“No we’re not,” I snapped back. This couldn’t be happening.
“Yes we are.”
“You’re sleeping on the floor peanut.”
“You can’t force me.”
“I will kick you off the bed!” I threatened.
“I’d like to see you try,” Henry snickered, pointing to his oh-so-godly chest, indicating his muscles. Failing to think of a comeback, I watched helplessly as Henry took out a towel and his toiletry bag (yes, he had a toiletry bag) and walked into the adjoining bathroom. Groaning frustratedly, I searched through my suitcase to find my iPod and earphones. Listening to music always cheers me up.
After about fifteen minutes of listening to Tainted Love on repeat, Henry walked out of the bathroom with only a thin white towel wrapped around his waist. My breath hitched and I tried looking away. I tried, but unfortunately I was a normal teenage girl. I cursed myself and quickly tried snapping out.
“See something you like?” Henry asked with a wink. Alright, that snapped me out of it. Henry’s gigantic ego snapped me out of everything.
“In your dreams.”
“Oh yes pancake.” Henry said with a chuckle. He grabbed a pair of jeans and a T shirt from his suitcase and added, “You will starr in my dreams.”
Scoffing, I turned my attention back to my music and tried to figure out how to convince or trick Henry into sleeping on the floor. As I pondered on non-realistic possibilities, I distinctly heard the doorbell ring (you seriously can’t miss it) and then some talking.
Curiously got the better of me so I sat up and stopped my music. I hopped up from the luxurious bed went to open the door. I walked down the polished parquet corridor and grinned as I rounded the corner to the flight of stairs.
Talking animatedly to Arianne was April; her red wavy hair left down as usual with a pair of Gucci sunglasses perched on her head. As if sensing I was there, she looked up.
“Lainie!” She cried, hurrying up the stairs to hug me. I was yet to get used to her over enthusiasm.
“Hey April,” I said, giving her a smile. “How was your drive here?”
She shrugged as we both stepped down the stairs back to Arianne, who suddenly excused herself after Bernice had told her a call from London was waiting for her. I know right, London? “Refreshing.”
She linked her arm with mine and dragged me into a different room, most probably the lounge – with the plasma TV, the leather sofas and the large black piano on a raised platform of carpet.
“I can’t wait for dinner tonight!” April exclaimed, plopping herself on the sofa. “We’re trialling six dishes of Vivian Redalfo’s since Mom invited extra guests for the anniversary party. I bet they’ll be so yummy! I heard one of the dishes was a black forest cake! A black forest cake!”
I was slightly confused and so not used to all these … things rich people do and the luxuries they have. We were trialling six dishes of a caterer? Back at home, I’d have Instant Noodles. “Who’s Vivian Redaldal? What anniversary party?”
April clucked her tongue and rolled her lash thickened eyes. “Vivian Redalfo! She’s a caterer. I’ve never tasted her food but I’ve heard she adds nice twists to her food.”
“Ohh,” I murmured.
April laughed at my response and continued. “As for the anniversary party, it’s the day after father’s birthday. Weird if you ask me. It’s going to be mom and father’s twentieth wedding anniversary. I got them a present a few days ago! I found the champagne they used at their wedding and bought a small box. It’s very rare and it took me like a week to track the thing down!”
I noticed April called her mom ‘mom’ and her dad ‘father’ but decided not to say it aloud. The word ‘father’ was more distant than ‘dad.’ Then I realised I had to get a present for Mr and Mrs Parker’s wedding anniversary and a birthday present for Mr Parker! Crap!
“Hey April?”
“Yeeeees?”
“Do you think you could take me shopping sometime before your dad’s birthday? I haven’t gotten him a present, or a present for the wedding anniversary.”
“You don’t have to! Mom and Dad are not expecting anything,” April said with a snort. “Mom already thinks you’re a gift anyway. You’re the key to giving her lovely grandchildren.”
