Give Me A Chance

Six

I'm bargaining on whether I should wear a dress or a pair of jeans, I pull out a black dress from my wardrobe and a pair of black jeans with a matching sweat shirt.

So Charlotte schedules the meeting between me and Trevor and I'm here still thinking if thus us a good idea.

"Which one should I go with?" I ask Joe who is lying on my bed his hand behind his head.

"I think that dress is too short, pick a longer one."

This dress isn't even as short as he claims, it's past mid thigh, and apart for the gowns I wear to events this is basically the longest dress I have in my closet.

"It's the longest one I have unless you want me to wear a gown."

"Why are you even putting that much of an effort, it's not like you're going on a date."

"Fine then I'll go with the jeans."

He's right I don't have to put on that much effort, it's not like I'm trying to please anyone as a matter of fact it's the other way round.

I still don't know why he wants to do this when he seems to have made it already, I'm not even sure if we'll afford to pay him.

But I want to clear my name so badly I'm ready to pay anything.

"I need to change, if you don't mind."

"Use the bathroom."

I groan in frustration as I walk to the bathroom and change into the clothes, when I walk back Joe is cringing his nose.

"No you look like a college student."

"I'm twenty almost twenty one so I'm sure I look like one." I tell him as I walk back in the bathroom with the dress.

I put on the dress and instead of fitting me as it used to it's just too big in the waist and hip area. I can't believe I lost this much weight.

Seemingly all my dresses won't even be fitting anymore.

"I can't dress this, it looks oversize." Joe is on phone so I wait for him to end the call.

"We'll talk another time, bye." He hangs up and shakes his head in disapproval once he looks at my outfit.

"You really need to eat Mona, this dress used to fit you perfectly."

I roll my eyes.

"Tell me something I already don't know."

I'm running out of options and I really don't want to look like a college student so i pick that one dress that looks a little more formal in my closet.

"Perfect." Joe says once I'm done dressing, I throw on a black blazer, retouch on my make up and let my hair down.

"Okay now that you look all beautiful, I'm going to tell you this."

Here we go.

"I think it's a bad idea, first of all I'm sure he will charge you a lot of money and second he definitely has a motive, no one in their right senses would claim to date someone in order to save a reputation."

I told him everything and as much as he thinks it's not a bad idea he feels like Trevor has a fishy motive behind him helping me.

"We will be fake dating and I haven't even said yes yet."

"Mona I know you, you're going to day yes."

He is actually right, but it's not like I will give in that easily.

"It's going to be fun, it's been long since I had fun."

I'm going to take advantage of this opportunity to benefit myself, my dad said I'm always reckless so it's about time I unleashed the recklessness in me.

"Just be careful."

He doesn't seem happy with it but he is my friend and kind of just agrees with everything I want.

I mean what are friends for.

"I'm running late, see you later." I tell him as I check the time on the phone, I'm twenty minutes late and driving there will cost me another twenty minutes. I don't know why I'm always late on serious appointments.

I pick my purse and car keys and head out Joe is right behind me.

"Mona please be careful and don't fall for his handsome looks, you don't want to get hurt again."

Okay Joe has been acting weird and I know he cares but seriously?

He is taking everything so serious.

Or maybe?

I turn to look at him.

"Joe do you have a secret crush on me?"

That question startles him and he lets out a small laugh.

"What?"

"If you do I think now would be the best time for you to tell me before I make one of the wrong decisions in my life, I don't want to hurt your feelings."

I know how it always goes, your male best friend has a secret crush on you and he is too scared to tell you but gets jealous when you date someone else.

He is laughing so hard while I'm being serious over here.

"Okay, Mona you're cute and I love you but I'd never have a crush on you, no hard feelings but I see you as a younger sister."

"We are age mates."

"Yea, that's not the point, having a crush on you would be like crushing on my blood sister."

He doesn't have to make it sound that weird.

"Yea, that's bad."

"So you can date whomever you want, I got no problem, you're my little sister." He says as he pulls me into a hug and I can't be anymore grateful to the universe for giving me a friend like Joe.

"Now that we have that cleared up, I should go."

My mom is not home so I'm glad I won't be getting any nagging from her.

I get into the car and drive at the highest speed I can, I'm just glad there's no traffic today so I get there in fifteen minutes time.

