When you’re seriously considering marriage, should money ever come into it? It had never crossed Chris’s mind, but then he met Katie…
Katie’s fun, quite attractive and easy company. I met her a year ago on a night out and it was clear she was really interested in me, so I suggested we meet up again.
I probably wouldn’t have asked her out if I’d known how much older she is than me – I’m 27 and she’s 39 and very keen to settle down – but within a couple of dates I knew exactly what her connections are and that changed my mind. If I told you her surname it would instantly ring a bell – her father’s very high profile and extremely wealthy and his darling daughters are the main beneficiaries.
Katie has her own luxury flat – no mortgage – a substantial trust fund and a clothes shop, which is like an extension of her own wardrobe and full of designer gear.
She works when she feels like it, which really just means popping into the shop a few times a week and chatting to her manager there. The rest of her time is spent looking after herself – going to the gym, getting her hair or nails done and shopping with friends.
When Katie described her car as a ‘little grey thing’ and then picked me up for a night out in a silver Porshe I really started paying attention and realised that while she tends to go for an understated look in clothes and jewellery, everything is the best quality and price is simply never a consideration.
It didn’t take long to realise that life is completely different with a wealthy and generous partner. All my previous girlfriends worked and I have a reasonably good job, but there was always those few days at the end of the month when we couldn’t afford to go out or had to juggle the bills.
Katie has had the sort of life most of us can just dream about and although my job as a sales manager earns me a decent salary, it’s never going to get me a huge house and a luxurious lifestyle.
I pay for nights out but sometimes I wonder if that’s just an investment in a very comfortable future. If Katie and I got married her parents would buy us a big house as a wedding present and any kids we have would go to an independent school – paid for by her dad – and have a great start to life.
For Christmas, Katie’s main present to me was a ski-ing holiday in France, staying in a luxury hotel in Courchevel 1850, which cost over $40,000. Her other presents were ski gear – not just clothes but skis – a signed first edition of my favourite Harry Potter book and a Cartier watch.
Last year, she took me to New York for my birthday and she’s already talking about going to St Lucia for a summer holiday next year. I’m starting to get used to this sort of lifestyle and I don‘t want to do without it.
This sounds truly awful, but when her parents die Katie and her sister Susy will get the lot, and it really is a lot. Katie keeps bringing the conversation round to marriage and I am very tempted, especially when she suggested that I could change jobs.
Her idea of the perfect honeymoon would be spending three months going round the world and when I said that I would never be able to take that much leave she suggested taking a break from work for a while and thinking about getting into something I really enjoyed. That’s almost the biggest temptation – my job bores me senseless and trying something completely different without worrying about money would be brilliant.
Recently I went out for a drink with Richard, Katie’s brother in law. He works in finance, but as Grandad pays all the school bills and Susy has her trust fund income his wages are like pocket money.
While we were out we bumped into one of Richard’s colleagues and the two of them obviously got on brilliantly. She’s a stunning looking woman with a great personality and after she left Richard got absolutely pissed and told me that she’s the biggest regret in his life, because he never imagined that he would meet someone like that. This girl is everything he ever wanted, but there’s no way he would rock the safe boat he’s in just now.
I wouldn’t miss her the way I’d miss all the things we do and the life she‘s shown me.
The sex is ok but not brilliant and my porn habit is already increasing, which is a bit depressing after just a year together, but I could never liven things up by suggesting she watches it with me.
She looks good for her age but although she’s nice and safe she’s a little colourless.
I know this all makes me sound like a right pig but it’s not that simple. When I meet other women who appear to be great fun or really lively it makes me wonder what I’m missing, but if I give up Katie to pursue some mystery women and it doesn’t work out what’s the chances of meeting someone this rich again?
If I stay with Katie, she gets a husband and hopefully a family, while I get a lifestyle most people would kill for. It’s a reasonable deal, so why can’t I just get on with it?
*All names in this story have been changed.
Picture: Getty Images. Posed by model.*
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