One

       Janelle smiled at herself in the mirror, looking so pleased with her appearance and her beauty. She was a beauty to behold. Her friends will be thrilled by her news.

      A twenty four year old fashion designer and top of her class, going to school abroad was never a problem especially when she was an only child. And mostly when her parents were so rich, they even knew the governor in person. She had everything she wanted, because she was a very pampered child who had even the greatest friends in the world.

    Janelle looked up and returned the hearty smile her nanny gave. Nana Clara was the best mother figure when her parents were never around. Nana Clara had always been there for her from when she was a baby, up until now. The woman was never married and so took Janelle as a child she never had. "How do I look, Nana?"Janelle's said, displaying her perfect set of teeth to the old lady through the mirror.

Nana sighed as if in content. "You look stunning, my cherry."

My cherry. That's what she would always call Janelle every time. Since she was little. "Of course. I always look stunning." She said, picking up a matching emerald earring to put on. "Do you think Denzel will love this dress?"

She asked. A frown crept up Nana's face. "Denzel or James?" Janelle stopped like she froze and looked at Nana through the mirror. She gave a nervous laugh and shrugged.

"Denzel of course. Oh, come on, Nana. Denzel is coming tonight and he always talks about my outfit. So, I want to look my best." Nana's smile was stiff and her nod was as if her head was made of wood.

"Of course, dear. But what about James? Isn't he coming tonight?" Janelle smiled like she was sitting in a pool of fire and living the pain.

      The knock on the door saved her and she jolted up like she had been bitten by a viper and dashed to the door. Normally, Nana would get the door but she'd rather do her the favours. The forty year old butler stood there, adjusting his tie when she opened the door. "Er...Ma'am, your guests have started arriving."

"Oh! Thanks, Pascal." She flung the door shut and rushed to the mirror to give her outfit a final check.

    The look of scrutiny on Nana's face, wasn't hard to notice and Janelle could see it through the mirror. Just as she turned to leave, Nana stopped her.

"You haven't said any thing."

Nana said.

With a raised eyebrows, she asked, "About?"

"Is James not coming?"

Janelle scoffed. "Of course, he is. He just has an important stuff to handle. You know all these family business can be difficult to, you know...He will come."

Nana sighed. "Dear, but Denzel works at the same company."

"Yes, but a different branch. Pffh! You worry too much, Nana and I love you, but I've got guests waiting." She gave Nana a kiss and dashed out of the room. Nana was hard to he fooled and the truth about James was not far fetched.

     Jenelle shut the door behind her and tried to compose herself. Nana was a Guru at reading her expressions and she wondered why the woman didn't just become a cop instead of a nanny. Her greatest fear was about to get to her and she won't allow it.

Denzel is downstairs. She reminded herself. She placed a smile on her face and proceeded down the stairs.

      Her friends, Tara and Candace smiled up at her, but her eyes searched for Denzel. The cheers from friends and guest whose faces she couldn't place, filled her ears.

      One of the maids approached her with a tray filled with glass filled wine. She nodded her thanks to the smiling maid as she picked up a glass up to her lips.

She turned to her friends.

"Girl, you look dope!" It was Tara John. Short for Omotara John. The sexiest  super  bikini model and actress in the city. Tara was twenty two years old. More like the youngest among her group of friends but the one with the smartest tongue and biggest gut. Tara was fearless and the kind of model who loves to live her life as she deems fit without looking at snide comments from haters.

She's the kind of actress and model who doesn't care what people think about her. She's loyal to her friends. Janelle only met her at a fashion show and they just clicked. Tara doesn't talk much about her family so, no one knows much about her, apart from the fact that she's a super hot bikini model. One thing Janelle knows is that she hates James's guts for some reason that is still new to her. And she never talks about settling down because she never likes to be in any relationship. Sleep with them and leave them. That's her policy.

"You didn't say anything about this big engagement. We didn't even know you're dating someone."

Candace said.

Always the realistic lawyer.

     Candace is a twenty five year old lawyer and another person who doesn't talk about her personal life to anyone. Not even Janelle. Janelle doesn't know anything about Candace's love life because the lawyer prefers to have everything to herself.

      Janelle's eyes still searched for Denzel. She smiled when she spotted him walking up to her after having a conversation with a girl who dressed like she was desperate for a man and had her boobs pipping out of her cream coloured dress like a peace offering.

Tope.  Janelle  won't miss that face for anywhere. Tope was a bikini model like Tara but  she was still obviously trying to compete with Tara and sleeps with all the rich men she knew, married or single. Her attention snapped when Denzel approached them and gave her a hug. She won't be surprised if Tope was drooling over Denzel. She has been haunting him for years and it wasn't big news that Tope was competing with Janelle for Denzel's attention.

Talk about Childish. She thought, when she turned and noticed Tope's stares like daggers. Denzel was every lady's dream.

"You look beautiful."

He whispered to her ear.

She smiled. "Thank you."

"Okay, enough of all that."

Tara said, snapping her fingers and moving her neck from left to right. "Candy and I are dying  to know the date. So, tell us."

Tara said.

"Well, we are still upset that you didn't tell us about the both of you earlier, but tell us anyway. Spill."

Candace said.

Janelle laughed and nodded. "Okay."

She chuckled and cleared her throat. "Well, I'm getting married in two weeks. Sorry, I didn't tell you guys. We wanted to make it a surprise. I'm getting married to James."

She noticed the serious look her friends gave her and she also noticed the frown from Denzel.

Well, Nana wasn't the only one. She thought.

"What?!" That was from Tara.

"James? Workaholic James? James the Jerk?" Candace said.

"Bone serious, walking STD James?"

Tara asked again.

Janelle face palmed herself.

Her friends both stared from her to Denzel who still had his frown on his face. Janelle hoped that he wasn't trying to figure her out  as he always did. And truth is, he always knew how to figure her out. Her life was confusing right now and she was playing the obedient daughter.

She thanked her stars when his phone rang and he excused himself to pick the call.

"Janelle, are you serious?".

Candace asked with a concerned look on her face.

Janelle nodded. " Yeah. I love him. You know how many years I've had  feelings for him, right?"

"Yeah, and we all know that you have been married to him in spirit for years."

Tara said, rolling her eyes.

"Don't say it like that, Tara." Candace said. "You know how much her parents have always wanted her for James."

She said and turned to Janelle. "It's your parents, right?"

Janelle smiled, then laughed. "Of course not. I love him. Very much."

Tara looked around. "And where is he? Isn't he supposed to he here with you, sharing the news?"

"He had to seal a deal. He'll be here soon."

Tara scoffed. "What's he sealing? A deal with Obama?"

"Tara."

Candace said. She turned to Janelle and sighed. "You know, Janelle. I thought it would be Denzel."

Janelle chuckled. "No. Denzel and I are just friends. We've been close since childhood. You know that."

She turned around and found Denzel in the arms of Tope.

The witch!

At that instant, she saw red.