Chapter Four

I stood and shook my head. Why was marriage suddenly on every table? I was still waiting for actual butterflies and fireworks before I thought about spending the rest of my life with someone.

“You don’t have to do it.” Dad sighed.

“What happens if I don’t? What happens to you?”

Nora stood, avoiding dad’s gaze. She wanted to grab my hands, yet pulled back at the last second.

“You can think of this as a deal too. What do you want Gia?”

There were a lot of things I wanted, but none so important I would marry a total stranger. Then the terms of the contract I signed hit me. I had no more than seven weeks to pay back the debt I now owned and with each day five hundred dollars was added to that debt. If I failed to pay the debt went back to mom and surely she would lose everything and I might end up as a high end prostitute.

“Nothing, nothing I’m not bribing my daughter into doing this. Damn them all if it has to be.”

“Don’t speak like that! Wolfe isn’t a man to double cross and you know it! An arrangement is an arrangement.”

“Actually, dad there is something I need.” I couldn’t believe I was about to say this. I told myself once I couldn’t have this both ways. Maybe divorce was an option in the future and I would be free of debt to top it off.

“Name it!” Nora said quickly.

“I’m in a bit of debt.” A bit was an understatement.

Dad ran a hand down his face and scrawled. “Why? Why would you borrow money instead of just calling me?”

I folded my arms over my chest. How when I felt like an outcast? I couldn’t bring myself to tell him I felt like the child he didn’t want most of the time.

“Pay my debt and I’ll do as you ask.” I couldn’t meet his eyes as I said it.

Nora clapped her hands in front of herself and sighed. “We have so much to do. Of course, we have to sign a contract just to be safe. I have to call a stylist and the makeup artist. We have a lot to do if we want to convince a crowd and Bradley.”

“No,” Dad said.

Nora would have hurled the closest heavy object at him if she could. I already agreed and I wasn’t backing out. The benefits were too great even if they made me feel filthy one day I would be happy and clean. I needed to make sure both my parents were okay first. They were both so damn stubborn.

“There’s no need for her to pretend. The deal was for Bradley to marry my daughter not specifically Sydney. Bradley will marry Gianna as herself.” With that dad walked into the library and vanished,

Well at least there was no acting involved. I wouldn’t have to add fraud to the list of things I felt about myself. I still would be I was entering a world I didn’t belong in, but one I dreamed to so for long.

“We still have plenty do to. The party is tonight.” Nora squealed

***

Twenty minutes later it was still sinking in that I was getting married to a total stranger. By the time the deal was done Nora was all over the house making calls. I only had one call to make. How did I even explain this to my mother? She would see right through me. Maybe I had time to convince her, damn Bradley was probably an ass who didn’t care.

“Can I show you your room?” Dad asked.

I lingered by the base of the staircase, clutching my bag. I must have looked like a miss placed puzzle piece.

“My room?”

He nodded, a gentle smile on his face.

“You mean a guest room?”

“No, I mean your bedroom. You’ve always had one, but it needs a bit of an upgrade. Nora would know better than I about these things.”

“I didn’t know I had a room here.”

He nodded and stopped in front of a dark brown door.

“Sydney helped set it up, of course that was several years ago.”

I hoped I wasn’t walking into a hot pink bedroom with Barbie sheets and curtains to match. Dad shoved the door open and let me walk in first. I bit my lower lip. The walls were baby pink, a massive queen bed with floral sheets was positioned in the middle. The room was bigger than my living room.

“I’ll let you get settled in, I have more calls to make.”

“Dad, what do I tell mom?”

It looked like blood drained from his face for a second. “Maybe we can hold off telling her for a while.”

I smirked, she still scared him. The second I was alone I shut the door and scanned the room for a bathroom. The walk-in closet led to the bathroom, but there was another door that led to a balcony. Once I was outside I dialed my best friend’s number.

“Thank goodness, I’ve been waiting since forever to hear what happened!”

“It wasn’t what I was expecting when I got on the cab that’s for sure.”

“Are you going to tell me! Gosh, I brought popcorn.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m getting engaged tonight.”

A fit of distressing coughs sounded on the other end. Oh, I hoped I hadn’t killed her.

