"What do you mean I can't be the president, this is just a really stupid rule the old people of this family came up with." Ryan yells at his grandfather angry about their family rule.
Yes he knew that everyone of the Gustavus had to be married before they'd let them take on the role of being President but he hated it. He didn't believe in love all he focused on was business and getting better at handling problems and deals in the company in order to assume the role as the president to have that taken away from him just because of a stupid rule was absolutely maddening.
"You've known about this rule your whole life Ryan so why are you making a fuss about it now." His grandpa replies in a much calmer and mature tone.
"Because I had assumed that you people would reward me for all my outstanding work and realize that I don't need a wife to prove that I can handle a company I just need intelligence." He says matter of factly. "What would a woman even be able to offer me, babies? Or be a bed warmer? Why should I waste my time thinking about a family when all the time I have would be placed on the thing I care about the most, which is our family's business." He folds his arm as he paces round his grandfathers office.
"Ryan my boy I understand what you mean, I mean I once felt the way you currently do but seeing where it got me, I'm glad I did what the family told me to." He says as he stands up and walks over to Ryan whilst placing his hand on his shoulder. "The best thing you can do for you and this family is to actually do what we ask you to do."
"I hate this stupid rule and I hate that you all think it's the only acceptable way for people to earn our family business." Ryan says before he storms out of his grandfather's office.
'And this is why you need a wife, you're still too childish and think everything you do or every decision you make is the right one.' His grandpa thinks to himself as he walks back to his seat and makes a phone call.
4 HOURS LATER
"Dude you mean your old man said that you can't get the company until you get hitched, man that sucks." Benjamin, one of Ryan's best friends says as the waiter walks into the VIP lounge with the drinks they had ordered.
Ben was a really good looking brunette with blue eyes kind of guy, he was ripped and had a shaggy looking hairstyle and it just worked with his overall fashion sense, which altogether was really attractive but he still had that high school stoner attitude which Ryan and most people couldn't stand.
During their college days Ryan hated Ben a lot and it was mainly due to his stoner attitude but soon enough he eventually got used to it and now they are what you'd call inseparable.
"My Grandfather said so, not my dad, but yeah, he said I can't be the president until I get married." He says still furious.
"I don't get this stupid family rule." He says as he rolls his eyes.
"Yeah me neither dude." Ben says as he lights his cigarette.
"What would your stuck up ass gain from being tied down." He says as he inhales and exhales.
"First of all I'm not stuck up." He says whilst rolling his eyes. "Second of all, I'd gain absolutely nothing, you know how I am when it comes to the female gender."
"Yeah I know, you always feel that all they want from you is your money but really can you blame them." He says with a smile. "Fuck if I was a girl I'd chase you for your money too." He says with a serious look on his face and the next thing they know is they both burst into a hysterical laughing craze.
One thing Ryan knew was that no matter how pissed off or annoyed he was, Ben always knew how to make him laugh, which was one of the reasons they became friends.
"Wait dude I just thought of something." Ben says with a grin that would make you think he had just thought up a way to cure cancer or some deadly disease.
"What is it now Ben? I'm not going to buy you a race car if that's what you're thinking about." Ryan says knowing full well that whenever his friend is high he always thinks of the most stupid things, especially asking him to buy him a race car.
"Well lucky for you that's not what I thought of and we both know you'll eventually give in to my race car demand." He says with a triumphant look on his face.
"Although as I said that is not what I thought of."
"Then spit it out already or else I'm leaving." Ryan says annoyed.
"Okay fine, fine, you know how you said that girls only want you for your money." Ben says as he smiles at Ryan mischievously.
"Yeah. So?" He asks still confused as to where his friend was headed with the conversation.
"What if you pay someone to pretend to be your girlfriend and then marry her and a few months later you guys can get a divorce?"
"What in hell did you smoke Ben?" Ryan asks annoyed.
"You know I want nothing to do with a relationship and then you're literally telling me to get into a fake one."
"Yup besides it can help you get your families company and be done with the person immediately after." Ben says still smiling to himself feeling proud of the plan he had just come up with.
"Even if I say your plan is somehow not as stupid as your other ones, where in hell do you want me to find someone in which my family would fall in love with, who doesn't believe in love like me, and would take what I give them and leave immediately after without causing any more problems than I'd need cause I'm already going through a lot." He says thinking through the plan and considering it.
