Vincent Luciano (P.O.V.)
"Vincent, I have been thinking, and I think that it is time for you to settle down with someone."
I glanced up from where I was resting on my sofa.
Must my mother always swoop in to disturb my peace?
I shifted slightly in my seat to keep from chaffing the material, as I have trained myself to do. At the foot of my sofa, my mother stood as she glared at me disapprovingly. The glare almost made me move to sit up properly…keyword, almost. Her expression was the definition of disappointment.
My mother was the typical snobby rich old lady. Italian lady might I add. Slim nosed that was paid for, with lipstick covered lips that always seemed to twitch whenever a smile was absent on her face.
I already knew where this conversation was going as it is always the same conversation whenever my mother was around me. I let my cheek fall onto the cool leather sofa with a sigh. My mother always did have a talent for increasing my blood pressure with just her mere existence. I do not know how she does it, but it is truly a talent of hers that I despise with everything in me.
"This again?" I asked in annoyance.
Could my mother ever see me relaxing and just think to herself that I would like to stay in such a state, without her nagging?
"You are almost thirty, Vincent," she said, folding her arms across her chest, the many bracelets lined with diamonds on her arms jingling as she moved. Her bright red hair was tied in a tight bun on the top of her head, making her look even more like a military mother.
I raised an eyebrow at her.
"In case you have seem to have forgotten, mother, I am only twenty-five years old. I do not really think that is close to thirty. Think of this as more of a half-full glass type of thing instead of it being half empty. Be any more pessimistic than that and you might just have to book another appointment for some Botox on your forehead" I stated as she growled and glared at me even more.
"Your father and I married when we were twenty-two," she said matter-of-factly.
"I think it is about time for you to stop fooling around and find someone to wed as soon as possible. You need to grow up and stop creating scandals and making our family look bad—"
"I thought you said I was thirty…now you want me to grow up? But I digress…besides I do not make our family look bad—"
"—And I think it is time for you to start your own family so we can give a head start to the next successor of our business," My mother continued, completely talking over me and ignoring what I had to say.
Typical.
Her way or no way. It is always like that.
I pushed myself into a sitting position, making sure to smooth out my clothes, unless I wanted to risk giving my mother something else to talk about and further annoy my soul.
"So, you expect me to meet someone today and fall in love with them, get married, and have children? It does not work like that. Well, maybe it does nowadays with all the dating apps going around, but I am not like that."
"There are plenty of young women interested in you. I got a friend whose daughter has been asking for your hand in marriage since you two were five. I think she is very beautiful, too."
I raised an eyebrow at her.
"Mother, the last time I checked, which would have been recently just to make sure I was safe from your controlling tendencies, arranged marriages are not legal. It is 2015, not 1765. I do not want to marry someone just because it helps our business." I stated and rolled my eyes at her.
"You want a marriage made out of love?" she asked, as if trying to contain the condescending tone in her voice but failing miserably.
"This is the way that business works. Rich families marry into rich families so that we can keep the world spinning. It is what all our ancestors have done before us and what we will continue to do. It is a smart way of marketing to keep the business alive and significant."
I sighed heavily. Arguing with my mother is useless.
"All I am saying mother, is that I am not interested in marriage right now. That is all." I said and shrugged as I relaxed on the sofa once again.
She closed the little distance between us, hovering above me intimidatingly but I was not intimidated at the slightest. I made eyes contact with her and challenged her with my eyes.
"I have given you twenty-five years of freedom. I have given you everything you have ever wanted. All I ask is for you to repay me with the promise of keeping our business alive."
"And I will, just not right now," I responded firmly.
My mother needed to relax and to stop with the greed. The business would not be negatively impacted by my lack of involvement in the married world. Currently, we were basically set for maybe the next two decades.
I found it rather suspicious and odd that she is in a hurry for me to get married to help the business. It begs me to question, what is really going on? Why was she suddenly trying to force this on me?
