Dream of perfect love

Chapter 7

Two weeks passed and Paola couldn’t get used to the bandage, neither to the fact that she couldn’t smoke, the bandage was itchy, her leg was hurting her, the weather was warm and the fact that Dor, their driver had to carry her to the class and carry her back to the car, was making things for her even worst.

‘‘f**k’‘

‘‘You are so not pleased to see me, you didn’t get used to me yet?’‘

‘‘I will never get used to you Maclean!’‘

‘‘Not even after you got to feel how I taste..?’‘

‘‘My name is Paola, not Jessica.. oh there she comes with that damn huge banner’‘

‘‘Are you ready for today?’‘ Jessica asked Matthew ignoring Paola’s presence

‘‘Sure I am’‘

‘‘I am here too!’‘

‘‘I know Paola, I am just so excited for the big day of Matthew’‘

Spikes of jealousy went through the heart of Paola, first of all that banner should write her name, second of all she waited for that day since last year, third of all she would be the one going if it wasn’t for her leg and above everything Jessica should support her and not Matthew, at least to show her support to Matthew but not in front of her, not after knowing how important this was for her and how hurt she was for not being able to participate. Jessica hugged him and kissed him near his mouth and this time he didn’t avoid her as he always did, this time he smiled at her, there was something in his eyes.. Is something changing between them? did he start to see her differently, she turned her wheelchair fast and hit his legs in the back.

‘‘Watch your wheels woman!’‘

‘‘f**k off Matthew’‘

She was pushing so fast the wheels that her hands turned red and felt very warm, she needed to go out, to breath fresh air and swallow her tears, no tears, not in front of anyone, not again.

‘‘For f**k sakes Dor!’‘

‘‘Am sorry Miss. Paola’‘

‘‘I am sorry.. I am stupid, I shouldn’t yell at you’‘

‘‘I didn’t want to hurt you’‘

‘‘It's ok, three more f*****g weeks said the Doctor and this s**t will go off my leg’‘

‘‘Should I take you upstairs?’‘

‘‘No, I want to stay in the garden’‘

As soon as he left she growled, she put her hands through her hair and messed them, she was so upset, so...so upset.

‘‘Welcome home baby, I will take you to the dining room I have cooked for you, your favorite spagh..’‘

‘‘Stop pushing the wheelchair Nana, just leave it stop touching it, stop!’‘

‘‘What happened?’‘

‘‘Nothing happened, I am not hungry, stop treating me like a baby, if I want to eat I will go to the dining room, I still have hands so I can push this s**t to take me to the dining room!’‘

‘‘I am sorry Paolita, I didn’t want to upset you, perhaps you want to change, have a shower maybe?’‘

‘‘No, I don’t want, what’s the purpose, to change for what? do I have anywhere to go?’‘

‘‘Just in case’‘

‘‘Just leave me alone Nana, please’‘

She was looking at her watch, an hour passed?  two? she never thought before how much did that watch cost, how much does a Rolex costs? Silly thoughts to fool her mind, it was already five o’clock, the contest finished, would they come to her to tell her the news or they would go out and Jessica wouldn’t invite her because she couldn’t move, excuses, silly excuses, since that i***t came everything changed, everything was lost along with her audition.

‘‘Paola?’‘

‘‘Did it finish already?’'

‘‘I didn’t go’‘

‘‘I thought you were supporting him too’‘

‘‘I wanted to come and visit you, let’s go inside’‘

‘‘You brought again the Cinderella movie to watch? There is no prince charming Bailey, the sooner you realize it, the better this will be’‘

‘‘No, I didn’t bring Cinderella this time.. let me help you’‘

‘‘What the hell?’‘ she said behind her teeth, her mother, Nana, Matthew, Jessica and Eli Shaw were in the living room, Eli Shaw was there and she was with her school uniform with her hair flying and almost no makeup.

‘‘Paola, nice to meet you, Matthew told me so much about you’‘

‘‘Matthew?’‘

‘‘I know Matthew since he was 2 years old, Tod Maclean is a very good friend of mine’‘

‘‘You better be friends with him if you want to stay alive’‘ said Noelle, the new housemaid to Nana, who told her to stop saying nonsense.

‘‘Am confused’‘

‘‘Matthew arranged an audition for you silly’‘ said Jessica

‘‘Now let’s all stop and let Eli listen to Paola‘s voice’‘ said Matthew

She turned and looked at him, she couldn’t believe what happened, nor understand why Matthew would do that for her.

‘‘Sing for him’‘ he said smiling to her

The words came out of her mouth effortlessly, she had an amazing voice, without trying, she was just a natural talent, her voice didn't sound like any other voice, it was unique, so unique that Eli Shaw told her that if she will decide to become a singer, he will be very happy to be her Agent.

‘‘Don‘t forget to call me when you finish school, I will make you so famous that the whole world will be singing your songs and die for your autograph‘'

‘‘Thank you, thank you so so so much’‘

‘‘You should thank Matthew, I never do this, I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t for him’‘

‘‘See baby, you were so sad about today and look what happened’‘

‘‘Yes Nana, I see’‘

‘‘Thank you so much Matthew, this was so important for my daughter’‘

‘‘Anytime Mrs. Venn’‘

‘‘You won’t say anything’‘? whispered Bailey to Paola

‘‘Am still shocked’‘ she whispered back

‘‘You should be thanking Matthew for this’‘

‘‘I know Jessica, I don’t need people telling me’‘ she turned to him and just said ‘‘Thank you’‘

‘‘Welcome’‘

She barely slept for 2 hours, she was only thinking about what happened the afternoon, she would actually become a singer, her success was a fact with Eli Shaw by her side and all this because of Matthew, after all the times she treated him badly, after she kissed him just to fool him, he brought Eli Shaw to her. She was counting the hours for the day to come, to finish school, get ready and go to his house.

‘‘Paola Venn, I am his classmate and a friend’‘ she said when the car was in front of the gate of his house, the security spoke to another security who recognized Paola as he saw her to the school, he made the sign to a third security to let them in, she already regretted for going there, him not replying to her phone call was not a reason for her to get to his house uninvited.

‘‘Matthew is in the pool, in your left hand all the way straight then right and you will get there, should I help you?’' 

‘‘No, thanks I can do it myself’‘

Her heart was beating fast, very fast, she was dressed in a tight white short dress, dark red ballerinas and lipstick, she had put on some mascara to make her lashes look even longer, her hair were falling to her shoulders, she was sure and confident now, she liked Matthew Maclean, from the first moment she saw him even though she didn’t want to admit it, she did and now.. now what? . She didn‘t know what to say or what to do, but taking into consideration what he did for her, she knew already his answer.

With all the thoughts in her head she arrived to the pool, he was there but not alone, he was with Jessica kissing, Jessica was kissing him and he was kissing her back. She was waiting for few seconds that felt like hours, for him to push her but he didn’t, she was still kissing him when he saw her.

‘‘Who are you?’‘ she wondered