"You can ask a friend or hold an audition or something, I'm sure any girl would be dying to become Mrs Gustavus, even if it's just for a while." He says as he turns some wine into his glass and takes a sip.
SAME TIME A FEW MILES AWAY FROM THE CLUB THAT RYAN AND BEN CURRENTLY ARE.
"Maya dear, do you have an idea where Rose has gone?" Mrs Smith says as she walks into the room her daughter and Rose shared.
Maya and Rose had met in High School, and were like two peas in a pod, if you were ever looking for one of them you'd find that one with the other, they were both equally talented and just as smart in their own areas of their school work.
Rose was referred to as the schools princess though because she had her family's wealth, she was smart, kind and beautiful to top it all off but she forever remained humble.
Rose and Maya couldn't be more in sync until it came to the way they dressed and the way they carried themselves.
Rose was a blonde haired, blue eyed girly girl with pearly white skin and rosy cheeks, which was the reason her mother told her she gave her the name. She loved wearing skirts and dresses and was obsessed with makeup and accessories but not in a typical spoilt rich girl sense but in the I want to be a designer sense, she always wanted to run a fashion empire and felt that the only way was to prove to everyone that she knew what she was doing when it came to styling, she always walked with so much confidence and poisé that you'd have confused her with a model, she was bubbly and laid back but she'd always think things through before doing it which made her earn the title of the responsible friend.
Maya on the other hand was your typical tomboy, she always had her auburn hair in a bun, she'd almost always wear baggy joggers with a long top or an oversized hoodie with shorts, she never understood the happiness girls felt when they had makeup on and she almost always hid her ash colored eyes behind her brown contact lenses or behind her glasses, she was not what one would refer to as shy, seeing as she never followed the rules, was more outspoken than Rose and thus was referred to as the sassy, rule breaker between the two but she always slouched and the reason behind that was that she spent most of her time writing that she hardly ever saw the point of looking up, her posture was already all but ruined by her love for fiction and nonfiction alike, she was always obsessed with books, from the hardcover ones to the ones you'd read online she always had her head in a book and so she always dreamed of being a writer which she had already begun working on, she had three stories she was working on and were already doing relatively good and Rose being her best friend and biggest supporter was always proud of her.
"She said she wanted to go to the market to buy some groceries and that she'd be back later." Maya responds as she looks up from her laptop.
"Why did she do that? She knows I told her not to worry about those things". Maya's mom sighs.
"Yeah she knows but you know how stubborn she gets, she would basically do what she feels is right no matter what, besides you know she wants to feel like she's part of the family and if that means spending her money on food or whatever then she'd be happy to do so".
"I know, I know. Heck now that I think of it, why don't you help around the house so I won't feel weird when she does things". Maya's mom smile's as her icy blue eyes begin to sparkle, feeling like she had thought of the most brilliant idea in the world.
"Mom I never knew you were this funny". Maya laughs as she looks back at her computer screen, correcting some of her spelling errors.
"I'm being serious". Her mom looks at her earnestly.
"So am I". She says as she looks back at her mom.
"You know how immersed I get once I start writing, I don't control it, it controls me so hence I really can't get distracted and what you're doing now is distracting me and".
As soon as she was about to continue talking they heard a sound coming from the living room.
"I'm back". Rose yells as she walks through the front door.
"Rose darling". Maya's mom exits the room as she approaches Rose.
"How many times did I tell you not to do this?" She asks knowing full well that Rose, being the heir of a rich family, shouldn't be going out at a time like this to the market and picking out food stuff.
"But Mrs Smith, You know how much I enjoy helping out, it's really not a bother, don't worry about it". She says with one of the brightest smiles as she takes the groceries towards the kitchen.
"See I told you she has zero problems with helping out". Maya says as she walks up beside her mother.
"What are we going to eat though cause I've been in my room for hours and let's just say my black hole needs closing". She says as she heads towards the kitchen.
"I already made avocado toast and there's orange juice, if you don't want that then maybe you should cook." Maya's mom smirks as she walks past her daughter knowing full well she doesn't like healthy foods but she hates cooking just as much.
"Fine, I'll eat your grass and tree". She says as she rolls her eyes and walks past her mom.
Rose and Mrs Smith couldn't help but chuckle at Maya's resistance to eating healthy but she always reluctantly ate it and that's how they always went by their days. Mrs Smith, having had only one child with her late husband, can now smile at her two kids knowing well that she saw Rose not as an outsider but as a member of their family.