Chapter 9 The family meeting 1

As the sleek black car pulled up to the curb, Gerald and Jojo stepped out onto the bustling streets of the city. Before them stood a gleaming edifice, its facade adorned with sleek lines and sparkling glass. The sign above the door read "Eclipse Beauty Salon" in elegant script, and the doorman's crisp smile welcomed them into a world of luxury and pampering.

As they entered, the staff's eyes locked onto Gerald, their faces breaking into respectful smiles. They bowed in unison, their movements fluid and practiced. Jojo's eyes widened in wonder, her gaze darting around the opulent interior. She had heard whispers of this fabled salon, where the rich and famous came to transform their looks, but never thought she'd set foot inside.

Gerald's low, husky voice spoke quietly to the staff, his words lost in the gentle hum of conversation and the soft tinkling of glasses. Before Jojo could process what was happening, the workers converged on her, their warm smiles enveloping her like a gentle embrace. "Right this way, miss," they chimed in harmony, their hands gesturing toward a door hidden behind a screen of lush greenery.

Jojo's eyes sought Gerald's, questions burning in her mind, but his face remained impassive, his eyes glinting with a hint of mischief. The workers' gentle prodding urged her forward, and she felt herself being swept into a room filled with the sweet scent of lotions and the soft glow of candlelight. The door whispered shut behind her, and Jojo's heart raced with anticipation, unsure of what lay ahead.

Gerald settled into the plush couch, his eyes scanning the glossy pages of the magazine in his hands. He had expected a wait, of course - ladies and their beauty rituals were notorious for taking time, after all. But as the seconds ticked by, turning into minutes, and the minutes crawling into hours, his patience began to wear thin.

He shifted uncomfortably, his gaze drifting from the magazine to the door behind which Jojo had vanished. What on earth were they doing to her in there? He wondered, a hint of irritation creeping into his thoughts. Were they rebuilding her from the ground up? He chuckled to himself at the absurdity of the thought, but his amusement was short-lived.

His eyes darted to his wristwatch for what felt like the hundredth time, the ticking seconds mocking him with their slowness. He couldn't help but wonder if time itself had decided to play a cruel joke on him, stretching out the minutes into an eternity.

With a restless sigh, Gerald rose from his seat, his long legs carrying him across the room with a pent-up energy that threatened to burst free at any moment. His eyes remained fixed on the door, his gaze intense and unwavering, as if willing Jojo to emerge from the depths of the salon.

But the door remained stubbornly shut, a silent sentinel guarding the secrets within. Gerald's frustration boiled over, and he muttered under his breath, "Why on earth is that little rat not out yet?" The words were barely audible, but the tension behind them was palpable.

And then, in the instant that followed, the door swung open with a soft creak, as if the very universe had decided to answer his plea. Jojo stepped out of the room, a vision of loveliness that left Gerald's breath caught in his throat.

Her hair, once a wild tangle of waves, now cascaded down her back in sleek, straight strands, framing her face with a jaw-dropping cut that accentuated her round eyes and beautiful smile. The makeup highlighted her natural beauty, and the stunning red gown with its corset-style top and flowing skirt seemed to have been designed specifically to showcase her curves.

Jojo's transformation was nothing short of miraculous, as if she had been reborn from the very essence of beauty itself. Gerald's eyes were glued to her, his gaze drinking in the sight of her, his mind struggling to reconcile this vision of loveliness with the Jojo he thought he knew.

His jaw had dropped so far, it was a wonder it didn't hit the floor with a loud clang. He couldn't help but stare at the vision of loveliness approaching him, her silver heels clicking on the floor like a ticking time bomb, counting down the seconds until he made a complete fool of himself.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Jojo asked, a sly smile spreading across her face as she closed the distance between them. Gerald's eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape route or a plausible excuse, before finally settling on a nonchalant expression, as if he hadn't been caught staring like a lovesick puppy.

"How am I looking at you?" he asked, his voice low and husky, trying to sound nonchalant despite the fact that his heart was racing like a runaway train.

Jojo raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "As if you've just seen a goddess, your jaw dropped," she teased, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Gerald snorted, trying to play it cool. "Goddess my foot!" he retorted, but his eyes betrayed him, drifting back to her reflection in the mirror.

Jojo wrinkled her nose at him, but her gaze soon followed his, and she gasped in wonder. "I look different, right?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Gerald cleared his throat, trying to sound suave. "Well, at least you look like a human now," he said, his eyes fixed on her reflection.

Jojo playfully rolled her eyes. "Thanks, I think."

"Let's go," Gerald said, gesturing towards the door, his eyes never leaving hers. "We have a dinner reservation, and I don't want to be late."

As they walked out of the salon, Gerald couldn't help but steal glances at Jojo, her transformation still leaving him in awe. He had a feeling that this was going to be a long night, but he was ready for whatever lay ahead, as long as he had her by his side.

************

As the car glided to a stop, Jojo's eyes widened in awe at the grandeur before her. The mansion loomed large, its facade gleaming with an air of luxury and sophistication. A fountain danced in the center of the compound, surrounded by a fleet of sleek cars that seemed to shimmer in the fading light of day.

Jojo's curiosity was piqued. "What's going on?" she wondered, turning to Gerald with a questioning gaze. "Is there a party or something?"

But he simply offered a charming smile as he opened the car door, his eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "Get down," he said, his voice low and smooth.

She hesitated, her eyes locked on his. "Not until you tell me where we are," she said, her voice firm but playful.

Gerald sighed, a hint of exasperation creeping into his expression. "We're at my grandmother's house," he relented, his eyes never leaving hers.

Jojo's eyes widened in surprise. "Your grandmother's house?" she repeated, her voice laced with disbelief. "Why are we here?"

Gerald's smile returned, his eyes glinting with amusement. "To see her, what else?" he replied, his tone light and nonchalant.

"Hold on," Jojo said, her mind reeling with the sudden revelation. "I just agreed to pretend to be your girlfriend, and now you're taking me to meet your grandmother?" She felt like she was drowning in a sea of uncertainty. "Aren't we moving too fast?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of panic.

Gerald's response was nonchalant, his smile unfazed. "Think of it as part of the act, Jojo. We need to convince my family that we're a real couple, and this is just the beginning."

Jojo's brow furrowed, uncertainty creeping into her voice. "What am I supposed to tell your grandmother about us?" The thought of facing his grandmother filled her with a mixture of dread and anxiety.

Gerald chuckled softly, the sound both reassuring and disarming. "Tell her that we're in love." His words rolled off his tongue with a certainty that made her heart flutter, despite the nagging voice in the back of her mind that whispered this was all a deception. Gerald Sullivan had a way of making the implausible sound so believable, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy for his unwavering confidence.

"But what if she asks how we met and fell in love?" Jojo pressed, still grappling with the absurdity of their charade.

"Don't worry about that," he replied, his tone dismissive yet playful. "I'll do the talking; you just stay quiet." He offered his arm, his eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "Now, shall we?"