Contracting Love

"Dad I love him and I will marry him." I said furiously to my dad.

"Meona Johnson, you are not going to marry him ever and that's my final decision." He snapped at me.

"Why dad why, why don't you want to see me happy?" I asked him crying.

"Meona he's not right for you." He whispered.

"Dad stop it, you don't know him. He loves me." I told him to make him convince.

"No he doesn't Meona. He's just using you for your money. Can't you see it?" he asked me.

"No dad you are lying. Just because he is not as rich as us that doesn't mean that he's after money."

"Meona it has nothing to with that trust me."

I was thinking of a loop hole in this situation to take my dad down because I love him so much that I can't stand to lose him. Then an idea came in my mind.

"No dad it has everything do with that." I told him acting on my plan.

"No Meona believe me that is not true at all." He told me defending himself.

"Okay dad you know what I will not marry Chad but there's a deal on it." I told him.

"What deal?" he asked me.

After thinking for a moment on my plan; when I was assure of it, I started telling him the deal.

"Dad if you don't want me to marry Chad then I will marry someone else who you would be assured of loving me and if you back out of the deal then you will not interfere in my life again." Here goes my shot. I knew he would never agree to such a deal at anyways.

"Okay deal." He said.

"Wha__ okay deal." I was shocked on his response. Now I have to think of something else but Chad was worth it so I was gonna try my best.

I told Chad about it to seek his help. But instead he cut the phone on me yelling at my stupidity. I know I was stupid to make such a deal but there was nothing coming in my mind to convince dad. When nothing seems to be working I called my last resort my best friend, Amanda. It was her who dragged me to that club where I first met Chad. He was partying with his friends when his eyes fell on me. He was so adorable with perfectly curved body and blonde hair. I was spell bound by his personality so much that when he asked me out for a date no was never going to be the option. Then date after date my attraction for him grew and one day he asked me to be his girlfriend and I happily agreed. Even though we were a couple then but we never advanced to the next step. We were only limited to kissing sessions nothing much. I wanted to wait for it so I told Chad about it; he was upset at first but he eventually agreed to me. He was such a gentleman to me respecting my decisions, I like him for this. Days passed and two days ago he asked me to marry him, I was shocked at first but I knew I will be happy with him so I said yes to him. Yesterday I brought him to meet my father, after he left my father banned me to meet him. I was angry at first but I knew my father very well so I calm down to handle the situation but heck when I tried today this situation goes worst pushing me into the abyss of this so-called deal. I wanted to win it at any cost so I was going to go beyond the limits.

"Hey ,Meo." Amanda spoke up from the other side.

"Hi! Amanda I kind of need your help. Can you come over?" I asked her.

"Okay be there in fifteen." She said cutting the call.

I waited for her to come.

"So what's the problem with you this time?" she asked storming into my room.

"Umm___ look there's a deal I made with my dad and I need your help on it." I told her nervously.

When I told her about the deal and everything she laughed at my situation. Her stomach started to pain but she didn't care to stop. I was getting angry at her more and more.

"Amanda stop it now." I snapped at her.

"Okay okay." She said controlling her laugh.

"Look I'm sorry for snapping at you but you know how much I love Chad and I can't lose him like this." I told her. I knew she would understand me when nobody did. We were best friends for life for the past ten years. We met at our high school and being in same class we became friends, our hobbies and likings were very much alike so it took no time for us to become BFFs.

"Okay look all you have to do is find a guy who's unsuited for your father's pride and make him fall in love with you and then make your father back out of this deal by showing that he will embarrass himself in this society by making you marry that guy and you will won the deal. But you have to make sure of it that that guy will never know about this deal." She told me narrowing her eyebrows and waiting for my reaction.

I evaluated her plan. It was very much feasible. But the only thing distracting me was what would happen with that guy when I won the deal.

"Amanda how's that guy?" I asked her.

"Well don't worry about him. When he will know that you were just using him for this deal he will give up on you and leave you." She replied.

"But Amanda I can't do that I mean how can I hurt him like this. It will be unfair to him." I told her with sympathy for that guy.