I grimaced. This girl. I never ever wanted Henry Parker’s babies. Ever. Not in a billion years. I decided to skip the awkward subject of making babies with my fake fiancée and onto the subject of buying presents. Presents were much more pleasant a topic if you ask me. “But I should buy them something! Take me out shopping so you can help me pick something out!” I begged.
April sighed. “It’s already done. We’re going out tomorrow because Mom needs to buy some things for the anniversary party. Oh, and she also wants you to see the ‘beauty of Newport.’ Oh, you want to go to the beach sometime? Maybe tomorrow or the day after? It’ll be fun, I promise!”
I laughed inside my head. April was so talkative and bubbly.
“Oh and maybe I could grab a hot surfer,” April mused.
“Sure that’d be fun,” I replied, giving her a smile. I never had anything against the beach … “Flirting with surfer dudes.”
“Lainie, you’re engaged!” April squealed, nudging me in the rib.
Ouch. I always managed to forget I was engaged to an arrogant jerk. “Oh yeah,” I replied, managing a weak laugh.
“Oh well. A surfer dude is way better than that cad of my brother. And btw, which means by the way, I can’t believe you just said surfer dude,” April said with a giggle.
I laughed with her. She was so entertaining. It was too bad I hadn’t met any girls like her back home. I think April got her friendliness from her mother.
“Well … I can’t believe you said btw,” I shot back, sticking out my tongue.
“I’m having an influence on you,” April said approvingly and looking a bit smug.
“No you aren’t.”
April put a hand to her heart and grinned. “Well, might as well play something since there’s nothing to do. Up for Wii?”
“Your parents have Wii?” I asked dubiously. I couldn’t imagine Mr and Mrs Parker playing Mario Kart.
“It belongs to me and Henry,” April explained, getting up from the sofa and going to set up the Wii. “We keep a Wii here to entertain ourselves whenever we stay here. Oh, and Mom uses it for yoga.”
We ended up playing hours of Wii. I won against April in tennis and boxing in Wii Sport and I was horrible at golf. I had no idea how to play golf and ended up getting bogeys. Meanwhile, April was an expert and had cackled evilly every time I had gotten a bogey. We played other games too such as Kingdom Hearts III (which was kind of addictive to me). But of course, in the end we played the classic Mario Kart for hours. Henry had joined to play too. In the middle of a race on Rainbow Road (which I was coming sixth by the way), the doorbell rang. April paused the game to look out the window.
“Ooh dinner’s here!” April exclaimed, turning back to us with excitement in her brown eyes.
“Finally,” Henry muttered.
After Bernice opened the door and helped Vivian bring in the dishes from her car, we all helped set up the table. That included Henry, who was absolutely clueless. He put the spoon on the left side of the plate, to which April Gibbs smacked him.
I ended up sitting next to Henry of course. On my left was Arianne, who was the head of the table. April sat across from me, looking excited to be trialling Vivian Re-whatever’s dishes. Steve sat next to her, laying a napkin on his lap. I snickered at that. We had to practically drag him out of his room to come downstairs to eat. He really needed something to take his mind off work. As I came up with possibilities, Vivian came out with the dishes and her eyes widened when she saw me and Henry.
I guess she must be a fan of Henry and I. Or maybe just Henry.
I had to admit, dinner was very nice. And the black forest cake April had mentioned had been a little taste of heaven. Seriously. It was my new favourite cake.
After Vivian had left, we all trooped to the lounge and debated on what movie we should watch. In the end, we agreed on Inception. I was made to sit next to Henry.
Arianne was the only one who was lost, and kept asking Steve (who was sitting next to her) to explain to her what was going on. For me, it was kind of confusing too.
I was suddenly feeling very sleepy and my eyes started closing. Henry somehow noticed and pulled me against him. Maybe it was because I was only half awake because Henry was a very good pillow. As my eyes started to droop, I smiled. I smiled because all of us – me, Henry, April, Steve and Arianne, sitting in the lounge room watching Inception … I don’t know, but we felt like a family.
A real family.