Male Order Bride

Chapter 16

" Proposal"


The first period school bell rang, announcing to the students that anybody who spilled into their classroom now was late. Sharpener had barely made it into the classroom when the teacher decided to shut the door, locking out anyone who didn't make it in time.

"You're late, Mr. Sharpener," said the teacher while gently tapping the boy on the head with his daily planner. The class erupted into giggles. Sharpener paid no mind to the teacher as he jogged up the steps to his regular seat on the other side of Videl. His shoes came to a squeaking halt. He was dumbstruck. His entire row was empty. Videl, Erasa, and the Nerd were not sitting in their regular seats.

'What? Why aren't they here?' Sharpener took out his phone and checked his messages. He didn't care about the Nerd, but it was unlike Videl and Erasa not to show up for their first class.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Sharpener?" asked the teacher, sounding incredibly annoyed.

Sharpener scratched his head, looked around the room, checked his phone again, then said." No, sir, there's no problem."

"Good. Take a seat. I'd hate to have to send you out into the hall."

Sharpener did as he was told and sat at his regular desk, not because he was afraid of being sent into the hall, he just didn't know what else to do. If Erasa and Videl made plans without him, then he had no clue where to look. For the remainder of the class Sharpener stared at the dry erase board, often glancing at Videl's lonely desk.

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" Erasa is ignoring me," Videl declared after her call went straight to voicemail. " She must've turned off her phone. It didn't ring at all that time." Growling, Videl threw her phone into the backseat. They had just made it to the zoo. If Erasa was ignoring her, then fine. She'd ignore her too.

Gohan weakly suggested that maybe Erasa was just focused on taking notes in class, but they both knew that Erasa could text and take notes at the same time without the teacher suspecting a thing, she was a pro like that.

Videl noticed the color draining from Gohan's face. He looked like he was one second away from stealing her car and driving to the school to confront Erasa. She shook away her anger, clapped her hands together, and smiled." Forget about her. What animal should we see first? I vote the red panda!"

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No one at the zoo recognized Videl as a celebrity. People were too busy enjoying the zoo and keeping their children out of trouble to notice her. Gohan and Videl were no different, they had their hands full with Goten and Trunks.

"For the last time—NO! YOU CAN'T PET THE TIGER!" Gohan yelled.

Trunks touched his chest and gasped, shocked that Gohan would even suggest such a thing. It was all an act. The kid had already jumped the fence to swim with the otters, and wouldn't stop begging Gohan to let him and Goten pet the tiger next.

"I would never actually pet a tiger. I'm not an idiot. I was just going to ask if you'd wait for me while I use the bathroom." Trunks started to pull Goten along with him. Mischief wasn't fun without his partner in crime. Videl stopped him before Gohan could yell again.

"Sit." Her gloved hand squeezed his shoulder, warning him to listen to her. Trunks and Goten obediently sat down on the nearest bench. Videl was small, but she was also intimidating.

Gohan went into a long rant about how they shouldn't be jumping the fence to pet any of the zoo animals, going into detail about the punishment that would fall on the animals because of them, adding that they were lucky no one had seen them and thrown them out yet. Videl stood right next to him, nodding and backing up all his good points with "that's right," then ending the rant with a threat.

"We'll leave the zoo if you don't start listening to Gohan. I mean it. I'll fly you both home myself."

Goten and Trunks were on the edge of crying. They couldn't bring themselves to look at the scowling teens' faces. Gohan felt a little bad about it.

"Do you think we're being too hard on them?" Gohan whispered. Goten and Trunks looked up at Videl, hopeful. With their acute hearing and being so close, they could hear exactly what Gohan had said. Videl burned their hope to the ground with one annoyed glare. She was not about to be pushed around by a six and seven year old.

"Are you serious right now? No, I don't think we're being too hard on them. We can't let them have their way every time they cry. They'll get over it—"

An elderly couple walked over to them. The man pointed his cane at the boys, left arm trembling from the effort. " You listen to your parents, kids! They know what's best. If you don't I'll have to take my cane to your backside." The old man made gasping noises as he laughed, lowering his cane. His wife smiled warmly at Trunks and Goten. She sat down next to them on the bench.

"Would you like some candy?"

Goten and Trunks held their hands out like beggars." Yes, please."

"Here you go. Two for each of you." The woman placed a hard candy wrapped in red strawberry packaging and a caramel chocolate treat into each of their palms.

"Goten, what do you say?" Gohan prodded.

"Thank you!" Goten shouted, hugging the woman.

Trunks unwrapped the hard candy and popped it into his mouth. "Yeah, thanks!"

"You have such cute sons," the elderly woman said to Videl." They remind me of my grandsons when they were that age."

"Oh, um, thank you." Videl blushed. She was secretly delighted by the compliment. The elderly woman smiled at Gohan, then got up from the bench. She linked her arm with her husband's, the one without the cane, then waved goodbye to them.

