One
1336 Words
"Claire, come downstairs! Dinner is ready!" Martinez, Claire's mother, shouted from downstairs.
Claire had actually heard her mother's shout earlier, but she chose to ignore it.
"Claire Jimenez, I know you heard me!"
"Come down and eat your food or I'll throw your food in the trash!" Martinez threatened, still in a loud high-pitched tone.
Lazily, Claire got up from her bed. She was not in the mood to argue with her mother, so for now she chose to give in, and obey her mother's orders. There was no other choice, after all she hadn't eaten anything since noon. Just a piece of sandwich given by her college friend.
Seeing Claire coming down the stairs, Martinez turned around and saw her twenty-one-year-old daughter with a bright face.
"Mom?" Claire was stunned to see the special dishes lined up neatly on the table. Roast beef, lobster with truffles, and several dishes that Claire was sure were not her mother's cooking. Because she knew very well that her mother had no cooking skills, other than heating fast food and processing canned food.
"Where did you get all this food?" Claire widened her eyes, not because she was happy, but instead she saw something fishy.
"Your dad, hummm, I mean your future dad...bought all this food for us," Martinez said with sparkling eyes and lips curled into a wide smile.
"What?! So you mean..."
"Yes, you're right, Claire, I am getting married again."
"What the damn hell!" Claire shouted to herself.
"Sit down first, let me explain to you."
"It's..."
"It's not what you think, Claire."
Claire didn't respond immediately, until her mother's hand pulled her to the dining table forcefully. And sat her there.
"Eat first, I'll explain after you eat. I'm sure you're very hungry, since I didn't give you an allowance today." Martinez smiled slightly.
"I'm not hungry, Mom. Explain to me now, what happened?"
The smile on Martinez's lips slowly faded.
"And who are you getting married to?" Asked Claire in an impatient tone.
"Uhm, actually I met him at the club."
"What, so you're getting married to your customer at the strip club? Come on mom, are you.... I mean this is too much!"
"Claire, listen to me, it's not what you think," Martinez tried to convince her daughter.
"He is a businessman,"
"Huh?" Claire looked incredulous at what her mother was saying, how any businessman would marry a waitress in a strip club like her mother.
"Uhm, he owns the hotel next to the club where I work."
"So?"
Martinez smiled slightly, then took out a check, "he will give me a hundred thousand dollars after the contract is done, but for now he gave me this, the down payment, ten thousand dollars."
"What?!"
"Claire, keep your voice down. He asked me to be his contract wife only until all of his grandfather's inheritance goes to him."
"And you believe it? Doesn't this sound ridiculous?"
"Yes, I believe it. Since I've known him for a while, he often comes to the club for a drink,"
"Do you want to hear another surprise?"
"Oh my, what else?"
"We are going to move to his house, and he will will pick us up tomorrow, early morning around seven, so better you pack all your things up, okay?"
"What? Mom?Why did you never even think of discussing this decision with me?" Claire couldn't contain her surprise and immediately shouted.
"Hey, Claire, listen up! So, here's the deal - our apartment lease is about to expire, and my pockets are feeling a bit empty these days.
Can't keep up with the rent, you know? Don't bother asking me about the money as down payment, 'cause I'm planning to put it towards clearing off our bank debt.
It's all about priorities, right? Just trying to make ends meet here, so bear with me, okay?"
"Whatever you want, mom. But don't ever force me to call him dad. Okay?"
Claire got up from her chair and grabbed a glass of milk and left all the food without touching it.
"Claire, where are you going?"
"To bed."
"Come on, at least taste this food, it's really good." Martinez said while chewing the food in her mouth.
"I'm not hungry!" Claire replied as she slammed the door to her room.
Claire didn't like this, this wasn't the first time her mother would remarry. After the death of her father sixteen years ago, her mother had been married five times to different men. And none of them were good.
All of the men were bastards who had left them destitute and lost all their property. The men were just using her mother and eating away all her mother's wealth. But it seems that her mother is not deterred even though she has been in trouble many times for marrying the men she met randomly.
***
"The driver's here, are you ready to meet your future dad, Claire?" Martinez winked mischievously, as if she didn't give a hoot about the annoyed look Claire deliberately plastered on her face.
"Good morning, Mrs. Martinez," a man in a sharp driver's uniform sauntered in as Claire's mother swung open the door.
"Call me Miss Martinez," her mother purred in a soft, seductive tone.
Claire rolled her eyes in exasperation at her mother's flirtatious antics.
"And this is my daughter, Claire."
"Hi, I'm Hendrick, your personal driver from now on. Mr. Reagan sent me to-"
"Yes, I know, he asked you to pick us both up, right?" Martinez cut in.
"Hmm, right."
"Come, let me help you with your luggage." Hendrick reached for the suitcase next to Martinez and a small bag holding Claire's essentials, but she swiftly stopped him. "No, I can carry my own bag, thank you."
"Claire, let Hendrick do his job."
"No, Mom, I can handle it myself." Claire couldn't conceal her frustration as she followed the two ahead of her with reluctant steps.
The ride to Reagan's lavish abode was swift, the car driven by Hendrick pulling up to a luxurious mansion.
"Oh my, is this Mr. Reagan's house?"
"Yes, Miss, it is. This will be your new home."
"Step inside, Mr. Reagan is waiting for you."
As Claire emerged from the car, her eyes widened in wonder at the splendor of Mr. Reagan's residence. The pristine white walls gleamed in the sunlight, a striking contrast to the lush greenery of the meticulously tended garden. The grand entrance loomed before them, both inviting and imposing.
Hendrick led the way, Martinez following with her high heels clicking on the marble path as they approached the doorway. Claire trailed behind, her face a picture of gloom.
Upon entering, Claire was struck by the opulence of the foyer. Crystal chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, casting a warm golden hue over the marble floor. A grand staircase curved upwards, leading to the upper reaches of the mansion.
"Welcome, Miss Martinez, and Claire," a deep voice resonated from down the hallway. A figure stood there, tall and commanding in a sleek black suit that hugged his form just right. Claire was momentarily stunned by the sight of the man who stood before her, a far cry from what she had envisioned. His ebony hair was slicked back, a few rebellious strands tumbling carelessly onto his forehead. His dark eyes exuded a mysterious and aloof air.
"Mom, are you sure you've got the right guy?" Claire murmured to Martinez.
"Oh yes, Claire, did I forget to mention? Yes, it's true he's still young, only ten years older than you."
"He's quite the looker, isn't he?" Martinez giggled, while Claire continued to fix her gaze on her future father figure.
"Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Mr. Reagan," Martinez purred, her voice dripping with honeyed charm.
"Hendrick will show you to your rooms, just tell me if you need something, i got to go, see you tonight Mrs. Martinez." Reagan's eyes bore into the pair, sending a shiver down Claire's spine that she couldn't quite shake off.
- Writer
