My Mother's Boyfriend

The Dilemma

Alejandro

I stare into her brown eyes, those same eyes that always captivated me in the past, but now I am disgusted. With myself. The young girl’s eyes are wide, and she is petrified, but I do not care much...but I do see her mother in her.

They share the same brown eyes.

Disgusted with myself, yes, but I do not care for her- her Maya in this way. I steel my mind, feeling it softening when I think of Uma. But it’s because of my innocent Uma that I am doing this.

Marriage to me was something many women craved for- just asked my mother and that crazy matchmaker she hired. This girl should consider herself lucky and if innocent herself- I doubt very much- but if, then when we divorce, she will be well provided for.

I will do that much for her because of her mother. Maya’s innocence in this matter of grown adults plays with my conscience and I clench my jaws tightly when I think of her future after me. A damaged reputation- she will recover, I chide myself. She would have enough wealth to entice any man she would be interested in...and if not, she could live her life as she pleased. Single and free to indulge in whomever bed she wishes to spend the night- or not. She could be a boss bicth and rule like a chaebol- Peter's chosen words, not mine- and would dominate where she walks.

My guilt cleared somewhat, I shook my heavy thoughts aside and focused on the girl with a- what I hoped was a warm smile. I had to keep up the charade for my family...my smile must have been malicious to her, for her head shrunk back a bit.

Perhaps I should work on my approach to her. This lion-and-mouse relationship will not work for my reputation if she is to be seen as my trophy.

Or it could be that she just heard the word, 'husband'. The vows. The guests all gasped in surprise as well. It’s not an engagement but our wedding.

The cat’s out of the bag.

Turning to the room, I grin as if I am the happiest man I the planet- well, perhaps I am. My work is now halfway completed. Pulling in my bottom lip, I gestured with both my hands in mid-air- “Yikes?"

My invited guests begin to murmur, some in delight and others in confusion, but one raised hand from the priest has the room hushed again.

Since her stay with us, Maya has been afraid to even leave her new room. Mine. I did not want to add to her fragile mind since she reminded me of her mother so much. When I saw that, she seemed to have taken a liking to my room and so, since that night she slept there, I have been in a guest room.

The girl is terrified of us and makes it known to me, but the elderly, they think she is just shy, and they do not call on her much except when they think she should give her view on something for a very rushed engagement and when family members come over.

Of course, there is the factor that I did give her a very stern warning about upsetting my family. Granted, my family is something to be scared of- and being under the same roof as us- sheer terror. Not to mention, I did sort of kidnap her.

God, Uma must be spinning in her grave. After all, I did promise to take care of Maya and the boy, and this may seem to be the opposite. But I would not harm the girl- nor do I think when Uma said to protect them, she meant ‘force my daughter to marry you’, either.

It’s a dilemma for me.

Some nights back, I took Maya out for coffee. We needed to be seen in public for people to believe what I was selling them- that we were a couple in love. I’d chosen a fancy restaurant, telling her that we needed to talk about making an official engagement announcement. A much-publicised one that is suited to the grand Noimichaels. Which would mean a major event with a humongous setting.

Of course, I held back the real occasion on that day. I did not want to scare her too much. She is young after all, and she may view me as some older disgusting man. She might be only a few years younger, but that was a different setting in thinking entirely.

Maya had barely touched her food and, though I had been extra nice to her because it was a populated area where others were bound to see us and start a gossip trend, which is what I hoped for, but she was stiff.

Annoyed, I asked the waitress to clear the table and ordered decaf coffee for us both, going to the lounge area. The girl is most likely innocent, but she will pay the price for her father’s misdeeds, to my former love.

No- I am torn. I want Maya to pay for what they did to Uma, but the girl was a child herself, so she could not have known what she did to her mother. Still...she will pay her part of that by becoming my wife until I figure out Patel’s deal. And the part he had to play in Uma’s de@th.

