A/N- First story ever! All the characters are involved in show-biz in some way. The characters so far are: Daan-Netherlands, Bella-Belgium, Henri-Luxembourg, Emil- Iceland, Matthias-Denmark, Yao Wang-China, Francoise- Fem!France and the obvious ones like Lovina- Fem!Romano, Feliciana- Fem!Italy, Antonio-Spain, Gilbert-Prussia, Roderich-Austria, and Berwald-Sweden. Also! Antonio sounds kinda like a dick, but this is from Lovina's point of view. In her eyes, he acts like that! However, there was once a time where she loved him, but not now. I hope to update regularly as I really want to make a firm Prumano story!
Chapter 1 – The Arrangement
The dreadful light hit my eyes. Dust swirled around the room, and smoke flooded my lungs. What? What the fuck? Smoke? Who the fuck was smoking in my mansion? Oh I know who. No, not the druggy that sells at the corner. We all know he's not smart enough for breaking and entering. Smoke can only mean one thing- my bloodshot eyes shot open and throbbing pain flooded my head as I picked myself up.
"Good. You're alive. I was just about to start drawing chalk lines." came a blunt voice. Daan, removing his cigarette, puffed more chemical into my nostrils. This did not help my worsening headache. His golden hair was spiked on end, as usual, and he was wearing a casual grey Giovanni suit with that god-awful orange tie. Why was said well-dressed fucker in my house, and so dangerously close to my face with that poison stick? Daan's my manager. He considered it part of his job to make certain I died of second hand smoke. Not really, he'd end up firing himself if he did that, but Dutchboy had a certain fascination with anything that could be smoked, puffed, injected, and you name it-he did it.
Wait. What. You don't know me? Bullshit. I bet just the first syllable of my name will make you people scream. I'm just that fucking amazing. Okay, damn, my name is Lovina Romana Vargas. Happy? I'm the hottest and most popular actress and musician in the past fifty years. How I know that? I got a fucking award. Deal with it haters.
Either way, I pushed Daan and his cigarette of death away from my face, and got up- or so I thought I could. I just fell over. Suddenly it hit me, I was lying on my couch in the middle of my house in a black Prada mini. How did I get here? Where were my shoes? Did I take a purse? My phone?! Come to think of it- I can't remember jack shit. Okay, that would explain the massive headache I have. I must have been hammered last night. Daan walked towards my granite counters in the kitchen mumbling something about the mess in my home . He returned with an Advil and a glass water and sat right in front of me on top of the coffee table.
"Explain, " he said simply.
"What?" I replied looking up fiercely. Owww that hurt. What could he want so early in the morning? I had today off, right? He should know better not to bother me on my days off. His dull blue eyes stared straight into my bloodshot hazel ones.
"You know what. What happened with you and Gilbert Beilschimdt last night? "
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT. WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT WAS HE TALKING ABOUT? Daan took my silence and complete mental breakdown as a legitimate answer. He took my remote from the lamp stand on my left and pressed a few buttons. The flat screen buzzed on and gray-screened before an image popped up. It took me thirty seconds to focus on what was happening, thirty seconds to respond, and a full minute after that to understand. On world-wide television was a LIVE news report on a papparazzi released video of me and Gilbert furiously making out on the streets of L.A. last night! Oh che palle. It showed us walking all the way down whatever road we were on, blocking the cameras with our hands. Gilbert had one hand around my waist, and I had one around his neck. At one point Gilbert even stopped trying to hide our faces, and oh hot damn his hands were on me. Wait, was he hiking up my dress? Okay damn that's sexy, wait- what NO! Never mind! Our lips were connected the entire time, and how we managed to get into the cab I do not know. Daan watched the screen blankly with his arms crossed in front of him. He only said one thing, "I'm losing billions."
When the reporter continued with the normal news, Daan shut the machine off. He abruptly turned to me, "Did that jog your memory?" Oh. Hell yeah that did. I remembered everything- including the fact that Gilbert had been dating Canadian model Madeline Williams for at least two years, who by the way was also one of Daan's clients. You see the dilemma?
In case you don't know, Daan van Driessen was owner and CEO of Dutch Labels, only the most successful agency for models, actors, and musicians. The reason? The company only had three employees: Daan, his younger sister Bella, and their youngest brother Henri, and only three clients: Madeline, Antonio, and I.
