CHAPTER 3: THE DEAL

I was almost asleep when Shelley suddenly barged into my room. She shook me without consideration whether I was sleeping or not.

If I have any liberty, I will lock the door to my room just for a little privacy. But Shelley insisted that I cannot lock my door because she might need me anytime.

Yes, I work for her 24/7. I’m not complaining, I’m just stating a fact. I chose this, so I do not have any right to complain.

"Why?" I asked without being able to open my eyes properly.

"I need your help! I need your help!" she’s panicking and shaking me violently now.

‘Of course you need my help. You wouldn’t have hired me if you didn’t need help for everything, otherwise, right?’

I bit back my words of sarcasm.

I sit up. She also sat on my bed and looked at me.

"What do you need my help for?"

I stopped and stared at me.

"I.." She started, brows furrowing. "I didn't realize until now that you have a beautiful pair of eyes."

Her voice is laced with a trace of envy. One thing Shelley hates the most is if there is something good someone has that she wants to have, too.

I reached for my eye glasses and put it on.

"You look more reliable that way," She commented. I wanted to shake my head. Shelley’s insecurity is incurable.

"What do you really need, Shelley?" I asked in a soft voice.

Instead of answering, she took my hand and led me outside my room. In the living room, I saw Rodney sitting.

"She will take my place," Shelley announced.

Rodney and I frowned in unison. I haven’t even heard what this is all about and she’s already announcing that I will take her place. What place?

"Shelley, YOU are my girlfriend, not Mira! Why would I introduce her to my grandmother?!"

Wait- what?!

"You said it yourself that your grandmother is conservative and old fashioned. I'm sure she won't approve of me because I can't pretend I'm someone simple and homey."

Shelley started trembling and both me and Rodney stared at each other, dumbfounded.

"Babe.." he gently wrapped his arms around Shelley. "You don't have to pretend. I will just introduce you, I'm not asking you to get her approval."

"No.. Even so, she will reject me. She will not like me. I can't bear that. No!" Shelley is almost hysterical. She started crying, and as far as I know, it is a genuine tear. She looked scared. Like a child who is scared of meeting people.

"But Babe, we cannot go on forever like this. I will have to introduce you to her at one point. But you don't have to worry, my grandmother will not be in the country for that long. You do not have to see her often. Besides, we already agreed about this last week."

Shelley shook her head profusely. She’s having a hard time breathing due to her crying. She turned to me and spoke with difficulty.

"Please.. Please Mira. Take my place. Please introduce yourself as Rodney’s girlfriend. Please.."

I have never seen her like this and I do not know how to react.

She cried louder when she saw my hesitation. To my disbelief, Shelley knelt on the floor suddenly and grabbed my waist.

"Mira, pleaseeee..!"

"Is that why you cannot sleep well at night recently?"

In the past few nights, I always wake up to Shelley walking back and forth in the living room. Whenever I ask her if she needs anything, she would just brush me aside and tell me that she’s having insomnia.

"What?" Rodney asked, worried.

I nodded to confirm. "Looks like she’s having anxiety attack."

Rodney helped Shelley to stand up and hugged her.

"Come on, let us get you to your room." And then he brought her to her room, leaving me alone in the living room.

"Is she okay now?" I asked when he came back after a while.

"She’s asleep now."

He sat on the sofa near me and rubbed his face.

"Is it too much to ask you THAT favor?"

I chewed on my lip while taking my time to think.

What will it cost me to be his girlfriend for few hours. Or for a day at the most?

I looked at him, hesitation clearly shown on my face.

"I think she's having an attack of Atychiphobia. She's afraid of rejection." He explained, obviously still trying to convince me.

I sighed.

"I only need to meet your grandmother once, right?"

Rodney nodded. "Yeah."

We both fell quiet. When I cannot take it anymore, I broke the silence.

"Ironically, Shelley is a model. A profession that constantly requires approval from the crowd."

"Yeah. Thankfully, the crowd loves her. Modelling is Shelley's therapy. A dose of warmth that makes her feel loved." Rodney looked beyond the wall of the room, his eyes showing the ache he feels for his girlfriend.

