Jasmine’s point of view
I sat in the living room where that man had left me as I looked at the contract that I had just signed.
I heard the keypad like someone was trying to come in. I knew that it was Miguel who was trying to rush here after I told him that I was now having doubts about all this.
“Jaz?” He calmly shouted as I sat there there not sure if at all I should even be there.
“In here,” I responded in monotone, looking like I had just received bad news. I heard Miguel’s footsteps getting louder as he approached where I was sitting.
“I don’t know what to do now.” I honestly expressed myself while playing with my fingers. He plopped himself next to me and he sighed heavily.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. I was so sure that I could do this, but looking at all this, I am having second thoughts” I hesitantly said to him, and he let out an exasperated sigh.
“Why are you getting married to him?” Miguel questioned.
“I honestly don’t know why” I reluctantly responded, focusing on the documents before me.
“Jaz, I know you might have actually got cold feet, and which is normal, especially when you are with someone you actually don’t know.?” He turned to look at me and I swallowed hard, turning my head away from him.
“Is this about Uncle calling you earlier? Or maybe it’s about Bernardo?” He questioned me as I shook my head.
Bernardo was the man of my dreams. I had hoped that after I ran away, he would come after me, but he chose his family over me. It was not wrong, but I felt like he should have at least tried to fight for me.
“Can we talk about something else?” I suggested to him, and he raised his eyebrows, looking at me. I had tried for years not to talk about Bernardo.
“You do realize that you can easily come out of this, right?” He questioned me as I reluctantly nodded my head, knowing so well that I needed money.
“I know. But I am not talking about this. What do you think of this place?” I questioned getting up from the chair, going to see if I could get a beer to drink for all this. I staggered a bit but managed to control myself.
I went to the little fridge and started checking if there was one which we could drink. I was about to open the bottle when it grabbed it away from me.
“How many have you had since afternoon?” He questioned me as I swallowed hard.
“I think you have had enough for the night?” He suggested to me as I smiled briefly at him, taking the bottle away from him.
“I am fine… So, tell me, that lady…. Who is...”? I wanted to say when my phone suddenly rang.
“Who could be calling you at this time of the night?” Miguel questioned me as I frowned, walking toward the phone to check who might be calling me.
I went to the table and picked up the phone.
“Hello?” I said, trying to clear my throat.
“Hello? Is this Jasmine?” A husky voice came through the phone.
“Yes. This is her. May I…”
“It’s Javier. I got your number from your CV”, He responded.
I turned to Miguel who was waiting for me to pick up my phone. “What’s wrong?” He questioned me.
I shook my head, waiting for Javier to say something to me. I mouthed Javier to him, and he started walking towards me.
“Yes. Is there anything I can help you with?” I asked him and Miguel stood in front of me waiting for him to hear what Javier wanted.
“Yes. Are you in the apartment?” He questioned.
“Yes.”
“Good. I will be there in the next twenty minutes. I need to talk to you”, H said to me and before I could even respond, he went on and cut the call.
“What did he want?” Miguel questioned me as I swallowed hard.
“His coming here. What should I do?” I questioned Miguel, who swallowed hard, looking at me thinking about what to do.
“I need you to clean up. He hates messy women and trusts me; you do not want to start by meeting him looking like that”, Miguel said, walking to the bedroom as I followed him behind.
He went into the closet and picked up a sweater dress, handing it to me and slippers.
“Fix your hair and some make-up before he gets here. I am living now” he said, rushing out of the room as I walked to the dress he had just chosen for me.
I took off my dress and changed into a new dress before turning to fix my hair. I cleaned my teeth and walked out to clean the bottles that I was drinking earlier.
I cleaned the room and went to sit on the cough anxiously waiting for Javier to arrive. I played with my fingers, which is something that I usually do when I am anxious.
I heard the doorbell ring and I quickly rushed there to open the door. I sighed heavily before opening the door. After pressing the doorbell, he went and stood at a distance from the door.
“Good evening?” I said to him as he looked at me from head to toe.
Why did he always look at me like that?
“Evening” He walked past me monotone as I stepped aside. Let him in.
“How do you find the apartment?” he looked around the room without facing me as I lowered my head thinking of what to say. I wanted out of this contract already but could not say it.
“It’s very Nice! I like it” I said to him, and he nodded his head, looking at the kitchen area, the bottles of beer that Miguel took from me still on the kitchen counter.
“Good! Because I need you to do something for me” he mentioned, his voice sounding cold like he was ready to demand something.