"Meona do you want Chad or not?" she asked me.

"I do but" she cut me off and grabbed me downstairs to walk out of my house.

"Where are we going?" I asked her jumping in her car.

"My little friend that guy Is not gonna come to you to make him fall for you. So sit quietly." She said with sarcasm.

"Okay. Thank you Amanda for this description." I replied.

We went downtown to find a perfect guy for my plan. Amanda knew that the type of guy we were looking for can only be find there. We reached downtown and started the journey of finding my lifesaver.

" Amanda how's he for our plan?" I asked Amanda pointing towards a guy.

" Damn you Meo. He will rip you apart when you will tell him about the deal. We have to find a weak hopeless guy for this plan." She replied furiously.

"Okay don't be such a rude. Why can't we gave a guy money to act for us?" I asked her.

"Because then he will be acting to love you and your father is not a child to not spot the difference. You are such a child no wonder you fell yourself in this deal." She replied angrily.

She was right at her point. We roam the downtown for hours. We got exhaust in our way so we decided to relax at some restaurant there.

"Table for two." Waitress asked looking at us. She must be thanking god as it's not ordinary when people like us walk into their restaurants.

"Yes." Amanda replied.

"Here" she said courting us to the table.

When I sat down I saw people staring at us like we were some godforsaken aliens.

"Amanda why are they staring at us?" I asked Amanda.

"Baby c'mon relax they are not used to people from our society. We are like gods to them." She replied proudly.

I never liked that special attention given to us because we were exclusively rich. We are humans like then. I always wonder how money can change the feeling of people.

"Welcome to Finashio. List your order please." A voice came over.

Both Amanda and I moved to see a guy in glasses looking at his pad ready to write our orders. He didn't take a look at us. Amanda was offended by his behaviour. But somehow I felt relieved on seeing that someone knew was there in this world who is normal to be don't bothered by our status. He was exactly the innocent and hopeless guy we needed. I just knew that it's not in his blood to hurt me after having knowledge of my deal. He doesn't look me as the type of guy who could hurt anyone. His aura was like a child one. I wonder will Amanda will agree with me at this.

I looked at Amanda; she was thinking something. I was wondering if she thinks the same then we met our guy.

"We haven't decided yet could you please come after a minute." She asked him. He nodded his head and went away. After he went we both looked at each other. I can see in her eyes that I was right.

"Are you thinking the same thing as me because if you are you are damn right." She asked with a shine in her eyes.

"Yep. we did it." I replied with a smile calmly. She looked at me excitedly so I constricted myself so that no one can see me after what is she going to do.

"Yes yes we made it. We find him. He's the one." She shouted in excitement enough to be heard by everyone in the restaurant. I knew this was going to happen. She was so much childish in her ways but that's the good part with her; she never minded what people will think of her, she was like the lioness of her own domain.

"Amanda stop they are staring again." I ordered her keeping my head down.

"Let them be." She said adjusting in her seat.

"So what do we do now?" I asked her.

" Are you serious Meo? Okay leave it. When he came to take the order you have to work your charm on him." She said looking for any sign of him.

I was nervous like hell. I was not experienced at it like her. She could take it easy because she's a pro at making guys fall for her but I am not used to it. I didn't even tried to flirt with Chad how can she expect me to flirt with a complete stranger who is not a single bit interested in me.

"Miss your orders please?" a voice came over me.

I looked up to see another guy staring at us with lust. He was not that guy earlier. Where did he go? Did he hate us so much that he can't come to take our orders again? If he did how am I supposed to make him fall for me? Several questions were running in my mind but with no answers to them I looked up at Amanda. She was disappointed too.

"Hey! Where's that guy from earlier came to take our order?" she asked the waiter.

He looked shockingly at her. It wasn't his fault because it was too awkward for me too at that situation where we were asking for a waiter.

"O you mean Kent. Well his shift ended so he went back home." He replied looking at me.

