Chapter 3

 Develene LIES 

STILL_ON_FLASH_BACK 

"Didn't you do all of this to tease me ?" He asked and Marie stared at him in silence.

Her mission to do things that men hate and get him to dislike her didn't work, instead it only made him more determined to marry her.

When she took long to answer, he took hold of her hand wanting to pull her into his arms again when she pushed him away.

"Am not teasing you, neither am I trying to turn you on. Am actually hoping for the opposite" She yelled at him.

"Opposite being?" He prompted.

"That you cancel this whole marriage shit! I don't want to marry you" she told him and instead of giving her a reply like she wanted.

He started the car and drove on, through the ride it was quiet all through making the whole atmosphere tense.

He stopped right in front of Develene parents home and when she would have leave, she found the door still locked.

"Open this door" she yelled at him.

"We will be going on another date tomorrow, I will send willow to come....."

"What makes you think I will want to go out with you again? "

"You will, you will end up going out with me tomorrow" he replied with determination.

"You really think you can have it all right? Let me tell you that I have a mind of my own and I won't be bullied Into doing what you want" Marie declared hotly starring at him only to be pulled into his arms again.

"This fiery spirit of yours, do you take it to bed with you cause I would like you being this way when I make love to you" he told her bluntly.

Once again Marie felt mesmerised and she was mesmerised by his words this time around.

He moved towards her wanting to kiss her and Instinctively Marie moved her head back a bit only to connect it with his.

As soon as he let her go to rub off the pain, she got out of the car and ran straight in.

Ignoring Develene parents who were waiting for her, she ran to her room where she bolt the door.

Somehow she felt Romeo to be a threat and he Frightened her. All she had wanted to do was to scare him off, she often did that to men who made a pass at her at the restaurant she worked in Texas and it always work but with Romeo, it didn't.

The darn man even thought her to be teasing him, she thought as she recalled the kiss they shared earlier.

Never had she been kissed that way, she thought as her phone began to ring, quickly she picked knowing it was Develene calling.

"So how did it go? Is he breaking off the marriage thing?" Develene asked.

"I don't think so" Marie replied narrating everything that happened to Develene.

"He kissed you?" Develene asked in shock.

"I think he's smitten with you. Maybe you should come and tell him off yourself cause I don't think he will give up" Marie told her.

"Let's not rush things. You are me and am you for now, just do whatever you can to get him off your back, I don't care about the tactic you use. Just get him to cancel the marriage. Please Marie, you are the only one I trust to help me accomplish this" Develene begged and feeling guilty at wanting to leave while she's been nothing but kind to her, Marie decided to stay to keep on convincing him.

It was a while later when she was In bed that she realised that he was taking her out tomorrow. She would go and make it clear to him why she can't marry him.

***********

~ THE NEXT DAY ~

Dressed in a modest black knee length gown, she walked down stairs.

Her dressing had got him thinking other wise, if she shows up dressed in this black gown, hopefully he would keep his distance.

She was about to leave when Hannah stopped her by the way.

"You look lovely" Hannah told her.

"Lovely enough to make Romeo lose interest In me" she replied.

"Why? Didn't you like going out with him last night?" Hannah asked.

"I didn't and I want to put an end to this. I don't like him mom, he frightens me" Marie told her her own feelings and not the one Develene would have told her.

Taking hold of her hand, Hannah stared at her.

"You can't call it off with Romeo. You've got to make it work with him" Hannah told her.

"Why? Why can't I call it off with him? Just what are you keeping from me?" Marie asked and Hannah would have replied if Willow hadn't chose that moment to press the door bell.

Her things was collected by willow which he took to the car while she followed him. She turned to see Hannah starring at her and she wondered what Hannah was keeping from her.

Marie got into the car and it wasn't until Willow had drove into the busy streets of New Jersey that she asked where she was being taken to.

"Mr Brooks is currently in Paris for a business deal but he told me to take you to his apartment where he will be joining you in two hours time" Willow replied.

"If he knew he would be busy, he should have just cancelled the whole thing" Marie said in annoyance.

"He wanted to but he didnt want to get you angry and also he told me to give you this credit card. He said you can use to buy whatever you want" Willow told her as he handed a card.

"Trying to make me forget that he's standing me up by giving me this? What does he think I am" Marie muttered out unknowingly and that got Willow smiling, not that she noticed it.

