Stand-In Bride

Ten: Will you still consider it fate?

"By the way, I have to go, I just came back to see how you doing. I have some things do deal with. Enjoy." Ian said paddling back to the shore

On the other hand, Gian was just laying on her board, looking at the stars. Her heart racing from what she did. Her breath shallow but she was smiling.

"You didn't tell me you surf." He said copying her position

"Just to make things clear, there's a lot of things I am not telling you."

"Like your name." He pointed out "Gian, isn't it?"

"Gianna." She whispered "It's short for Gianna."

Carter smiled knowing she told him her name even if he didn't beat her to anything. "Gianna sounds cute. Very girly."

"You know why there's someone looking out after you." Gian stated "Why?"

"Are we playing 20 questions?" He chuckled

Gian didn't answer.

"I know." He sighed, "Being a businessman has downfalls too. My mother's always worried, she must've hired them." He smiled for a minute they become silent "So that day, when you jumped off my hotel window, we're you on a mission then?"

"Hmm." She slightly nodded, "That day, I fucked up. If I didn't, I wouldn't be someone I'm not right now."

"But, you are you, right now. I know it's Gian talking." Carter looked at her, she's still looking at the sky. "And if you didn't fucked up that day, I probably wouldn't see you again."

If she didn't fucked up that day, then maybe she's not on the blacklist with million dollars on her head, she thought.

"You sound like you think it's fate or something."

Carter laughed. "You think?"

Gian shrugged, "If you believe in fate, then why would you marry someone you don't know? Or barely know?" She asked "If you married Mina— not the stand in Mina— will you still consider that fate?"

Carter couldn't think of an answer. Maybe because he don't want to consider that kind of situation or maybe he doesn't really consider fate back then. It's just business. All business. Even marriages were done because of business.

If it was Mina he was talking to, will he still consider it fate? Carter obviously doesn't have the answer.

***

The next day, Gian was out to the town, don't really have anything to do but think things through, leaving Carter with a note.

Thinking things like why is Carter affecting her? Why is she concerned about him all of a sudden? Why does she care whatever he thinks of her? Those kinds of things that involves some kind of feeling at the pit of her stomach. Those foreign feelings.

With her sunglasses and hat, she took a walk on the town market she was once with Carter. Taking double measure no once stalking her.

She went back to the stall that sells shells. She scoffed looking at it then smiled, thinking how Carter haggled over it.

"Hi! We're on sale! Take a pick." The salesman said with a wide smile. Sale, huh? A tarpaulin says they're on 50% sale. Too bad, Carter didn't come. She picked up the large shell Carter was trying to get. Looking at it closely, trying to figure out what's so special about it.

"Oh!" The salesman pointed at her, "You're with that man yesterday! The handsome one who's trying to get 50% off!" He laughed remembering Carter, "That persistent man! I hope he was able to sleep without the shell." He joked

Gian looked back at the shell in her hands.

"He said it's like his wife." The man continued "Someone who gleam beautifully in the moonlight. Empty looking for lack of shown emotion, but if you listen closely, you can hear something. A beautiful song, he described." He smiled "Quite a man you have."

"How can you tell I'm his wife?" She asked quite surprised by the right assumption.

"Oh..." the man laughed "of course he pointed you out at me, praising you endlessly."

Gian was silent for a moment, taking in what the salesman just told her. She blinked a couple of times, blushing. "But he didn't buy it." She almost whispered

The man nodded. "He asked me to set it aside for him. He promised to come back today."

She looked at the man, "Will you sell it to me? I want to buy it."

The man was shocked, "Are you going to give it to him?"

She smiled at him and nodded, took some money off her pocket and payed for it. The salesman wrapped it for her and they exchanged gratitude before she walked away.

She was smiling while walking. For the first time, she felt unburden. For a moment she felt free.

She was about to go back to her hotel when she saw a couple of people around a woman basking. She decided to stopped by and listen.

🎶Song: Emotion ng Destiny's Child🎶

🎶
And where are you now, now that I need you?
Tears on my pillow wherever you go
🎶

She made her way to the front where a woman holding a guitar is singing. She's wearing a big hat like her. Her hair red and curly and big.

She looked at her, for a moment she felt she's familiar but she can't point exactly where or when she saw her.

🎶
But if you don't come back
Come home to me, darling
Don't you know there's nobody left in this world
To hold me tight
Nobody left in this world to kiss goodnight
Goodnight, goodnight
🎶

That voice.

She know that voice.

Before she could think of anything else, the girl looked at her. Gian's eyes widen behind her sunglasses as she almost dropped the bag she's holding.

For a split second she's sure who it was. Her eyes could be deceiving her, but not her ears. She know that voice.

***