Leslie and Lana burst through the door, lugging their suitcases behind them, their identical bright smiles beaming at Miguel. "We made it!" they chimed in unison, bouncing up and down like rubber balls.Miguel's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly caught on, opening his arms wide to envelop the twins in a warm hug.
"Hey, hey! I've missed you two!" He chuckled, his face lighting up with joy.
The twins squealed and jumped up and down, nearly knocking Miguel off his feet. When they finally released him, they began exploring his sleek, modern apartment, oohing and ahhing over the kitchen and living room.
"Miguel, this place is amazing!" Leslie exclaimed, flapping her arms like a bird. "Which room is mine?"Lana, meanwhile, was rattling off a mile-long list of demands, grinning mischievously at Miguel.
"We need to go shopping, Miguel. And to the movies. And we want pizza. Oh, and we need to watch that new Netflix show..."Miguel laughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay! I get it. You two are on vacation mode."
"How has life been? How's school?"Lana asked.
"Great."
"And your girlfriend??" Lana winked flirtatiously. Miguel rolled his eyes.
"I'm not dating any....."
Just then, Leslie thundered down the stairs, her eyes fixed on Miguel. "Food. We need food. Now."Miguel chuckled, shaking his head.
"Sorry, girls. No maid service here. You'll have to fend for yourselves."The twins exchanged a look, and Lana's eyes sparkled.
"That's okay, Miguel. We'll just have to get creative."
Just as they were about to start rummaging through the kitchen, the doorbell rang. Lana's hand shot up, like a student eager to answer a question.
"I'll get it!" She bounced over to the door, a mischievous grin plastered on her face.
The grin disappeared when Lana set her eyes on Gabriela. She was wearing a skimpy red dress that stopped directly on her thigh. She pouted her full lips, her face laced with curiosity.
"Who is she?" She thought.
"Who the hell are you? You've got the wrong address." Lana yelled.
"Wrong address? I don't think - "
"I was just about to get to something more important. Bye, slut." Gabriela gasped in shock. Her eyelashes kept on batting, trying to fathom what Lana just called her. The information felt like algebra, making her head spin.
"Why are you looking confused? Isn't that what you do? Bitching around with guys. Little wonder you've got the wrong address. You have lots of men to fuck - " Gabriela didn't wait for her to finish before landing a slap on her face.
Lana staggered backward, her mouth agape as tears welled up in her eyes.
She screamed.
"What the fuck? How dare you?!!" She shrieked. Miguel walked towards her.
"What's happening?" Gabriela was fuming already watching Lana whimper.
"Miguel! This strange bitch dared to hit me! She hit me!" Miguel's eyes met Gabriela's. He recalled that he had asked her to come over.
"Lana, she's..." Lana darted off, her hand on her cheek crying uncontrollably. Miguel heard the door slam loud.
"Damn, where did she go?" He mumbled.
"Who is she, huh? Why did she call me a slut?" Gabriela questioned loudly.
"Slut?" Miguel was amused. Gabriela rolled her eyes when he smiled a little.
"Come in." She was hesitant at first but entered. He shut the door and Gabriela was bewildered to see another girl on the sofa looking exactly like Lana.
"You look puzzled. They are twins." He told her.
"Twins?" Then it hit her.
His twin cousins.
This was a greater embarrassment than peeing her pants. Although, Lana was wrong for calling her a slut but she felt like she had made a terrible impression.
"Your cousins..." Miguel sat and nodded.
"Yeah. They are the ones I told you about."
"Fuck. I'm so sorry, Miguel, I shouldn't have..." She bit her lower lip in regret. The apology felt too difficult.
"I need to see her." Gabriela ran up the stairs, guilt written all over her face.
Gosh, her palm was too fast.
She knocked on the first door she saw.
"Um...I'm really..sorry. I feel horrible that I've hurt you and I'm apologizing.." She bit her lip again.
"Shit..so cringe.." She mumbled. She could hear Lana crying and sniffing.
"Leave! I don't wanna listen! Apology not accepted! Get out!!" Gabriela felt like a little kid being rejected.
"Hey, no one rejects me, okay?" Lana chuckled silently at that. She sniffed and wiped her tears.
"And no one hits me the way you just did."
Leslie was questioning Miguel.
"What gives her the right to go upstairs? Is she your girlfriend?" His heart skipped. He couldn't hide the blush on his face, though he tried his best to ignore her questions and fix his gaze on his phone.
"Being a girlfriend doesn't even give her the effrontery to do whatever she wants."