"Vincent, you do not have any control over this subject anymore. You have choice but to get this done. If you do not settle down, I will take your car and your house."
"I own this house and my car. You cannot threaten me with that."
I could not deny that my heart was palpitating a little from the anxiety she was causing but I could not back down and show my weakness.
My mom smiled cruelly, and I felt a chill run down my spine.
"You think I cannot find a way around that?"
As much as I wished she was joking, I knew she was not. I scrambled off of the sofa, placing my hand over my pocket where the keys were.
"Wait a second." I said.
"Wait for what?"
"Is this not a little abrupt? I need time to think about it first. You cannot just barge in here and expect me to go along with this."
"It should not come as a shock, Vincent. You can thank your brother for that." My mother said with a smirk on her face.
A surge of heat immediately shot through my body. I bit my lip, clenching my hands so tight my fingernails dug into the skin of my palm.
Do not fall for it Vincent.
I warned myself.
She just wanted me to back down and she knew where it hurt the most.
"Your brother would not give me this much of a hassle." She pressed on, rubbing the salt further into the wound she just reopened.
"How can you use Nathaniel against me?" I asked her tightly.
"It is your choice, Vincent."
I sighed in defeat.
"I will... I will find someone."
It is not like I had a choice in the matter as she stated earlier. I just had to think of a way out of it.
Quickly.
"Will you?"
"Yes."
"Good."
"However, I want you to give me a year if I am going to do this."
Her eyes narrowed.
"A year? For what, exactly?"
Does this woman really think that I could just walk outside and find a woman to marry?
"I would like to find someone on my own. Then when the year is up, I will bring her to you, and we will talk about marriage. You cannot really expect me to just suddenly meet someone and marry her, can you? At least let me meet a few of the other candidates first."
The room went silent, and the tension mixed with the silence as my mother contemplated my offer created much suspense. I could feel sweat forming on the back of my neck. If only she would agree to my proposal, then I could have more time to figure out what to do about the ultimatum she'd given me. If she said no... what could I say against her when she used Nathaniel as leverage?
"Six months," she finally said.
"Six?"
"You may have six months to court someone," she permitted.
"Not a day more. When the time is up you must bring the girl you choose to me, and I will decide if she will be allowed to marry into our family. If she fails, you'll marry who I choose."
Of course, there would be conditions. There were always conditions.
"Fine," I agreed, knowing she would get her way no matter what. I had to take what I could get.
The wrinkles on her forehead relaxed and she smiled.
"Good. You may keep your car. Make sure you come to work today. There are some important things you need to take care of which include firing someone."
"I understand," I nodded in acknowledgment and watched as she turned on her heels and left the room.
When she was finally out of the room, I released a breath of air that I did not know I was holding all along.
As soon as she left, I collapsed back onto the sofa, feeling a headache coming on. Why was she so adamant about marriage? I was perfectly content with the way I was living my life— satisfactory and alone. I did not feel the need for a girlfriend especially since I am not ready for marriage so a long-term relationship really would not be something I am looking for at the moment. Even if I did have any of those needs, I could find a willing partner from the local bar. For now, I had to find someone to at least trick my mother into thinking was my girlfriend.
It should not be too hard. It is not like I do not have the physical appearance to goad someone into doing it. I was on the cover of multiple business magazines. Paired with my conditioned polite and charming personality, I knew I was a good catch. And if that is not enough, I would just show them my bank account.
If only money could buy me a girlfriend, I thought wistfully.
Then it hit me.
The plan was simple.
Find a woman, hire her to date me for six months, fake a break-up right before I brought her to meet my mother, and then claim I was too heartbroken to move on. That way I would not be forced into a marriage with a stranger, and I would be allowed to stay single until I met the person I was meant to be with. Surely my mother would feel pity for her son going through his first heartbreak.
It would be easy.
I grinned to myself, adjusting my tie.
Let the fun begin.