The Marriage Contract (5 page)

              “Just calm down for a second, alright? Geez, you’re a piece of work!”

              “What the hell is going on?” I asked. “Tell me, or else—“
              “Enough with the threats, already,” he said, sighing. “HI. I’m Richard Bellevue. James’s twin. A long, long time ago, he did me a favor, and I’m not getting into the details of that, so don’t ask. Long story short, he asked me to get you ready, and take you to some surprise event he’s planning for you. You know, I really don’t give a rat’s ass about what you two do, and what your corny relationship is like. I’m just repaying a favor, and I’d really appreciate if you could cooperate—“

              “What event? And I have work. I’m fifteen minutes late—“

              “James discussed this with your supervisor. You have the day off. And it’s called a surprise. I don’t even know what this event is about, but all I ask, is that you quit screaming like a banshee, and just stay put!”

              The morning light streamed through the open window, blowing his wavy brown locks to the side, casting a glow along his rugged cheeks. His eyes were focused on the road, with a blank expression clouded over his face.

              “I’m not a dog,” I argued. “I don’t ‘stay put’. And who told you I’m his fiancé? And how do you know what I look like? We never met—“

              “James told me you’re his fiancé, so that’s all I know. And by the way, all of New York State knows what you look like,” he stated. “Your picture is in the newspaper—“

              “The newspaper? What do you mean?” I asked. “And I’m not his fiancé.”

              His hands loosened on the steering wheel, as he gave me a quick, annoyed glance.

              “He gave a kiss on that little forehead of yours yesterday,” Richard explained. “The Paparazzi took a picture, posted it online, and sold it to a newspaper. Honestly, don’t look so surprised. If you’re going to marry my brother, then this kind of thing will be routine for you. Get used to it, lady.”

              I groaned, dropping my head to my lap, my hands covering my face. Everything he was saying sounded like a tangled mess, and it was all James’s fault. Why was he going around telling people that I was his fiancé? And why the hell did his brother end up being a jerk as well?

              Twin jerks.

              “This is such a mess,” I mumbled against the fabric of my jeans.

              “You and James will make a good pair,” said Richard. “For one thing, you’re both insane.”

              I shifted my head to the side, my hair spread over my knees, as I gave him a cold stare. He noticed, and raised a brow.

              “Where does he find these girls?” Richard asked to himself, shaking his head, his eyes focused on the road.

              I scoffed, sitting up, and pressing my back against the leather chair of the Mercedes. He shot me another irritated stare, to which I glared in return.

              Honestly, my head was beginning to hurt from all the glaring I was doing, and I could blame only James.

              He had clearly told me yesterday that I should give him my answer, and I had prepared a very clear “no” to give him. And now, he was spreading lies to his family members that I was engaged to him.

              Oh, I would definitely have a nice, long chat with him. And in the process, go to jail for punching the lights out of him.

              Sitting against the car seat, I fumed, thinking of all the ways I would murder James when his brother took me to see him for this “event”.

              As the evil thoughts about James reverberated over my mind- the car came to a stop, as Richard got out, slamming the door behind him. I snapped my eyes to the side, looking out the car window, staring at the fancy hair salon across from me.

              Richard opened the door, giving me an impatient stare.

              “Get out the car,” he ordered.

              I narrowed my eyes at him, before stepping out of the car, and standing before the salon. It was an upscale place, and I could imagine Hollywood actresses or people with too much money on their hands, coming by for a monthly cut. I imagined the prices of each cut to be at least a hundred bucks, which was probably pennies for those that could afford it. For a moment, I glanced at my tangled pony tail, which had way too many split ends, and a cut from a local salon near my apartment building.

              “You’ve got an appointment with Valencio,” said Richard, taking long strides towards the rich salon. 

              I stared at his back, blinking slowly.

              He stopped for a moment, and then turned.

              “Are you coming in or what?” he asked.

              I shook my head.

              He glared, taking quick steps towards me.

              “You have a day off from work,” he said. “If you’ve got anything better to do at this moment, then just leave. Walk away! But if not, then quietly follow me. Got that?”

              My eyes narrowed, as I took a step towards him, glaring.

              “I’m not a dog. You can’t just order me around. Please apologize,” I demanded. “I guess you’re having a bad day, but that’s no reason to bark at me. You owe James a favor right? Well, if I don’t cooperate with you, you can’t complete that favor can you?”

              His long stride closed our space, as we stood an inch apart, glaring at each other. His eyes were too intense, and though I wanted to look away, I didn’t, for that would mean that I’m giving in to his “tough guy” attitude. He looked like the type that was used to getting his way through harsh demands and hurting people without caring about their feelings. He was exactly the type of person that needed to be told off, but never was.

              His eyes hardened, and though he didn’t look at all apologetic, he grunted, “fair enough.”

              “Good,” I said.

              Pushing past him, I walked towards the salon, my hands wrapped over the warm, silver door handle. I pulled open the door, and a few eyes met mine, their gaze traveling over my unimpressive body. Women sat in high leather chairs, their locks being tended to by fashionable stylists. The bright lights of the salon glittered over the smooth, marble floor, as I walked towards the receptionist. She was about my age, but exceptionally beautiful. Her bright blond locks rested in soft curls over her small shoulders, as she smiled radiantly at me.

