Zee decided to be honest about her feelings.
“I’m glad too.” She responded. “But concerning the rebellious look, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You do, Elizabeth. And just so you know, if I was responsible for you, you will definitely dread the thought of me finding you in this persona.”
Zee found herself speechless and frozen for a second. In that moment, he held her back from him, breaking up the embrace. Then his lips curled into a barely noticeable smirk. “Sit down, Zee. I do not bite. But you already know that.”
He sat down and watched her recover from the earlier shock of his words.
“Persona?” she asked wonderingly as she sat down. “Are you saying that I’m not real?”
He did not respond immediately. Instead, he was staring intensely into her eyes. It reminded her of how he had looked at her when he was deflowering her, his manhood, piercing her, making her a woman. She couldn’t stand any sort of pain, so she had cried beneath him but his whispered words of comfort and his beautiful eyes that held her tearful ones captive, helped her make it through the pain and then surprisingly to pleasure. She blinked rapidly at the memory and sent her gaze flying across the room. “Stop scrutinizing me.” She mumbled.
“Is that what I’m doing?”
“Yes.”
“Look at me, Elizabeth.”
“Zee.” She corrected, meeting his gaze assertively and he smirked at her.
“Your attempt at defiance is part of your persona.” He said simply. “So to answer your question, you’re not real.” He ignored the look of indignation that entered her eyes and continued. “You hide behind a seemingly safe but unreal image that you’ve built for yourself. You try to live like someone without a care in the world you know, as though, nothing bothers you.”
“Nothing bothers me.” she said fleetingly. She hated the truth. She would have bolted out of there but she was there on a mission. This was not the time to be a coward.
“Exactly.” His tone was laced with unbelief. “Anyway, enough of the psychoanalysis. What will you have?”
“Doughnut and orange juice. I am not really hungry.”
“Me too.” He said and signaled a male waiter who drew near and took their order before leaving to fulfill them.
Zee’s eyes were on the table but Michael’s eyes were on her face.
“Elizabeth.”
She lifted her eyes and met his piercing gaze. “Zee.” She corrected.
“You’ve grown, Elizabeth.” He said, ignoring her correction. “Remember what I used to call you?”
“No.”
“You do.”
“I don’t.”
“Liz.”
“Stop it.”
He looked amused and watched her smile for the second time since they had met that afternoon.
“I know that you remember.”
“I do.”
"Don’t worry. I have outgrown the name. Now tell me what you said to me on the phone.”
Zee swallowed hard. This was her moment and she had come prepared.
“Marry me, Michael.” She said solemnly and he laughed.
“Zee?”
“I’m not joking. Please marry me.”
His gaze upon hers turned quizzical for a moment. Then his eyes widened as she rose up, stepped away from her seat and went down on her knees before him. Next, she pulled out a ring box from her pocket.
The moment it became inevitable that she was going to have to perform her dare face to face, she knew that she would have to do it well and make it believable so that the last dare would leave her alone. That was how the game worked.
“Jesus, Zee?” he whispered, unbelieving. She opened the box and retrieved an engagement ring, presenting it to him.
The restaurant guests noticed them, looks of surprise and shock, cutting across their faces. Michael saw that some of the guests had started fishing for their phones. He knew they would be taking videos or pictures next. Already, he could see the back cameras of several phones already being directed towards them, held by their excited spectators.
He quickly pulled her up to her feet, moved her to hug him but at the same time, he was shoving the ring and box into his pocket. He had to save her from being a social media joke. These days, people recorded everything and a girl proposing to a guy like this would definitely make some good social media story.
“I have a fiancé.” He said in her ear. “So no. I will not marry you. Now, let’s get out of here.”
Zee had thought that she would be happy when he finally got to say the words of rejection but she wasn’t. She was neither sad nor happy. She was somewhere in between and it was a terrible feeling that she could not explain.
“I was actually performing a dare.” She responded as she stayed locked in his embrace.
“That was very silly of you.” He replied. “Nonetheless, let’s just laugh like two silly people, alright? That way it would look like this was a planned joke.”
Zee thought it was a brilliant idea and she was grateful that he was willing to save her from the embarrassment. “Okay.”
He started tickling her and she burst into exaggerated laughter. Michael laughed with her and then with his hand, holding hers, he started leading them out.
“Sorry for the prank, guys.” He announced as he led a laughing Zee out of the restaurant.
