Chapter 2 The Pretend Life

The store was within walking distance from the apartment, a little shop that was so different from the designer stores I once used to shop at. Realizing that my life is a surreal sitcom manifested through a simple trip to one of the supermarkets, I continued to put things into my trolley. I came back to the house and Kai was on the phone very tensely and very quietly. He looked at me for a moment and I could not decipher anything from his face and then went back to the people he was talking to. I put away the groceries and attempted not to listen; however, the strain in his voice was impossible not to pay attention to. “How was that?” He placed down the phone, still sweating profusely and my first words to him were: “Is everything alright?” He hesitated, then nodded. "Just business. " I didn’t pester him any further thinking that the ‘business’ part of his life was something he would rather not talk about. What I did not do was worry about a stalker, crazy or otherwise; instead, I devoted my time to arranging the kitchen as best I could, trying to find some sort of routine in this whole madness. As I was storing the last of the groceries, Kai sauntered into the kitchen placing his hands on the counter and tilting his head. The potential relationship between Puck and Hermia should probably discuss how they are going to address this, said the young man, folding his arms across his chest. The blonde says, ‘If we’re going to be making this believable, then we are going to have to set a few rules. ’ I nodded, bracing myself. "Okay. Like what?" “First of all,” he said, “we have to present ourselves to the public as a couple; we already go to events together, we are often seen out and about, and we should continue in that manner. ” I swallowed hard. The thought of having to pretend being in love with this man, a stranger at that, was rather annoying. But I nodded again. Enough of that and “I can do that. ” "Good," he continued. “And second, we have to cut our intimacy off, right? You have your life and I have my life. Not asking questions, not interfering, period. ” This rule astonished me, however, I was relieved. The last thing I needed was to communicate this already rather mystifying relationship. "Agreed. " “And last but not least,” he said, “if there is anything, anything in any given instance that you find difficult to deal with or if you feel like you can’t handle it, you run to me, you don’t have to try and go through all this rigmarole of struggling by yourself; we have a deal here at least for the next six months”. His voice even carried a certain sting at the end that told me there would be no negotiation. I just gave a nod, If I didn’t, I was afraid that things might get worse but I was also sort of relieved. This was all so cramped, so cold-blooded, so heartless basically. But perhaps that was for the best because life ‘needed to edit out the crudeness of Harrigan and Jones and restore a little nobility to the human spirit. ’ It would not complicate things and would be as straightforward as can be. The following days seem to be a set of repetitions and moments of silence between the two of them. Thus, we built a somewhat calm routine, a circular motion around each other and the small apartment. The only time Kai was home was when he was attending to his “business,” meaning I was either home alone or sleeping at my sister’s place. I read, cooked, and mentally continued keeping my thoughts with my mother. The costs of the various treatments and accommodations put me in a hospital sank my mind to another level of thinking. Kai walked into the kitchen one afternoon as I was preparing our lunch and the look on his face seemed deep in thought. He studied me for some time in silence before he could utter his first word. ‘Well you know that you do not always have to cook you could order or go somewhere else to eat. ’ I just waved off, or at least I hoped that I did it nonchalantly. “Yeah I like it though it helps me to pass my time,” they said while preparing some food that smelt good. He actually answered, though the curiosity in his eyes transformed the ‘n’ to a ‘w’. —that made me uneasy. I nodded, he looked rather pleased with himself “You’ve done pretty well for yourself ”, he said. I stood there for a moment not knowing what to say. I was still in a daze after those events that brought me here in the first place. But I didn't want to look vulnerable or pray on. This kind of dilemma shows that: “I don’t have that much of a say in the matter, do I?” This silence went uncomfortable and Kai didn’t say anything so I didn’t engage in the little conversation either. I could sense him staring at me, looking me up and down. Given this line it made me nervous because I felt he was seeing through the coming show I was putting on. It was rather late in the day that I thought I needed to go out and breathe some fresh air and get a bit of fresh thinking time. During my walk one evening in the area of the place, I saw a pawn shop at a corner of the road. I remembered the Antonio Vietri Moon Star Shoe Kai that Kai had bought at the store. It was an overboard gesture, one that I could not grasp, I never expected it from her. But perhaps, though it may sound like a crazy idea, it could be very beneficial in offsetting the amount due for the hospital bills. I walked into the pawn shop; the bell hanging above the door swung gently. The room was somewhat dark and the shelves were stocked with everything from rings to speakers, old toys. An attendant standing behind the counter looked up and a nonchalance settled on his face. “Can I help you?” he asked looking me up and down as though I was a criminal. I paused for a second or two, then, fishing the shoe out of my pocketbook, handed it to her. The following would be appropriate beneath the context of the believed artifact: I’d like to sell this. The attendant slightly opened his eyes as he looked at the shoe and then touched it. “This is quite an upper-level product I might add, why are you selling this?” Color rose to my face, and my agitation could not be gainsaid. ’’I need the money. ’’ He nodded in a non-committal way saying no more on the matter. Then, after a pause as to which strategic move would mostly unnerve me, he quoted what I feared and my heart dropped. It was far less than I thought it would be, peanuts really where even a scratch on the hospital bills wouldn’t be met. I shook my head denying it with cleverness and determination. ”It can’t be that cheap. this shoe is too valuable. ” The attendant shrugged. ‘That I suppose is the best that I can do’. I was going to fight that when the door opened and Kai came into the room. His face was grim and for the first time I felt a electric shock of fear. He had turned and was coming back toward me as if he had known I was here all along. He moved across the room in a few steps and any person would know he is a man of authority. The man looked at him, a frown on his face “Is there a problem?” he enquired, his tone depressingly formal. The attendant appeared to draw into herself at the look Kai gave her. That is not a problem at all, just talking about a sale. Kai looked at the shoe, and then at me again, his expression cold, his eyes masked. “We are not selling it,” he said with determination taking the shoe back and giving it to me then he spoke to the attendant with a lot of anger. “And next time don’t try to underbid my wife. ” The attendant looked uncomfortable and began stammering an apology and I felt so embarrassed and at the same time confused. Kai pulled me out of the store, and although he did not apply much pressure to my arm I sensed that he could twist it quite easily. The man paused for a moment, stepping out, and turning to me with a slightly less twisted face. “Why were you seeking to sell the shoe?” He enquired choosing words that were softer than before. I looked down, and from the corner of my eyes, I could still see him yet I couldn’t directly look at him. I intended to contribute toward the hospital costs of her nightmare Which………could be quite precious. To which Kai only sighed and leaned forward to rub the back of his neck. It does not matter if you are a woman or a man: my feelings are the same expressed with you Vanessa: “You do not have to do it alone; I said that I will do everything for you. ” I experienced the sensation of a lumpy throat, which was probably because equally consisting of frustration in addition to an overwhelming sense of thankfulness. “But, why? Why are you doing all this?” I gazed back trying to decipher what he wanted pulling my eyes away from his, for the few seconds it took him to speak again. Then he just said “Because I promised.” I was however shocked by the undertone of the call and the genuineness that came with his words. In some ways for a brief moment I was able to look beyond the rigid cold shell and see the real person inside. It almost felt as if, the next moment, he was back to being an emotionless doll with the mask firmly back onto his face. “Let’s go home,” he said, businesslike. Then speaking to Elizabeth warmly, Prince Charm continued:” We have a lot to talk about”. As we went back, I felt there is something special about Kai Ace or rather there is more to him than what we could see. He was an enigma, an enigma I was as yet tussling with. But for now, I stepped out of the past web and had to look at the future clearly since I had to make this work. But perhaps, they would discover who Kai Ace the man, the man behind the legend was truly.