XENON
The woman who my Dad calls as my future wife looks nothing like Sophie. She has shoulder-length straight black hair, has a slim stature with an average height. She has round eyes and a rather thick eyelashes to match them. As I shook her hand, it was cold. Weird.
"look at the two of you. I can see now that the future of the company is bright and sunny."
I grimaced. My future wife smiled. What was her name again? Genevieve, right. Kind of a strange name.
She sat beside me on the couch, while Dad laid down his plans for the wedding. I guess that's how it goes. I sit here with the woman he chose and listen to his elaborate plan of a marriage. I bet someone helped him with this. And I am pretty sure it took him months. Funny how I was clueless of any of this just until that graduation celebration. Like I was forced to catch a dynamite and then it explodes.
"Anthony and I already arranged for your honeymoon, too. How about an exclusive island?" – Dad said and the woman's cheeks flustered. Oh please.
"dad already planned the honey… honeym…honeymoon, Tito?" – she has a very tiny voice. And what's with her not being able to say the word?
"uh-huh. I've been there myself. the place is a literal paradise."
I gulped. That part kind of slipped through my mind, too. Which is actually the most important part: the furthering of the Alister bloodline. Subconsciously, I looked at Genevieve. She has an hourglass figure…but petite. Those hips… really? Are they ready for conception or is the friendship between our fathers' the only reason for this matrimonial agreement?
Embarrassingly though, she noticed that I was staring. Now I'm the one being ashamed of what I was thinking.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to… stare." – I said, feeling a little bit guilty. Dad, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy the show. I spared him a glance and he was suppressing a smile.
"it's fine, Xenon." – she said, closing her knees together. She noticed where I was looking then.
"alright, alright…. I have to go back to the company to attend on some matters. I will leave the two of you here. Alfred's just somewhere if you need him."
Dad stood up and Genevieve came closer to give him a hug. A hugger, I guess. Nope. Not my type.
The minute after, I was sitting on the same spot with my phone open and playing mobile games about snipers. She, on the other hand, was scrolling through her phone. From my peripheral view, I observed her some more. She did look familiar. I remembered what dad said about us being in the same university and department. That may be possible, I guess. Also, she looks kind… innocent even. Which is a good news because if I were to marry someone for convenience, it better be someone who knows who's the boss. This may work.
"do you have a boyfriend, Genevieve?" – I voiced out
"Eve, please. You may call me Eve."
"Eve… right. so, Eve… as I was saying, do you have a boyfriend? What did he say when he found out you already have a fiancé?"
She frowned.
"I don't have that." – she said.
"suitor? Any angry ex-boyfriend?"
She shook her head. as what I said, innocent.
"that's interesting. Okay then, good talk." – I said and got up. I just lost the game and now I'm bored. I walked out of the living room and there was no set of footsteps that followed. I guess she stayed there at the seat. Good talk.
EVE
First impressions may be wrong. Also, this is only the first day I talked with Xenon. Who knows? He may be different. there are a lot of factors that may have caused why he acted like that to me. There are the possibilities of shock, shyness, awkwardness, unexpectedness and much more. It does not have to be like this the next time.
Alfred showed up after Xenon left. He was carrying a huge red photo album. When he neared, I gave his a smile which he reciprocated.
"good day, Miss Eve. Mister Alister gave these to you. He said it's kind of proper that you'll get to have a little background on the family, especially Sir Xenon."
He placed the photo album on the table and it landed with a soft thud. He grinned apologetically when the sound made me gasped.
"thank you, Alfred." – I said and picked it up. it was heavier than I thought.
"shall I stay here, miss or do you want to look at them privately?"
"I'll be fine. Let me just do this alone. Thank you."
With a slight bow, he left me with the photo album. On the front cover were the handwritten words, "to making it last" and a signature at the bottom area: C. Alister. I have no idea who that is, but I guess it was Tito Rusty's wife.
I flipped the heavy front cover and a picture of a bouncing baby boy welcomed me. He was smiling. At first glance I knew it was Xenon. I can tell by the eyes. Around that picture were cut off other ones arranged in a collage. I looked at them one by one… and there are those which were cut at the corners. some at the middle. Then I kind of regretted I told Alfred to get away from the room. I could use some explanation to the cut pictures.
I looked at them, one picture after another. The years of his age add up, but the pictures for those moments became lesser. I was on the last page, which is obviously the newest picture. Xenon was in his graduation robe, holding up the diploma to the camera with a proud look on his face. On his neck were gold medals I cannot count how many. I smiled looking at the picture. His father was beaming beside him, with the graduation cap on his head. It looked adorable.
…and then on the next moment, the photo album was on the floor. Someone has flipped them out of my hands.
I looked up, rattled a little and saw Xenon glaring down on me.