“This is delicious, Mrs. Lindberg,” Parker said politely, after he’d swallowed a mouthful of my mom’s famous mashed potatoes. “You’re a great cook.”
I took a sip of my water, trying not to roll my eyes at Parker’s kiss-assery.
“Why, thank you, Parker.” My mom beamed, obviously pleased. She loved it when people praised her culinary skills, which I sadly haven’t inherited. “I’m so glad you stayed for dinner.”
“I thought you date for a month,” my grandmother said rather suspiciously. “You never stay for dinner? Very, very rude boy.”
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I had a feeling my grandmother still wasn’t entirely convinced Parker was my boyfriend. Maybe it was because I tried to stab his hand with my fork when it stayed on my leg a little longer than necessary under the table.
“Oh, that’s not his fault, mom,” my mother quickly spoke up. “We’ve all just been a bit busy and haven’t had the chance to invite Parker over for dinner, that’s all.”
My grandmother pursed her lips, and stared at Parker. “You how old?”
“Eighteen.”
“You go to college when you graduate?”
“Of course,” Parker replied smoothly. “Right now I have my eyes set on Princeton. That’s where all my father and grandfather went.”
I saw an impressed look flash across my grandmother’s face before she quickly replaced it with a frown. “Why you no go to Harvard medical school? Law school?”
“Well, I’m not looking to get into the medical or legal profession at the moment—“
“So what you want to be?” my grandmother demanded. “Pretty boy for life? That’s no good. You need to support wife. You need to support Maya.”
My face immediately turned the color of a tomato. “Grandma, we’ve only been dating for a month,” I hissed, trying to ignore the rather shocked and appalled expression Parker was trying his best to hide. “It’s too early to talk about that.”
She wagged her finger at me. “Never too early for marriage. I know girl, she thirty. Date boyfriend for eight years. No ring. Why? She never plan ahead, stupid girl.” My grandmother shook her head disapprovingly before addressing Parker again. “So how you support my Maya?”
Parker, having recovered, smiled charmingly. “I believe I will be taking over my father’s company after I graduate college.”
“Your father? What he do? He no plumber, is he? I no trust plumbers. Or Disney World. Working with mice, very shameful.”
I nearly spit out my water at the look on Parker’s face. Poor guy. How was he supposed to know my grandmother’s deep hatred of Disney World stemmed from the one—and only—time she’d accompanied my parents and me to the amusement park, only to have me throw up in her lap after riding too many roller coasters?
Needless to say, even Mickey Mouse couldn’t ease my grandmother’s wrath. In fact, I’m pretty sure she saw red every time the word ‘mouse’ was even mentioned.
Although no one had ever figured out why my grandmother didn't like plumbers.
“Uh…no, m’am. He’s a banker.”
“Banker?” My grandmother shooed away the peas my mom offered her. “I no like banks. Line too long.” She abruptly switched topics. “You have sex yet?” She pointed to me and Parker.
Clang! The sound of my glass banging against my plate echoed through the room, but I barely heard it through my utter humiliation. Please, floor, just open up and swallow me whole. I beg you!
“Grandma, you—you can’t just ask people that,” I stuttered, horrified. I was suddenly glad my dad was working late tonight.
My mom looked equally horrified. “Mom! We are not going to be talking about—about Maya’s sex life at the dinner table!”
Apparently, she’d forgotten Parker and I weren’t really a couple.
“Why? Sex part of life,” my grandmother pointed out innocently, sounding quite progressive for a seventy-year-old Chinese lady. “How else I get great-grandchildren? I getting old. I no live forever. I want to hold great-grandson and great-granddaughter before I throw the bucket.”
“It’s kick the bucket, mom, and you’re perfectly healthy. You will probably live till you’re a hundred!”
“A hundred? Why I wanna live till a hundred?” my grandmother snapped. “So people stick me on bad daytime shows saying, ooh, look at old lady? No good.” She gazed pointedly at Parker. “You never answer question, young man. You and Maya have sex?”
I swallowed hard, wondering what he was going to say.
Suddenly, Parker flashed me a mischievous grin, and my blood ran cold.
Oh, no. No, no, no, I thought fiercely, glaring at him so hard I was surprised I didn’t burn a hole in his face. Don’t you dare! I swear to God, Parker Remington, if you say—
“Yes. Yes, we did.” Parker actually managed to look bashful, that jerk. “Of course, I don’t usually discuss something so…intimate out in the open, but you must understand, I’m a very honest person. I could never lie, especially not to my dear Maya’s grandmother.”
My grip tightened on my glass as I pretended it was his throat. I snuck a peek at my family. My mom looked like she was about to faint, but my grandmother looked thoughtful.
“Really?” She clucked her tongue. “I hope you use protection. I no want grandchildren now. Very bad for college. But very good you are practicing now.”
I buried my face in my hands, wondering why I couldn’t have gotten a normal grandmother who would rather throw away her knitting set than talk about sex, much less encourage it.
“Definitely.” Parker’s face was almost angelic. “You don’t need to worry about that. Right, sweetie?”
Ugh! Why did all the girls like him? He was…he was evil!
