Ever since her father became Mayor, things were a little different around the house. Security guards followed him around, it wasn’t necessary, it was protocol. They were always seen standing around his official car with nothing to do. The house had become a regular venue for the officials wives club every other week. And on her birthday, all the same people came as guests, which didn’t feel so special to her anymore.
Landon came bearing gifts and mingled with her parents and their guests. She tried to avoid him by sitting with her friends and always finding a crowd whenever he tried to talk to her. She never wanted to be alone with him anymore.
He was at his best behavior. Charming, witty and engaged in smart conversations about finance, politics and world economy. All the boring stuff he always swayed the grownups with, until he asked her hand for the birthday dance, which she couldn’t refuse given the circumstances.
“You look lovely tonight … you’ve been avoiding me since I got here,” he said to her with only inches away from each other.
“I have been avoiding you … you know exactly why,” she replied straightforwardly.
He curved his lips in a half smile, “To be fair … you were rude to me and I got angry … I think that’s understandable, you were angry too when I was rude to you,” he was justifying his past behavior.
“It doesn’t matter anymore … it’s over,” she said sternly.
“It can’t be over … don’t you see? We are bound to be together whether you like it or not,” he said in a mocking way.
“Like hell we are,” she dismissed him.
“Now that your dad is Mayor, his business deal with my dad has finally fallen through … our families are tied financially, politically and eventually … in blood,” he said calmly.
She was taken aback with his last statement, “What do you mean?”
“Our parents are building an empire, Charlene, and it would only work if we tie the knot … so we can share the success in one … big … happy … family,” he whispered to her ear.
She was shocked, it was not possible for her to be forced into a marriage that she didn’t approve of. “My parents wouldn’t force me into something like that? That’s absurd!” she was in disbelief.
“Your dad has already given me his approval, we’ll be engaged before summer is over,” he said.
She stopped and pushed him away, “I do not agree to that,” she said in a low voice.
Landon lifted his shoulders, “But we will be engaged anyway,” he had a wicked smile on his face, he knew it was going to come to this.
She shook her head and walked away, she couldn’t believe what she just heard and went straight to her father’s study. She stormed inside and locked the door, “Is it true?!” she demanded him.
Her father was puzzled, he took his reading glasses off and looked at his daughter in confusion. “What is, sweetheart?”
“Landon … he told me that you gave him approval for our engagement?” She was distraught.
Bill laughed under his breath, “Well … that young man was pretty eager, isn’t he? At first he asked for your hand in marriage … which I told him that you’re gonna finish school first before marrying into his family … you are going to live in their house for four years, it’s only right for you to be tied in a way that signifies your relationship with him … his words, not mine, … so I suggested that you should be engaged before moving in with your boyfriend.” She put her hands on her head, dumbfounded by what her father had said.
“What’s the matter, Charlene? I thought you’d be happy about it … you’ve been dating for quite awhile now, haven’t you?” her father clearly wasn’t aware of the situation.
“No … I called it off after the graduation, we’re not together anymore,” she replied.
“Why on earth would you do such a thing? Did you have a fight? Surely the two of you can work it out? Because he seemed to think that you’re still together?”
“No, dad … I don’t love him like that … I don’t wanna be with him anymore,” she confessed.
Bill laughed at his daughter’s naivety, “Oh, Charlene … he’s going to be a lawyer … a damn good one, I have no doubt, and he will take over his father’s business empire, he will have a political career as well … he’s good looking … what is there not to love? Once you marry into his family, that big ol’ house in Gastonburry will be yours, and many other houses they own under his name … you will have cute babies together and they will inherit from both our families … love is not needed in this equation.” Bill sat back on his chair and studied his daughter.
“I can’t believe you … you think that’s what I want?” she asked.
“That’s what everybody wants, Charlene, most people can only dream about it, all that is within your grasp … what else is there?” he tried to make sense out of her.
“He’s rude, dad, he’s pushy … and he doesn’t respect me … I can never be with a man like that!” she told him.
