Duke De Luca

CHAPTER 3

"A PROPOSITION"

🌹~IRIDA'S POV~🌹

I picked at the bandages on my palms, completely engrossed in how well I had wrapped my wounds this time even though the bandages were old and worn out.
A sad feeling settled within me knowing that this was the closest I would be to becoming a nurse which was my dream.

Wrapping my wounds.

"How do I look?" Irene materialized from behind the dressing room curtains and she twirled around in her little black dress that hugged her curvy figure perfectly and cost more money than I would ever dream of having.

"It is beautiful on you."

"I know." She rolled her eyes clapping her hands for the shop attendant to come at her, "Everything just suits me so perfectly!"

I gave her a genuine smile as she was right because sometimes I wondered how different life would be if I looked like her, smelt like her, walked, and talked like her.

"That's the coat I gave you like four years ago." She pointed at the grey coat I wore while the shop attendant helped her out of the dress and I cringed at how loud she said it for everyone to hear.

"Yes." I nodded as shame reared in my head.

"Oh dear." She giggled with her hand over her mouth, "That's so out of season."

"What?" I raised a brow at her.

"Don't worry your pretty dumb head, dear Irida, you wouldn't get it."

I pressed my lips at the dumb head remark knowing she was right about that as well because while I struggled to make C's at school, she had A's and went for all the competitions.

She was the valedictorian and she always told me that my situation of being poor with no good environment and no money for textbooks wasn't an excuse for me to be dull.

I just wasn't smart enough and it made my dream to be a nurse look ridiculous.

She finished with her shopping and made me carry her bags out of the section with the excuse that her nails were done and she couldn't risk breaking them because of a few bags.
I understood her plight carrying them even though they strained against my bandages and hands and made my wounds ache.

I carried them after her and went with her as we got to the restaurant area of the mall, there she got food and I also got some when she offered to pay for it.

I placed an order for a burger, the exact one I saw the other day, and a cup of ice cream and we both sat down while we waited for our orders to come through.

"So what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Daddy wants me to go on a blind date, with a business partner of his."

"Oh."

Rich people's problems.

"So you don't want to go." It was a fact, the way she twisted her face as she spoke like she was already disgusted.

And I guessed that since he was her dad's business partner. He was probably very old and I didn't want to push further or ask questions.

"So what do you want?"

"I need you to go for me." She stated as our food was brought and I raised a brow at her wanting to know exactly what she was talking about.

She cleared her throat attempting to speak and I picked up my burger and bit into it. I began chewing and she looked at me in disgust, "Damn! You are chewing too loud like you haven't eaten in days, we are in public Irida."

I dropped the burger abruptly, the taste going sour in my mouth and I pushed the plate aside and lifted the ice cream cup. I scooped from it and put some in my mouth, relishing the taste and loving the way it melted on my tongue.

"You should take it easy on the ice cream, you know you wouldn't get any other cup to take when you are done with that if I don't offer to get you any." She remarked and the cool cream melted into bitterness on my tongue, "You wouldn't even get good food if you don't go out with me."

I dropped the cup and looked down at my lap, twisting my fingers in silence as she shrugged at me and ate her food, chewing and enjoying it.

She finished up while my food sat there, with my appetite for it gone and shame being the only thing filling me up.

"Won't you eat? Should I get the leftovers packed for you?"

"No thanks." I cleared my throat sitting aright, "I am watching my weight."

She looked at me and burst out into laughter making me smile in unease, "That means you would disappear in a few months, you are already terribly scrawny. I fear the wind might pick you up someday and I just remembered how Dean had dumped a bowl of ice cream on you back then in school and when you attempted to stand up, you almost fell." Her laughter continued, "If I wasn't there, you would have fallen because of how scrawny you are, you should eat more."

I swallowed as she joked, having no remark to give with the wish to only be as perfect as her.

A hot white brunette who could pull off all hair colors, gorgeous with a curvy bombshell figure with all the good things in the world while I was me.

I was just Irida.

"So what is it you wanted, it's getting quite late." I spoke trying to get over with the date so I could go back home.

"I want you to impersonate me on the date."

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Should she accept the offer?

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