REHEARSAL. KNOWING JEROL
"Alright. Your brain is better than I thought." Jerol says.
"Are you trying to be rude or insulting right now?"
"No. Alright, sorry. Let's go over it one more time."
We are sitting in our bedroom, yes, ours, me and Jerol's. Don't look at me like that, ! It was his idea, or should I say, one of the rules. As a married couple, we should in one room, and on the same bed to avoid compromising issues. I didn't see any in disagreeing, because he promised never to touch me, or disrespect me in any . How can he do that, when the first rule of the contract is that no one should fall love with the other? I guess that puts me on the safer side. Yeah. No love, no . No love, no touchy touchy. Sleeping beside him ain't such a big deal. I don't he is as dangerous as a dog to bite me while asleep.
We have been going over this for the last couple of minutes, and his mood today is no . Arrogant, or, rude, should be his middle name.
"When and where did we meet?" He asks again.
For the third time, I give him the same answer. "Nine months ago, at a hotel in town."
"When did we become a couple?"
"Six months ago."
"When, where, and why did we get married?"
"Just four days ago. We did a civil wedding because, well, we both knew what we . We are sure of our feelings and we didn't want to waste any more time. Why civil wedding and not a church wedding?" I guessed that was his next question, and nods his head. "Church weddings take long to prepare and we couldn't wait that . We wanted to live together immediately so instead of just moving together like , we opted for the civil wedding as we start preparing for the church wedding.
There, are we good now?" I ask because honestly, my back is starting to burn from for too long.
He stares at me for while. Maybe he is now convinced that I have memorized ?
"And who am I? Aside from being your husband, who is Jerol O'Brian McCall?"
Well, good question! Who is he? Who are you, Jerol? Because as far as I know, you a stranger that I know barely anything about other than your name. I just met you days ago and you turned my world upside down.
"Who are you? I don't remember you telling me anything about yourself." I say, and look on me turns from cold into a confusing one.
"You have no idea who I am?" I shake my head. "You.. have.. never heard of the Jerol O'Brian McCall before?" I shake my head again, and if this is the I am seeing on his face, then mine is shock written on my face. Am I to know him? Why? Is he known for possessing some superhero powers or ? The dark look in his eyes fades a little, and he stands up. "Come with ." He says without looking back and like an obedient puppy, I trail behind him locking the door.
We start ascending the long sparkling stairs, the servants standing a distance away us, some bowing their heads like it's their master passing, while others turn their away as if it's a devil they are avoiding. Who really is this man? He doesn't say a to the servants who are shaking in fear just because of his presence. He doesn't spare them a glance, and I do the same. We walk to the third floor, which is the floor from our bedroom. He opens the only door there is on the left, ushering me . I walk in, and he does the same, slamming the door behind him.
My eyes catch the attention of the framed photos hanging around on the white walls what looks like a study. This man in all those photos is the same towering me from . I walk closer, scanning at each one of them. Even between other elegant men,
I still can make out his face. There is also one common name and title on all these . I know the name, it's the same as my husband's, but this title? You gotta be ! CEO of the multi-billion ROYAL FUEL AND GAS COMPANY?
What the freaking hell is happening here?
I understand there might be a coincidence in the name, but him? Why is he in the ? And why is that name appearing everywhere on him? I turn my shock of a to him, my jaw rolling somewhere on the floor. I look at him, with no expression all on his face, then I look to the wall again, to that photocopy of his on those . I am in an exam room doing the compare and contrast test. Unfortunately, I 't seem to find any contradicting points between the two.
"Are... you.. y.o.u, you are the owner of the Royal Fuel and Gas company?" I ask in shock, my eyes on him while my left-hand index finger is pointing to the . Not on a specific photo, I am sure, because even my hand is shaking.
"Yes. That's me." And he is saying it so flatly as if he is admitting to owning a kiosk a simple milk bar?
Someone shoot me!
I pull the swivel chair and sit down because my legs are giving up. What kind of joke this?
I not only married a stranger, a weirdo, but a..a.. This can't be happening to me.
"What else do I need to know about you?" I ask after studying him for a couple of . It wasn't my intention, my mouth just ran dry with words and I decided to my eyes to use. I mean, who is this stranger that my good-for-nothing mother sold to?
"I own the majority of shares in the central bank," more shock, "And I have shares in Royal insurance company which is owned by my parents." I'm out of words. My is even cracking out of dryness. I swallow hard the little liquid in my mouth doesn't help much. "Here, he hands me an iPad, "everything you need to know me is all there." I take the iPad, or so I thought, but the next thing I know, it's my ankle.
"Ouch! Shit!" I bend to collect the iPad, but Jerol happens to be fast to react.
"Let me." He says, taking the iPad and returning it to the table, while I massage my .
Damn me and my shock!
I try to stand, at least to ease the pain. Darn! I still have those freaking heels to wear , not to mention that it will be my first time wearing heels. And now I am more injuries? Wow! Just wow! I stagger, and Jerol catches hold of me before
I embarrass myself any further. I didn't even know I was heading to the door, and I I didn't plan on walking out on him when I stood from the chair.
"What is so scary in what you have just found out about me? What's wrong?" He asks, I push him away from me. I stand a step away.
What's scary? Every God-damn thing is!