Oh who's Antonio? Who's Antonio? Shut up. You all know him. He's the Spanish heartthrob of all girls everywhere, and rumored my official bed partner. Which is all lies, Daan makes sure he knows his place. Go Daan! Although, Antonio and I did sleep together a lot, he was never my lover. We did date for a while, but that was weird. Which reminds me, said Spanish psycho would be furious if he saw this. He'd have a jealous fit.
It was then that the genius idea of checking my phone hit me, I looked down from where I had been staring blankly at the black Tv screen to my cell on the coffee table in front of me. Picking it up I noticed I had three texts. The first from Daan at 5:15 this morning- "YOU HAVE SOME EXPLAINING TO DO." Fuck. He was pissed, no doubt. Good thing he wasn't standing next to me anymore. Scrolling to the second text from Antonio at 10 minutes ago (shit Antonio) - "I'm coming over now ". Okay...scary...better tell Daan. Lastly one from a "Gilvert" 30 seconds ago- "what happened last night?" No shit, Sherlock, I'm wondering the same thing. And wait? Did that really say Gilvert not Gilbert, and hold up what's with the cutesy heart emoji next to it?! I glanced at the time, FUCK it was seven at night, and I had gotten home at two in the morning. That would later explain why the lock on my door was broken (thanks Daan) and why it took so long for Daan to actually wake me up (he didn't plan on breaking the lock, and replacing a window costs more than Mr. Cheap wants to spend).
I looked up slowly and forced my stiff neck to turn around. My eyes searched for Dawn's body in the dimming twilight. I found him crouching on the kitchen floor with a toothbrush and scrubbing the hell out of it. Oh Daan, just retire and be my maid, you know you'd like it.
"Daan," I called out hesitantly, "Daan!"
"What?" came the sharp reply.
"Um..."
"Spit it out, I'm busy,"
"Antonio."
"Fuck-" Daan shot up like lightning and with that the door slammed open, both our heads whipped around to the location of the noise, and a furious green eyed Spainard marched into my house. You could feel his rage, and that's not good. Antonio had this crazy idea that I was like the only girl for him, and because of that I wasn't allowed to see anyone else. He's crazy possessive, yeah bet you didn't know that. He approached me slowly. I swear I could see a black cloud of death hanging around him. Antonio's the reason I have a locksmith on speed-dial- he can't stay away.
"When," he demanded, "When were you going to tell me?" Antonio's voice was low and his eyes dangerously flickering, "He hurt you last night, didn't he?"
What. Homeboy, what planet are you from. Daan cut in, and grabbing Antonio's collar pulled him to eye-level, "Gilbert didn't stay the night Antonio, so calm down. Where's Bella?"
I heard my front door close, and heels clicked down the hallway. "Right here, Big Brother!" came a voice sweet as honey. Yay! Bella was here! I mean. I wasn't happy. No, not at all. I'm cool. She sashayed into the living room wearing a loose green dress that complimented her eyes and chest. Her tall green heels were designer, and she'd obviously gotten her nails done a light pink. My hazy vision followed her around the room to where Daan was standing. He bent down, and she gave him a peck on the cheek. Antonio had moved to pacing the hallway furiously, obviously he'd gotten the message six foot five Ducthboy gave. Anyway, Bella brought her cat like smile next to me on the couch, and sitting down she called out to Daan, "Henri and Maddy are on their way over now!"
"Good," Daan replied coolly, "I hope you two have some ideas that can help."
"Oh trust me," she said while grinning, "I have the perfect plan."
If only I knew what she meant at the time. I wouldn't be in this hot mess. Oh just you wait- that video was just the beginning. Bella pulled pieces of caramel hair behind my ear and pulled me up. She pushed me in the direction of my room. On our way, she stepped firmly on Antonio's toe as he tried to follow us, successfully shutting him up.
Once in my room, she helped me undress and led me to the shower. I took one glance in the mirror- God damn I looked bad. My hair was a mess, and I had these freaky bags under my eyes. I think I spotted a hickey under my ear, well that's not good. Was that dry blood on my lip? Turning away, I pulled myself into the hot shower Bella had prepared. She hummed softly as she cleaned the master bathroom around me. Yes, I kept everything a mess. Clothes were scattered everywhere, and even food too. I lived alone so it was perfectly alright. Don't judge! My only other visitors were my younger siblings, Feliciana and Alessandro, and their homes were worse than mine. Either way, the hot water refreshed me and really woke me up if the whole Gilbert thing hadn't already. I finished up, and walked out to my room. There was a mountain of clothes near the doorway. Bella had finished making the bed, and she'd left some fresh clothes out for me. I got dressed and styled my hair quickly, then I walked past the mountain of clothes towards the living room.
