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Did you know when you go
She glanced at her reflection in the mirror one more time. She was nervous…very nervous. Why had she agreed to do this again? Her hands smoothed down the dress once more. Maybe she should have gone with the other one. It was times like this that she wished that she’d brought her stylist along with her, and then at least she would have had a professional opinion. But Aliesa hadn’t brought anyone with her to Europe, not her stylist, not even her personal assistant. As Jeanne said it was “vacation time”, and she shouldn’t have to deal with any aspect of work if at least for a little while. Was that a joke! If only her manager knew how hard she was working for her career right now. It was downright commendable. Aliesa turned from side to side watching the dress whip back and forth. Was it too much? Or maybe it was not enough? If only JC had given her explicit details to what exactly they were going to be doing with his family. But then of course he never was one for details was he? “Ali? You in here?” Cringing at the nickname, Aliesa broke her gaze away from the mirror in time to catch JC waltzing into the room. He gave her a once over, an amused expression on his face. “You look…nice.” She groaned in distaste at his choice of words. She was already self-conscious as it was. “Nice? What is that supposed to mean? Is that your way of saying I look awful? I mean what kind of nice are we talking about here? I mean there are so many types! Is it good nice? Bad nice? Impressive Nice? Conservative Nice? Stripper Nice? Ridiculous Nice? Awful Nice? Nice that would pass enough? Nice that it’s way too much? Nice that looks like you didn’t try but looks like maybe you did? I mean could you at least be specific here? Helpful in the slightest?” “Will you calm down? You look fine. Besides it’s just my family. No big deal,” he uttered matter of fact at her bombardment of words. “How can I be calm when we are talking about trying to convince people you have known your whole life. People that know when you lie JC! This is a huge deal. Bigger than huge and all you can say is I look nice!” Aliesa looked on incredulously. “Possibly,” JC nodded as he echoed her words from the phone earlier. Aliesa scowled. He grinned. “AGH!” JC shrugged. “Like I said it’s FINE. Just turn on the charm and my family will think you’re wonderful. Now let’s go we’re already late.” He moved forward and grabbed her arm. “Come on.” She didn’t budge. “You’re touching me,” Aliesa said coolly, referring to his hand placement. “Oh sorry!” JC said sarcastically, dropping her arm. She stood her ground. “What now?” he demanded when she refused to follow his lead. Unwavering, her head tilted questioningly at him. “Why are you so ancy?” “Aliesa!” “JC!” JC’s hand clenched and unclenched at his side. “Can we please just go?” Aliesa unfazed at his frustrations, still refused to budge. She silently held her own against his increasing glares, thinking contemplatively before replying. “Okay,” she replied slowly. “Finally!” “IF you tell me something,” she added crossing her arms in front of her. JC’s forehead crinkled with exasperation. “If it means we can leave I’ll tell you anything you want!” “What do you REALLY think of this dress?” “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Aliesa shook her head in denial of the statement. JC threw his hands up in the air. “What is with you women and clothes? I think it’s beautiful okay! Now let’s go!” “Boy you really know how to slather a girl with compliments,” Aliesa huffed. “My parents won’t care what you’re wearing Aliesa! Its just dinner!” “If it’s just dinner then why are you yelling?” “That’s it! I’ve had enough!” JC latched onto Aliesa’s arm and dragged her towards the door unwillingly. “What do you think you’re doing?” Aliesa protested as he shoved her purse into her hands and pushed her out into the hallway. “Taking matters into my own hands,” he replied. “You insensitive creep! Do you have to grab me so hard! I’m not going anywhere until I’m ready. And I’m not! So you can just…” Aliesa began before being abruptly silenced into submission as JC grabbed the side of her face and pulled her in for a kiss. Surprised and caught unaware by his actions, she pushed against him trying to break away. But it was a lost cause, she had nowhere to go, he brought her closer, holding her in place. After several terse moments in which murderous thoughts entered her brain he finally released his hold on her, detaching his lips from hers. Obviously still fuming as she brought her hand up to her swollen lips, her eyes narrowed as she prepared to comment on his behavior. Before any