“I didn’t even know you were seeing someone. I thought we were best friends.”

“I have no idea who he is!”

“I have no idea who you are geez. How can you be engaged when you were just as single as me yesterday?”

“It’s complicated. This could save my entire family. I’m not sure how deep dad’s in shit, but I certainly am.”

“Am I invited to the engagement. If I’m not, I’m still crashing.”

 “Of course, you are. I need someone to remind me that I’m Gia Glass who doesn’t belong in castles and doesn’t wear diamonds or bells.”

“I’d love to wear diamonds.”

The door slammed shut followed by an enthusiastic voice. I hung up and dashed into the room. Nora stood next to a busty woman who aired out pride and confidence. She eyed me up and down and I could have sworn her confidence levels escalated.

“Different hair than Sydney, your complexion will go well with red.” The woman answered.

If she was a boarding mistress she would be terrifying, though I’m pretty sure I didn’t want to anger while she held a curling iron.

“This is Beatrice, she’s the whole package!”

“Do I really have to do all this?”

Beatrice unloaded make up, oils, straighteners and other heat irons I’d never seen, from a duffle bag. Nora placed her hands either side of my shoulders and set me in front of the dressing table. She stared at me through the mirror.

“You’re going to look and feel like a Glass.” Nora gave my shoulders a squeeze before darting to talk to Beatrice.

I touched my cheek. I thought I already looked like a Glass. Nora received a phone call and darted out of the room. Beatrice ripped off my ribbon, causing me to wince. This was going to be a long session. If I thought mom yelling at me to clean my room was terrifying a lecture from this woman about not moisturizing my hair enough and having to deal with her pulling my hair and being singed with a straightener was ten times worse.

That was the hard part and I was glad it was over. She already knew what I was going to wear. Something I would never have picked on my own much less Lilly. Beatrice picked out a blood red dress that tumbled to the floor made of silk. The slit exposed almost my entire thigh. Nora came back beaming with clear slap heels in her hands. I looked in the mirror and felt I could take down a hundred men with a flip of my newly straightened and curled hair.

I almost didn’t recognize myself, but with what I was doing I wasn’t me. I knew one thing. I wasn’t made of glass.

“I did a great job, didn’t I?” Beatrice packed her things while I still marveled at myself.

“You’re a miracle worker. Just in time too. Guests are arriving. I need to get ready too, Rebecca Wolfe will be here any moment and I will not be outshined by her.”

“Who’s she?” I asked.

Sprawled out on the bed were a bunch of accessories for me to choose. Beatrice made it clear that I was not to wear a necklace. The bodice of the dress pushed my breasts all the way up. She said the point was for them to be on display. They did look pretty nice.

“She’s your soon to be mother in law. Awful woman. She thinks she’s royalty.” Nora scrawled. “The party starts in thirty minutes I’ll be back to get you when all the guests arrive.”

Beatrice and Nora disappeared to perform yet another miracle. I picked up a plain black clutch bag and sat in front of the mirror then sighed. Sydney should be the one here instead of me. I was marrying her fiancé someone she had a relationship with.

I walked out to the balcony with my heart thundering in my chest. More and more people piled into the back yard. It was big enough to build another house on. So many faces I didn’t know and would be shocked to see me instead of Sydney. I hadn’t even allowed myself to think of where she could be.

The door to my room clicked shut. Nora couldn’t be back so soon. When I turned it wasn’t Nora who had snuck into my room.

“You? What are you doing here?”

Tall tanned and handsome shoved his hands into the pockets of his dark blue stripped pants. His jacket matched his pants, he folded the sleeves which made his Rolex stand out. I liked that he wore a plain white shirt inside his jacket instead of a buttoned up shirt and tie. The mischief he had on yesterday was a memory.

“I could ask you the same thing.”

He couldn’t be the one. Why did he have to be the one? I took a step back prompting him to close the distance between us. There was that intoxicating scent again. Armani.

“This is my bedroom. I ask the questions.”

He leaned against the frame of the balcony door and grinned.

“I never would have guessed. Tell me what you’re doing here when my fiancé isn’t.”