1. The Deal

Chapter 1

The Deal

Barcelona, 9:00 p.m.

"There seems a something special because you choose this place, usually you won’t meet in a place like this because you are unwilling to your lover," Nick mocked as he gave a code to the bartender to add whiskey to his glass.

The two of them were in the lounge inside a five-star hotel.  The atmosphere was quite relaxed for chatting, there were only a few visitors who were also enjoying their cocktails and whiskey.

Beck shook his still glass of whiskey gently as if to mix the ice and whiskey.  "Damn it, I can't make love with Sophie so freely anymore."  He clenched his jaw.

"Did you guys quarrel?"

"We're the happiest couple..." Beck chuckled, bland.  He gulps his whiskey and then puts the glass back on the table.  “Vanilla is back.”

Nick raised his eyebrows.  "Wow!  Amazing, you have a fiancé and a lover.  I'm so jealous of you, Dude."  There was a hint of sarcasm in Nick's words, sadly too thin for Beck to notice.

"I'm serious, I just love Sophie."

Nick shrugged his shoulders.  "So you asked me to meet here just to hear you say you love Sophie?" Nick word’s words it was cynical, very clear.

"Vanilla put pressure on me, she kept threatening me every time I didn't comply."

Nick's lips curled into a faint smile.  "He's good at taking revenge."  His tone sounded satisfied though also barely noticeable.

"Yeah, she is revenge on me because my parents loved her so much," Beck said.

Four years ago, suddenly his extended family gathered at Vanilla's house which was right next to the Beck family's house, no one expected that that night was the night Beck's parents proposed to Vanilla.

Married Arrangements.

Beck was cornered at that time. Vanilla shyly nodded accepting the arrangement that Beck thought was crazy, she was pissed off by Vanilla because the girl acted like a very obedient girl, obeying whatever was ordered by her. By both parents.

"Why don't you learn to love Vanilla?"  Nick said, making Beck, who was about to take his whiskey, stop moving.

"He's no match for me.  For God's sake, Vanilla is childish, and can't dress up.  And he...."

"You can only talk about it like you don't have any flaws" interrupted Nick.

Beck gulps his whiskey.  "I'm speaking facts."

"I think your brain and eyes should be washed," Nick said, he was serious.

In Nick's eyes, Vanilla is a beautiful girl even though she is a bit of a tomboy and is too self-conscious.  The girl is a bit introverted and not easy to approach by the students at their school because it seems to Beck that if Vanilla is closer to a boy, Beck will use any means to get rid of students who are considered disturbing Vanilla.

"I need little help from you."  Beck looked at Nick, very seriously.

Nick frowned.  "I'am?"

"Yes, you.  I want you to seduce Vanilla, keep her away from me.”

Nick laughed so hard, that his shoulders shook.  "Are you crazy, Beck?"

"I'm serious."

"I'm sure you're crazy."

“You just have to seduce him, make Vanilla stay away from me.  After I manage to make our engagement fail, it's up to you what you want to do with her."

Beck said seriously, he couldn't if he had to marry Vanilla when his only feelings for Sophie, his favorite girl he had been dating for six years.

Nick narrowed one eye.  "I think you are the meanest man in Barcelona."

“Love has to choose.  I just love Sophie and we are the same.  There is no need for marriage in our lives.”  Beck gave the bartender a code to fill his empty glass.

Nick glanced at the bartender that had arrived and poured the whiskey into Beck's glass.

"Why should I seduce Vanilla?"  Nick looked at Beck straight.

"Don't pretend you don't know that Vanilla admired you at school," Beck replied sarcastically.

"I'm the leader of the basketball team, of course, many girls admire me, chase me and even throw themselves at me willingly," said Nick with a very thick arrogant tone.

Nick is one of the sons of a successful businessman in Barcelona, his father even owns an international company spread across several countries in Europe.  The blue-eyed man was also the potential sole heir to the fast-growing Knight family business.  Since sitting in high school Nick's handsomeness is also too conspicuous, he was even crowned as the most handsome student in his school, and Vanilla, the girl is one of Nick's fans.

"That's why I ask for your help.  I'm sure, you don't have to try so hard to get close to Vanilla anymore, she will melt easily on you."

Nick smiled lopsidedly.  "What's to my benefit?"

"I'll give you a new sports car this year, you can choose the most expensive one."

Nick spun the whiskey on the table, slowly.  The corners of his lips lifted slightly.  “I can buy it… along with the manufacturer.  But, receiving a gift is fun.”

Beck raised an eyebrow.  "So, you ready?"

"Yeah," Nick said.  "But, there's no guarantee that Vanilla will come back to you."

***

Beck rushes back to his house because Vanilla calls him on a cellular phone and threatens to tell Beck's parents if he doesn't come back soon.  It's always been like that, Vanilla kept pushing him making Beck hate Vanilla even more.

With long strides, Beck climbed the stairs in his house and pushed the door to his room roughly.  He stepped closer to the bed where a girl was Vanilla, covering her face with a novel.

Beck pulled the novel that covered Vanilla face who was pretending to be asleep, while Beck took a close look at her fiancé's face, beautiful.  It was undeniable that the light brown hair girl is pretty, her skin looked so smooth and looked well cared for.

Putting aside his admiration Beck slightly filtered his voice, “Don’t pretend to be asleep!”

Vanilla opened her eyes slowly, staring at Beck with a sneer.  “So this is how you treat your fiancé?”

“You’re not my fiancé, Vanilla.”  Beck returned Vanilla’s gaze no less cynically.

“Oh, yes?  Did you forget?  What reminds you?”  Vanilla smiled mockingly.

Seeing the mocking smile on Vanilla’s lips irritated Beck’s feelings.  Vanilla called him and ordered Beck to come back in ten minutes or he would tell Beck's parents who were in Canada that Beck was away with Sophie and leaving Vanilla alone at home.

"Vanilla."  Beck paused for a moment to catch his breath.  "I remind you again, don't play games with me and never interfere in my personal affairs!"  He emphasized his voice.

Vanilla changed her position, she sat on the edge of the bed with her legs dangling on the edge of the bed, her long wavy hair was left messy on her shoulders she only wore a night robe of thin silk cloth, and her chest looked erect even though she wasn't wearing a bra making Beck gulp his saliva because see the scenery presented clearly in front of him.

Vanilla swallowed her saliva.  "I'm your future wife, Beck.  I'm entitled to you."

Beck smiled sinisterly.  “You have no right to control me, much less threaten me.”

"Beck... I'm your future wife."  Vanilla's tone is very low.

Beck looked at Vanilla, clearly didn’t want to hurt Vanilla with his words.  However, he couldn’t give Vanilla any hope.  “I don’t love you, Vanilla.”

Vanilla’s heart was stabbed by a dagger.  This wasn’t the first time Beck had said that but still, she was a woman with delicate feelings.  Rejected repeatedly by his fiancé is the biggest humiliation in his life but he must continue to endure it because he loves Beck. Don’t know when.

“You think I love you?  Don’t get me wrong, I’m just following the wishes of our family, I don’t want to disappoint them,” said Vanilla with a very cynical tone to hide the fact that her feelings are hurt.

The girl moved from her seat and took two steps forward the distance between her and Beck was probably only an inch.  Vanilla looked at Beck without Beck couldn't possibly even understand himself.  Longing, but full of disappointment.  Maybe that's more like it.

"Let's end this agreement,"  Beck spoke in a very low voice.

Although Beck's tone was neither cynical nor high-pitched, in fact, once again, a storm of disappointment hit Vanilla at Beck's refusal.  He hadn't even seduced Beck, he hadn't even made it to Beck's bed.