ELIZABETH
As I stared at my reflection, taking in the fiery red dress that hugged her curves to perfection, I decided that saying I looked different would be an understatement. Unrecognisable suited it better. I was unrecognisable. I had gasped the first time I looked in the mirror after putting on the dress a servant had laid out for me. If I stood a little straighter I could almost pass for one of these celebrities. The change was so drastic that it was startling. And no matter how many deep breaths I took, I still felt lost and out of place. I really didn't not belong here. The luxury, the servants, the wealth. Everything was so startling. Of course I had dreamed to live in a house like this someday, but definitely not under this circumstances. It was so overwhelming.
As I slowly withdrew from my thoughts, I turned in surprise when I saw the help still standing obediently behind me. "Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't know you were still here. I'm good, thanks."
I saw her eyes widen in surprise and she opened and closed her mouth as if she wanted to say something but was unsure. My face scrunched up in surprise as I wondered what the problem could be. "Is something the matter?"
"M-miss, it's just tha—"
"What the hell is going on here?!"
I turned to see Enrique standing at the door, his eyes narrowed and trained at the maid that had began to shake from head to toe. She bowed as he walked fully into the room.
"How dare you? Since when do you think you have the right to converse with the members of this household?!"
His voice was so loud that if I hadn't watched the whole thing transpire in front of me, I wouldn't have believed he was yelling for such a simple issue. It wasn't even an issue to begin with.
My eyes widened in shock when he4 waved her away. "You're fired."
The maid gave a low bow and scurried away still shaking. I watched in disbelief as he let out a loud hiss.
"I'm the one who asked her questions," I faced him, still in disbelief. "That was unnecessary."
As he faced me, his eyes roving my body, I saw surprise flash in his eyes for a moment but he quickly masked it. "That doesn't matter. It's not her job."
I wanted to argue, intervene and give him a piece of my mind because I honestly did not see a good even reason why he would fire her. But I suppressed it. He was obviously used to treating people like shit, and if I had had any doubts before, he had proven me right. I shifted my face back to the mirror, anger bubbling through me. I had never felt so disgusted by anyone.
"My mother will be at the country club in an hour. We have to run into her remember? Are you ready?"
It was a struggle holding back all the things I would love to say to him but I did. "Yes," I muttered, grabbing my purse and letting him lead the way.
Walking through the house again left me in awe just like the first time I had set my eyes on it. I don't think I'd ever seen ceilings so high in my entire life. The whole house was white-themed and beautifully color coordinated with abstract colored furniture like grey, beige and burgundy. It was like something straight out of a magazine. It took everything in me not to gape and run into every room in the house to see what it looked like. Even stepping on the floor in my heels felt like a sin. No wonder he felt like some kind of king. This place was a palace, literally.
"Remember everything I told you, okay? This is very important." He interrupted my thoughts, causing me to turn to him.
I rolled my eyes. "For the hundredth time, Enrique, I do. You're making it such a big deal that now I feel like it's a big deal. Seriously, stop."
I saw him glare at me like a wanted to say something, his blue eyes piercing through me, but instead he got into the car and started the ignition. I don't if it was all the pressure he had been putting on me or just my nerves, but I started to feel nervous. I wiped my hand on my dress trying to control my breathing. As I looked back up and tried to focus, I caught his eyes trained on my thighs which had now been exposed. I quickly pulled down the dress letting out an awkward cough. But his gaze stayed on my thighs for a few seconds longer, making my cheeks flame in embarrassment. Why the hell was he staring at me like that? For a brief moment, I thought I saw desire flash in his eyes, but a millisecond later it was gone.
I swallowed with difficulty. Why had I begun to feel hot all of a sudden? For the first time I felt different around him; quiet, shy, flustered. What on earth was this man doing to me?
I tried to focus on the job at hand. If I made a mistake and flopped, it would all be over. The deal would be called off. I hardly thought that was fair but with this asshole, nothing was. From what he had told me, this was going to be my first appearance in the media. The paparazzi were permanently situated at the country club, which was why he had chosen it as the spot for our first 'date'. I felt myself getting dizzy as I tried to imagine how I would cope in a room full of entitled rich people who wouldn't waste a chance to look down on me if they knew my real background. And it didn't help that my 'husband' was the exact same way.
I sighed inaudibly. This was going to be a long day.