“What do you mean?”
“You should know very well what I mean,” she sighed, “No mother would enjoy the fact that her daughter whiled away her time, sleeping with every Tom’s Dick and Harry.”
I ignored the pun.
“You get it? The Tom’s Dick and… It’s like making… ah forget it." She gave up explaining and cleared her throat, “The point is she needs to be controlled and…”
“And getting her a husband would do just that?” I asked.
“Like I said she didn’t leave me a choice,” she said, “However, if sex is her problem, then her suitors would be more than able to ensure she doesn’t crave for another man.”
“Suitors? It isn’t just one?”
“Yep, she has one month to do as she likes, after that, the next three months will be spent wooing for her attention, and whoever succeeds within the four months will get to be by her side,” she said.
“So, what happens if she doesn’t agree with you?”
“Who says she didn’t?”
I was stunned. So, Aria accepted it.
“However,” Mrs. Wolfe said, “She says she’s already in love with someone.”
“Did she say a name?”
“Maybe, maybe not." She was clearly enjoying herself now, “I don’t believe love can be born out of nothing, sometimes lust can turn into love. I’m yet to see that happen though.”
“I see.”
“Oh, don’t look so down,” she said, “Oh well, she’ll be tamed by one of her suitors not long enough.”
“She won’t,” I said as I brought out my glasses, “I won’t let her do that Mrs. Wolfe.” “And why is that?”
“For the simple reason that I’m in love with your daughter,” I said as I put on the glasses, “I’ll be the one to tame her.”
The expression on her face changed to one of fear, “You…”
She stopped and started laughing.
“Very interesting Mister Nick Parker,” she said, “Do as you like.”
She stopped a taxi and got in.
“You never told me what the peck meant as a reward,” I said.
“Well you’re the first man besides my husband to make my heart skip a beat,” she said, “Don’t disappoint me.”
“I doubt I would.”
Aria
I was a little worried about Nick as they had been gone for a while. But no time to worry about that, I was trying to figure out the next course of action.
Do I just up and tell him how I feel about him?
Easier said; my fear was the fact that he had heard and confirmed the rumors about me. Plus, I told him how I arrived at the top. He’d probably be disgusted by me now.
And then the suitors… I couldn’t help but wonder the kind of men my mother had lined up. I could always leave the country.