And then he winked at me. The asshole had the nerve to wink after embarrassing me like that?
Without thinking, and unable to take it anymore, I let out a frustrated yell and threw the remainder of the peas at him.
Sadly, in the process, I also knocked over the pitcher of water, which promptly spilled all over my grandmother.
Needless to say, things kind of went downhill from there.
* * *
“What do you mean, you’re grounded?” Venice stared at me in shock. “Your parents never ground you.”
I sighed, shoving my biology textbook into my locker before slamming it shut. “They do when I throw vegetables at dinner guests. You know how my mom is about me eating my fruits and veggies.”
She giggled, but immediately stopped when I glared at her. “Sorry, but that’s hilarious. Not about the grounding part, of course, but…I can’t believe you threw peas at Parker Remington! Actually, I can’t believe you told them he was your boyfriend!”
“Trust me, it was out of sheer necessity,” I mumbled.
Venice sighed. “If it were me, I would’ve at least tried to get a kiss out of it.”
I scrunched up my nose in disgust. “God, Venice, who knows where those lips have been? Actually, no, scratch that. I already know—they’ve been with every skank in the tri-state area.”
She rolled her eyes. “So? It’s not like you can get diseases from kissing!”
“Didn't you pay attention in health class? Of course you can!”
“Whatever.” Venice waved my comment away dismissively. “For the chance to kiss Parker, it would be totally worth it.”
“You shameless hussy, you,” I joked, stepping out into the bright sunshine. I was relieved to see the parking lot was nearly empty.
Venice snickered. “Well, this shameless hussy needs to get to the mall and buy her sister a gift.” She made a face.
“Why? Is it her birthday?”
“Nope, but I accidentally broke my mom’s favorite pearl necklace and she kind of took the rap for me, so I owe her.” She gave me a hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow! Hope you get ungrounded soon.”
“Me too,” I said, even though I didn’t really care. After all, it’s not like I had anywhere to go after school or on the weekends besides Venice’s house, anyway.
With one last wave, Venice hopped into her chauffeured Benz. I was about to start walking home when I saw a pair of suspicious-looking, black-suit-clad men standing next to a black Town Car. They were staring at me and whispering into their earpieces.
Very subtle.
My heart immediately started racing. Oh shit. Was this it? Had Roman finally decided to hire hitmen to get rid of me, once and for all?
I looked left and right frantically, wondering where I could run. Maybe you’re just being paranoid. Maybe they’re just bodyguards…after all, it’s not like kids at Valesca don’t have them.
Trying to look nonchalant, I turned and started walking towards the school again. After a few steps, I stopped and looked over my shoulder.
Ok, they were definitely closer than they’d been before, although they were staring up at the sky and trying to act like nothing was amiss.
I turned back around and took another two steps, then whipped my head around.
Aha! Busted!
I frantically yanked on the doors to the school, but they were locked. Crap! The janitor must’ve just locked it.
Without thinking, I immediately sprinted to the left, not even sure where I was going, but I knew I needed to go somewhere. I’ll be damned if I was just going to stand there like a lamb waiting for slaughter!
“After her!” one of the men shouted, all pretenses dropped.
Letting out a small grunt as I accidentally slammed my hip against the corner of a car, I skidded to a stop when I saw three more men in black coming towards me.
There were more of them? What, did they come from a clone factory or something?
I switched direction, my breath coming out in short spurts. I’ve never been a good runner, and the only thing keeping me going right now was my survival instinct.
I eyed the hedge that was blocking my way. I couldn’t go anywhere else. I had to try. Taking a deep breath, I sped up, ignoring the men’s shouts behind me.
The hedge was getting closer…closer…just a little more…now!
Closing my eyes, I leaped as high and far as I could, like an Olympian doing a high jump.
Problem was, I was no high-jump Olympian, and I don’t think closing my eyes was the best idea, because when I opened them again, I was sprawled out on the grass. My face was pressed against the dirt and if I was right about the small stinging sensations on my legs, I had just cut myself in a million different places.
I tried to lift myself up, but the ensuing dizziness caused me to collapse again.
Suddenly, I felt someone grab both of arms. “We got her!” one of the men shouted.
I sucked in some air, my thoughts clearing up a bit as I suddenly remembered what was happening.
“Let me go!” I screamed, kicking out at the men and trying to twist my way out of their grasp.
Obviously surprised by my sudden movement, they let me go, and I stayed just long enough to give the closest one a well-aimed kick in the family jewels before I took off running again.
I was gratified to hear the man let out a loud, pained grunt, but that feeling was immediately replaced by panic once more when someone tackled me to the ground.
“You’re a feisty one,” the person on top of me muttered, yanking me up and carrying me bridal-style back to the parking lot, while two of his colleagues kept a firm grasp on my limbs.
“Who are you?” I yelled. “And where are you taking me? Let me go right now! This is illegal, you know! You could go to jail for this!”
The man holding me sighed and shoved me into the backseat of the Town Car. “Keep a close eye on her,” he warned his colleagues, before getting into the driver’s seat.
“Let me go!” I screamed again, wriggling in the seat.
“Hold still!” The man on my left sounded exasperated. “We’re not going to hurt you. We—ow!” He let out a string of curses. “She bit me!”
