FOUR

"Loosen your towels and lie on your stomach. Our two best masseuses will be with you shortly,," the assistant said before closing the door. I stood there awkwardly while looking around the brightly illuminated room with two massage tables. There was a side stool with two glasses of what seemed to be champagne beside the tables. I looked at Trina again before biting my lip in shame.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea.." I started,started, but she shook her head before lyinglying on the table.

"I almost didn't recognize you,you, but Yvonne already told me what you were wearing before I came,," she explained,explained, and I realized that she didn't even know the face of the girl whowho was going to get married to her son in a few days. 

The masseuses came in,in, and I quickly laid down on the table.

"I heard you were abroad studying. How was it there? Do you prefer home?" Trina asked,asked, and I froze. 

"Home is better,, I guess." I replied,replied, hoping the conversation would end there.

"I would have done this sooner,sooner, but truthfully, I was nervous to meet you,," she said,said, and I widened my eyes in surprise. Here I was, extremely nervous to even be here,here, and she said she's nervous? Wow.

"I'm a train wreck right now. The wedding is in a few days,days, and I'm meeting you in a luxurious spa with so many nerve--racking thoughts in my head." I explained truthfully,truthfully, and she smiled.

"You are not like how I thought you'd'd be,be, and I like that,," she said before closing her eyes. A pang of guilt hit me as I felt bad for deceiving her.

**

"Do you want a salad or..." Trina asked,asked, and I scrunched my face. She laughed as she saw my facial expression.

"I don't eat healthy.I would I would rather have a cheeseburger and tons of fries,fries," I explained, an imaginary drool rolling down my mouth.

"Wow, I thought you'd actually be a no-fat type,type," she said,said, and I remembered that I was supposed to be a rich girl. The spa assistants looked at me weirdly as I called out my order. "I'll have the same,same," Trina surprisingly tells them,them, and they scurryscurry off. She leaned down to my ear level and whispered, "Don't tell my husband and son;; I make them eat healthy.healthy."

The food arrived,arrived, and we took off the green masks on our faces and settled on a couch. 

"We'll have an official family dinner tomorrow. Your family and mine," mine," she said,said, and I nodded with my mouth full of cheesy goodness. "You're cute,cute," she said,said, laughing as she took a bite of her burger. 

**

I arrived at Bianca's house at around six. Trina dragged me to a boutique thatthat was already booked. I was. I was not surprised. I noticed the guards that followed us everywhere,everywhere, and theytook on took on the job of carrying the shopping bags.

Yvonne rolled her eyes as she sawsaw me. "Someone looks like she had fun,fun," she noted before walking back to the kitchen.

"Trina said that there's a family dinner tomorrow,tomorrow," I said loudly so she would hear me.

My ringing tone blared as I walked up the stairs. I pickedit up it up immediately, not wanting to irritate Yvonne any more.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Elora, I've been at your house since morning, and you were not around." I heard my landlady say, and I sighed. 

"I've been busy," I simply said.

"I got the credit alert today; did you get a new job or something?" She asked.

"Something like that. I have to hang up now; I'm kind of busy," I said before hanging up. I sat on the bed with tons of shopping bags around me. This was more stressful than I thought.

***

I spent hours trying to figure out the dress to put on and totally forgot that dinner was at 7. Yvonne knocked on the door yet again, and I told her I was almost done as I applied gloss to my mouth. I was never good at wearing makeup, so I just left my face bare with the gloss. I wore my black strappy heels and almost planted my face on the floor. I wobbled out of the room with my purse.

"Took your time," Yvonne said, and she sashayed out of the house in her blue fitted gown.

As the cars pooled closer to the restaurant, a couple of people started taking pictures. Are they the paparazzi I've been hearing about? This is not happening.

"If you are asked a question that doesn't need an answer, just smile. If you must answer, remember that you are supposed to be Bianca Gates. If you flop this, it's all of our heads," Bianca's father said before he alighted the car together with his wife clinging to his arm. I alighted, and the flashes of the camera became too much, almost blinding me. I stood there for a few seconds, trying to adjust to the light, before Yvonne tugged on my arm, and we entered the restaurant.

"This way, please," the waiter said, showing us a secluded area. He opened the curtain, and I was met with a whole new Trina. A Trina that looked like the wife of a billionaire and not the free Trina.

"Good evening, Mr. Mendez," Mr. Gates greeted, and the man looked up from his phone. His icy, emotionless face, coupled with his expensive aura, made a rich man like Mr. Gates seem like a mere peasant. Mr. Mendez just nodded before going back to his phone.

Trina's eyes gleamed as she saw me, and she smiled. I took a seat beside Yvonne and just looked at the nice-looking tablecloth.

"Without wasting much time," Mr. Mendez said. His voice was so deep that I almost jumped in fear. His accent was so thick that I could barely understand what he was saying: "I'll take care of my side, and you should too. If there are any mishaps at the wedding, just know that it won't die down easily. Understood?" He said, and I was forced to nod quickly, even though he wasn't technically talking to me. His voice held so much authority to make anyone cower.

"You don't have to think much. It'll go as smoothly as possible." Mr. Gates responded, but his voice didn't seem as strong as it used to be.

"Isn't he coming?" Yvonne chipped, and her husband glared at her.

"He should be on his way," Trina replied curtly while sipping her water.