Out of formality, I asked her to marry me.

“It will be a real marriage, in every sense, but I will not touch you if that's what you are worried about.” I could not tell her that I suspected her father in her mother’s m#rder, could I? If I did, would she willingly help me get to the truth?

She swallowed, and I felt no sick sense of joy when she leaned back onto the back of the couch of the tiny restaurant booth just as her mother had.

Only dread.

I am a bit disappointed in Maya that she would become a whroe for her father because the girl had pureness about her. The man who made her mother’s life on earth, hell. A small furrow forms between my eyebrows as I think of whether I should make her suffer in a similar pattern to what Uma did, by their doing.

Her eyes...they were drawing me in.

No, I deny the warmness of the pull I feel illuminating from the brown irises and turn my head away, picking up the cup I had laced with brandy, and bringing it to my lips.

These eyes were not Uma’s but her daughter’s and I had no right to admire them. Yes, the girl I just gave the ultimatum to is the daughter of my former love. I had to remind myself. My first love.

“That’s my deal, Maya, take it or leave it,” my tone was almost stoic, eyes like black, cold stones.

Tears rim her eyes, and she mumbles, “All I wanted in life was to finish my studies, you know? I never asked for anything else.”

“Fcuk,” I cuss, out loud, for her tears would be having the opposite effect than what I wanted and throughout dinner, I had introduced her to a few people- without the title of fiancé and only by her first name. But it was the correct move- for people to spread this talk about me with a girl.

To add more flames to the fire, I introduced her to some as my fiancé, just for good measure. They would talk about it more when they discovered that I had shared the actual depth of our relationship with only a few.

Wildfire.

Hurriedly, I told her that I would consider her finishing school if she did, and she frowned. Reluctantly, she slowly nodded her head in agreement with our marriage- not that I needed her willingness, I’d asked out of... politeness.

Hearing the loud voices of guests, I quickly put out my cigar, headed out of my father’s office and went back out to meet the guests who lingered behind. My mother disliked the smell inside and tonight of all nights, I figured I should behave.

Gabriella and our four-year-old niece, Alessandra, are in the corner, trapped by my elder aunt who never shuts up. Even when you try to leave, she will quite literally grab hold of you and continue talking. Feeling pity for my sister, I decided to save her as she had the heavy girl in her arms and looked irritated. Gabriella would not let our niece go, out of fear of being alone with Auntie Priscilla.

Tonight, mama, who knew about the marriage, made us all wear the same matching colours- all siblings. The males all wore tuxedos, and Gabriella was the only female in a dress to match our medium bluish-grey suits. I learnt that this shade is called ‘livid’.

Our mama wore a cream-coloured frilled pattern long dress, that was, in my opinion, too tight for her age and size, but she did wear it well. I just happen to think when you reach a certain age you should dress- differently.

Age-appropriate is what I am saying.

Tami, who is Angelo’s girlfriend- also very blonde with near ghost-like skin, is stunning in her choice of a coral-coloured dress and heels with clear straps. She has the most beautiful feet I ever laid my eyes on; I swear. Not that her face isn't striking. Tami on the whole, is like an angel in human form. Whether you were attracted to her or not- I am not- you had to be blind to not notice how she stood out. Angelo is a lucky man for her beauty matches her beautiful personality as well. Tami is not a spoilt person who demands the finer things in life- though she has them. Ironic. But she deserves to be served on a golden platter by Angelo. Not that my brother is lacking in good looks either. My parents left their children with handsome features.

Funny that our mother is not pestering him to get married, and he needs to be there for the child’s sake- again, in my view.

Everyone else is dressed as they would for a formal function as Mama did not want it to be a big deal. She was playing it down. Smart woman, because I had been ‘dating Maya’ on the DL- that's what everyone thinks, thanks to Maya. Whatever happened between her and my sister for her to say that I have no idea, but I was glad she said it.

So, things could not have worked out for the better.