              I could sense Richard’s gloomy presence behind me, but refused to acknowledge him. He stood beside me, his cold eyes, staring angrily at the pretty receptionist. She seemed a bit taken aback by his hostile stare, but continued to smile artificially at him nonetheless.

              “We need Valencio,” Richard barked.

              “Please,” I said, giving her an apologetic smile.

              Richard shot me a stare, and for a moment, I thought I’d caught a smile. But I must have been seeing things, because someone as cold hearted as him, had probably never smiled in his life.

              “Just one moment,” she said.

              I crossed my hands over my chest, staring around the elusive salon, as she called Valencio through the phone.

              “He’ll be right over,” she informed. “Please, have a seat—“

              “Darling, my darling! I’ve been waiting for you.”

              A tall, thin man, dressed in vibrant pastel colors, walked towards us, smiling widely at Richard. His deep black locks rested in a shoulder length pony tail over his back, as he swayed like a fashion model, his apricot skin glowing against the ceiling lights.

              I glanced at Richard, and to my surprise, he smiled, but not at me. He smiled at Valencio, who stood before him, placing a light peck on his cheek.

              My brows rose, and in that moment, all of Richard’s moodiness began to make sense. Since I’d met him about half an hour or so ago, he hadn’t smiled once. In fact, he looked like he hated life, and everyone in it. There was such anger in his rich brown eyes, as if all the happiness in the world had been stolen away from him.

              As I looked from Valencio to Richard, my heart clenched. There I was, calling Richard all sorts of bad names and thinking so terribly of him, when in reality, he was just a heartbroken guy, unable to be with Valencio, his secret boyfriend.

              I gave Richard a small smile, but he only stared back, his deep eyes set in confusion.

              Time must have stilled, for when Richard and Valencio looked at each other, I knew the pain they must have been going through by hiding their love from the world.

              “Stop staring at me like that,” Richard snapped, breaking me out of my trance. “Valencio, I’d like you to meet Dorothy Web. I’m sure James has told you what to do—“

              Valencio’s large green eyes met mine, his pink lips pursed together.

              “Leave it to me, darling,” he told Richard.

              “Um…hi,” I said, sounding lame.

              “Follow me, little girl,” Valencio ordered, turning and walking towards the nearest chair.

              I gave Richard a sad smile, to which he glared in response. I shook my head, turning and walking towards the black chair. Valencio walked to the dresser mirror, as I sat on the chair, my shoulders slumped.

              I turned my head towards Richard, who had taken a seat against the wall, and was eyeing me curiously.

              I sighed, my heart pulsing, as I kept thinking about Richard’s heart breaking love story. Though I didn’t know the details of their love, I did believe that the reason he was so angry all the time, was because his family wouldn’t accept his true nature.

              Poor guy.

              Valencio’s long slender hands held either side of my head, facing me forward.

              “Don’t look sideways, dear,” he scolded. “Just look at your adorable self in the mirror. Alright?”

              I nodded, my cheeks heating.

              When he was done curling my orange locks, placing them over my shoulders, I was more than a little surprised. For the first time, I didn’t look so boring, and maybe, just maybe, I looked a little pretty. A pale blue, butterfly hair clip was placed above my ear, as I traced my fingers over the expensive accessory.

              “My hands are magic,” exclaimed Valencio. “Now, shoo! I’ve got more customers to attend to!”

              I thanked him, and stood, placing my hands at my side. As I prepared to turn, Valencio’s delicate hand curved over my shoulder, causing me to still.

              “Oops, I forgot,” he said, giggling. “James sent something for you. Just a moment, dear. Suzy! Bring over the dress—“

              “Dress?” I asked, turning around.

              Suzy, the receptionist, jogged towards me, placing a white shopping bag in my hand. Her bright eyes gleamed, as she smiled warmly at me.

              “You’re so lucky,” she said. “If only a guy loved me as much as James loves you. Anyways, this dress will look perfect on you. You can try it on in the back. There’s a dressing room all the way at the end.”

              I stared at the bag, and then at Richard, who sat on the chair, gazing at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. I wasn’t sure if he was bored, or annoyed, or irritated, or maybe a mix of all three.

              “We don’t have all day,” Richard stated in a low monotone.

              I sighed, as Valencio spun me around, giving me a light push towards the dressing room. My new curls bounced over my back, as women in salon chairs looked at me through the mirror, staring me up and down like I was a piece of thanksgiving turkey. 

              Ignoring their scrutiny, I jogged towards the dressing room, entering the small space, and swinging the door closed.

              My chest heaved, as I placed the bag in a wooden seat against the wall of the room, staring at myself in the long mirror before me. Taking a deep breath, I slipped my hand through the white paper bag, my fingers tracing over the cool, soft, silk. In the moment following, I took out the dress, holding it carefully in my arms so as not to damage it.

              The white dress was a v neck, sleeveless kind, reaching an inch above my ankles. Small, periwinkle flowers were embroidered at the center of the dress, creating a lovely belt design. As I undressed, placing my casual clothes within the white bag, and slipping the silk gown over my body, I couldn’t help but feel out of place.

              The girl I saw in the mirror looked like me, but she didn’t feel like me. For the first time in my life, I felt a bit more than ordinary, for I looked a little bit unordinary.

              Though I was still mad at James, I had to hand it to him…he had great taste in clothes.

              Placing the bag of my regular clothes in my hand, I stepped out of the dressing room, walking towards Richard. The other women and some men in the salon stared at me, their eyes following my steps.