Willow has been working for Romeo and he knew most of the women he dated and bedded and he can firmly declare that Develene is different. She's different in a sort of way which makes her cute, he thought as he kept driving.

"Since he's given me his card, why don't we shop?" She suggested starring at Willow through the mirror.

One of the traits she had mentioned she had was spending a lot and it's time to show him that, she thought as she waited for Willow reply.

"I don't think Mr Brooks will..."

"Common, he's currently in Paris and he won't be able to stop us. Take me to the nearest but expensive boutique" Marie declared and soon she was urshered into a well furnished boutique were a clothe which was displayed on a rack cost a lot.

Marie finds herself wanting to stop but she couldn't. He has to realise that Develene would only be an expensive wife if he chose to marry her.

Marie bought and bought a lot of things, thinking her things to be small, she went to the male boutique were she bought some couple of clothes for him.

She made sure she bought the most expensive male shirts and watch and wanting to spend more she bought a shirt for Willow and also a watch.

"You really shouldn't bother" Willow said trying to refuse.

"This is my fiance credit card and it deserves to be used. So don't worry, I will take all the blame if he gets angry about it" she said pulling Willow to where he chose a watch.

Carrying tons of bags they went back to the car and soon he drove her to Romeo pent house where he deposited all the stuff she bought before leaving the room.

It wasn't until Marie saw all the bags on the chair that she realised she must have spent a lot.

Never In her life has she spent this much, she thought as she decided to look around the house.

She must admit that he has taste, the interior decoration of his pent house was something Marie would have had done if she also had a pent house.

She sat around and went through the things she bought again and also switched on the television but she couldn't stop feeling restless.

She's always been busy back in Texas that she finds it hard to just sit idle now. Moving to the kitchen, she saw some veggies and decided to cook something just to make herself busy.

While trying to take the oil which was a bit too high for her, she took a little plastic which she got on. 

She was still struggling to take it when the plastic gave way and she screamed when she find herself falling but she didn't fall on the floor like she expected .

She felt someone's arm around her and she opened her closed eyes to stare into Romeo's.

"Saved you a second time" he told her still holding her in his arms.

Marie wanted to get out of his arms but he tightened his arms around her instead.

"I didn't get to hear a thank you last time, I want to hear you say it now" he told her and she forced her lips to say the words he wanted to hear.

For a while she thought he was going to kiss her but he let her down while she put a distance between them.

"Don't worry, I won't be kissing you now cause I know you might just nod my head like you did last night" He said while touching his forehead.

"You deserve it" she replied as she went back to her cooking.

"Does wanting to kiss my fiancee deserves me getting a head nod?" He asked as he helped her take the oil.

"A fiancee who didn't want you kissing her, you should have stopped when you had the chance" she told him.

"Fine then, I will give you a heads up later on" he replied with a smile on his face.

"There won't be a next time" she told him slowly.

"We shall see" he replied with a determined look on his face.

"You surprise me. Just yesterday you made it clear that you weren't domestic enough to be in the kitchen and now here you are cooking something up" he told her sniffing at what she managed to cook up.

Marie had totally forgotten the things she told him last night, there was no way she could turn around the whole thing but she would be talking to him later on and she hope it goes well.

"You've been spending lavishly too. Let's say you've spent about five million dollars today" he told her and immediately she stopped what she was doing to stare at him.

"Did I really spend that much?" She asked horrified at the money she spent only on clothes.

"You did and you look horrified for someone who spends lavishly. You should be used to it by now except you also lied about that" he said guessing another lie of hers.

"Of course I do spend lavishly and you should help me instead of questioning me" she told him as he came round the counter to take the plates from her.

"And this is a welcoming gift from me" he said as he bent to give her a swift kiss on the lips while he went to arrange the plates.

Marie was quite taken aback by his kiss but she controlled her emotions and went to join him at the table.

"Do you know that you are the first girl apart from my mom to cook and buy me clothe. I chose right, your the perfect wife material, Develene" he said calling her by her fake name for the first time.

She chose to ignore him as she ate and it wasn't until they were done eating and were seated on his sofa that she brought up the subject.

"I can't get married to you"she said suddenly and he sighed out before starring at her.

"Why?"

