Faux Vows, True Desires novel Chapter 1

"Ms. Moore, what's your monthly income?"

Lucinda Moore was stirring her coffee when she heard this. She paused for a moment, then looked up at the man sitting across from her. This guy was her participant in a blind date for the day. The matchmaker had told her he was a great catch, a supervisor at a big company with a salary close to ten grand a month.

At only twenty-four, Lucinda was being pressured so much by her mother to get married that she was afraid to go home. Reluctantly, she had agreed to another blind date to meet this so-called 'great catch'. Unexpectedly, the first thing out of his mouth was a question about her income.

"I own this coffee shop," Lucinda answered, maintaining her composure. When he looked around and seemed satisfied, she added, "But it's not making a profit yet."

His face fell at this. "So you're operating at a loss?" The man asked.

Lucinda nodded.

He frowned, "Did you invest your own money or did you borrow? How much is the loan?"

"I invested with a friend and borrowed some. I owe tens of thousands," Lucinda answered honestly. His displeasure was clear, but she was not particularly fond of him either.

"Ms. Moore, this is your pre-marital debt. I won't be paying for it after we're married. I assume since you're in debt you don't own any property? I own two houses, and they're my pre-marital assets. You can live there after we're married. We can pay the mortgage together but I won't add you to the title.

"Ms. Moore, I'm not getting any younger. My parents are waiting for grandchildren. After we're married, I hope you can have kids soon. My parents had a hard time raising me and my siblings, they're not going to babysit. You need to take care of the kid.

"I can't cook and I'm busy with work, so you'll need to prepare all meals. I can't help with housework but I like a clean environment. I don't want to come home to a messy house. And also..."

"Fabian." Lucinda interrupted him. He was clearly annoyed, but she no longer cared. "Sorry, you got the wrong person. I can't meet your demands. Please find someone willing to be your unpaid housekeeper. This coffee is on me."

She then gestured towards the door.

His face turned beet red, probably because he didn't expect Lucinda to be so direct. He always thought he was a catch, had a high salary, and meeting Lucinda was doing her a favor. He thought Lucinda was young and beautiful, so he was willing to marry her, but he didn't expect Lucinda to turn him down.

He stood up abruptly, took out his wallet, and slammed a bill on the table. "I can afford a cup of coffee. I don’t need Ms. Moore to treat me."

He put his wallet back in his pocket, pushed away his chair, and walked out. After a few steps, he turned around and said, "A woman like Ms. Moore who's unwilling to sacrifice for the family and lacks manners will have a hard time having a husband."

Lucinda picked up her coffee cup and threw it at Fabian, along with the coffee. "Get lost!"

Fabian did not expect Lucinda to throw her coffee. He was hit square on, his white suit stained with coffee. Furious, he stomped his foot. The other customers were all looking over. He didn't want to argue with Lucinda in public, so he said, "I don't deal with unreasonable women," and hurriedly left.

"What a jerk, thinks he's some hotshot!"

Lucinda felt like she had wasted her time. She would rather stay single for life than marry such a man.

A few customers who were about to leave stopped to watch the scene.

After everything was over, one of the men said something to the others and they left first. The man then approached Lucinda.

"Lucinda."

The gentle call entered Lucinda's ears, and she instinctively looked at the man walking towards her.

She immediately stood up and smiled brightly, "Stefan, what are you doing here?"

Stefan Coleman answered with a smile, "I was meeting some friends here. You weren't around when I came in." That's why Lucinda, as the owner of Serendipity Cafe, didn't see Stefan come in.

"May I sit down?" Stefan asked politely.

Lucinda immediately invited him to sit down, called a waiter to clean the table, and said to Stefan, "Wait a moment, Stefan, I'll make you a cup of coffee."

"It’s okay, just a cup of water is fine." He had already had a cup of coffee. If he had another, he wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

Lucinda got Stefan a cup of water herself and asked the waiter to bring over some cakes.

Stefan was a college friend of her older brother, Ike Moore. During Ike's college years, he would return to Pinehurst from Harborville for the holidays every year. Stefan, though not particularly close to Ike, would go back with him since they were from the same place.

Lucinda was five years younger than Ike. She would always go with her father to the station to pick up Ike and would also see Stefan. Even though they only met briefly each time, and she didn't even know where Stefan lived, they had known each other for eleven years. Even though she hadn't seen Stefan in recent years, she recognized him instantly.

"What happened just now?" Stefan asked gently.

When the conversation turned to what just happened, Lucinda wore a helpless expression and complained to Stefan, "Stefan, I'm only 24, but my mom's practically chasing me out of the house with her constant match-making. Whenever she bumps into anyone she knows, she'd ask them to introduce men to me and set up blind dates. I've been bombarded with daily phone calls and have been on dozens of blind dates recently."

Stefan replied, "Your mom is just a bit anxious."

When he first met her, she was only thirteen. Now, in the blink of an eye, she's twenty-four.

"Seriously, today's blind date was supposed to be a 'top-notch' guy, but I think he's more of a weirdo. No wonder he's still single in his thirties. He always expects others to give and he just sits back and reaps the benefits."

Stefan looked at Lucinda, "With your qualities, you don't need to be set up. There should be many men pursuing you."

He watched the girl he knew since she was young grow into a mature and charming woman.

Lucinda pouted, explaining, "I had a boyfriend in college, we were together for four years. Half a year ago, he dumped me for a rich woman. My mom thinks I've been hurt by a bad guy and worries that I won't want to get married again, so she's always looking for a suitable man for me.”

She's in the process of starting her own business and doesn't have the time to focus on relationships. She admitted that the four-year relationship couldn't withstand the lure of money and status, which hurt her deeply.

Hearing Lucinda talk about being dumped by her boyfriend, Stefan's eyes flickered, becoming deep and complex.