The Matchmaker

Epilogue: One Year Later

"Zander."

"Hmm?"

"It won't fit," I stated plainly.

"At least, let me try."

"It's too big!"

"I can just jam it in there..."

"What's the point of instructions, if you're going to stick things where they don't belong?" I demanded.

There's a burst of laughter from the opposite end of room, rice flying out of Celia's mouth as she tries to calm her cackling.

"Oh my gosh! Enough with the sexual innuendos! I'll die of laughter," she burst, wiping away tears that have trickled down her face.

Rolling my eyes, I sigh at her laughter which turns into choking while Zander places the wrong screw into the headboard of our new bed.

It's been over a year and many things have happened, mainly that I've gone public as his girlfriend since our scheme to breakout our dating as a natural scandal, worked.

Surprisingly, there was a lot of public sentiment in favour of me with headlines praising Zander for choosing someone of 'normal' standing. My taped interviews which I spent weeks rehearsing correct answers to, gained me a likability since the ordinary is something anyone can relate to.

And to my shock, things haven't changed much but I have a secret feeling that Zander, the President, and Ms. Musa work tirelessly to ensure that my public image doesn't taint my soul, making me fear for myself.

And while things in the public sphere of things haven't changed, my relationship definitely has.

We sold both our apartments and moved into a bigger unit on one of the upper floors decked out in state of the art security, and everything you could possibly dream of.

I almost screamed like a banshee out of happiness since the upper floors have everything to satiate yourself without stepping a foot out the door....basically a dream come true for me.

There's even a private courier service to deliver food and shopping essentials daily, and in-house cleaning services. I opted out of latter choice since the matchmaking business got bigger, forcing Celia and I to bitterly take on assistants to help out on both ends.

But since things are still secretive and lucrative, we can't have people snooping or looking at files or the massive chalkboard with photos to draw and map out who should be with whom.

"Can you pass me that screw," Zander asked, interrupting my train of thoughts.

"Zander, it's not going to fit and you've dented the ends of five nails already. I think we should just call someone to put it up."

"But then the bed won't be complete."

"So? You won't die without it," I said drily, catching sight of something wayward in his eyes.

Celia arrives to inspect our lack of progress but her smile is equally as alarming as the gleam in Zander's eyes. "You don't need a headboard to be in your birthday suits, kids. Since I don't want to stick around for whatever happens next, I'll leave you two alone and head home for the day."

Gawking at Celia, I watch her grin at us before moving past a corridor, the sound of the ten foot door quietly shutting and turning on its security features automatically.

"I guess she's right, we still have the bed. We can just move the bed to align with the wall," Zander observed solemnly, discarding the hammer in his hands.

"Yeah, you do that and I'll happily sleep on the couch where it's safe," I said deadpanned, inwardly loving the brooding expression on his face.

There's a dangerous glimmer in those green eyes of his as Zander leans against the wall grinning. "Safe from what? You won't fall! Even if you move around in your sleep."