Bill let out a long exhale, “Sweetheart … give it a try … you must have your differences, every couple have frictions and problems, you just have to work it out … look, I was called for a last minute meeting and I have to go … unfortunately, I’m gonna have to excuse myself from your party … can we talk about this in the morning?” he gathered his documents and cleaned his desk.
She kept her head down, when her father walked pass her, she said in a low voice, “I don’t wanna marry him dad, I would never.”
Bill tussled her hair and gave her a peck on her forehead, “Yes you will, honey,” and walked away.
After her father left, she locked herself in that study for the rest of the night. She didn’t want to see anyone, not with what was weighing on her mind. The party receded soon after Bill left the house. She watched from her father’s study window as the guests left and the house went quiet. She cried.
When she was sure everyone had left and those in the house went to their rooms, she sneaked out the kitchen door to the front gate, knowing that Tommy was waiting for her. Her tears had dried by then, but it was visible that she had been crying. Tommy stepped out from the dark to meet her. “What’s the matter?” The first thing he noticed was how her eyes were swollen.
She hugged him, buried her face in his warm broad chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and smelled the lavender scent of her hair. She felt his heart beat, she was safe in his arms. She didn’t want to let go. “Are you alright? What happened?” he worried.
She let go of him, “I just had a bad conversation with my dad … it’s nothing,” she didn’t want to tell him.
“What was it about? Have you been crying?”
She folded her arms in front of her, “Nothing … it’s silly, really,” she put a smile back on her face.
“Thank you for coming,” she said.
He took out something from his back pocket, “Your birthday gift,” he handed it to her.
“What is it?” she took it. It was an envelope, she looked at him for permission to open it.
“Go ahead … see for yourself,” he said.
She opened the seal and inside was an invitation to a screening for three upcoming movies from ARCH Picture Studios, production of Maxine Roberts which will be held at the Red Room Grand in Goldstone on June 6th.
She couldn’t believe her eyes as she read the invitation out loud. “Is this for real?? You’ve got a VIP invitation to a screening for Maxine Roberts films??” she almost screamed.
The look on her face was priceless, he was pleased to see her that happy. She jumped to hug him, “Oh My God!! This is the best gift ever!! How did you get an invitation like this??” she kept looking at the ticket in awe.
“I got it from Maxine Roberts herself, I will be working at her studio in June.” Charlie almost flipped out of her mind.
“You know Maxine Roberts??” her voice can be heard from a hundred yards away.
He smiled shyly, “Sort of … she gave me an internship job at her studio … it’s a low level kind of work, but it’s a start,” he told her.
“I would give anything to work for her! Does that mean you won’t be dancing anymore?” she was in a hype.
He shrugged, “I don’t know … we’ll see how it goes in June, it’s not exactly a promising job … the internship thing … it’s a bit complicated,” he couldn’t explain the terms Maxine Roberts had laid for him to get further in the business.
“Would you introduce me to her? Oh God! The things I want to learn from her!!” She was in a fangirl mode.
He laughed lightly, “Sure … does that mean you’ll come?”
“Are you kidding me?? I wouldn’t miss it for the world!!” she screamed.
“Okay … good … you know …” he took out something else from his back pocket. “I actually have two tickets … you can have them, you wouldn’t wanna come alone, it’s a red carpet event, I can get another ticket for myself later … bring your boyfriend,” he said with a heavy heart.
She pushed the other ticket to his chest, “You keep the other one, I wanna go with you,” she said. He looked her in the eyes and knew she was being serious. “It’s over with him … we’ve broken up.”
“Really? When? Just last night?” he was surprised, pleasantly this time.
She shook her head, “It’s complicated … I’ll tell you some other time, I have to go back inside before someone sees me out here.”
He nodded. They couldn’t take their eyes off of each other. He didn’t know what this meant for them. “Thanks for the gift, Tommy, I really love it,” she said backing away.
“I’m glad you do,” he watched her as she walked back to her house.