To my surprise, everyone had gathered outside. Henri and Madeline brought take out, Daan and Bella set the table, and Antonio was sitting down at the table like a pouty child. I cautiously walked outside, Daan turned away from Maddy with his drink and led me to the table. Antonio was seated at one head, and Henri had set up office on the other side.
Although Daan officially owned the company, druggy left all the work to his younger brother while taking care of me, meaning Henri was constantly swamped with both Madeline's and Daan's work. I can't complain, I'm high maintenance! We hardly ever saw Henri, and if we did, he was set up like he was that day. He had five cell phones, of all different makes and models, three notepads, and a pack of black pens all arrayed in front of him at the opposite end of the table. We could hear him switch between three different languages at a time. He didn't really pay attention to the conversation, but he'd chime in from time to time. Henri had long light blonde hair that covered his right eye. Sometimes he even styed it to mimic Daan's spiked hair. He was wearing a white vest and a light blue button up with a white tie. Henri always dressed smart, that fucker. Daan should be taking notes! Madeline sat on Henri's right. She wasn't a model for no reason. She's a real beauty, and, yes, I'm allowed to compliment competition. I couldn't look at her, technically Gilbert cheated on her with me. But what I found weird was she smiled at me like nothing had happened. I would find out why later on. Her light blonde hair, a shade closer to white, was tied to the side with a white ribbon and cascaded across her shoulder. She wore a white sundress, perfect for the summer weather. Her face was adorned with a set of Gucci white framed sunglasses, covering her violet eyes. She must have worn them to hide the excitement she showed everytime she caught Daan's eyes. Next to her sat Bella with her trademark smile, and I sat across from Bella with Antonio to my left. Daan was seated next to me, on my right, lighting another cigarette.
Now before I get into what happened next, let me tell you a shortened version of what I think happened the night before. It was a huge blowout party for Francoise's birthday in mid-July. She bought out the entire venue. In case you were wondering, Matthias Køhler hooked her up with the bar he and Berwald Oxenstierna owned called Nordik. You all know how upscale we live, it's not a surprise that we can rent out a venue that high class. However, Daan was super excited, he would get to see Madeline. Madeline and I didn't work together often, and Daan had this huge crush on Maddy forever. I was his not-so-secret wingman. That night I had set him up with Maddy at a table on the opposite side of the bar. They really are cute together. Maddy's bubbly and Daan's just stoic. Perfect contrast. That night I ended up at the bar watching them talk for hours. Francoise let me have the night off by demanding Antonio perform live, and I took great pleasure in sipping a glass of red wine with Herr Awesomeness himself (note the sarcasm here). Since he was dating Maddy, I was assigned to keep him distracted, and beer is a great way to do just that. God he was annoying. He was already drunk and spewing some shit about how awesome he looked. Personally, and don't tell a soul, I thought Gilbert was hot. I thought he was hot for a very long time, but I would kill myself before admitting it out loud. He had been dating Maddy for a long time (or so I thought). But with Daan being my manager and all, it was the least I could do for him by distracting Gilbert. I started with some pleasant talk, which turned into a drinking contest. How? Don't ask me! I. Don't. Remember. After two glasses of beer, I was wasted. For some reason I can hold my wine, but never that horse piss. One thing led to another, and instead of distracting Gilbert- I was taking him home with me. Get it? Now, back to the table.
"Lovina, " Daan started by puffing out smoke, "I know I told you to distract Gilbert, but I didn't mean make headlines." I DID NOT flinch at that, but Daan can be pretty scary, especially when he's scolding me. An angry blunt guy is not fucking pleasing.
"Pfft at least you got to spend the night happily, so don't blame me!" I retorted. Hey! I'm not taking shit from anyone- even Daan! Daan just glared at me, and I just took it like the badass I am. Your secret's out Daan! Suck it.
"Now, now," Bella said coolly, "just listen to my idea~"
"Yeah," added Henri, "really listen." That was the first time he bothered speaking to us. It must be important.
"Thank you, Henri. Now, you all remember that Odo Beilschmidt of Odo Enterprise is planning to retire, right?" continued Bella.
