Different Forms of Happiness

Part 1

Prologue - Scott

"I want an ugly wife."

His friend looked at him with a blank expression. Scott let out a sigh. Okay, he had to admit to himself that it sounded irrational, but it was what he wanted. He never found happiness with the couple of women he had been with. They had all been outstandingly beautiful. Their hair had always been done, their faces lacked any wrinkles, and best of all, he never had to see them without makeup. It was how he preferred his women, but he knew he would never be able to marry one.

All the beautiful women he had ever met were after one thing, his money. Sure, it sounded ridiculous, maybe a little paranoid, but he could see the underlining greed his past women had held in their eyes. They wanted him for his money, and there was nothing that he could do to change that.

"Scott," his friend said with a sigh. "How long have you known me?"

He looked at Graham with a confused expression, unsure of where this was going. "About twenty years now."

"Since we were five."

"Yes."

Graham sat straighter in his seat. "I helped you when your father died and you were saddled with his company. I helped when your mother tried to marry you off to that disgusting woman, but this is ridiculous."

"Why is it ridiculous?" Scott asked with anger in his voice. He had thought long and hard about his decision, and he didn't like that Graham disregarded it so easily.

"Do you want me to be blunt?" Scott hesitated before nodding. "You won't have sex with a woman you're not attracted too. You're not like me, you aren't good with meaningless relationships, and you wouldn't cheat. So, tell me, when you marry this woman, find out that you are not attracted to her, how are you going to deal with that."

"I didn't think of it that way," he mumbled.

Graham only nodded. "Of course you didn't."

Scott looked at Graham. The man always helped him would he could, and Scott was going to use that fact to get him what he wanted. "That is why I've come up with a plan."

"What's that?"

"You pick her for me," Scott said with a smile. "Well, we'll have a contest of sorts. Let's put an ad in the paper."

"Yeah, I can see it now, wanted: ugly wife, who will be happy with loveless marriage."

"It doesn't have to be loveless. We can learn to love one another. They did it all the time back in the day."

"That," Graham said with a loud groan, "is because they had no choice. Women now aren't going to settle for a loveless marriage to a man who doesn't even find them attractive. Women want their man to make them feel beautiful."

"Graham, how long have you known me?"

"For about twenty years now," Graham answered with narrow eyes.

"Since we were five."

"Yes, will you get on with it?"

"Fine, when have you ever seen me change my mind once it was made up?"

"Never, Scott, but this is ridiculous. I am not about to help you with this stupid scheme."

Scott stared at Graham. He never understood his friend. The man had a different woman each week, anything that even smelt of commitment was thrown out the window, but he had this strange sense of right and wrong.

"I'll owe you one."

"Get me out of your mother's Christmas party," Graham said without hesitation.

Scott stopped for a moment, feeling as if he was being played. "Deal. You were going to help me no matter what, weren't you?"

Graham leaned back in his chair and grabbed the coffee from the table. Taking a sip from his drink, he looked around the café before nodding. "Yep."