The confused guests stared at them as they walked out, some shaking their heads in amusement as they returned to their meals. Outside, Zee pointed at her truck “That’s my car.” She informed him and he led her towards it. Then he stood beside her and she was so embarrassed, she had her gaze to the floor. She felt his finger lifting her jaw and managed to meet his intense gaze. She thought he would say something but he remained silent. It made her nervous and uncomfortable.
“You don’t…you don’t deserve my shenanigans.” She said quietly.
“I don’t.” he agreed plainly.
“Who’s your fiancé by the way? I only saw your f******k status. I didn’t see any pictures or anything.”
“My f******k was hacked.”
“Oh, sorry about that.”
“It’s fine. I was never a social media person, anyway.”
“That’s true. It takes you ages to make a post.”
“You got that right.”
“So you’re not engaged?”
“Actually, I am getting married in seven days. That's on Saturday.”
“Oh, congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“Who’s the girl?”
“You ask like you know everyone in this town.”
“I hang out a lot. I just might know.”
“Well, she’s someone I met here during one of my classmate’s wedding.”
“I never did ask you what you did for a living.”
“If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.”
Zee laughed but he was not laughing. “You’re serious?”
He smiled. “Of course not. I am a businessman. I own a winery.”
“Really?”
“We’ve been worlds apart, Elizabeth.”
“Hmn. Anyway, who’s your fiancé?”
“Cassandra Blake.”
“Cassy?”
Zee was surprised. Didn’t she see Cassy frolicking with someone a few minutes ago?
“You know her?”
“Sure. She used to be in my class.”
“I see. Anyway, it is a low key wedding taking place at the state’s Cathedral by 10:00am next Saturday.”
“Low key, huh? I guess you have your reasons.” she quipped.
“We do.”
“I see. Okay.”
“Are you going to be there?”
“Are you inviting me?”
“I gave you the time and venue. That means I am.”
“Sorry, but I don’t like your future wife.” Zee could not stand Cassy and she had held her tongue for long enough.
His eyebrows lifted. “Why?”
“She and her friends used to bully my best friend.” She answered. Besides, she is cheating on you and she is a slut, Zee felt like adding but she held back her tongue.
“Sorry about that.”
“I may come.”
“Okay, but it’s still not a problem if you cannot make it.”
“I understand."
"Come with me, Zee.” He was pointing at a car. She saw a black range rover. “I want you to have a souvenir of our meeting. That’s in case I don’t see you again.”
“Okay.” She replied and followed him to the car which he opened and handed a sleek bottle of red wine to her. It was branded Havens.
“Oh my God, Michael. This is like the new wine in town. Is this your brand?”
“Sure.”
“I love it. The taste is divine.”
“Good to know. Thanks. Give me a hug.”
Zee hugged him. “I’ve always liked you, Zee.” He said as he held her close. I can still remember the first day your dad dropped you at school. You looked so innocent and quiet. I fell in love with that Zee. That’s the Zee I see even underneath all this facade. That’s why I actually took your virginity when you asked. It angered me when you were running around that boy who had no regard for you. But that was because you had no regard for yourself.”
Zee started struggling to be free from his embrace but he held her closely and would not release her. “Let me go.” She whined.
“Shut your mouth and listen to the truth.” he commanded in a low tone, the forcefulness of his deep voice rendering her immobile.
She was frozen in shock as he spoke. “I don’t know why you keep doing this but the fake image you keep presenting is completely unnecessary. The reason I was on your neck in school was that I knew you needed the pressure. If I had not been a kind of a thorn in your flesh, you would have been sloppy with your classes and finally end up a dropout. That probably is something you will eventually regret. Then who would you blame? Your parents? Sure, but in the end, everyone is responsible for what they turn out to become based on the choices they make.” “Please stop…” “I have not finished talking.” He interrupted coarsely and she fell silent but her heart was vibrating with tension and denial as he continued. “It is clear that somehow, all you want is attenti
Zee’s eyes grew huge with alarm and when she looked at the rear-view mirror, the car was nowhere in sight. It seemed to have disappeared into thin air. What she saw behind her was an approaching Peugeot. It felt like she was reliving the last few minutes as the group of trailers that had made her stay behind the mysterious beetle, slowly approached. She did not realize that she had slowed down until she began to hear the impatient blare from the Peugeot behind her. “Come on, step on it.” She heard a man’s voice yell from the vehicle but she was still too shocked by what had just happened to move any faster. Buried in shock, she managed to keep driving until the trailers finished passing by her, and then the Peugeot fell into line beside her with the driver cursing out at her.