Daan nodded, Antonio gave a grunt (he finally calmed down when I let me caress my hair), Maddy nodded, and I just stared at her. Bella went on, "I just got some very interesting information from a little birdie, and it seems Odo Beilschmidt is looking for an heir to his company."
"Yeah, so what?" Antonio butted in.
"What? What do you mean 'what'?! His sons are both in the industry, and it's a family business. He has no heir! Not to mention, he's losing money with this scandal! That's what!" Daan fumed, and Antonio shot back a nasty sneer. They had some bad blood those two. We all love you Antonio, but sometimes you're just dense. And shit Daan, I know you're angry, but exploding like that is no good! Oh. Fuck it. Who am I to give advice?
"Excuse me," Maddy said softly (oh yeah she was still there), "but this really isn't a scandal."
"WHAT?!" I screamed bolting out of my seat, only to be pulled back down by Daan.
"What do you mean?" he said simply.
"W-well...I broke up with Gilbert last January," stuttered Maddy as she fiddled with the fringe on her dress.
"And you didn't see fit to tell us?" Bella questioned looking nastily at a bent over Henri. Evidently she was in on the crush too. I have been trying to hook those two up forever! Gilbert was just a major thorn in my side! Damn you Henri! Daan was on cloud nine and hiding a significant smile with the scarf he wore just as religiously as his tie. Fuck him and his love life. Henri just looked up and shrugged before going back to work. Bella rested her chin on her hands. She was thinking. I sat back relaxing, so it wasn't as big as we thought. Maddy shot me a wink from across the table. What was that about?
Bella straightened up, "Then here's what we do." She had her business face on. "Gilbert's now a confirmed bachelor, and Odo wants family to lead the company. Dutch Labels owns Lovi-cakes, and everyone knows that Ludwig is planning on proposing to Feli, right?"
Again I shot up, but this time both Daan and Antonio pulled me down saying, "Everyone saw that coming". I DIDN'T! Okay that's a lie, I really did…like from a mile away. BUT! That potato muncher knows that he has to ask me before even buying the ring! I'll rip him to pieces next time I see him! He can't have my sister! I know they've been dating for five years, but still! He needs to ask permission! I need to kill him! That's my next plan! Be prepared potato!
Bella cleared her throat for attention, "Soooo, what I'm saying is," she paused, "a merger. Let's plan a huge company merger~!"
Blondie. Say what?! The entire table went silent. We were just a six person company plotting to take over a family business that's withstood a century of public life. How does this not scream problemsome?! Antonio stopped happily petting my head, Daan held the cigarette poised above his shocked mouth, Madeline's sunglasses slipped off, Henri continued working, and I just sat there processing it all while successfully pushing touchy-feely Antonio away.
"Bella," I said slowly with a slight hint of anger, "does this mean what I fucking think it does?" Come on people, I may be hot, but I'm not stupid. I knew way before he said it. Bella mentioned Feli and Ludwig, and added merger. That only left me and Gilbert. Henri looked up for the first time, "If you think it means you marrying Gilbert Beilschmidt, and Daan inheriting the company, then yes, you're correct." There goes my happy life. I can see it waving good-bye in the distance. Good-bye…good-bye…..
This time Antonio was the first one to his feet, "I will not permit this!" he hollered, slipping into a strong Spanish accent (yeah he does that when he's mad). He slammed his drink down, and glared at Henri, who was already back to work. Bella looked up, green eyes flaring dangerously, "Well how else do you propose saving our company? Because of this so called 'scandal' we are losing supporters left and right! Lovi's clean image has been ruined! Our reputation is on the line! Our company is at stake here!" Okay, I didn't know it was that bad. The thing about being so small a company was that Maddy, Antonio, and I had some job security. We could put all our trust in our managers because we're like family. Daan's business savvy and Henri's sleepless nights gave us our living. Dutch Labels was a multi-billion dollar company even though we were so small, and we depended on our managers. They were our best friends and, if they needed to be, our worst enemy. If we lost the company, we could lose everything. It would spell big trouble for our reputations in Hollywood, and it might cause us to be looked down upon by other companies looking to hire us. It might even send me back to Nonno and Feli.