~~~
"Hey, what can I do for you? Just to come out right now and say you forgive me." Gabriela was still pleading.
"Two tickets to watch the latest romcom. I bet you can't afford - "
"Done." Lana's eyes widened.
"Wait...I thought you were just a cheap whore." Something boiled in Gabriela.
"Can you please stop calling me those names? It'll strengthen our friendship if you'd atleast be nice." Lana smiled satisfactorily.
"Okay! And one more thing – a trip to XG resort."
"Sure." Lana's hands were in the air, triumphantly.
"A dinner at Lumi's Kitchen?"
"Done. Just come out now and say you forgive me." Lana's eyes twinkled and her hands flew to her mouth.
"Lumi's Kitchen? Do you even know what Lumi's Kitchen is? The biggest and most expensive restaurant in all of - "
"You can eat dinner there throughout your stay. I'll take care of the bills."
"Do you know how much a plate of salad is?" Lana was still struck with amazement.
"Come out!" Gabriela yelled impatiently. Lana burst the door open and flung her arms on Gabriela. She staggered back, almost falling.
"You're so cool! You're awesome! I love you already! I forgive you!" Gabriela giggled. She broke the hug.
"Let's go downstairs."
"Let's hold hands. To make Miguel jealous." Lana locked her hands with Gabriela tight as they walked down the stairs.
Miguel looked from his phone and a smile spread on his face.
"Who are you to Miguel, though?" Lana was curious.
"Um..."
"Looks like you made up." Leslie returned from the kitchen with peach drinks and cups.
"I served something that looked like yesterday's leftovers. We can have those first before we get on with the real meal!"
"Peach! I love peach!" Lana squealed. They walked to the dining. Leslie's death glare was on Gabriela. They sat as Lana poured the peach drink, her fingers dancing with excitement. Gabriela's chair was in front of Miguel's and she kept her eyes on him instead of Leslie.
"What made you change your mind about this bitch? Hand so fast you feel you can hit any damned person? You've gone nuts." Leslie sounded bossy and arrogant. Gabriela was ready to attack her with the next statement in her head.
Miguel made eye contact with her before she could say a word.
But she wasn't having it.
"You..."
"I apologize for the inconvenience. My cousins will be here for a long time. And you both have to put up with Gabriela no matter what she does."
"Gabriela?" Leslie and Lana shouted in unison and exchanged glances.
The name rang a bell with the hottie standing in front of them.
"Yeah. She's my fiancee." Gabriela's eyeballs looked like it wanted to pop at that moment. Her heart suddenly hit thunderously.
She had never felt this awkward – at the same time, flustered.
Fiancee?
Her legs were shaking under the table.
Gosh, saying it made him look dashing. The look the twins gave her made her want to disappear.
Her pounding heart did worse. She tried to hide that shock but got cheated by her own mouth. She choked on the meal and coughed uncontrollably.
"Gabriela! Lana, why are you just staring? Do something! Asap!" Miguel sounded tensed.
"Okay!" Lana poured a glass of water and she gulped it down.
"I feel better. Thanks."
"Gabriela. No, no, no, no..."
"The Gabriela we all know is really rich and....Gabriela Flores? Is this really you?!" Leslie screamed. Lana was astonished.
"Yeah."
"I'm a big fan of you! I can't do without staring at your selfies on social media!" They both squealed, their voices filled with joy.
"But you've never taken a picture with this makeup."
"The makeup! Looks natural! You've never taken a picture looking like this!"
"You're the prettiest with this makeup style!"
"You're gorgeous!"
"Gabriela, I'm obsessed with you!!!" Miguel hit his fork on the plate abruptly. Their big smiles was replaced with an irritated stare.
"Don't be so noisy on the dining table."
"Wait...no way. Gabriela's your fiancee?"
"How come you got engaged and you didn't tell us about it?"
"We're getting engaged after college." He declared again. Gabriela was baffled. The twins let out another happy squeal.
"She's not a fiancee then yet. She's a soon-to-be fiancee." They shook their little heads.
"We're so happy for you guys!!! This is a dream come true."
"Gabriela will soon be a part of our family!"
~~~~~
Michelle couldn't contain her excitement as she bounced around in her mom's small apartment, the email still glowing on her phone screen. Lumi's Kitchen, wanted her. She dropped her bag on the couch and rushed to her kitchen, where a stack of cookbooks and recipe journals awaited her attention.
