What Do You Think Marriage is All About?

"Bernard, we need to talk." Mindy Cooper made her voice sound strong even though inside she was quaking. Bernard still had that effect on her--a leftover from being her boss, she supposed. Actually, he still was her boss. Until they were officially husband and wife, Mindy was continuing in her position as Bernard's administrative assistant, not because she wanted to but because Bernard didn't want to train in a new secretary until after they returned from their honeymoon."

Bernard looked up from the issue of Men's Health he was reading. "All right," he said. "Talk."

"There are a few things you should know about me," she said, nervously rolling the hem of her shirt between her fingers.

"Would you sit down? You look like a schoolgirl who is about to get yelled at by the principal. I bet Sandi would never act that way."

Mindy stopped rolling the hem of her shirt between her fingers. "Sandi? How would you know how my sister would act in any situation? You barely know her."

"No, but I can tell that she's not afraid of anything or anyone. I admire that in a woman."

"I'll try to remember that in the future," Mindy said as she sat down next to her fiance. "I haven't been totally honest with you. When I first applied for my job at Kutrate Kemicals, I was working as a reporter for the Schuyler Square Times. I wanted to work for you to investigate your company."

Bernard's eyes dropped back to his magazine. "So did you find anything out that will nab you the Pulitzer?"

"Well, I did learn about Fat Off."

"Big deal. Fat Off is dead in the water. Anything else?"

"Not really."

"Sorry to disappoint you. Do you plan on going back to the paper now?"

"I'd thought about it..." Mindy didn't get it. Bernard wasn't acting at all like she'd expected him to act. She thought he'd be outraged, furious enough to possibly break their engagement. Was that what I wanted? Is that why I'm telling him about how I deceived him before we get married? Do I really, really, really not want to marry Bernard?

"You should," Bernard said, interrupting her self-analysis. "Being a reporter is a dying job but it does have more cache than being my secretary. The Schuyler Square Times, huh? I never read it."

"Bernard, doesn't it bother you that I lied to you?"

"Not really. Everyone lies in relationships."

"Are you telling me that you've lied to me?"

Bernard laughed. "Mindy, what do you think marriage is all about?"

Feeling sick to her stomach, Mindy left the room. Although her wedding to Bernard was a week away, there was still time to get out of it. It would mean giving up a lavish life of leisure, a handsome husband and great health insurance but on the other hand it might be her only choice. Life as Mrs. Bernard Morton might be a lot worse than simply being his Girl Friday.