Antonio continued to rave on about my safety, but Henri held up one finger, commanding silence, as he waited for an answer on one of his phones. Damn, he worked fast! He had Odo Beilschimdt on speed-dial. We all stared unbelievingly as we heard Odo Beilschmidt answer the phone. What Henri actually said, I can't recall. What I do know is it took about thirty minutes to convince him, and during that time I was in mind zero. This was a complete Lovina breakdown. Code red! THIS WAS NOT A DRILL! My life was ending! I was marrying the biggest narcissist, asshole, and jerk-face band member ever! I was going to die. This was worse than Antonio calling me his girlfriend. Hell, Antonio could call me his future WIFE, and I wouldn't care. I couldn't care. I was in Lovina breakdown mode. Say hello- I am dead. Not really, but I was close to it. I was clinging to Daan and begging him to change his mind. Did it work? NO! He ignored me! Me?! I WAS GETTING MARRIED. I just let some group (my boss really) decide my future, and not only that, but my marriage. This has to be illegal. I was getting married! MARRIED TO GILBERT?! Dio mio! No. No no no no no no. Fuck no. I don't agree! No! But! There was still a chance Odo could say no! Please say no! Chant with me- SAY NO! SAY NO! SAY NO!
I came back to Earth with the click of Henri's cell. Did he say no?! Henri looked at the rest of the table with a sly smile, "Congratulations Lovina." Goodbye happy life. Goodbye.
Either way. Despite becoming my personal hell, this was a major win for us. Dutch Labels was going to merge with Odo Enterprise to become Dutch Enterprise. This was incredible news. Our company was saved! We had more job security! Odo Enterprise just got bigger! Daan was going to be CEO, and he was going to get more money! Yay more drugs for him! Ahem. But it also meant that I had one year to learn everything about my future husband before getting married. Married. Me. I was only twenty three. I know marrying young is a thing for my family, but I had hoped to stay out of it. Like way far out of it. But everyone (minus Antonio and I, for obvious reasons) was elated. Daan fist-pumped, Maddy squealed, Bella cheered, Henri went back to work, and Antonio started cursing in Spanish while hugging me protectively. For once since our breakup, I didn't push him off. Daan looked at me. It seemed he was asking me something. Oh….ok time to go back to reality….
"Yes?" I asked. Note to future self- do not answer with yes when you don't know what you're being asked.
"Good," he responded, "then I'll tell Elizaveta to have Gilbert pick you up at seven tomorrow."
Wait. What had I agreed to? A party tomorrow? Gilbert was picking me up? Seven? No backing out?! DAAN. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON MY SIDE. But Daan was beyond happy. Even if he looked as stoic as ever. More money meant a happy Daan. Madeline walked over and congratulated me. I was just numb to it all. My mouth didn't even move to offer a single word of thanks or concern or anger to a close friend. I think the only one who understood my predicament was Bella. After prying Antonio off, she pushed me past Henri, who was talking rapidly on the phone about the recent update to Emil Bondevik of Wang's World News. Damn him being friends with paparazzi. Antonio was really kicked to the curb as Maddy kissed Daan on the cheek, a way of saying congrats and that she's a little more than "interested" in him. The guy turned fifty shades of red. (Go Daan! I'll always support you getting laid! But I'm still pissed about this, so expect a shit storm soon!)
Somehow I got to bed. I texted Feli for a while. She heard the news from Ludwig, of course. She was ecstatic about my marriage, and obviously didn't have a clue about her own. Of course, Feli's just that oblivious. She didn't know anything. She got angry I didn't tell her about Gilbert. Of course I didn't! I couldn't! It was just arranged! Ever heard of surprises?! She had no idea I didn't really know Gilbert at all or that I wanted to kill myself because now he's my fiancée. Sandro sent a text too, but it was something about not coming over tomorrow because of a date. Seriously, that boy needs to learn to work. OH…and speaking of Ludwig, he also left a message asking to meet me. Yeah, he better ask for my permission, that fucker. He's number two on my new hit-list, right after Daan.
When I woke the next morning, around eleven or so, the front page of the paper had a picture of Daan and Odo shaking hands and smiling. (DAMN YOU HENRI!) It explained that Gilbert and I had been secretly dating for over six months, and we were madly in love. Gag me. The article clarified that Madeline refused to make the break up public due to Gilbert being on tour with Z-Storm (stop your screaming, I can hear you). Z-Storm, the most popular electric rock band, was comprised of Gilbert on bass and vocals accompanied by Arthur Kirkland with his electric guitar, and Matthias Køhler on drums and occasionally as a DJ. They were good, of course, stupidos, that's why they're popular.
