Paid To Love

Episode 30

Paid To Love EPISODE 30

Victoria's POV

Henry seemed different on the ride home. Zoey sat next to me in the back seat taking selfies with the shopping bags, I figured it would be good for her i********:. Although I did catch her taking glimpses at James who was staring back at her through the rear view mirror. I knew something was up but Zoey would just deny it as always. She always had this thing where she could be the best at giving relationship advice but she wouldn’t want you snooping anywhere near hers. It was her character flaw.

The drive was long and I wanted to sleep over at Zoey's so Henry dropped us off. James helped us carry a few of the bags to the door and said goodnight. Zoey unlike me didn’t really have a problem with anyone coming near her house and why should she anyway, her house was small but pretty nice compared to the hell whole I was living in. Zoey had a family that really supported her, although they didn’t have much but they were saving up for her to go to college so she came to the city to come find some work and help out. She had invited me to move in with her a couple of times but I just couldn’t intrude, plus I needed my space and she was a bit too much sometimes.

We got in and immediately Zoey wanted me to try on all the dresses again.

“What's the point? I tried them on at the store” I argued.

“I know but I wanna see them on you again. Plus it would be great for my i********:”

“Zoeyyyy. Ugh, fine”

I got Into her bathroom and started trying on dresses then I would go out and pose for a picture. It was kind of fun being a model for Zoey's private show.

The next morning I had to go back to Henry's place for a little brief from him. I got there and I wasn’t even let inside as he told me to wait outside.

He came out ten minutes later and we got into his car.

“So where are we going Henry?”

“We just need to get a few things we need to sort out to make our little play here a little more believable” He starts the car.

“Ohk Henry but what exactly do you have in mind?”

“You’ll see when we get there”

I gave him a mysterious look, what did he have in mind? Anyway at this point nothing would surprise me again.

“Don't tell me its about the Spanish lessons. I think there’s an app for that”

“No its not about that but you should probably get the Spanish app though”

We drove a couple minutes in silence again, this seemed weird. Where exactly were we going? All of a sudden the crazy thoughts of him being some deranged serial killer popped in my head again or was it because of the movie me and Zoey were watching last night? I chuckled at the thought.

“What’s funny?” he asked surprisingly.

“Nothing, I was just thinking about something” I chuckled again.

“Come on, tell me”

“You didn’t want to tell me where we were going and we’ve been driving for a while now so I just imagined you being some crazy serial killer” I let out the laugh this time.

He just sat there smiling and looking at me almost choke with laughter.

“But what if i was a serial killer?” He asked with a very relaxed tone.

“Huh.? No way”

We went into a free way and he locked all the doors.

“Henry?”

He turns to me with a smirk on his face then winds up all the windows shut.

“What are you doing?”

He checks his side mirror then starts speeding down the freeway. The acceleration of the car gets too much. I can barely move.

“Henryy..please slow down” I yelled.

He doesn’t respond but instead speeds up.

“Please, please oh my goOOod” i close my eyes and start screaming even louder and then the car stops.

“Ha ha ha ha ha” I hear Henry laughing loudly.

My eyes open and I seem him chuckling on the driver's seat. At this point I knew it was all a prank.

“Henry how could you scare me like that, have you gone mental?”

I start hitting him on his chest and arms.

“Ouch, stop it, it was just a joke”

“Who does that? We could have died”

“Don’t be so dramatic, my driving is excellent, we wouldn’t have gotten a scratch”

“You are officially a crazy person”

He kept laughing and despite the fact that my heart was in my mouth I actually saw him having fun. Who knew he could laugh so much? And who knew he was so crazy?

“The look on your face is priceless” he took a pic of me.

“Hey, delete that. “

“Nope and by the way we’re here.”

He pulled over in front of a park in the city.

“What are we doing at the park?”

“Oh, we’re on a date”

“Wait what?”

“We’re on a date”

“ How come I don’t remember being asked out on a date?”

