Eight

"The Bargain," he said, his head nodding. "Don't tell me you forgot about the bargain we made?"

I nodded, and he looked at me with a mixture of frustration and anger. "Did you suffer a memory loss or something? This isn't a joke, Cairen."

"My expression didn't indicate that I was trying to be humorous. Is that…" I trailed off, hoping to find a good excuse.

But he filled in the gap. "You agreed out of sympathy and never gave it another thought, did you?"

Taking a deep breath, I wondered why I hadn't written this down in my diary. My twin sister always seemed to know everything about our lives, but I felt lost in the dark. I didn't know how to fix this mess.

"People change," I gestured with my hands, glancing over at him. "Sometimes, memories fade in our minds. Haven't you ever done something and forgotten about it because your mind was...?"

"I'm not dense, I understand," he interrupted. "So what would you like to change?" He sat with one leg bent, resting on the couch, and one arm draped over the back.

I took a moment to gather my thoughts before answering. It was time to face the consequences of my forgetfulness and figure out how to make things right.

“What was the bargain you offered back then?” I softly asked, and here again, his suspicious stare like he was a judge judging me to my fate. It was so severe as he thinking something that I wished I could read his mind, then I won’t be witless.

He answered, “Well, I am asking only two bargains. But having a contract seems a good idea for us, not voiding one of it. What do you think?”

“Then why not?” I agreed. In that way, no one attempts not making the bargain.

He stood up. “Let me get a paper and pen.” I watched him climb the stairs until he was lost in my vision.

I seized my phone and answered Katana’s message, and Mikaella asked where I was. Wait! She was at home.

Mika

[You won’t believe it, Kay-kay, father, let me stay here for a week before the semester starts. Where are you, girl?]

Having Mikaella in a week depleted my energy. Remember one week she visited grandma every month. she always accompanies me wherever she goes, and she won’t stop talking even if what she says makes no sense. A time with her is torture, and a lot of shopping, clothes that she doesn’t wear rather adding to my collection of dresses.

My attention locomoted near Zach nearby, carrying a notebook and a blue pen. He sat on the couch and placed the notebook on his thigh. The gray shirt fitted on his brawny muscles paired with khaki pants, and the dampness on his hair, noticing he hadn’t brushed it, messy but conformed him so pleasingly.

He handed me the notebook with a pen, clasped it, and wrote Marriage Bargain. I lift my eyes on him, sit comfortably in his seat, and consume the coffee. “You are not living in your parent’s house?”

“They kick me for such a reckless son,” he answered hesitantly. “Then I beg grandpa to stay with him. That’s when I asked you to accept the marriage, the only way I could live wasting money.” His sly smile.

“Seriously?”

“The wasting money is a lie, Cairen and I want to get my inheritance, you know. Why explaining again,” his disinterest with the topic.

“Can’t you live without the inheritance?” I questioned, wanting his opinion.

“Can’t you live not caring about your grandma’s fortune taking away from her?” he bit back, consuming the coffee.

 And I smile, showing my teeth. “Fair play. We don’t have any other way than this. What an ill fate!” I commented, and he nodded in agreement.

“I had four bargains for this marriage,” I began. “One, I can do what I want as long as it doesn’t ruin our families.” 

“Fair, so am I,” he said, revealing his drop-gorgeous smile. The pleasures in his countenance, pondering for a second. “That’s a new one, huh.”

 I rolled my eyeballs. “I am changing the bargain I did five years ago.”

“Six years ago,” he corrected me. “Fascinating you forget such an important matter.”

I averted my eyes from him and looked at the notebook writing it. Be careful; I don’t want to be snares of making me obvious I am not Cairen. What a tricky part!

“Two, the marriage will end a year and a half after you take your inheritance,” I voiced, and I looked at his reaction, expecting him to say something, but he stayed quiet, staring at his phone, inexpressive. “Three, I don’t stay much at the house and can stay where I want to stay.”

He nods and critiques, “Two bargains reasonable for me.”

