Soon, the dishes were served and the flowing conversation subdued as we began eating.
I stared down at the plate in front of me, trying to mask my disappointment. The chef had prepared a healthy, low-cholesterol option, I had no idea how I was able to conceal the fact that the food disgusts me.
I poked at the salmon with my fork, pretending interest. I was sure the flavors would be out of this world, but my stomach churned at the thought of eating fish. I took a small bite, the texture and taste confirming my initial hesitation.
Zuerien, seated across the table, spoke briefly once in a while, mostly about his latest business venture. I had a little knowledge about his work, aside from being an artist, I knew he had museums around almost half of the world, he was a teacher and an artist by heart. I nodded along, forcing a smile, while secretly counting down the minutes until I could politely excuse myself.
As I pushed the food around my plate, his gaze drifted to mine, and our eyes met. His eyes narrowed, as if sensing something amiss. I looked away, but it was already too late.
"Ava, you're not enjoying your meal?" he asked, his tone casual.
I hesitated, unsure how to respond without offending our host. "It's... delicious," I stammered, attempting to sound convincing.
He raised an eyebrow. "Really?" His skepticism made me squirm.
I took another tiny bite, trying to prove my point. The salmon felt like cardboard in my mouth.
I set my fork down, resigning myself to the truth. "I'm just not a big fan of fish," I admitted, hoping he wouldn't take offense, I guess I wasn't concealing my dislike for the food enough.
His mother just chuckled instead. "I should have asked. We can get you something else dear."
"No, no, it's fine," I assured, not wanting to inconvenience anyone.
"Should I have the chef bring you something else?." she asked.
"No it's fine, I'm good."
There was a pause. My eyes went to his, then it was just us staring at each other, there was something in his eyes. As if he knew all of me, as if he knew about the facade I was putting on. His gaze made me feel naked.
"Are you a vegetarian?" He asked all of a sudden and I stalled, I didn't know what to say so I just smiled instead. Unbeknownst to me, my mother's eyes were already on us.
"Ava's always been particular about her diet, Zuerien. She's very health-conscious, just like your mother." No I wasn't.
Mrs. Zukor smiled warmly. "A healthy lifestyle is essential. I'm impressed Ava. Aren't you Zurien?" She asked her son.
I shot my mother a sideways glance, sensing her agenda. She was trying to impress Zuerien and his mother, portraying me as a compassionate, socially aware individual. I did not like this one bit. What the hell is she trying to do?. I could feel Zurien's gaze on me again cold and calculating.
"That's admirable, Aveline. Your dedication to your values is refreshing." The tone of his voice was suspicious, almost as if he was setting a trap.
My mother beamed with pride. "Yes, Ava's always been passionate about making a difference. Her vegetarian lifestyle is just one aspect of that."
I forced a smile, feeling like a puppet on strings. My mother's subtle insinuations were designed to showcase my "virtues" to Zuerien and his mother. Zuerien's gaze lingered on me, his expression unreadable, but a flicker of skepticism danced in his eyes.
Mrs. Zukor nodded enthusiastically. "We should discuss Ava's philanthropic efforts sometime. I'm sure she'd be an excellent fit for our family's charitable foundation."
Zuerien's eyes locked onto mine, a hint of amusement and curiosity sparkling within. He was definitely playing along, humoring my mother and his."Is that true Aveline?."
I felt a flush rise to my cheeks, sensing his unspoken question. Did he see through my mother's carefully crafted facade?
"Yes, I'd love to participate in such lovely events." I answered, glad I didn't stutter.
"That's wonderful. I believe we should discuss the wedding date." Mrs Zukor said, finally going to the topic we were here for. I immediately took a deep breath to calm myself, this is where it all starts.
"There will be no wedding date." Zurien stated. We all looked at him, I was confused. what did he mean by that?.
"What do you mean Zurien?." His mother asked, voicing my thoughts.
Zurien sighed, almost as if he'd rather be somewhere else than do this conversation. "I do not have time for a wedding mother, I'll have my lawyer here in some minutes with the papers, we'll sign the papers and that'll be it."
"But that's not necessary, we should have at least a little gathering to-"
"Like I said, it's not necessary. My lawyer is already on his way." He said and looked pointedly at his mother. It was that moment I realized, and hopefully my mother too, that it was Zurien who called the shots, not his mother. Great, now he just made himself the new target of my mother's fake pleasantries and overly sweet smile.
"Well of course, it truly isn't necessary, we just thought you would like having a little wedding ceremony, we can always do it your way Zurien." His mother succumbed immediately.
"Yes of course, it's your wedding, not ours, you can do it as you please." My mother added with a sweet smile.
"Hmm, alright. Is that okay with you?." He asked me.
I made a brief eye contact with my Mom and she looked like she would have my head if I disagreed. "It's alright with me." I finally spoke.
"okay." He said and he continued his meal, the rest of us following suit. Soon the said lawyer arrived and we immediately got down to business. The four of us were to sign the contract, though I wondered why.
I was unable to fully glance through the papers as my mother was urging me with her eyes to sign the papers, I sighed and signed it, not that I could back out of it anyway. After we all signed the papers, we all gave it back to the lawyer who told us we would each have our own copy very soon, before leaving.
And that was it. No wedding, no vows, no promises. And although this was a huge turning point in her life, she swore to keep a secret, not even her friends would hear from her by mistake that she was married.
"I'm glad we're finally united as a family, my husband can't wait to have so many deals with you. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity." My mother said politely.
" Hmm," He hummed, looking like he was thinking before looking back at me, then at our mothers. "I'd love to explore opportunities for collaboration." He said, his voice smooth.
My mother smiled triumphantly, convinced she'd secured a potential alliance. But Zuerien's gaze told a different story, one of intrigue and scrutiny. It made me nervous to the core, what if he found out that all this was a lie?.