Fake Fiancée - Season 1 - Episode 21

5 years ago

Fake Fiancée - Season 1 - Episode 21

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“No we’re not,” I snapped back. This couldn’t be happening. “Yes we are.” “You’re sleeping on the floor peanut.” “You can’t force me.” “I will kick you off the bed!” I threatened. “I’d like to see you try,” Henry snickered, pointing to his oh-so-godly chest, indicating his muscles. Failing to think of a comeback, I watched helplessly as Henry took out a towel and his toiletry bag (yes, he had a toiletry bag) and walked into the adjoining bathroom. Groaning frustratedly, I searched through my suitcase to find my iPod and earphones. Listening to music always cheers me up. After about fifteen minutes of listening to Tainted Love on repeat, Henry walked out of the bathroom with only a thin white towel wrapped around his waist. My breath hitched and I tried looking away. I tried, but unfortunately I was a normal teenage girl. I cursed myself and quickly tried snapping out. “See something you like?” Henry asked with a wink. Alright, that snapped me out of it. Henry’s gigantic ego snapped me out of everything. “In your dreams.” “Oh yes pancake.” Henry said with a chuckle. He grabbed a pair of jeans and a T shirt from his suitcase and added, “You will starr in my dreams.” Scoffing, I turned my attention back to my music and tried to figure out how to convince or trick Henry into sleeping on the floor. As I pondered on non-realistic possibilities, I distinctly heard the doorbell ring (you seriously can’t miss it) and then some talking. Curiously got the better of me so I sat up and stopped my music. I hopped up from the luxurious bed went to open the door. I walked down the polished parquet corridor and grinned as I rounded the corner to the flight of stairs. Talking animatedly to Arianne was April; her red wavy hair left down as usual with a pair of Gucci sunglasses perched on her head. As if sensing I was there, she looked up. “Lainie!” She cried, hurrying up the stairs to hug me. I was yet to get used to her over enthusiasm. “Hey April,” I said, giving her a smile. “How was your drive here?” She shrugged as we both stepped down the stairs back to Arianne, who suddenly excused herself after Bernice had told her a call from London was waiting for her. I know right,

London? “Refreshing.” She linked her arm with mine and dragged me into a different room, most probably the lounge – with the plasma TV, the leather sofas and the large black piano on a raised platform of carpet. “I can’t wait for dinner tonight!” April exclaimed, plopping herself on the sofa. “We’re trialling six dishes of Vivian Redalfo’s since Mom invited extra guests for the anniversary party. I bet they’ll be so yummy! I heard one of the dishes was a black forest cake! A black forest cake!” I was slightly confused and so not used to all these … things rich people do and the luxuries they have.

We were trialling six dishes of a caterer? Back at home, I’d have Instant Noodles. “Who’s Vivian Redaldal? What anniversary party?” April clucked her tongue and rolled her lash thickened eyes. “Vivian Redalfo! She’s a caterer. I’ve never tasted her food but I’ve heard she adds nice twists to her food.” “Ohh,” I murmured. April laughed at my response and continued. “As for the anniversary party, it’s the day after father’s birthday. Weird if you ask me. It’s going to be mom and father’s twentieth wedding anniversary. I got them a present a few days ago! I found the champagne they used at their wedding and bought a small box. It’s very rare and it took me like a week to track the thing down!”

I noticed April called her mom ‘mom’ and
her dad ‘father’ but decided not to say it
aloud. The word ‘father’ was more
distant than ‘dad.’ Then I realised I had
to get a present for Mr and Mrs Parker’s
wedding anniversary and a birthday
present for Mr Parker! Crap!

“Hey April?”
“Yeeeees?”
“Do you think you could take me
shopping sometime before your dad’s
birthday? I haven’t gotten him a present,
or a present for the wedding
anniversary.”

“You don’t have to! Mom and Dad are
not expecting anything,” April said with
a snort. “Mom already thinks you’re a
gift anyway. You’re the key to giving her
lovely grandchildren.”

I grimaced. This girl. I never ever wanted
Henry Parker’s babies. Ever. Not in a
billion years. I decided to skip the
awkward subject of making babies with
my fake fiancée and onto the subject of
buying presents. Presents were much
more pleasant a topic if you ask me.

