Arranged

~4~

I still can't believe I agreed to Mr. Norris's request to marry his son, but in return he would cover all the costs of my little brother's treatments, which would help me and my father immensely. I've heard the name Norris before, after I got home I immediately grabbed my laptop and looked up the name Norris. The first articles I see are about Lando, he turns out to be a Formula 1 driver for the McLaren team, that means nothing to me, but my father will know who he is. I scroll further and then come across an article about Adam Norris, exactly what I was looking for. Adam Norris turns out to be the main sponsor for his son's race team, he also turns out to be the owner of an energy company. So money is not a problem for them. I would have preferred to call Kim now, but I had to promise not to tell anyone about this deal.

My first meeting with Lando is therefore the day we have to take pictures for our wedding invitations, Adam has sent me an address where I have to cometo  and I am nervous for my first meeting with Lando. When I arrive at the location I am immediately put in make-up and a dress is selected for me that I have to wear later, this is a luxury that I am not used to, I feel completely out of place. "Look up darling." I do what I am asked when I see myself in the mirror I hardly recognize myself anymore. "Come on, there's no time to lose, just put these on and then with these shoes, the rest will follow." I get a red dress pushed into my hands with a pair of high red heels, for a moment I look a little hard at the shoes, If there's one thing I'm not good at, it's walking in high heeled shoes I am pushed into the fitting room and I slowly change, the dress fits perfectly but I don't feel myself at all. After putting on the shoes I step outside. "Prefect! Come on, we don't have all day." "Tina are you ready?" I hear Adam walk into the room behind us. "Almost only the jewelry left. Is Lando here yet?" "Yes, it just came in." "Okay then I'll hurry." When I hear that Lando is there, a block falls on my stomach. 

Today is the first time I am going to see Liana, I will be curious to see how this day is going to be, I hope that at least my father has chosen a nice girl, if I really have to spend my life with her I hope she is not ugly. A room has been rented in a hotel owned by a business associate of my father. I was asked to show up in a black suit with a white blouse and a red tie. Impatiently I push the elevator button a few times, due to the fact that I had to work another girl out of my house this morning I am way too late. "Lando there you are at last!" "Yes yes, can we hurry up a bit because I have more things to do." I say indifferently. "Don't you want to get to know her?" "I want to take the pictures and other than that I don't want anything to do with her." "Lando please be a little nice to her." "Why, she's only here for the money anyway." Without a word my father walks away to go see Liana.

When I first see her I take a good look at her, a typical girl I could pick up at the bar, she has blonde curly hair put up and the dress she is wearing falls prefectly along her figure, my eye then catches a gold colored anklet with the letters L and J on it, she stands wobbly on the high heels she has on and her posture is closed. "Everyone ready for the pictures?" "Sure let's get it over with." I say without taking my gaze off her. "Liana come stand over here, Lando hold her for a moment like you mean it." I do as asked, it's not all heart but when I get through that she herself doesn't find this as annoying as I do I make good use of this for a moment. Gently I let my fingers slide over her back and I hear the camera continue clicking. "Stop." She whispers. "Why?" "You're making me nervous." As if she wasn't already. I grin and as soon as the camera is put down I immediately release her. "Can I go now?" "Sure, I'll expect you at the meetings tonight!" Says my father sternly. I exchange another glance with Liana and lean in her direction. "See you soon, golddigger." I whisper to her before leaving the room.

I'm on my way to the park to take a walk and have a thoughtful talk with my wife, Lando has been bothering me a lot today and I'm not okay with this. He should be more grateful for all we have done for him. I make the car stop at the entrance of the park and get out, I ask my driver to wait because I won't be gone long, as I walk among the trees and watch the leaves fall from the trees I feel myself getting emotional. "I do miss you Cisca, you know that right?" I mutter to myself as I slowly make my way toward the pond. She always managed to persuade him to take part in something or to get through to him when he didn't understand something, with her he was always an angel, unfortunately I have seen our dear boy change over the years since her death, the racing he is so good at has fortunately not been given up, this has only made him more famous which he has made good use of over the years. But now that should be over it is time for him to see that life is not all fun and games. I asked Lando to be at a dinner meeting tonight, I want him to take over some things from me within the company in a few years, I could have left this to anyone else but I wanted to spend more time with Lando besides being at his races. Besides, my business partner would bring his wife along, and let's face it, Lando is just great at making small talk with women, so this shouldn't be a big deal for him. 

After the death of his mother he was so different than he was now, he had a sweet girlfriend and things always seemed to be going really well for him until one day he came out with the news that she had been cheating on him, from that point on he changed, it all didn't matter to him. I mean it all well with him but I don't seem to get through to him, not like his mother always could. When I walk through the park towards the pond where we used to sit together I feel a lump in my throat. I hope I have made the right choice with Liana and I hope he will see what I have seen in the girl, the pure soul and goodness she radiates will be good for him, I am only afraid that he himself will not be good for her.

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