The Spiritualist’s home was an abandoned truck on a quiet street on the outskirts of the city. It was situated a kilometre away from the street, resting behind a backdrop of trees that led into the woods. A gas station, an ATM stand, a call booth, and an average standard motel, were the neighboring structures around the area. Zee sighted a worn-out-looking vehicle parked outside the truck turned home. It told her that the Spiritualist was around. A rustic handmade wooden marquee before the house proclaimed the words-Know Thy Future. Zee often wondered how the woman could live like that. Well, it was not her business. After all, people like that were often kind of spooky. It was ironic how they often claim to see the future but still live like paupers. She regretted getting herself involved with this kind of darkness. Lucky Inara, she thought. She wished she were in Inara’s shoes right now. At least, she would not be thinking abo
Zee could not control her fear. “Oh my god!” “I’m so sorry, Zee.” “Wait a minute, does the game say crash a wedding or the wedding?” “It says, crash the wedding,” Inara repeated. “Why?” “Jesus Christ!” Zee said fearfully. “That would be Michael’s wedding.” “How?” “A weddingwill just be any wedding,” Zee said wearily. “Butthe weddingis personal. It’s the one that currently relates to my life, sort of.” She also remembered Michael’s dire threat about making her suffer if she ever sought him out to use him again. “I am finished.” She added brokenly, her eyes clamming up with tears. “I am finished.” “I’m sorry, Zee.” Tears blurred Zee’s vision as she sat inside her car, parked before her home. Then she ended the call. Inara looked at Lemuel and he hugged her comfortingly. “It’s because she cheated the game. Now she just has to do the game’s dare.” “Which is
Zee could not face the fire of anger in Michael’s eyes, so she shifted her gaze and just could not resist seeing the look on Cassy’s face. If looks could kill, she knew she would have been dead by now. Cassy was glaring daggers at her. Her eyes were full of hate and unbelief. It seemed like she was still trying to comprehend what was going on. Some of the spectators had risen in confusion and she could see Eve and Amy staring at her with hate in their heavily made-up eyes. Zee noticed for the first time, that Eve was holding a bouquet of white flowers. She guessed Eve was the Maid of Honor. The Priest raised his hands and waved at the guests. “People of God, please calm down, sit down, settle down. Do not fret. By God, this happ
Michael led Cassy into the privacy of the corridor and thrust the photographs into her hand. Then he folded his arms across his chest and quietly watched her reaction as she stood nervously before him, her eyes falling on the indecent pictures.She scanned the photographs, shame overwhelming her. Then she lifted her pleading eyes to his angry amber ones. “Please, I’m really sorry.” She implored him.“I’m trying to figure out how you hoped to prove your virginity to me.”"I…actually…” she began to stutter, and he gave her a curt wave of dismissal.“Let me guess.” He interrupted in the same vein. “You were going to cry and pretend it hurts, right? After all, it is said that some women do not bleed. They probably lost it from rigorous physical activity like exercise, right?”She started shaking her head in denial.“No?” he pressed. “Okay. Maybe you had plans of using the fake blood capsule, which I hear can be inserted a few hours before penetrative interc
With Michael steadily advancing behind her, Zee ran along the common hall that held the doors to each of the halls holding a wedding. She whipped past the double doors of the entrance and the moment she was outside the Church, she took hurried steps towards her truck. “Elizabeth!” she heard him thunder behind her, but she neither responded nor turned back around. Instead, she fished for her car keys inside her purse, her hands trembling. She managed to get a hold of the key and struggled to slide it into the keyhole between trying to open the car door and taking quick nervous glances behind her to catch a glimpse of an angry Michael storming towards her. Her heartbeat had escalated. Christ! He was close…so close. Her hands fumbled frantically with the keyhole, her eyes round with fear. Given her uncontrollable state of nervousness, she could not open the door on time and ended up turning around and backing herself against the car in surrender.
Zee searched for an excuse to avoid or delay doing as he had said. “They are …they are not in town.” She sputtered. “Tell them over the phone.” He said emphatically. Giving up on looking for even the least excuse, she gave him an imploring gaze, a frown, creasing her brow. “There is no love in this.” She said brokenly. He didn’t respond but focused his gaze on four of his best men who had emerged from the church and were searching for him with their eyes and body movements. Upon sighting each other, they hung around his range rover, working together to tear off the balloons and ribbons that decorated the vehicle. He returned his gaze to her face, taking in the nose ring she had on. To him, it stood there as one of her obvious signatures that marked her as unruly and thoughtless.