2

Lily placed her hand bag on her dressing table. Her cats were waiting by the door, as always. "Hi Sammie, Catrina." She greeted them and they followed her into her bedroom. 

She lived in a small apartment, in a block with five other tenants and no one got in one another's business.

Her job as a middle school teacher was suitable for her. She couldn't be more-happier; that was a lie, she could.

Making herself a meal of toast and eggs, she ran through her emails, waiting for her toast to be ready.

"When the first two were reminders of the teachers' meeting, she thought the third unread message was spam and was about to move it to the bin when the subject of the email caught her attention.

'Congratulations, your application was approved."

"But I didn't even apply for a job." She said to herself. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped after she read the body text. She had been selected as Roman's wife. She laughed in a shaky voice and shook her head. "This just has to be a mistake."

She sniffed burning toast and unplugged it with an immediate effect. 

Propping herself on to the counter, she reread the email as though it were her first time.

She exited the app and dialed her only friend, her mother.

She drummed her free fingers against the counter, waiting for her mother to respond. 

"If you are not pregnant or engaged, hang up right away." Her mother called into the phone in her Mexican accent. 

"Mama Johnson I have even weirder news." She informed. "Today in class, I applied to be Roman Dalmian's wife and you won't believe this but I was selected out of six million applicants?

Even saying the words sounded too unbelievable to her.

"It's a scam!" Her mother responded, so certain of her words. 

"I don't think it is, I mean it has their official Dalmain logo? I really don't know mama Johnson." Mama Johnson was how they; lily and her siblings, referred to their mother. 

"Why would they select you out of everyone?" 

"Are you calling me ugly?" Lily placed her hands on her chest.

"No, but you don't make any effort to look good. Even if you went there, they would turn you down after seeing you." Her mother continued to say. 

"I get your point." Lily rolled her eyes, jumping off the counter and pacing back and forth. "But then they must have chosen me for a reason, don't you think?"

"Whatever, just be careful and update me! Your sister's daughters are with me for the week and I have to go on and watch them before they burn our house down." Mama Johnson excused herself from the phone call, and Lily only nodded. 

She put her phone down and knew her mother was right. She needed to look presentable, if anything at all. 

She picked her phone one more time and checked the address and date.

"This Friday." She had three days to prepare and to request permission from work. 

Kim smiled at the email and texted Mark as soon as she saw it. 

James came into the living room with a tray that contained their dinner. "Well you seem exceptionally excited, what with the excessive smiling?" He sat the tray on the table in front of her and sat across from her, pushing locks of hair away from his forehead although they managed to trail back to his face.

"I am indeed happy James, I just got the biggest dealer." She flashed a grin at him.

"Another modeling job?" He stood and came to sit beside her.

"Even better." She placed her phone beside the tray and hugged him. "You'll find out soon." She felt she was being wicked with her actions but she had no intentions of stopping now. 

"Well, this calls for celebrations then, doesn't it?"

"It does." She chuckled and yelped when the tray on the top of her on their cheap leather couch.

"James kissed her nose and trailed down to her neck. "Whatever makes you happy, makes me happy," he said and resumed kissing her.