I groggily got out of bed. I knew that Gilbert was set to pick me up later. Nope. It did not give me butterflies. Not. At. All. No! I did not start secretly hoping he would kiss me again! You are all incorrect. Never in a million years, ok... I did want to be kissed…..a little….like the tiniest most microscopic amount. Shut up. From what I remember, those kisses from the night before last were amazing. I walked towards the shower and turned it on. In guessing that Gilbert would propose later that night, I took a long shower that day to fully relax myself. Showers truly are wonderful. Ludwig could wait until later to get my permission, I don't give a fuck about him. Oh….shit! I needed to figure out what to wear. I didn't pay attention to where we were going yesterday. This warrants a call to Daan!
Said Dutchman was on cloud nine when I called. He said to dress nicely like I had for Fran's party. We were going to Nordik again. Oh great. I was getting proposed to at a bar. Now I'm really going to die. First an arranged marriage, and now I'm getting proposed to at a bar! How am I supposed to live with my hot Italian ass?! I slumped on the couch. Bella and Madeline texted they'd be coming over at two with dresses for me to try on. So what to do until then. I checked the Internet for more news on the merger. Evidently Gilbert had done some interviews talking about how he met me. Okay...we met at a party in December after Gilbert had a fight with Maddy, we hit it off, started dating in January, but we kept it hush because of personal reasons. Oh that's a nice way of describing Antonio. Alright so homeboy can lie, that's good news. Odo explained how happy he was that Gilbert was finally found himself a girl he really loves. Well. Fuck my life. One thing though, none of the interviews mentioned anything about the marriages. They only spoke about my relationship and the merger.
When Bella and Maddy arrived, I had memorized all the information about my fake six month relationship. I answered the door in my robe. Yeah, I hadn't bothered getting dressed. Fuck you. Bella was wearing boots with ripped blue jean shorts and a white strappy top, and Maddy wore a classy violet romper with a huge tan hat to block the sun. Behind them was Henri, loaded down with dress bags. He left as soon as he dropped all thirty of them on my couch. Bella pulled her hair back and with a smile said cheerfully, "Lets get down to business!"
After two hours of deliberating, we settled on a $700 blue ombre mini. It fit my curves perfectly and was the right length for dancing. Great. Dancing with Gilbert. I bet he had two left feet. Bella did my nails, and Maddy did my hair. I love those two, really. Maddy also gave me pointers on how to handle Gilbert. Yes he's a narcissist, but he really does care for others. He likes to dance, but watch how much he drinks. Do not let him drink with Matthias- ever. Always let someone else dress him, like Elizaveta, because he has no sense of fashion. Don't let him drive either because he does have five DWI's. You know. Stuff like that.
Either way, I looked hot in that dress. It made me look fine as fuck. My hair was curled lightly and pulled back on one side with a blue diamond encrusted barrette. I had done my makeup nicely: blue smoky eye and reddish-pink lipstick. I wore a simple gold chain around my neck and no rings (for obvious reasons), just a gold watch and some gold bangles. Simple enough. I was ready about an hour early, just in case.
Gilbert was right on time, seven o'clock, or at least his driver was. Gilbert awkwardly helped me into the car and walked around to the other side. Bella and Maddy had left as soon as I was done to go get themselves ready, evidently they were going too. The car I was seated in wasn't a limo, it was a town car, but you couldn't see the driver. I wasn't exactly thrilled to be there. Yep, I sat moodily looking out the window on my right. The night was going to be absolutely dreadful. I snuck a glance at Gilbert, and he was in the same position looking out the window to his left. He'd crossed his legs and rested his head on his hand. If I had to say, he looked hot...no...good...no fuck it he looked hot. He wore an unbuttoned white satin blouse that hugged his chest paired with a classy black suit. I looked up at his head. His white blonde hair was styled to be messy, and his crimson eyes stared off into the passing distance. He had some makeup patches on his chin. All in all he didn't look happy (guess we're in the same boat), but he did look hot. Ok Lovina! Get ready! Let's do small talk!
"What happened to your chin?" I blurted out. Fuck. That sounded stupid. Damn it Lovina! Learn to talk!
"I hit it trying to get into the cab," he answered not taking his eyes away from the passing road.
"Okay...that would explain the blood I had on my lips," oh. Fuuuuuccck. Did I say that out loud?! Point two for stupid Lovina. Gilbert laughed, turning to face me. Confirmed. I did just say that.
"You know," he said smirking, "you did say something about wanting to kiss it all better."
