#excuse me MC?? throw yourself into Mr. William Sloan already????

[feisty-mary]

Reasons Why Marrying William Sloan Is the Best Decision of Your Life (Part 1)

I’m super late to the Rules of Engagement party and I know the trilogy is going to end soon, but I’d be remiss as a fan if I let that happen without showing Mr. Sloan (the businessman) some love and appreciation! 

Frankly speaking, I'm stumped he's not the most popular love interest of choice for MC in this book; I think his character development is one of the most impressive I've ever read. I've given it some thought, and I figured this has something to do with the idea that we always have to choose between our love and our career. In William's case, it's clear from the very first time he meets MC that he's dedicated to his job, if his wealth and his prominence in the business circles are anything to go by. Heck, the only reason he went on that cruise is because of work! I think this scared off a lot of people – “all these grand gestures are sweet, but ultimately they will be nothing but compensation for the time that he cannot give MC”. And I agree. Who wants to stay with someone who cannot make time for them?

But here’s the thing - this is exactly why I think William’s character arc is solidly written. We have all these first impressions/deep misgivings about him when we first meet his character, but we see all these addressed as we go through the books. 

In this list I try to piece everything together and tell you exactly why marrying this wonderful businessman is the best. decision. ever.

1.      Book 1, Chapter 2. The first time we meet William is when he rescues MC from Shane the creeper during her misguided attempt at getting back into the dating scene. My honest first reaction to him buying out the entire goddamn bar was to raise an eyebrow. Really? Reaaallyyy? Who does that shit? Oh right, Mr. William Sloan because it turns out he’s filthy fucking rich and he has his own private jet. at this point, it’s a very valid question to ask: who needs the inheritance when the love of your life is sugar daddy material? are we actually still playing??

As I’ve said in my previous post, I love how their first meeting is a subtle nod to the fact that he’s an investor – he takes calculated risks and invests on something (buying out the bar) that’s supposed to yield profits (having MC to himself for the rest of the afternoon). Extravagant, sure, but also very clever; it showed his foresight and proved why he’s one of Forbes’ most promising CEOs under 35. We'll keep seeing this at play in later chapters (which I will also discuss), as we interact with him more and his feelings for MC grow deeper.

2.      Book 1, Chapter 3. While MC and William are enjoying an espresso in Venice, we find out that William doesn’t know how to dance (as if him not being able to dance will make him anything less than perfect??). He says he doesn’t “let loose”; he thinks it will make him look ridiculous. 

Most striking is his reaction in the second panel below, after we tell him to have a little more fun. “Huh. I’ll think about it.” We have no way of hearing how he says it, but it reads as if he’s not entirely convinced, like he’s only saying this to placate MC.

Of course, it turns out our doubts are unfounded, as we see in the penultimate chapter. In Book 1, Chapter 18, William effortlessly leads MC through the dance, much to her surprise.

It's easy to dismiss this gesture as trivial; it's just dancing, after all. But then you realize: He was on a business trip. Which means he probably didn’t have much time to unwind or practice dancing. And still he shows up at the Captain’s Ball an amazing dancer? I call bullshit on him just “picking up what he can”; he probably stayed up until the wee hours of the morning learning how to dance for MC. ;)

I think this right here tells us a lot about William's character. In particular, it shows that he pays attention to what MC says and actually considers her advise. It’s almost surprising, considering he’s a CEO and probably used to telling everyone what to do. (I’ll get back to this point later.) On the other hand, his willingness to step out of his comfort zone seems to imply that he will be open to going on plenty of adventures not limited to those in the bedroom lmao with MC.

Edit: I wrote this prior to the latest chapter of RoE, where we find out William used to work in a country bar where he had to teach people the moves omfg hahaha. Either way, this point still stands.

3.      Book 1, Chapter 8. This is one of my favorite interactions with William, just because it’s so cliché and sweet and cheesy. He sends MC flowers while he’s away on a business trip! He also sends her a text message and afterwards takes the time to video chat with her. Again, one of the supposedly biggest hurdles to being in a relationship with him is his hella hectic schedule, but even this early on we can see that he’s making the time for her and/or letting her know that she’s on his mind despite him being (literally) a thousand miles away. Guys, he’s an actual perfect boyfriend.

Did Mr. Sloan really just deliver a corny pickup line to MC?? YES HE TOTALLY DID! They haven’t even gone on their second date at this point and already they’ve been reduced to this?? Get a room, guys. 

(Spoilers: They do get a room eventually. Multiple times ahahaha *rolls away*)

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Edit: Part 2 is now up!