words could escape from her mouth however, he spun her around. Realization. His timing couldn’t have been more perfect. His parents were making their way towards them. They had apperantly decided to meet them at the hotel. “Mom! Dad!” JC cried out inching forward, wrapping his arms around Aliesa’s shoulders and pushing her along with him towards the figures in the hallway. Still seething from JC’s actions, Aliesa looked ahead wearily at the faces that drew nearer and nearer by the moment. She felt the uneasy motions wrestle in the pit of her stomach. The true test had begun. *********** “Are you happy? Really happy? Now don’t try to cover it up for my benefit! I want to know the truth. Because when I looked at you two tonight I don’t know if I liked what I saw.” JC internally panicked and attempted to reason a way out of the situation he was in. His mother was suspicious. Apparently the act that he and Aliesa had put out at dinner hadn’t seeped into her good graces. He had thought they had succeeded into fooling his parents into believing their charade. Dinner had gone on without a problem. But of course it had to be one of those days. Just when everything seemed to be going right, it suddenly started to go wrong. He couldn’t place just where things started to go downhill, all he knew was that he had to think of something fast to save himself. He was headed right into disaster and if he didn’t do something right now everything that had been so meticulously planned out was going to be for nothing. “Mom….” JC looked blankly at his mother, trying to mask any emotion, and any hint of the thoughts that were zooming in his mind. “I don’t think she’s right for you,” she cut-in, voicing her opinion bluntly. JC momentarily was taken aback with shock. Now this was something he had not expected. He had thought for sure she was going to confront him with the fact that his entire relationship was a hoax. But he hadn’t thought for a moment she disapproved. This was something else. He had been prepared to confess the truth, but this changed everything. There would be no option, not one miniscule ounce of truth would have to come from his lips. Instead he’d have to play a card from the defense route. Dialogue right out of a movie found it’s way out of his mouth. It could have almost have been practiced and well rehearsed, scripted. “You barely know her! How can you say that?” “Don’t think I don’t like her JC. I do. I like her. She’s a sweet girl. I want to be happy for you. But… I just… I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. There’s just something missing.” “What are you trying to say?” He asked tonelessly, making sure to play up the fact that he was upset with the notion. He put out all the stops. His eyes dropped. His body tensed. “I just don’t want you regretting this decision. Not just you. You AND Aliesa,” his mother argued trying to appease him. “You both are good people. And you’re adults. But I think the two of you both got in this too quickly. You barely know each other! You just…” “I love her Mom,” he said softly, stopping her midway through her justification. He grabbed his mother’s hand in his. It was like a scene from an awful soap opera. Man! The things he did for his career! “I love her isn’t that enough?” he questioned dropping his voice even more for added emphasis. His upper body drooped down, shoulders hunched. Looking pathetic and forlorn on the outside, on the inside he raged, silently cursing the fact he had to act this way to begin with. He waited for her reaction. Her mouth pursed in a tight straight line before parting as she sighed resignedly, reaching out and hugging him. “Be good okay? Bring her around the house when you two are in town.” His body relaxed as he squeezed back relived at the close call. “Dad’s waiting for you,” he said as he pulled away and smiled. She nodded. Moving across the room, with him, she made her way over to where his father and Aliesa were talking rather animatedly. She cleared her throat as she pulled in next to them, moving in between and hugging Aliesa tightly. “Well Aliesa it was good to finally meet you! Don’t be a stranger now. Remember you’re family.” “I won’t.” Aliesa hugged back, before pulling away, eyeing JC briefly for some sort of reassurance that all had gone well with his mother. He gave her none. He simply just added to her well wishes and good-byes to his parents, standing by her side as they waved them off. They remained stationary until once again they were quite alone. And once his parents were safely away from looking distance, he brushed past her back into the hotel room. He didn’t say a word. Chapter
11
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