“But I should buy them something! Take me
out shopping so you can help me pick
something out!” I begged.

April sighed. “It’s already done.

We’re going out tomorrow because Mom
needs to buy some things for the
anniversary party. Oh, and she also
wants you to see the ‘beauty of
Newport.’ Oh, you want to go to the
beach sometime? Maybe tomorrow or
the day after? It’ll be fun, I promise!”
I laughed inside my head. April was so
talkative and bubbly.

“Oh and maybe I could grab a hot
surfer,” April mused.

“Sure that’d be fun,” I replied, giving her
a smile. I never had anything against the
beach … “Flirting with surfer dudes.”

“Lainie, you’re engaged!” April squealed,
nudging me in the rib.

Ouch. I always managed to forget I was
engaged to an arrogant jerk. “Oh yeah,”
I replied, managing a weak laugh.

“Oh well. A surfer dude is way better
than that cad of my brother. And btw,
which means by the way, I can’t believe
you just said surfer dude,” April said
with a giggle.

I laughed with her. She was so
entertaining. It was too bad I hadn’t met
any girls like her back home. I think April
got her friendliness from her mother.

“Well … I can’t believe you said btw,” I
shot back, sticking out my tongue.

“I’m having an influence on you,” April
said approvingly and looking a bit smug.

“No you aren’t.”

April put a hand to her heart and
grinned. “Well, might as well play
something since there’s nothing to do.

Up for Wii?”

“Your parents have Wii?” I asked
dubiously. I couldn’t imagine Mr and Mrs
Parker playing Mario Kart.

“It belongs to me and Henry,” April
explained, getting up from the sofa and
going to set up the Wii. “We keep a Wii
here to entertain ourselves whenever
we stay here. Oh, and Mom uses it for
yoga.”

We ended up playing hours of Wii. I won
against April in tennis and boxing in Wii
Sport and I was horrible at golf. I had no
idea how to play golf and ended up
getting bogeys. Meanwhile, April was an
expert and had cackled evilly every time I
had gotten a bogey. We played other
games too such as Kingdom Hearts III
(which was kind of addictive to me).

But of course, in the end we played the
classic Mario Kart for hours. Henry had
joined to play too. In the middle of a
race on Rainbow Road (which I was
coming sixth by the way), the doorbell
rang. April paused the game to look out
the window.

“Ooh dinner’s here!” April exclaimed,
turning back to us with excitement in
her brown eyes.

“Finally,” Henry muttered.
After Bernice opened the door and
helped Vivian bring in the dishes from
her car, we all helped set up the table.

That included Henry, who was absolutely
clueless. He put the spoon on the left
side of the plate, to which April Gibbs
smacked him.

I ended up sitting next to Henry of
course. On my left was Arianne, who
was the head of the table. April sat
across from me, looking excited to be
trialling Vivian Re-whatever’s dishes.
Steve sat next to her, laying a napkin on
his lap. I snickered at that. We had to
practically drag him out of his room to
come downstairs to eat. He really
needed something to take his mind off
work. As I came up with possibilities,
Vivian came out with the dishes and her
eyes widened when she saw me and
Henry.

I guess she must be a fan of Henry and I.
Or maybe just Henry.

I had to admit, dinner was very nice. And
the black forest cake April had
mentioned had been a little taste of
heaven. Seriously. It was my new
favourite cake.

After Vivian had left, we all trooped to
the lounge and debated on what movie
we should watch. In the end, we agreed
on Inception. I was made to sit next to
Henry.

Arianne was the only one who was lost,
and kept asking Steve (who was sitting
next to her) to explain to her what was
going on. For me, it was kind of
confusing too.

I was suddenly feeling very sleepy and
my eyes started closing. Henry somehow
noticed and pulled me against him.

Maybe it was because I was only half
awake because Henry was a very good
pillow. As my eyes started to droop, I
smiled. I smiled because all of us – me,
Henry, April, Steve and Arianne, sitting in
the lounge room watching Inception … I
don’t know, but we felt like a family.
A real family.