"I DID NOT!" I screamed. That's just ridiculous! I would never! Gilbert's smirk turned into a cocky grin. His crimson eyes narrowed in on me.
"Yes, you did."
"No. I didn't. "
"Yes."
"No."
"Yeeeess."
'No!"
"Yes." And with that our faces had met in the middle of the car and were millimeters apart. His eyes stared determinedly into my defiant hazel ones. We stayed like that for what seemed like minutes, but in actuality only seconds before Gilbert blushed lightly and turned away. I turned to my own window, NOT TO hide the growing blush on my cheeks. Fuck you. I j-just wanted to see what was out the window. And after that the ride was silent. Gilbert went back to looking out the window, and I did the same. What?! The outside was really interesting! Ok bullshit, and fuck you.
When we arrived at the restaurant, Gilbert got out and walked around to let me out. There was paparazzi crowding the entrance. Everyone wanted pictures of the "new couple". Berwald stood outside acting like the bouncer, but left his post immediately to lead us inside. Gilbert had a firm around my waist and guided me towards the doors. He just wanted to get into the safety of the club, and I don't blame him. But, they needed something to feed the hungry vultures known as paparazzi. So, I nodded at the cameras and gave my best smile (and I don't smile) while waving good-bye. Once inside, Berwald walked us upstairs to the privet room where all our friends and family waited.
Oh fuck. This was way bigger than I thought. No one told me it was a huge party celebrating the merger! Granted they did, but I wasn't really paying attention. Daan was there with Bella and Henri. They all color-coordinated in dark blue, Maddy and Antonio included. The first to jump me was Feliciana. She threw her arms around me, "Lovi! I'm so happy you're here! This is so exciting~!"
"Well, I guess," I responded while pushing her off.
"Ve~ You should look happier Lovi," Feli's auburn hair was pinned up in a bun and tied with a pink bow at the back. Feli wore a pink mini that was the same color as her dress. She looked concerned, which was a rare expression for her. Ludwig, who was standing behind her, wore a gray suit with a pink tie. He acknowledged me with a nod. Hello to you too, potato munching future brother-in-law. Fuck you. Back to Feli. She and I conversed about the car ride, and I explained it was a set up. Thank God she understood, it brought her excitement way down knowing it was only an arranged marriage. What words can do for that girl. We walked together to where Nonno was standing. He wrapped his big arms around us."My girls!" he boomed, "I'm so proud of you both!"
"Oui oui!" answered an equally annoying voice. Enter Francoise in a flattering purple floor length dress, and next to her stood Arthur Kirkland, her longtime on and off boyfriend. She came to give her congrats to me. Thanks, but what I will really need is an annulment. Think you can hook me up? I didn't really say that, but I sure as hell was thinking it. My normal pissy attitude was enough to send her away. She asked about Daan, and I pointed her and her annoyed boyfriend in the right direction.
Nonno sat Feli and I down on opposite sides of him. He chatted about how the merger was to progress (Nonno took care of Feli as her manager). Thank God I didn't have to explain the whole "I'm-really-not-in- love" thing to him. Sometimes Daan really does do his job. Nonno explained why Mamma and Babbo couldn't make today's party. They're both extremely busy, but they did send their congrats. Hopefully Nonno also filled them in on the fact that it really was just spontaneously arranged yesterday. Nonno also shared an update on the wedding; evidently it will be set for next June. Fucking great.
After that, the night progressed regularly. Berwald and Daan had arranged a casual menu for the dinner. It was a mix of Italian and German (gross). Gilbert sat next to me the entire time, and his father, Odo, made sure he introduced himself. We spoke casually about Daan. Apparently, Odo is slightly concerned about a man who once got paid entirely in weed taking over the family business. I would be too, if I didn't know Daan as well as I do. That Dutchman can sure play the stock market like a fiddle, so I urged Odo to trust in Daan. In case you all were wondering what happened between me and Gilbert, it was really nothing. Nothing at all. We pretended to be in love. Sometimes he had his arm around me, and I got to smell that wonderful cologne he had on. Um. Wait. Scratch that. I never said that, and his cologne reeked. We conversed pleasantly with everyone us, and every time our hands touched we retracted them immediately. At least no one but Feli noticed that last part, but Elizaveta later told me that she's never seen Gilbert so flustered around a girl. Bullshit. He wasn't flustered at all. The flustered one was me! Hello! Arranged marriage here! This has to be illegal! Well, technically it wasn't because I didn't really say no, but that's a story for another time.
