The Marriage Contract

by Tara Ahmed

  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.

  When Richard’s angry eyes met mine, for a moment, his gaze softened. His gaze travelled down my barely there curves, to flat of my feet, which were still adorned by white flip flops.

  “So the duck became a swan,” he whispered, more to himself than to me.

  I gave him a curious look, but he continued to stare at me, as though seeing me for the first time. For a moment, he reminded me of James, and the way he had looked at me yesterday, at the hotel.

  I shook my head, knowing that was silly. Because Richard already had Valencio, so there was no reason he would look at me like that. I was probably just imagining things.

  “You’re a gem!” Valencio clapped his hands together, smiling vibrantly.

  “That she is,” Richard whispered.

  I shot him a look, my eyes narrowed, to which he shook his head. He cleared his throat, turned, and walked out the door.

  Well, that was weird.

  The car ride to the “event” was eerily silent, as I stared out the window, watching pedestrians pass by. The silence was beginning to annoy me, for I had a question that was burning at the back of my throat, and if I didn’t let it out, I feared I may be restless the whole day.

  “Can I ask you something?” I cleared my throat, fiddling my hands over my lap. “I hope you won’t mind.”


  He said nothing, as the car came to a stop, parking in front of a church. I glanced at the tall, grand church for a moment, my brows furrowed in confusion. A tall, bell tower rested over the roof of the church- the bell swinging slowly with the light April gust. I frowned, my eyes raking over the milky white coating of the church, wondering why we were stopping there. A tall golden gate, like something out of a Spielberg movie, stood proud before the grand building, sparkling.

  “You can ask,” he said, staring at the street ahead.

  I exhaled a deep breath, turning my head towards him.

  “You should tell them, you know,” I said. “I know I’m in no position to say this, but I really feel for you, Richard. You should really tell your family about…you know.”

  His eyes narrowed, as he whipped his head towards me, giving me a confused stare.

  “What are you talking about?”

  I placed my hands on my knees, exhaling another deep breath.

  “About your relationship,” I said slowly. “With Valencio.”

  Richard’s steely eyes bulged, as he jumped upward, his head hitting the ceiling of the car roof.

  “I didn’t mean to startle you!” I said. “I’m sorry! I’m just trying to give you my support—“

  He groaned, pressing a hand against his head, his back resting against the leather car seat. He turned his eyes towards me, breathing hard, and giving me a stare so cold, I was sure I’d freeze any moment.

  “Get out,” he said, his voice quiet.

  I frowned. “I really didn’t mean to upset you—“

  “Get the hell out of my car!” His yells bounced through the walls of the car, as I jumped in my seat, startled.

  His eyes were flaming with anger, and without another thought, I exited out of the car, panting.

  Chapter Five

  Clenching the sides of my dress with both hands, my heart continued its piercing beat, as I watched him speed down the street, his sleek Mercedes turning into a dot as it furthered down the road.

  I chewed the edge of my bottom lip, frowning. It was the first time I had met someone who not only looked angry twenty four seven, but drove angry as well.

  As I pondered on this thought, my ears peaked on the sound of expensive shoes tapping against the cool, cement ground, approaching me. That familiar scent of lavender swirled around my form, as though caging me in place.

  Earlier, in Richard’s car, I had told myself that when I see James again, I would give him the yelling of a life time and poke his eyes out in the process. But of course, the yelling would only hurt my throat, and the poking the eyes out part, would most likely land me in jail.

  James’s shadow loomed over mine, as he leaned his head towards my shoulder- his lips, just an inch beside my ear.

  My heart thumped slowly within my chest, my eyes beginning to sting with rage, as I clenched my fists by my side.

  “You came.” His voice was low, drifting quietly with the wind.

  I could feel his smirk.

  My chest heaved heavily, and without another thought, I turned my head towards him, thumping his forehead with my thumb.

  “You creep!” I snapped, taking a step back. “You told your brother we’re engaged? I’m guessing you’re real bored with life, but don’t use me as your form of entertainment.”

  Standing tall in a crisp white suit, his usual messy hair was slicked back, making him appear sophisticated. A lazy smile graced his lips, as I gaped at him, frustrated that he was acting as though nothing was wrong.

  “Nice to see you too, Dorothy. I’m glad my uptight, miserable brother managed to bring you,” said James, his tone polite. “Well, that’s the last time he’ll be doing me a favor—“

  “Tell me what’s going on,” I demanded, placing my hands on my hips, and taking a step towards him. “Why did you lie to Richard, and why the hell did you have me dolled up for?”

  His eyes rolled, as though he were speaking to a child. His head dipped towards mine, as I pushed my face back, not wanting to be so close to him.

  “I really hate questions,” he whispered, shooting me a small grin. “But for you, I’ll answer any and all. But can we get inside first? I think the paparazzi have had enough shots of you yelling at me—“

  “Paparazzi?” I asked.

  He nodded, his large almond eyes- dancing in mirth.