"First of all I hate the way you and my dad did everything without consulting me about it and besides I have someone I love" she said talking about Develene boyfriend. At least she wasn't lying on that part.

"I love my boyfriend dearly and the only reason why I came here is to tell you to stop. I don't see myself married to you now or ever. I trust you to be a gentle man and cancel the whole thing" she said getting up to take her bag.

"I don't think that will be possible" he said and she turned to stare at him.

"I chose you because you are fit to be my wife and I don't think I will be changing my mind on that not even your dad will be changing his mind" he said.

"What do you mean? Why won't my dad change his mind?"she asked.

"I suggest you ask him yourself. You are on your way home right? Ask him why he accept my proposal of marriage without consulting you about it" he told her.

"I sure will do that" she replied hotly as she began to walk out of his room only for him to pull her back.

"Let's get one thing straight Develene. I agreed to marry you and save you and your parents from a catastrophe. So think of me as your saviour rather than a threat " he told her as she pulled out of his arms.

"Once I get to hear my parents part then I will let you know what I think about" she told him as she walked out of his pent house.

As soon as she got back home, she went to confront Develene parents who told her the truth.

Turns out Develene father had made some investment worth millions only for it to turn out to be a loss and looking for ways to pay back other investors he had pulled in, he asked for help from Romeo who gave it to him.

And whena it was time for him to pay up, he couldn't do it. It was one of Romeo visit to the house that he noticed a picture of Develene which got him asking for her instead of the money.

Having no choice and knowing that it's the only way to get him self out of jail, he decided to give his child out.

Marie called Develene and told her about the whole thing.

"I think it's time you come home. They really need you" Marie told her on the phone.

"I didn't know they were going through something like this. Your right, it's time I come back" Develene replied.

"What will you say to James mom?" Marie asked.

"I will just tell her something urgent came up. You don't have to worry about that " Develene assured her even as they ended the call.

Marie sighed in content knowing she tried her best in helping her friend, she would be returning home soon. She thought as she doze off.

~ MORNING ~ NEXT DAY 

Marie got downstairs only to see Romeo seated in the sitting room obviously waiting for her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"We've got to talk" he told her as he took hold of her hand steering her to the door but she pulled away.

"I thought I made myself clear to you yesterday" she said.

"You did but I haven't made myself clear to you yet and don't worry I already ask for permission from your parents. Now let's go" he said pulling her towards his car and a while later, Marie sat in a restaurant glaring at him while he looked composed like he didn't have a worry in the world.

"Why are you doing this? You clearly don't love me" she told him as she ignored the menu the waiter brought.

"You are right, I don't love you but I find you desirable and to top things up, you are a great cook. Have always wanted my wife to be a great cook" 

"Am not going to marry you" 

"Even with what you heard from your parents yesterday? I suggest you think again" he told her.

"Are you that heartless as to make them pay if I don't marry you?" She asked and he nodded.

"Am a business man and I must get back what I invested in your father and that will be through you" he told her.

Marie wanted to tell him the whole truth then and there but a man coming to the table and taking up his attention prevented her from doing so.

Excusing herself to use the rest room, she left the table and was about asking a waitress for direction when she rammed into someone.

"Develene!" The man whom she recognised as James, Develene current boyfriend and the man Develene had claimed to love and wanted to spend some time with stood in front of her.

"Am not Develene but Marie. You remember me right?" Marie asked and he nodded.

"Of course I do. You and Develene have the same striking features" James replied cooly and she smiled.

"But what are you doing here and why isn't Develene with you" Marie asked.

"Develene? Why on earth will she be with me?" James asked.

"But she told me that she will be staying with you at your mother house just so your mother will get to accept her " Marie said and James burst out laughing.

"Is that meant to be a joke?" James asked.

"It isn't. Develene told me some days back that she fell for you and that your mother wouldn't approve of her as your wife and so she was going to stay at your house for a while so she can get to..."

"Now hold on a sec.....I don't know what Develene have been telling you but I can assure you that it's all a lie. I left Texas a week ago and whatever thing I had going with Dev ended then and my mother may her soul rest in peace is dead. So Marie whatever Develene told you about the both of us is a lie. I didnt intend to marry her just as she didn't intend to marry me" James told her and it was then Marie knew that Develene had lied to her.