All in all, the dinner went really smooth. The table was arranged in a "U" format with Gilbert and I in the center. Francoise and Arthur sat further down Gilbert's side and talked mostly with Daan and Antonio. Matthias brought along his girlfriend and her brother, Emil. On my side sat Nonno, Feliciana, and Ludwig, along with majority of the Enterprise's clients. Elizaveta and Roderich were there, and Gilbert's cousin, Dmitri, sat with his girlfriend Sofya. Alessandro arrived a bit late, but he came to kiss Feli, Nonno, and I before sitting down. Get some of that big Italian family! He brought along his model friend Jack and his sister Jessica. They planned to go hit on girls downstairs when the dinner finished. Daan even hired a dj for the night. It was that big a celebration that my cheap manager was spending actual money!
The dancing began slowly- just Feli trying to make a stiff-legged Ludwig dance. Then Francoise pushed a somewhat drunk Arthur onto the floor. He's not that bad a dancer when drunk. One by one, all the guests gathered there. Gilbert and I were somewhat required to stay together. Madeline coaxed Daan with her onto the floor. Bella threw Antonio for a loop as he kept trying take control, and Henri chatted with Emil (when the fuck did he get here). The music changed fluidly. Sometimes it was fast and then others it slowed. At one particular song, both Gilbert and I started feeling the beat. We started to move together. I guess the fucker actually had rhythm. At first I tried to take control because we all know Italians are fucking good dancers, but Gilbert's strength forced me into following him. It was somewhat a tango, but with Gilbert it turned into a pasadoble. His strong arms whipped me around, and our eyes stayed connected by what seemed like electricity.
Looking back on it, if I had to admit it, I, Lovina Vargas, fell in love with Gilbert in that moment. He spun me, and I saw the sweat drip down his pale face, his crimson eyes burn with passion, and his smirk grow into another trademark smile. My heart stopped. Maybe it was the blaring music. Maybe it was the kisses in the cab. Maybe it was the wine I had that night. Maybe it was just something about him. I don't know, but I landed in Gilbert's arms with one of my hands on his neck and the other around his waist. He leaned in close, dipping me, and his hypnotizing cologne found its way into my nose. I stared at him breathlessly. My chest heaved with every breath I tried to catch, and he looked equally out of breath. I shut my eyes. His lips landed perfectly on mine, and I felt a crazy electricity shoot through my body. I found both my hands cupping his face as he made the kiss deeper. I liked that. Fuck it if it's Gilbert. I liked that kiss. He could keep his arms around me like that forever.
After a bit, Gilbert pulled away. He straightened me up, and I ran my fingers through my hair. I didn't realize the music had shut off and that everyone had gathered around us in a big circle. Gilbert gave an awkward smile as he waved to the crowd. "Hello, everyone! I'd like to thank you all for coming to this awesome party!" I nodded in agreement and found my arm snaking around his waist. No! I was not seeking more attention! In your fucking dreams. I just had to act like I was in love with him! That's all! I WAS JUST ACTING.
Gilbert continued, "I would like to say a special thanks to Mr. Daan van Driessen! You're awesome man!" Daan nodded in response. Maddy was in front of him giving him the cutest congratulatory applause. Awwwwww!
Now it was time for me to say something- yeah right. In my distraction Gilbert had moved away from me. Where the fuck did he go? I shot a look at Feli who was bouncing up and down. She waved madly at the floor. Fucking Feli. What was that supposed to mean? I'm not deaf! What the fuck? Look down? I looked down and saw Gilbert on one knee looking up at me.
Shit. He looked nervous. What do I do?! Where's Nonno when I need support (getting drunk)?! Gilbert reached in his pocket and pulled out a black box. Okay. Antonio you can go crazy now. I kinda need you here. No? Fuck you Antonio, I thought you always had my back! Francoise? Where are you?! Is your boyfriend wasted enough to do something stupid?! No?! FUCK YOU TOO. This was the moment of truth. There was no backing out. Everything rested on this. Gilbert looked at me earnestly. Oh shit.
"Lovina Vargas, will you marry me?"
I was not jumping up and down like a teenage girl! I did not squeal. Ok! I did jump ONCE and I did scream a chorus of "yes's", but that's it! Holding out my left hand, Gilbert slipped the ring on, and I pulled his face up to meet mine and to place a firm kiss on his lips. Everyone cheered, and just like that I became Gilbert Beilschimdt's fiancée.