Free Binder Full of Women by Kathleen Miles Page A

employment to each and every one of its employees was the legacy his grandfather had left him, there was no other choice except to switch markets. Xeron was the sure answer for him and Pearson Chemical’s successful future.
    Xeron’s CEO and Trent had met at a TED conference and discovered their likeminded thinking. In subsequent phone calls they had come up with an idea to take the best of both companies. Xeron was going to use Pearson Chemical as the sole supplier for its manufacturing plant that was working on cardboard bicycles. An idea that an Israeli inventor had just introduced to the world.
    Pearson chemicals was one of the few companies in the world with the intellectual and manufacturing resources. It was a partnership made in heaven.
    That was heaven until he just discovered that Mitchell, the CEO of Xeron, only worked with married men. Trent suspected this meant no women, which he chose not to share with Rachel. It had been abundantly clear that no unmarried men would partner with his company.
    To Mitchell, it showed a lack of commitment and he just wouldn’t do that.
    “Trent, don’t go through this. Your grandpa would understand.” She placed her hand against his muscular upper arm again and began rubbing it up and down in reassurance.
    “Rach, I promised. I promised I would keep the family legacy going. That’s going to be all that is left of my family when I am gone. This company.”
    “You think that lying and then marrying someone within a month is what he wanted?”
    “Of course not. What he wanted was to keep the promise – employed employees.”
    “The burden of the world isn’t in your hands.”
    “Not the world. Just my 1,000 employees. They need jobs and I want to provide them.”
    “What are you going to do?”
    “Damn if I know.”
    Walking in with a confident stride, Brett, Trent’s friend walked in. “Damn if you know what? That’s not your typical language.”
    “How I’m going to get a wife in the next month.”
    Trent retold his story to Brett.
    “I know the answer,” Brett said with confidence.
    “Do share,” Rachel said.
    “We’ll make you a binder full of women.”
    “What?” Rachel asked incredulously.
    “Yes, a binder of women. There are dozens out there who would marry you for your money and your money alone Pearson. You know that.”
    Brett continued on, “I’ll make a detailed summary of all of the women I’ve dated that I know would be like that. Surely we can pull some up from a millionaire dating service too and voila there it is - a binder full of women for you to choose from.”
    Also a billionaire, Brett’s biggest annoyance was that women were always after him for his money. It had happened one time where it had hit a little too hard. His fiancé he had loved dearly completely crushed him when he learned that her primary attraction to their future marriage was his money. Luckily he discovered her true motives before it was too late.
    Placing her hands on her hips and giving her best “how could you even” look, Rachel said, “That is the most ridiculous, demeaning thing I’ve heard.”
    “I concur. There’s no other choice though. Too many people depend on this,” Trent said.
    “So you, Mr. I’m never getting married or even having a real relationship with a woman is going to pick some sheet of paper from a binder and marry her?” Rachel said while pointing her finger at him.
    The venom coming from her was almost delicious. “No, you are going to help me.”
    As she began to shake her head and finger simultaneously, Trent grabbed her hand and held it steady in his. The warmth of his grip engulfed her.
    “Just wait. You are going to help me and it won’t be a real marriage. It will be a marriage in name only. There will be a complete understanding between me and this lady. She’ll have access to my money and connections and that’s it. No deception to her.”
    Rachel shook her hand free and gave him a questioning look.
    “I’ll go