So his name was Kent. It was an unusual name. He must be a superman fan. Wait why I'm thinking so much about his name. Then my mind went to his other words: he went back home, I looked at Amanda to see her looking at me.

"Okay so do you know his address?" Amanda asked again.

"No" he replied

"Is there any way we can reach to him now? " Words flew through my mouth. I was shocked at my words but more than me Amanda and the waiter were. They both were looking at me with wide eyes.

"Umm_ you can ask our manager about this." He replied.

"Okay. Where is he?" Amanda asked.

He took us to the manager. The whole way Amanda was looking at me with surprise. She opened her mouth to say something but I instantly stopped her by saying that "I was eager to make my plan work." She nodded her head but she didn't seem to be buying it. We entered the manager's cabin and asked him Kent's address. We told him that we are his friends and want to meet him. He didn't agree so Amanda threw some dollars at his desk and in a moment we were out of the restaurant with his address. I was first time in my life not nervous but excited to meet a guy; it was an unusual for me maybe this was because we finally were going to advance in our plan by meeting him I don't know what was going on with me but I was not caring to know it. All I knew was that I wanted to meet him now.

We pressed the doorbell of his apartment. The door opened. We saw a girl of our age in front of us holding a little girl in her arms. She looked at us both with confusion.

Are they his wife and daughter; my chest constricted at this thought. I felt a tea forming in my eyes therefore I quickly turned around. I was sad but I don't understand the reason is it because he's not the guy for my plan or is it because he is married and can't be with me.

"Are you Kent's wife?" Amanda asked.

She opened her mouth to say something but I knew what was going to be her answer so I hastily moved from there not wanting to be miffed by her answer. I ran to the road with a tear dropping from my eye. Silly tears why were they coming again when there was no reason for me to shed them. I was moving promptly when I thumped into someone.

KENT'S POV:

I was getting ready for home as my shift ended when Shina, my co-worker congested me saying that there were some customers from uptown and there is a shortage of waiters to attend them. I always hated those people because the man with whom my mother eloped leaving me and my father alone was one of them. I was only ten at that time it wasn't easy for me to cope up with my condition but my hatred for her and those filthy rich people concealed my loneliness. I can't stand the thought of seeing them but as there was no other option therefore I decided to help her.

I reached their table keeping my gaze down because I don't wanted to see them plus taking their orders without interacting with them will not be a problem.

"Welcome to Finashio. List your order please." I asked them keeping my voice calm. I can't see their faces but with the stilettos they were wearing I was able to tell that they both were females.

"We haven't decided yet could you please come after a minute." One of them said. My anger again started boiling in me but I kept it under control and walked out of there. What a type of mindless people still finding it difficult to select their order. I walked out of the restaurant not wanting to see them again. Through the whole way to my home I was thinking about my mother's cruel act and my anger was reaching its peak. She belongs to a rich family and fall in love with my dad. They got married but after marriage she started getting sick of my dad because of his financial condition. I remembered how she used to hold me and kiss on my forehead and used to tell me that she will always be with me but that all was an act for her. She left me and my dad alone for some rich prick who can afford to give her everything she wanted. I memorized how my father used to get drunk every night thinking of my mother but him although of his pain and loneliness never dropped out of his responsibilities for me. He gave me everything he can afford; everything but love, I never blamed him for this because I knew that he was aching for love too. Our life was moving on smoothly until one day my so-called mother showed up on our door and asked my father to hand me to her. But at that time there was nothing in my heart for her but endless hatred. I threatened her to go out of our lives and never come back if she wants to live and she did, that day my father never came back to me. News came from police that he got in accident and killed himself and a couple in the other car while drunk driving. Amy was the only child of that couple so feeling guilty for my father's carelessness I took her in with me because we both were at same stage now; orphan. She was five then so it was very difficult for me to take care of her but my neighbour Rosie helped me. She was my best friend since childhood so I can depend on her. She helped me a lot to get along with Amy and now after two years since that accident we were bonded in a unknown relation. She didn't remember much about her parents so she thinks me and Rosie as her only family. Tears were forming in my eyes on thinking about how much I had lost since now. I can tell from the surrounding that I was in my neighbourhood. I was wiping down my tears with my hand when a girl knocked into me. I clutched her to pull her away.