Gohan watched them leave." They thought we were their parents."

Videl lightly punched Gohan in the arm." I'm not surprised. You look very mature for you age. I think I turned into my dad back there a second ago, too."

Gohan rubbed his arm." Yeah. I think I turned into my mom back there too. She yells a lot." He smiled. He'd never thought about becoming a father before, but it comforted him knowing that he and Videl made a good team. She'd make a good mom someday.

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Videl led Goten and Trunks to the aquarium part of the zoo. Gohan stared at Videl's face as she disappeared into the dark tunnel of the aquarium. He blushed, then set off to stand in the back of a long line in front of the burger shack. He closed his eyes, enjoying the gentle warmth of the sun upon his skin. He allowed himself to completely relax, pushing away his fear of Erasa exposing their secret.

"I'm going to enjoy every minute I can with Goten, Videl, and Trunks today. I'll talk to Erasa at school tomorrow. Even if the world finds out that Videl is married to me…we will deal with it, together." Gohan nodded to himself, automatically stepping one foot forward as the line moved. He was vaguely aware of two men lining up behind him. He figured they were getting food for their families, too.

The person in front of Gohan took another step forward, and before Gohan could do the same, the two men behind him suddenly spoke up.

"Our boss would like to have a chat with you, Mr. Son."

" Do you see the black van to your right?"

Gohan curiously glanced to his right. There was a black van parked across from the zoo entrance. A man in a black suit and sunglasses was waiting by the doors, rocking anxiously on his feet. Gohan nodded once. " I see it."

Something cold and hard was pressed into Gohan's back. He assumed it was a gun.

"Start walking."

"Don't make a scene, either."

Gohan hesitated. If he left with the men now, he'd have to get back in line again later. There would be more people in the zoo later, which meant a longer line and a longer wait. Did he really have time for this?

"I'm sort of busy right now. Could you tell me what this is about?" Gohan wished he could see the expression on their faces. He wasn't afraid of them or their gun, and he wanted them to know it. He took a step forward. The gun stayed pressed against his back. He cheerfully started to whistle." I wonder if the cook will put a fried egg on my burger if I ask him to? I'm craving eggs today. This line is moving so slow, you can see why I can't go anywhere with you guys now, right?"

One of the men sighed." Don't be stupid. You're in no position to be calling the shots here, kid. Our boss is a powerful man. This isn't a game. Start walking to the van, now."

"I'd hate to have to do something to your wife if you refuse to listen," the man holding the gun added.

Gohan stopped whistling. He slowly turned his head, making eye contact with the man holding the gun. The man was thin, short, wearing a grey business suit and a silk grey tie. He was young, too. Probably in his early twenties, with narrow eyes, oily hair, and two buck teeth. He looked like a rat.

"Ha, I see that got your attention. "

The Rat Man chuckled. He nudged Gohan with the gun. Gohan started walking towards the van. Before crossing the street, he looked back at The Rat Man with rage in his dark eyes. In a calm voice he said, "If you do anything to Videl, you'll regret it."

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The man waiting outside the van bowed once to Gohan, then opened the door for him. Gohan stepped inside, scooting over to sit in the middle of the seat. Surprisingly, Rat Man and the other guy didn't join him. The man who was waiting outside closed the door then got into the driver's seat. He adjusted the mirror so he could see Gohan more easily.

"What about the other guys?" Gohan asked. He really didn't want to lose sight of Rat Man. If they were staying at the zoo then he would stay too.

The driver smiled." Steven and Tony will follow behind us in their cars." The driver started the engine and drove off. Gohan didn't have a window to stare out of, so he stared straight ahead, memorizing each turn the driver made. They were headed to the business district of Satan City.

"So, what was the shorter guy's name?" Gohan asked, breaking the silence.

The driver made eye contact with Gohan in the mirror and smiled." Oh, that was Steven. He's new to the company."

Rat Man's name was Steven.

"Has Steven ever hurt anyone before?" Gohan asked, not expecting an honest response.

The driver thought about it for a moment." Not that I am aware of. The company runs thorough background checks on every new employee. Anyone with a violent background isn't hired. It would look bad on the company's image."

"I guess abducting a man in the middle of the day is an exception."

"Sometimes we have to get creative when a guest won't comply. When Mr. Lotus summons someone for a meeting, declining the invitation isn't an option."

Gohan became silent. Where had he heard the name Lotus before? Had he read about the man in one of Bulma's business magazines?

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The driver parked the van in the basement parking lot of the business building. The driver led Gohan into the elevator with Tony and Steven following behind them. Once they reached the top floor, Gohan was escorted into a huge room covered with bookshelves, a leather sofa, two armchairs, and there was a miniature golf course set up in one corner of the room. Mr. Lotus was playing golf when they entered.

"Have a seat," Steven ordered, motioning to the leather sofa.

"I'll stand, thanks," Gohan replied." I won't be staying long."