“There’s more where that came from, asshole!” I yelled, attempting to elbow the other man in the gut.
“Jesus Christ!” He evaded my attack just in time. “Screw this, it’s time to bring out the big guns.”
With that, he slapped a chloroform-soaked cloth over my mouth.
"Stop! What do you...think..." My muffled yells gradually faded away as darkness sank in.
* * *
Roman flipped impatiently through the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, but was unable to focus on the words and images in front of him.
What the hell was taking so long?
You would think, with the amount of money he paid them, they could work a little faster.
Note to self: fire old staff and hire new ones.
There was a timid knock on the door.
“Come in,” Roman called out in an irritated voice.
One of the maids walked in, looking a bit scared. “Mr. Fiori, she’s ready.”
“It’s about time,” he muttered, throwing the magazine aside. “Well, what are you waiting for? Bring her in!”
With a nod, the maid stepped out, and a moment later, she entered the room.
Roman’s eyes widened slightly as he took her in. Her dark brown, almost-black hair gleamed under the lights and fell in soft, perfect waves past her bare shoulders. Her green eyes looked brighter and more vivid than usual, and set off her flawless bronze skin to perfection. The slinky black dress she wore—according to his stylist, it was Alexander McQueen and cost over $2000—showed off her tiny waist and long, shapely legs to perfection, and her rhinestone-studded Jimmy Choo stilettos added three inches to her height.
For a scholarship girl, she looked breathtaking. She also looked very, very angry.
“I should’ve known it was you!” Maya spat, flames nearly leaping out of her eyes. “What the hell is all of this, Fiori?!”
He stood up, a little surprised by her reaction. “It’s a makeover, of course.”
She looked like she was about to spit fire. “I know it’s a makeover! But why are you, of all people, giving me one?” She planted her hands on her hips. “Did I say I wanted one?”
“Well, you certainly can’t go around dressed the way you usually do,” he pointed out, rather reasonably, in his opinion. “I have a reputation to protect.”
Maya narrowed her eyes. “And what does the way I dress have anything to do with your reputation?”
“Everything, of course,” he answered matter-of-factly. And here he thought she was supposed to be smart. “Well, now that that’s out of the way, let’s go over the rules.”
“Rules,” she repeated slowly.
Roman walked towards her, listing the guidelines as he went.
“One, you are to be dressed and made up by your personal stylist, hairdresser, and makeup artist every morning, which means you have to get up a bit earlier than usual. Say, three hours? Two, you are to always walk a step behind me in any public place, although of course you can walk next to me in private. Three, you are not to say anything that contradicts me. Four, you need to apologize to me for the party incident in front of the—“
“What. Are. You. Talking. About?”
Well, he guessed he would just have to spell it out for her. “The rules you need to follow as my girlfriend, of course!” Roman couldn’t help but smile smugly as he waited for her to gasp and gush her appreciation.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t exactly what happened.
Maya’s jaw dropped. “And who said I wanted to be your girlfriend?” she shrieked.
Roman sighed. Not the reaction he’d been expecting. “Of course you want to be my girlfriend. Everyone wants to be my girlfriend. I’m the only son of the richest family in the world. I’m good-looking. I’m smart. I’m powerful. I can give you things you can’t even begin to dream of. Private jet, yacht, vacations to anywhere you want. Clothes and jewels, of course—“
“You must be crazy!” Maya’s voice rose another pitch.
He winced. Second note to self: call Gucci to see if they made earplugs.
“I don’t want your stupid jet. Or clothes. Or jewels—“ To emphasize her point, she yanked the diamond-and-ruby necklace off her neck. “I want to go home. And I want you to leave. Me. Alone!”
“This hard-to-get game is getting a bit old,” he snapped. “If you didn’t want to be my girlfriend, then why did you go to all that trouble? “
Maya glared at him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He sighed. “Obviously, the only reason you yelled at me at the party and withstood all the students’ abuse was to stand out and get my attention!”
Her jaw dropped, and she slowly shook her head, a disbelieving look on her face. “I always knew you were an arrogant blockhead, but I never knew you were delusional too! Listen to me, and listen to me good, Roman Fiori. I don’t want to be your girlfriend, and I never will, especially when one of your lackies chloroformed me! I yelled at you because you are a heartless egomaniac who needs someone to put him in his place, and I managed to withstand everything you put me through because I’ll be damned before I let someone like you walk all over me!”
Roman was stunned. “Why are you being so difficult?” he demanded angrily. “Any girl would kill to be my girlfriend! Besides, you’re a scholarship kid! You should be begging to be with me! I can give you all the financial support--”
“Are you listening to yourself? Do you know what an ass you sound like? I don’t need your financial support. Just because I go Valesca on a scholarship doesn’t mean I want to be your slave!”
His narrowed his eyes. “Is it because you’re already dating someone?” For some reason, the thought made him even angrier.
Maya threw up her hands. “Have you not been listening to a word I said? I don’t—“
“Actually, Rome, she does.” Parker strode calmly into the room, draping an arm around Maya’s shoulders. “She’s my girlfriend now.”