"Sorry I wasn't seeing where I'm going." I told him apologising.

She was looking at me with red eyes that meant only thing that she was crying. It was not usual for me to crash into someone when we both were crying. She was still looking at me like she knew me but I had never seen her. Her gaze with those blue eyes was penetrating my heart. I couldn't see her face clearly as it was dark at that street.

"What are you doing here in this dark, it's not safe. Go home." I told her.

She opened her mouth to say something but she was cut off by a voice coming towards us. She immediately wiped her tears and tried to act normal. I felt bad for her.

"Meo, where are ...... here you are." That voice said. I knew that voice, it was the one of those uptown girls who were at the restaurant. My anger started approaching me but I stood there because my legs weren't allowing to move leaving these girls alone in this dark. So I decided to stand there calmly.

That girl looked at me and smiled then she whispered something in that crying girl's ears. I don't know what she said to her but I wanted to thank her because that made her smile. Putting my thoughts away I looked at them with no emotion.

"You girls should better be get going unless you want to get killed down here." I told them to make them scare away.

"Kent Meo wants to talk to you." That other girl said.

That's it. They got on my nerves now. I walked out of there not caring about them getting killed, I doubt if they talk to me again this time I will kill them with my own hands.

"Please Kent listen to me please." A voice came over. My heart started beating faster on hearing that voice. My legs literally froze there. I moved to see that other girl Meo whatever her name was looking at me with hope in her eyes. I so wanted to say no but my tongue was like programmed to say yes to her.

"Whatever you want to say you have one minute for it." I told her.

"Look i__ I want to___ can you...maybe." she tried to say something that I didn't understand because I was busy looking at her innocent face when she was trying her best to say. Wait what no no no I wasn't looking at her I was only listening to her nothing else I told my mind. Arggghhh what's happening to me, God help me. I started walking out off them furiously not caring about my heart which was constantly telling me to stop.

"Iwanttotakeyououtwithme." she babbled.

I instantly looked at her confused.

MEONA'S POV:

I felt sad when I saw his red eyes out of crying. My heart felt like broken on seeing him that sad. More tears fell from my eyes on seeing him but I wiped them away when I heard Amanda's approaching voice. She told me that the girl back there at his house was his neighbour looking for that little girl which was his sister. I felt relieved on knowing this. I shouldn't be happy at this, I mean it's his personal life why should I be worried if he has a wife or not. Wait she wasn't her wife but she can be his girlfriend right I again lost in my thoughts. I snapped out of my thoughts when Amanda hit me with her elbow in my belly. I looked at him. He was looking confusedly at us. I doubted if he remembers us, hell I don't think he even saw our faces back at the restaurant. But if he doesn't know us why is he standing here with us.

"You girls should better be get going unless you want to get killed down here." He told us.

He's not is he? Yes, he is standing there looking for us. I felt happy at his kindness. I never knew that people could think with this dignity to help some strangers. I looked at Amanda asking for her help.

"Kent Meo wants to talk to you." She said to him. Wow that was very helpful. Now I had to do it myself. But he didn't seem to agree with us. He started walking. With every steps he was taking my heart was losing its beats. I don't want him to go. 'Well why you don't want him to go' the voice within me asked me.' I don't know may be because he is important for my plan' I tried to convince it. Again I was In my thoughts huh! What is going on with me? I looked at Amanda she was pointing towards him, I looked in his way. He was going. He was....

"Please Kent listen to me please." I asked instantly. Just look at me- look at me- c'mon look I was thinking in my mind when he looked at me.

"Whatever you want to say you have one minute for it." He told me looking into my eyes. His eyes were making me nervous to even say a word.

"Look i__ I want to___ can you...maybe." I tried hard but I wasn't able to. My words were like struck in my throat. He waited for me to say something but when I failed he started walking with pace. His steps were stabbing my heart at that moment I felt like if I didn't say anything then my chest will constrict within me.