Mr. Lotus gently hit the golf ball. It flew down the green grass and over the hole, bouncing back on the mini guard rail surrounding the course.

"Good shot, sir. You were so close," the men praised, all except for Gohan. Mr. Lotus ignored the men, handing the golf stick to one of them so they could put it away on his behalf. As soon as the short, fat man turned around, Gohan suddenly recognized him.

"You're that guy I bumped into at the theater!" Gohan blurted. Right away, all the men became annoyed with Gohan's rudeness. No one had ever called their boss "that guy."

Mr. Lotus chuckled." It's good to see you again, Gohan."

"You know my name?"

"Of course. Don't you remember me? I visited your house once, met your mother and brother. You were wearing a white dress."

"Gordo Lotus!" Gohan blushed, remembering how he almost became the bride to some guy he didn't know." Sorry, I didn't recognize you at the movie theater. It's been a while."

"Yes it has." Gordo Lotus motioned for the rest of the men to give them some privacy. They hesitated, but left the room, though Gohan could sense them just outside the doors. " Don't worry. The room is soundproof we can speak freely here."

"Why do you want to speak with me?"

Gordo Lotus sat down in one of the chairs, and Gohan sat down on the sofa. That's when Gohan noticed the briefcase on the coffee table. It looked like the one Gordo Lotus had brought with him to the house that one day.

"I don't need a bride anymore," Gordo Lotus spoke in a grave voice." What I need most right now is a bodyguard. Gohan, I have a small proposal for you…" He opened the briefcase, revealing stacks of cash inside.

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Gordo Lotus needed a bodyguard. The job paid handsomely. The job required Gohan to be with him during working hours, which meant anywhere from 40-50 hours a week. He'd get his own private tutor while working in the office since school meant so much to him, and he'd be guaranteed a spot at any top college he applied to. Working a full time job meant he'd have to drop out of Orange Star High.

"Why do you want me to be your bodyguard?" Gohan asked.

"I've been watching you for some time now. I know you have certain…abilities, which most people don't possess I know you're the son of Goku, the greatest martial arts fighter to have ever lived. CEO's have been dropping dead like flies around my arch rival, Ichiro, it's only a matter of time before I drop dead under mysterious circumstances too. I need you, Gohan. I can see that you have a good heart. Ichiro won't be able to buy you off and turn you against me like everyone else. You're the only one I can trust."

"Can I have some time to think about it?" Gohan asked, firmly shaking Mr. Lotus' hand.

Mr. Lotus nodded." The offer will expire in 48 hours. I'll need an answer before then."

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Gohan sat at a picnic table made out of concrete beneath the shade. Videl spotted him the moment she stepped out of the gift shop. Clutching a plush bunny and tiger close to their bodies, the boys ran ahead of Videl, excited to show Gohan what cool things they had bought. Videl raised a curious brow at the food on the table, which obviously came from a drive thru somewhere, but said nothing about it.

"We should walk through the mall after this," Gohan suggested, shoving a French fry into his mouth.

"Yeah!" the boys agreed.

Videl nodded, taking a sip of her drink." Sounds fun. I need to buy some new shoes. Mine are so worn out on the bottoms."

Goten and Trunks were less interested in shopping, and more interested in trying out every game they encountered on every floor of the mall. They rode in loud cars, went up and down the escalators multiple times, tried out virtual reality games, and even tried out the massage chairs. The boys had just boarded a train that would drive them around the third floor when Videl's pager started to go off.

Gohan waited for Videl to dash off in a hurry, or call the police chief to get more details. Surprisingly, she didn't even glance at her pager. She hit a button on the side with her thumb, effectively silencing it, then shoved it back into her shorts pocket.

"Shouldn't you get that?"

Silence passed between them as they watched the boys ride away in the train. It looked like a lot of fun.

"No. The chief of police will have to survive without me today," Videl answered.

Gohan casually reached out for her and held her hand. " Good. They shouldn't rely on you all the time." He wanted to hold her hand forever, but knew that Goten and Trunks would notice the contact right away. He didn't want to deal with their merciless teasing. Once the train circled its way back to them, Gohan gently slipped his hand away from hers.

Videl looked up at him then, holding his gaze as the boys disembarked the mini train. Gohan wanted nothing more than to bend down and kiss her in front of everybody, and sensed that she wanted him to do it, too. But the rational part of his brain held him back, the part that was still thinking about Mr. Lotus' offer.

" I saw a sale on shoes on the second floor," Gohan said, reminding Videl of what she needed to buy. He put some distance between them as he led the way to the store.


Crap. I missed my deadline on this. I wanted to finish the story today. I remember how, in the past, I could write 5 chapters in one day if I wanted to finish a story. I'll just have to finish this tomorrow. Originally, I planned on ending this after 21 chapters, but I'm shortening it down to just one more chapter, making this story have 17 chapters total.

Tomorrow, I will decide if Gohan and Videl should have a happy ending or not.

11:30 PM.

8/31/2020