  Whipping my head to the side, I scanned the deserted street, not noticing many pedestrians. The sun streamed over the sidewalk, delis, and stores, as a few people walked past the street with their dogs. As I continued to look around the area, my vision found a thin, brown skinned man at end of the block, poking his oval head out of a white SUV, his black camera snapping pictures of my bewildered face.

  I blinked, tilting my head to the side, wondering how many more paparazzi were near us, creeping like invisible ants.

  I shuddered, suddenly feeling a chill creep down my head to my toes- tingling the hairs on my flesh.

  “Alright,” I whispered, turning my head towards James. “Let’s go somewhere…private. You have a lot of explaining to do—“

  “Great!” he exclaimed. “Hey listen, I know you kind of have this thing against touching and all, but unless you want to keep having your pictures snapped by those weirdoes, I suggest you take my hand. Trust me.”

  Oh, he was he kidding me right?

  I scoffed, staring at his extended hand, his fair palm shining against the warm sun. Shaking my head, I gave him a glare.

  “I’ll follow you,” I said. “But holding hands is out of the question—“

  He sighed, resting a thick palm against his cheek, shooting me an easy smile.

  ”You know that thing you’re doing with your face?”

  “What thing?” I asked.

  “That ‘I’m so angry, leave me alone’ face…it’s cute and all, but believe me, it’ll give you some nasty wrinkles when you’re about twenty five, and that’s only a few years away. I mean, why can’t you just go...with…the flow? Like me. I’m a professional flow goer.”

  My eyes narrowed. “Maybe you should be a sense getter instead, because that little dialogue you just gave- made zero sense. I’m not holding your hand, so just take me to wherever we have to go, so this engagement mess can be fixed! I’m so freaking confused, and I’ve got a few questions to ask you, so quit wasting both of our time, and let’s go!”

  His usual happy go lucky expression, darkened, as a trace of anger hit his eyes. He looked irritated, as he stared down at me, his mouth clenched tightly. He took a step towards me, staring at me with a fiery passion- his nostrils flaring. He looked more like Richard than himself.

  My brows rose, as he extended his hand towards me, as though ready to snatch me away whether I liked it or not. As I stared into his zealous eyes, I felt my heart begin to race, as he closed our space, his body only inches away from mine.

  Then, as though waking from a dream, his lower lip began to quiver, as he let out an explosive laugh. He laughed, and laughed, for what felt like minutes, as I stared at him, more confused than annoyed.

  “You were so serious,” he sputtered. “I swear! I love acting like my stiff brother who always has a stick up his you know where. Wow, that was….that was so funny—“

  “You’re a child!” I snapped. “Can we go? Please? Honestly, you’re just wasting time—“

  “What is time?” He asked. “If you ask Shakespeare, he’d tell you that time is but a rose in a painter’s dream, eternally alive. And if you ask me--”

  “Save it,” I said. “I really don’t want to know.”

  He pouted, feigning hurt.

  I sighed, staring at him as though something smelled bad. Hesitating, I extended my hand towards him, knowing that he could probably stand in one spot for hours, talking nonsense. Though time was eternal for him, it was not for me. I would grow old one day, and have only my memories to look back on. But he, being rich and possibly powerful someday, would live an eternal life, with those speaking of him
even after his passing. Time truly was eternal for him, but for me, every second mattered, and I did not want to waste those seconds arguing with him.

  His gaze fell to my hand, which rested between us, like a branch sticking out of an oak. His dark brown eyes, brightened, as he smiled a winning smile, his warm palm circling over mine.

  As soon as our hands touched, a sudden spark flushed down my neck- my heart skipping a beat. I shivered, shaking my head and deciding it was just my nerves acting up. After all, stalker photographers were following my every move.

  Flicking my gaze to James, my eyes dropped to our intertwined hands.

  “Don’t squeeze it,” I warned. “Hold it lightly, and no weird finger movements either--”

  “Got it,” he said. “Now, you see that church behind us? We’ve got to run in before the stalkerazzi’s can reach the door. Be sure to close every window. Don’t question it, just do it—“

  “But—“

  “On the count of three,” he continued, ignoring my protest. “One—“

  “Now, wait a minute,” I began. “You can’t just—“

  “Two—“

  “James, this is a bad idea,” I said. “I really don’t think—“

  “Three!”

  Crap.

  We turned, and though I should have pulled apart from him, asking a million questions, I didn’t. Deciding to ask questions later, I followed his lead, running towards the tall open doors of the church, and closing it shut. The sound of the wide, wooden doors closing- caused a loud echo to resound in the space of the empty hall. As James locked the double doors, I ran to the side of the wall, closing the wooden window. Running to the other side of the room, I closed that window as well, before closing two more at the back of the room. Looking around, I made sure that there were no other gaps for the paparazzi to gaze through, and when I was definite that it was safe, I sighed.

  My heart thumped like a thousand drums within my chest, as I walked to a nearby bench, taking a seat.

  “Tell me now,” I said, panting. “Tell me everything.”

  His sharp footsteps neared, as I turned my head towards him, my hands cupping my knees. The silky white dress trailed by my ankles, as the light from the bulbs on the ceiling, illuminated my naked arms.