Chapter 5

It was 11:00 on Sunday when I walked back into the house and found my parents walking around casually before they both froze when they saw me. I haven’t been home since that belated birthday lunch when they told me that they found me a husband. I didn’t want to even look at them at this point because more than anything I was hurt and offended.

"Cel-" my mother began but I ignored her as I walked past her, heading up the stairs to my room.

She called out my name behind me and followed me up the stairs but I ignored her as I opened my bedroom door and locked it behind me so that she wouldn’t follow me into my room before I sighed and tossed my wig to the floor.

I heard a knock on my bedroom door but I wasn't going to answer it or even pay attention to it.

"Celeste..." she paused and I rolled my eyes, taking off my jewellery as I yawned, "uh, we're having a dinner later on. I was just telling you so that, you know, you can get dressed and be ready. Is that ok?" She asked and I scoffed as I walked into my bathroom and closed the door behind me as I went to take a long shower.

Attend dinner? I'm not even going to leave this room.

~~~

I can hear voices, there isn't a lot but I can hear them along with soft music. My mother knocked on my door I think over 50 million times begging me to come down but I wasn't going to go join them.

For all I know the man they want me to marry, could be on the other side of the door.

I know I said that I wasn't going to leave this room but I was hungry. I was starving in fact, but I knew that I couldn't leave because if I did then I might crash into this man and that's the last thing that I want. So the genius grown up that I am, downloaded a food delivery app and ordered myself some food, you know, because a girl's got to eat.

I was watching TV, like I always do whenever I have free time but today was Sunday and Sunday`s are different. Sunday`s are perhaps the days I look forward to the most because the most popular and talked about shows in the country play back to back. So, I was all settled in my custom made floating bed, watching the big screen as I judged a wedding dress.

I gasped as I saw the lady's wedding dress, "that's..." I didn't want to finish the sentence as I shook my head at the dress, "how is the presenter even able to hold in her laugh?" I asked myself as I looked at the dress and then shook my head scolding myself.

I waited impatiently to see the bridesmaid`s dresses and the minute I saw them I laughed loud and hard, "oh, my god!" I said as I pressed pause on the remote so that I could keep looking and laughing at them.

I could barely breathe at the sight of the horrible dresses and I laughed even harder when I saw the host of the show pull a weird face and let out a fake gasp of excitement.

"Nomsa! Even you know that's ugly!" I cackled, speaking to the TV as though she could hear me as I shook my head. I heard a sudden knock on my door before I quickly lowered the volume so that I could carry on watching the show as well as keep tabs on the knocking.

They knocked again and I sat patiently, waiting for them to leave, "hello, uh," I heard a male voice that definitely did not belong to my father finally speak out, "the food-"

"My food!" I exclaimed, remembering that I had ordered online. I jumped from the bed, "I'm coming!" I responded as I ran to the door and tripped, landing on my ass but I ignored the pain and unlocked the door and opened it.

Now, I`ve told you, repeatedly, that men were not for me. It's not because I'm into women, but because of what I've witnessed happen to women who were in relationships, most commonly with men and I've met my fair share of good looking men in my life who've made me look twice or maybe thrice at them and think "wow, some men can look really decent".

The man who was standing behind my door was in a whole category by himself.

I'll begin with the fashion. He looked way too good, the kind of gentleman attire that let you know he either had a fantastic sense of fashion or his stylist was just too darn good at their job. He was wearing a black dress pants, black shiny leather shoes where I could see my own reflection, a navy poller neck and a brown leather coat. A brown leather coat has never been pulled off the way this man was pulling it off with his big build.

My eyes scanned up his body to his face and his appearance is every bit of intoxicating as his expensive cologne is. The first thing I looked into was his hazel eyes that seemed so bright and light, as though the sun was shining in his face. His brown hair was pulled back using gel so that it could stay in place, giving the perfect uncut view of his features. A crooked nose, not the kind that got broken in a fight, but rather one that wasn’t completely straight and perfect. The trimmed stubble on his face covered the sharp angles of his face, but not too much where I couldn’t see his pronounced jaw line. His thin lips were pulled into a smile and his teeth were sparkling white.

He smiled before he winked, and I gripped onto the wall because my knee buckled and I almost lost control of my body.

"Hey," he spoke, his voice thick, raspy and hoarse, but this time, even with the support of the wall, I fell.

He crouched down to help me and I jumped up quickly, leaning against the wall, "hi," I said quickly, trying to hide my embarrassment and pretend like nothing happened.

"Are you ok?" he asked me with a heavy accent and I nodded quickly, not paying attention to how strange it was, "this was, uh, this was an order f-"

"Oh, yes," I said as I took the bags from him, "that's mine. Thank you."

I went to close the door because I had embarrassed myself enough and couldn’t stand to be anywhere close to this specimen but he stopped me with his hand, "aren't you joining us downstairs?" he asked me, furrowing his eyebrows in genuine wonder.

I laughed, "no, not at all. With the way my parents are, my future husband could be sitting right there with them and drinking champagne," I closed the door with my foot and walked to my bed, hoping to erase the embarrassing moment from my head.