Since I'm late I don't want to call him and ask where his table is he might just say something rude that may make me change my mind and go back home.

I stand by the doorway of the restaurant and I see him wave at me with a smile on his face.

At least he doesn't look angry for my late coming.

He looks descent, though he's dressed casual and simple and I don't even know why I dressed this elegantly.

I quickly walk towards him and shake his hand. He pulls out the seat for me.

Trevor is a little different from the normal tall handsome men that we meet every now and then. He works out that's for sure but he's not that tall, well he is slightly taller than me when I'm in heels, he is of a much lighter complexion I must say and he looks like life is good on his side.

Indeed a minister's son.

I'm sure he's charmed a lot of women out there.

"You look..beautiful."

"Thanks." I say nervously.

I don't know why I'm nervous all of a sudden, maybe because he always looks intimidating to me.

"You're late, love."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"I was almost giving up but Charlotte begged me to wait for you."

What's really up with him and Charlotte?

Any way it's none of my business.

"I knew you would eventually agree."

Have I said I hate his arrogance? Well I do. Just because he is this mogul he thinks he can have things his own way.

"I haven't agreed yet."

"I'm sure  by the time we get out of here I'll have convinced you." A waiter comes to out table with a bottle of champagne and Trevor nods.

I didn't know we were celebrating anything.

"What's the occasion." I ask once the waiter has left.

"Thought I should treat my girlfriend to be with some champagne."

"You really are confident about this."

"I am."

"What is in it for you?"

I'm sure it's not just about the money, since he has money, unless he is planning to extort me of all the money I have.

"Apart from the fact that I think you don't deserve the hate and I think you didn't kill him?"

"Yea apart from that."

This is obviously more than that.

"My daughter."

He has a daughter?

Explains the ring on his finger, I should ask him about that also.

"What about your daughter?"

"She fancies you so much and sees you as a role model, so I'm just doing it for her, she deserves a role model with a good profile."

Seriously?

That's one of the lamest excuse I've ever heard.

"How old is your daughter?"

"Six years old."

"And she sees me as her role model?"

Six year olds don't even know I exist,those kids don't even watch TV, okay maybe they do, but I'm sure they don't watch shows that I'm in.

"I know it's crazy but she always wants to be an actress just like you, so this will be a positive impact on her."

I still don't believe it's the only reason.

"I'm sure your daughter doesn't even know me."

"I bet you don't know how influential you are out here."

I didn't know that.

"Word of advice, don't let your daughter join this industry until she's old enough to understand what it's all about."

I wouldn't want his daughter to end up like me and I know Trevor can be a pain in the area but no child deserves to be snatched the opportunity of growing up as a normal child.

"I really want to say, I know but I'll just go with got it."

I want to throw a comeback but I roll my eyes instead.

"You expect I'm just going to believe it's all about your daughter."

"I was hoping you would."

So there's more to it?

"How much will you be charging me?"

"I'm sure you can't afford me."

"Try me."

My fingers are crossed under the table, I hope he mentions an amount that dad will be comfortable to release.

"Half a million a week, and you'll pay me until we've both achieved what we want."

Is he insane?

That is just too much.

"I can't afford that."

"Told you so, I don't want you to pay me, I want my daughter to have everything in this world and if all she wants is having you as a mentor then I'm willing to do this and of course as i said earlier you don't..."

"Deserve the hate, I know."

He smiles when I tell him that.

He drinks on his champagne glass and I notice the ring again.

Getting involved with a married man is one of the things that I dread most.

"Does your wife know about this?" I ask him as I point on the ring.

He tenses a little when I mention his wife.

Something is totally up, when we were checking his profile with Charlotte there was no mention of his family but I just found out he has a six year old daughter and he flaunts his wedding ring like he's not hiding the fact that he's married.

"Let's not talk about my wife." His voice is hoarse and I may he wrong but his wife doesn't know about this.

"I don't usually go for married men so I'd appreciate if you told her."

"We will be faking it."

"But the media will put us out there, she will know about us,  being a home wrecker would be a worse scandal to top to the one I'm currently in."

He takes in a deep breath and I can see him playing with the ring nervously.

"I'm sure she thinks I'm insane for doing this, maybe she agrees, maybe she doesn't but I wouldn't know that because she never replies when I talk to her."

"I'm sure I don't follow."

"She's dead."

My eyes fly wide open.

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