She had spent countless hours researching Lumi's Kitchen's signature dishes, pouring over reviews, menus, and food blogs. She knew their customers loved their lobster mac and cheese, but she also knew that Lumi's had a secret ingredient that set it apart from the rest. She had narrowed it down to either a specific blend of cheeses or a unique cooking technique.As she flipped through her notes, her mind whirled with ideas.
She had experimented with new recipes, trying to perfect the perfect truffle fries and crispy brussel sprouts. She knew Mrs. Lumi, the restaurant's owner, loved bold flavors and presentation, so she had focused on creating dishes that were both visually stunning and Instagram-worthy.But there was one thing that still made her nervous: the meeting with the restaurant's notoriously cold-faced manager. She had only met him a few times before, but his piercing gaze had always made her feel like he was sizing her up. She hoped he was ready to be impressed.
The email had mentioned a meeting before her resumption, and Michelle was determined to make a killer impression. She spent the rest of the evening practicing her presentation, perfecting her menu pitch, and rehearsing her responses to any questions he might throw her way.
~~~~
Leslie, Lana and Gabriela spent the whole day chitchatting about social media and girlie stuff. Miguel's eyes was fixed on his phone and he was convinced his cousins fell for the lie.
Gabriela's stomach grumbled when the sun was setting and she decided she'd prepare something nice.
Leslie and Lana excused themselves to check out their rooms.
Gabriela got into the kitchen, already familiar with the stuff like it was her office, and began. Few minutes after, Miguel walked in.
"You were sick, right?" Gabriela started a conversation.
"Yeah. The nurse came before you and I was treated. I felt much better after seeing Lana and Leslie. I've missed them so much."
He leaned against the wall, staring at her as she cooked.
"What's with the fiancee thing? Why did you lie to them?" Miguel giggled mockingly.
"Why are you laughing like that? It infuriates me." Gabriela faked a frown as she cut vegetables.
"Don't cut so fast. You'll hurt yourself."
"Don't give boyfriend vibes. They aren't here." The smile didn't waver from his face. He watched her wear an apron and tie her hair.
"You shouldn't have lied. They might kick me out when they find out."
"Then they'll never find out. Why will they kick you out?"
"Because they are more entitled to your house than I am." His back was against the wall, his gaze not leaving her as she worked.
Everything she said suddenly made him laugh.
"Hilarious. I only lied to them so they could show an ounce of respect, okay? If you sort their vacation bills and act lovable and nice, they'll grow to like you and wouldn't even care if we're dating or not."
"Act lovable? I am lovable!" Miguel burst out laughing again.
"Stop laughing. I feel embarrassed. A good fiance shouldn't be jesting when his girl is hurt." She bit her lip, her own statement making her blush.
"What should a good fiance do, then?" Gabriela couldn't deny - the change in his voice made her heart race.
"Wait...what's hurting you? Does the fake dating bother you? Or it bothers you that we can't make it real?" A gasp escaped her lips. She flushed so hard – it was difficult to focus on cooking.
His stare made her want to sink.
"Your twin cousins. Lana and....the other girl. Leslie. They are so identical. How can I...how can I differ?" She changed the topic.
"Leslie's hair is darker than Lana's. Leslie has a beauty mark but Lana doesn't. Did you notice that?" Gabriela nodded.
"Leslie's taller too. She's the oldest."
"Oldest? I thought twins were born the same time."
"She's older by a minute, I think." Gabriela didn't respond. Miguel watched her cook in silence.
He remembered something.
"Oh. I saw a necklace at a jewelry store and I thought you'd like it." Gabriela's eyes shone with excitement.
"Really? Why did you visit a jewelry store anyway?"
"For the girls."
"Cool."
"I'll be back." He left the kitchen. Gabriela let out a sigh.
The things his gaze did to her were dangerous.
He stared at her with so much – need.
She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard his footsteps. He came in holding a jewelry box.
"Wow, this box is really nice. Can I have it?" She took it from him and placed it on the countertop.
"It's Mom's. I'll think about it." She smiled wistfully. Miguel opened the box and she was awed. It was a beautiful diamond sparkling necklace – one she knew.
"Isn't this....a Spanish town's Princess necklace inspiration?" He nodded.
"Yup. The storekeeper narrated the history behind it. It's really special, right?" The smile on her face was graceful and her eyes glistened with joyful tears.
How could someone be so thoughtful to get something of this worth? It wasn't even her birthday.
She didn't know what to feel. She just hugged him.
He could swear she'd hear his heart hammering. This was it.
The end of that self-control. He broke the hug and Gabriela's innocent look and pout lips was more than tempting.
He lowered his head and claimed her lips.