“That’s because I just got the idea this morning. I got some photographers from a business and lifestyle magazine to come take some pictures of us on this date and put the pictures all over the next issue of their magazine and surely my dad would be checking it out so he will eventually come across the pictures.”

“Wow... You did some real planning “

“Yeah and you should grab one of these” He puts his hand inside a bag in the back seat and brings out a couple of brand new phones.

“Woah, these phones are the latest out. Wait.. Why am I getting a new phone? “

“Well as much as we want to give my Dad some professional pictures of the date, we also want it to look natural. So we have to take some natural pictures of us together so it doesn’t all look artificial. My dad can smell a rat from a mile away.”

“This seems really well planned, you didn’t even inform me? Am i even properly dressed for something like this.”

“Oh, that was the point. I wanted you to look casual but sophisticated, I see the new clothes gives you that look I was looking for.”

He thought I looked sophisticated? Interesting, as much as it was a fake date. It kind of suited me to be honest. I didn’t have to over dress for this and it was in a park in the city. My kind of date and I think Henry knew that.

“There they are, all set up. But remember they must also think we’re dating.”

“Yes director” I smiled.

He shot me a funny look then walked to the guys from the magazine and came back.

“ They said they’re ready. Lets go for it. “

“What exactly do we do on this date?” I asked.

“Well we can get go get Ice cream or something, you’re the one that watches movies so you tell me”

“You’re the director, besides I’ve never been here before”

“ Fine, lets go get Ice cream”

We went over to an Ice cream place and got some. The photographers caught so many angles I felt like a celebrity. We walked to a pond in the park and Henry threw a coin in the water and told me to make a wish. We actually had a bit of fun and went for a bike ride in the park. He seemed really comfortable with the place. Like he’d been here before. The photographers were done and he went over to say goodbye and they left.

“Think that would be enough to convince your dad?”

“No but it would give him some ideas so we have to prepare for his next move.”

“What about the magazine guys?”

“The pics will be in the next Issue on Monday. We should probably get going now”

We walked back to the car. It was still afternoon but the sun had disappeared into the clouds. The drive wouldn’t be long since we were already in the city and I wanted to go to the coffee place to hang out with Zoey.

“Did you enjoy yourself Victoria?” The question was surprising because it was meant to be a fake date so I didn’t know if I was supposed to enjoy it but I would admit that I did.

“It was actually really nice. The park is amazing”

“Yeah, it always is”

That concluded my theory about him going to the park. I was right, he had been there before, maybe with someone too, maybe on a date too.

“You’ve been there a couple times haven’t you?” I asked.

He hesitates a bit but sees I look too inquisitive.

“Well, yes I have, a couple times.”

“I knew it, you seemed really familiar with the place.”

“Yeah I used to go there before.”

“With who?”

He almost ran a red light but comes to a quick stop.

“ What? No one”

He seems thrown off by the question, he’s nervous about something and I can sense he’s hiding something.

“Come on, you can tell me”

“I don’t want to talk about it”

“Come on Henry we’ve pretty much snooped in each other’s business since we met so there’s no need to hide anything anymore. Just tell me was she your girlfriend?”

“Ugh, fine, yes she was.”

“Wow“

“What do you mean by wow?”

“I'm surprised that any girl can stand you, come to talk about going on a date with you.”

He gives me a sarcastic stare.

“I’m not that horrible you know, you seemed to have fun with me today.”

“Yeah, you’re right buy I’m not really your girlfriend but she is so how did you get her to do it?”

“You make it sound like dating me is so horrible.”

“No offence but it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing and it’s just been two weeks.”

“I see your point but this one was special, even my dad liked her.”

“Wow, what was her name and what happened to her.”

“I.. Her name is Janna and I don’t want to talk about it ok”

“ It’s Ok, I’m just glad that you could tell me. “

We looked at each other for a second and then the car came to a halt. I got down and said goodbye.

“Are you coming back to my place later?”

“No, I’ll sleep at Zoey's today but tomorrow we’ll continue the usual arrangement.” I replied.

“Ok Bye” he drove off.