"Mum, dad," a voice said from behind me. The voice seemed a little familiar, but I waved it. I watched as a huge man walked towards Trina and kissed her on the cheek, and she smiled. And as he turned to look at me, I almost choked on my saliva. No one told me that my "fiance" was a Greek god.

"Loosen your towels and lie on your stomach. Our two best masseuses will be with you shortly," the assistant said before closing the door. I stood there awkwardly while looking around the brightly illuminated room with two massage tables. There was a side stool with two glasses of what seemed to be champagne beside the tables. I looked at Trina again before biting my lip in shame.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea." I started, but she shook her head before lying on the table.

"I almost didn't recognize you, but Yvonne already told me what you were wearing before I came," she explained, and I realized that she didn't even know the face of the girl who was going to get married to her son in a few days. 

The masseuses came in, and I quickly laid down on the table.

"I heard you were abroad studying. How was it there? Do you prefer home?" Trina asked, and I froze. 

"Home is better, I guess." I replied, hoping the conversation would end there.

"I would have done this sooner, but truthfully, I was nervous to meet you," she said, and I widened my eyes in surprise. Here I was, extremely nervous to even be here, and she said she's nervous? Wow.

"I'm a train wreck right now. The wedding is in a few days, and I'm meeting you in a luxurious spa with so many nerve-racking thoughts in my head." I explained truthfully, and she smiled.

"You are not like how I thought you'd be, and I like that," she said before closing her eyes. A pang of guilt hit me as I felt bad for deceiving her.

**

"Do you want a salad or..." Trina asked, and I scrunched my face. She laughed as she saw my facial expression.

"I don't eat healthy. I would rather have a cheeseburger and tons of fries," I explained, an imaginary drool rolling down my mouth.

"Wow, I thought you'd actually be a no-fat type," she said, and I remembered that I was supposed to be a rich girl. The spa assistants looked at me weirdly as I called out my order. "I'll have the same," Trina surprisingly tells them, and they scurry off. She leaned down to my ear level and whispered, "Don't tell my husband and son; I make them eat healthy."

The food arrived, and we took off the green masks on our faces and settled on a couch. 

"We'll have an official family dinner tomorrow. Your family and mine," she said, and I nodded with my mouth full of cheesy goodness. "You're cute," she said, laughing as she took a bite of her burger. 

**

I arrived at Bianca's house at around six. Trina dragged me to a boutique that was already booked. I was not surprised. I noticed the guards that followed us everywhere, and they took on the job of carrying the shopping bags.

Yvonne rolled her eyes as she saw me. "Someone looks like she had fun," she noted before walking back to the kitchen.

"Trina said that there's a family dinner tomorrow," I said loudly so she would hear me.

My ringing tone blared as I walked up the stairs. I picked it up immediately, not wanting to irritate Yvonne any more.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Elora, I've been at your house since morning, and you were not around." I heard my landlady say, and I sighed. 

"I've been busy," I simply said.

"I got the credit alert today; did you get a new job or something?" She asked.

"Something like that. I have to hang up now; I'm kind of busy," I said before hanging up. I sat on the bed with tons of shopping bags around me. This was more stressful than I thought.

***

I spent hours trying to figure out the dress to put on and totally forgot that dinner was at 7. Yvonne knocked on the door yet again, and I told her I was almost done as I applied gloss to my mouth. I was never good at wearing makeup, so I just left my face bare with the gloss. I wore my black strappy heels and almost planted my face on the floor. I wobbled out of the room with my purse.

"Took your time," Yvonne said, and she sashayed out of the house in her blue fitted gown.

As the cars pooled closer to the restaurant, a couple of people started taking pictures. Are they the paparazzi I've been hearing about? This is not happening.

"If you are asked a question that doesn't need an answer, just smile. If you must answer, remember that you are supposed to be Bianca Gates. If you flop this, it's all of our heads," Bianca's father said before he alighted the car together with his wife clinging to his arm. I alighted, and the flashes of the camera became too much, almost blinding me. I stood there for a few seconds, trying to adjust to the light, before Yvonne tugged on my arm, and we entered the restaurant.

"This way, please," the waiter said, showing us a secluded area. He opened the curtain, and I was met with a whole new Trina. A Trina that looked like the wife of a billionaire and not the free Trina.

"Good evening, Mr. Mendez," Mr. Gates greeted, and the man looked up from his phone. His icy, emotionless face, coupled with his expensive aura, made a rich man like Mr. Gates seem like a mere peasant. Mr. Mendez just nodded before going back to his phone.

Trina's eyes gleamed as she saw me, and she smiled. I took a seat beside Yvonne and just looked at the nice-looking tablecloth.

"Without wasting much time," Mr. Mendez said. His voice was so deep that I almost jumped in fear. His accent was so thick that I could barely understand what he was saying: "I'll take care of my side, and you should too. If there are any mishaps at the wedding, just know that it won't die down easily. Understood?" He said, and I was forced to nod quickly, even though he wasn't technically talking to me. His voice held so much authority to make anyone cower.

"You don't have to think much. It'll go as smoothly as possible." Mr. Gates responded, but his voice didn't seem as strong as it used to be.

"Isn't he coming?" Yvonne chipped, and her husband glared at her.

"He should be on his way," Trina replied curtly while sipping her water.

"Mum, dad," a voice said from behind me. The voice seemed a little familiar, but I waved it. I watched as a huge man walked towards Trina and kissed her on the cheek, and she smiled. And as he turned to look at me, I almost choked on my saliva. No one told me that my "fiance" was a Greek god.