saw her I was eight or nine years old. The money was one way in which my life was changing in the blink of an eye. There was a catch though and it was a very big catch.

My aunt, the lawyer told me, was fond of manipulating people and before she died, she made plans to manipulate me. In order for me to collect the 40 million dollars, I needed to be married. If not married on the day of her death, I had two weeks to find a wife and get married. I had to remain married for one year after the date of my wedding. And, I couldn't tell anyone that my marriage was a hoax. If my bride and I manage to make it through the year without either of us telling anyone the true reason we got married, there would be a 10 million dollar bonus waiting for me. Mr. Herzog reluctantly admitted to me that my aunt had kept tabs on me over the years and knew very well that I was single. This was, apparently, her idea of a prank. Except that she was dead serious. Or serious and dead. I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

Obviously, I have some problems I need to find solutions for. Not because I can't find someone to marry in two weeks time. I don't mean to brag, but I know at least a dozen women who would marry me even without the incentive of 40 million dollars. I also know a couple dozen more hot women that would gladly throw their garter belt into the ring with a money incentive that big.

The first problem is, I don't want to get married. Actually, the idea of marriage doesn't really scare me the way it used to. I just don't want to get married on demand. The second problem is, I don't really trust any of the women I've dated enough to marry them. Not under these circumstances. Problem number three is, what if the woman I marry refuses to let me out of the marriage after the year is up? Problem number four is, what if the woman I marry decides to spend the entire 40 million within a year, just because she knows I'll be divorcing her after that?

My stomach rumbled a bit, reminding me that it's lunch time. I left my apartment and took the stairs to the garage. I hopped into my SUV and turned left as I exited the garage. My mind was furiously going over the names of every female I could remember having contact with over the past few years, but no one I could think of that I'd dated or slept with would be right for what I need. I need someone I like, someone I can trust, someone I can stand living with for a year. As I got to the light at the corner, I heard a horn toot and looked to my left. Steph was passing me, headed toward Rangeman. She smiled and gave me a finger wave as she drove past.

Holy cow, I thought to myself. The one woman in the world I like, trust and could stand living with for a year just passed me on her way to work. Somehow, I was going to have to talk Miss Stephanie Plum into marrying me and becoming Mrs. Lester Santos.