“Okay, and the third, there’s no kissing or anything beyond that.”

His eyes looked at me, smirking, and teased, “You don’t want to taste how good a kisser I am?”

I glared at him, and he chuckled. “Don’t be serious all the time, Cairen. Have a good time and take a joke.”

Then I laughed satirically. “I am taking your stunt that it was humorous.”

He soughed, annoying me with the smile hitting on my nerves. “What’s the last one?”

“The last one, you need to date Grace and be nice to her.” And I am the one smiling now, showing off my teeth.

His benign, thick brows draw together. “And why would I date Grace?”

“Because you need to, and you will like her if you try to know her, don’t you?” I reasoned, tapping the page with the pen. In that way, he may fall with her.

“I don’t want,” he grunted. “I am not the kind of a man going for a date. Are you trying to set me up with her?”

“If you don’t want, I won’t help you get your inheritance operation marrying you.” I shrugged my shoulders and placed the notebook on the table. “You should follow it. A bargain is a bargain.” Consequently, folding my arms, square looking at him.

He frowned and thought before speaking, “Are you serious? Okay, we settle with the number four. How many dates do I need for her? And I am being nice to Grace. Sometimes we see each other in the university.”

That surprises me. He never told me. “You never mentioned it the first time we met,” I mumbled.

“Yeah, but you did not ask me, and I recall you only asked me how she is. Grace and I are not friends. We have a distinct circle of life,” he reasoned, throwing the phone at his side.

Anyway, he was right. “Fourteen dates, deal?”

“Fourteen?” His voice increased as if I was telling him to jump off the building. “Are you serious? It’s too much.” 

“It’s not too much. Fourteen is perfect, and we had that deal?”

He sneered, glowering at me. “Okay, what can I do?” he gave up.

I hide my smile and point at the notebook. “Then your bargain for me.”

“There are only two bargains I am asking. First, when we were married, whenever my family or yours visited, you acted like a proper wife and cooked food.”

Is he serious? “What? I don’t know how to cook!”

“Second, when I am asking for you, you will be there, no complain, just be there,” he continued ignoring my question.

“I disagree with the cooking, Zach. I am not a chief!” I complained.

His shoulder lifted a bit. “Learn how to cook. A bargain is a bargain.” And he had the victory smile again.

I gritted my teeth and smiled contrived. “You are right. A bargain is a bargain,” I drew, accentuating the words.

“We agreed, then a lawyer will seal it into validity. Everyone should do the bargain, and whoever doesn’t face the consequences,” he means it.

“Consequences? Like what?” I asked, trying to figure it out.

“It depends. If you don’t do mine, I will give you your consequences,” he answered.

“Now I get it, and doing it three times, the validity of the bargain is void. And bye-bye inheritance. How long will it take for the inheritance to be given to you?” I contested and wrote his two bargains in the notebook.

“One year and six months are enough for bearing you,” I expressed, and he simply gave me a taunting smile. “I hope that I persist, not choking you to death.”

He gasped, acting like I was hurting his ego. “We can be good friends, Cairen, can’t we? You are the most understanding and kind person. Surely, it is not impossible. And you are jesting me.”

I bit my lower lip, realizing I was Cairen, not Casslie.

“Yes, I am, and you know I can take and spit a joke,” I replied, and just in time, the doorbell rang.

“My manager is here, and why don’t you feel comfortable in my apartment? I’ll get you home later.” He got from his feet and strode towards the door.

“I can manage my own, Zach, and thank you for being so kind on my behalf, but I need to go now,” I refused. Even it is a tempting offer to explore his apartment, wanting to see what his kitchen and the rooms look like. My gaze moved to the balcony on the glass door, watching the breathtaking view of the ocean.

“No, stay. We are not finished. I have a favor for you,” he articulated and opened the door. Revealing a beautiful woman in her thirties. The two embraced, telling me they were more than friends, closer like a family.

A favor? And what flavor is it? Why do I feel it’s not a good one?