Why does my heart break for him, instead of for Shelley? Why is it that it is his sadness that I want to wipe? Why am I more concerned about how he feels than how Shelley might be feeling right now?

Slowly, automatically, my hand reached out for his and squeezed it reassuringly. He was surprised and looked at me.

"Alright, I am agreeing to this."

He smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Mira. I owe you." He held my hands inside his in a gesture of appreciation.

"N-No, it's okay. Y-You have nothing to thank me for." I stammered.

We both grope for words, so I simply pulled back my hands because I am slowly becoming aware of the warmth of his hands. And I am slowly feeling guilty that I am feeling this way right now.

"You really love her." I stated as a matter of fact.

A giddy grin spread on his lips. "I do."

For the first time in my life, I envy someone for real. What did Shelley ever do in her past life to deserve Rodney?

"How did you meet Shelley?"

I realized quickly how stupid the question was. Shelley is popular; she’s one of the most sought-after models in the country.

"We met when we were in college. I was in my graduating year, she was a freshman. She was so conservative and shy back then. The way you are right now. But she stood out from the crowd. I was a varsity player and she was always watching our game. One day, I walked up to her and asked her name. Since then, we became friends. And then later, our relationship became deeper, so we started really dating. It's about the same time she joined the pep squad and shun her conservative ways."

I smiled as a force of politeness. "If so, then there is no reason for her to be afraid to see your grandmother. She used to be conservative herself."

Rodney smiled ruefully. "She really hated to look back to the way she was. Shelley had so much trauma from rejections starting from her parents and then later on, from her friends. Her first boyfriend dumped her because she’s old fashioned. He's a complete jerk, he didn't know what he lost."

I smiled. "And then you came into her life."

He matched my smile. "Yes. And then I came into her life," Rodney repeated.

"Uhm.. So regarding me posing as your girlfriend, when would that be? "

"Tomorrow."

"What?! Already?"

I was surprised when he suddenly laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"You are. Look at your face, your eyes suddenly grew huge," he gestured exaggeratedly.

"That’s because I am not yet prepared. I need to psyche up myself first!"

"Well, you have the whole night. Early in the morning, we have to meet Gran at the airport, and from there, we're going to her farm in Tagaytay."

"That will take a few hours. Can we just say I have a very important engagement after we meet her at the airport?"

"No can do, dulce amor. My grandma will take such excuses as disrespect. Please just bear with it this once. I promise I'll return you any favor you will ask of me."

I grumbled. "I'm not helping YOU. I'm helping Shelley."

‘Dulce amor. Sweet love. I love the sound of it in his lips.’

I shook my head mentally to push aside the thought.

"So, tell me.. How should I act in front of your old folk?"

"Just be yourself. I do not intend for you to impress my grandmother. I just happen to promise her that I will be introducing my girlfriend. But as you see, Shelley backed out at the last minute. I didn't care if my grandmother would not like her. I love her. That is what matters to me. But, I also cannot aggravate her anxiety anymore, so I do not want to put more pressure on her right now. "

I sighed and nodded. "Then if that is the case, I will go to sleep now so that I can wake up early tomorrow."

I stood up but he reached for my hand.

"Mira, thank you."

I looked into his eyes and got lost there for a while before I found my voice.

"I-It's okay. I need to help Shelley. I am indebted to her for so many things, so I will do this to pay her back somehow. And besides, who doesn't want to be your girlfriend, even just for a day?" I joked and grinned at him.

"Oh-oh.. You definitely cannot fall in love with me." He warned and I rolled my eyes at him.

"I know, I won't. Same goes for you."

"That's the spirit." He messed my hair and gently led me to the door of my room. "Go and get an eye-shut, so that you are well rested tomorrow. Because tomorrow, we are lovers."

He closed the door behind me once he already ushered me inside.

I stood rooted in place, his words still ringing in my ears. ‘Tomorrow, we are lovers.’

Can tomorrow possibly run until forever?

I felt my knees getting weak so I slowly walked to my bed and dropped myself.