Chapter 2
1264 Words
“300,000 for advance payment.”
Samantha stops her plan of going. She then turned to Kendrick, whose expression was as cold as ice. She had never seen him smile since she appeared in front of him. His impassive expression doesn't affect his looks. She can say, he is handsome and deserves to be dreamed of by those women she saw on the news, squeaking to see him every time in any event. But she excludes herself from those women. She was the opposite. She doesn't like men because of her sexual orientation. The way she looks and dressed up, no one could tell that she is one of those women who like the same sex. She was at her college when she confirmed her confusion about her sexuality. She fell in love with a woman and got in a relationship with her for nearly two years.
Pain suddenly flashed on her face when she remembered her past relationship. Her only relationship since she was sure of who she was. She shakes her head slightly to brush off the bitter memories.
“What did you say, Mr. Santana?”
“300, 000 as advance payment. Take it or leave it!” Kendrick then put down a white envelope on the coffee table in front of her.
“Wait! Can I ask you some questions first?” She said, resting her arms on her chest.
“Sure! Go ahead!”
“Why do you need to find someone to pretend to be your girlfriend and am I right? To become your wife? I mean, you are handsome, rich, and don't you have a girlfriend? Like seriously?”
Kendrick smirked. “Which one do you want me to answer first?”
She chuckles, “It's up to you as long as you answer those.”
“Okay!” Kendrick then straightened his back, fixing his tie before he answered. “First, I know I am handsome and rich,” he started.
Samantha wasn't able to stop herself from commenting. “Confidence, huh!”
“I'm narcissistic when it comes to my looks and achievements but only to those I trusted and those who believed me,” he responded.
“Which one am I?”
“If you believe me then, you can be both, since you are close to Kyle, I think I can trust you.”
Samantha then let Kendrick answer her questions. He then explained to her why he came up with hiring a woman to pretend to be his girlfriend and be his wife, a contractual wife.
“I haven't found a woman who meets my standards. A woman who will like me not because of my looks and wealth, but love me because of who I am,” Kendrick said, looking at her intensely.
Samantha nodded lightly as she agreed. Kendrick is right. Nowadays, most women are practical when it comes to finding a partner. Security, as they said. And in the world where he is in, it is not fair that some of those women will just after his power and someone they can flaunt in the society of elites where usually people boast about what they have.
“How about you? Are you in a relationship?”
She was startled when Kendrick asked her. She didn't expect him to ask in return.
“Don't you think I am here if I am in a relationship?” She smirked.
“How is it to be like you? I know Carlo and Kyle, they are men, but I have never met someone like you before, to be honest.”
“Well, I don't care what people will say, but only Carlo and Kyle know about who I am aside from the person who raised me, my Godmother. I worked as a freelance graphic designer but no one knows me in the office. I don't have to announce it. For what? This is me! As long as I am accepted by those who truly care about me, I am happy,” she told him.
“Have you been in a relationship?”
“Yes! In the past.”
“Well, I think we are both safe, right? I mean, the way you dress up, we don't have a problem with that in front of my parents once I introduce you to them,” Kendrick then said back to their agenda.
“Hey! I haven't confirmed, yet.” Samantha stops him.
“Okay, think about it then. Just give me a call when you've decided.” Kendrick then stood up and walked straight to the door, but before turning the doorknob, he paused and turned to Samantha.
"Does anybody tell you you're beautiful?" he said, seriously looking intently towards Samantha.
"None of your business, Mr. Santana," replied Samantha. She was so annoyed with what he asked. Whether it is a compliment or praise, she doesn't like it. She heard a lot from her colleagues and acquaintances that told her that she was pretty but, she heard it from Kendrick, it was different. It sends her goosebumps.
"Uh, okay!" Kendrick smiled mischievously. What's in his mind, he only knows! Samantha doesn't care.
"Bye, Sam. Nice meeting you!” he said and winked to Samantha before turning the doorknob and storming out the door.
“So rude!” She slumped her backside on the couch. “I said, I'll think about it first,” she mumbled, taking the white envelope that Kendrick put on the table. Her eyes widened when she saw the amount of money inside. Three hundred thousand pesos is already a big help for her to discharge Margarita from the hospital. Margarita is her Godmother who chooses to live as an old maid rather than get married when she was young. She raises Samantha when her parents died from a car crash when she was ten years old. Margarita treated her as her daughter and supported her until she finished her degree and became professional.
However, due to her old age of seventy, Margarita started to experience different illnesses, suffered a stroke, and needed to be in the hospital to monitor her condition. Luckily, her doctor was a friend of Samantha's parents and let her stay in the hospital while Samantha was working to earn money financially for her medication and other hospital bills. Kyle helps her, but he doesn't have much as he is supporting his family too. Samantha doesn't like him to keep asking Carlo for help financially. When Kyle called her and was looking for someone to work for him, she immediately confirmed to Kyle that she was oblivious to the kind of work that the popular bachelor was going to offer.
She leaned against the couch, still holding the white envelope, and carried it to her chest.
“Mama Margarita, hope you will understand me if I have to do this,” she mumbled. She knows that Margarita will be against her decision but she doesn't have any plan to tell her at the moment. She hadn't confirmed it anyway, but she looked at the white envelope in her hands.
“Does it say, I am accepting the job?”
She leaned back from the coach and looked at the ceiling blankly.
“Whatever! No wonder he was so successful. He is smart. He left this money so I can't refuse,” she laughed. She doesn’t care as she is alone in that room. She laughed as she was outsmarted by Kendrick Santana.
Kendrick Santana!
His name seems to be echoed in her mind when she thinks of him.
- Writer
