Getting married to the beast

If this pizza does not arrive quickly...

I gaze out the window of my residence in California. It's exorbitant, and I'm surprised I'm still here. Of course, I share it with my roommate, Abigail. I'm not sure why I'm staring out the window since I can't see anything from up here.

CRASH!

When I turn around, I see the plastic cups on the ground and the twins Harry and Harmony pointing at each other. "Please take the cups and be more cautious next time," I say, rolling my eyes.

They laugh and take the mugs. "Have you seen my graphing calculator, Suzette?" I take a look at Tyson.

"Are you serious?!?" I cross my arms. I promise if you dropped it..."

"...you need to relax." I just misplaced it. When is the pizza going to arrive? You only have this attitude when you're hungry." He interrupts me.

"I don't develop an attitude when I'm hungry," I say under my breath as I roll my eyes at him.

"You do," Tyson protests.

I purposefully knock into his shoulder, more like his hip, since he is a full foot higher than me. He doesn't even move, yet I find myself slightly off balance. He smiles and takes his calculator from his rucksack.

"Ah, I discovered it."

"Good," I murmur.

"I'm not going to get you another one. That cost me an arm and a leg." I'm about to go into the kitchen when I hear the doorbell ring and a knock.

"Food!" I scream and dash to the front door. When I open it, the pizza delivery man says, "Order for Suzette."

I could smell the cheesy goodness wafting from the packaging. I imagined myself taking a slice from the circle and seeing the steam rise into the air, filling the room with its pleasant aroma. "That would be me; I think it was thirty bucks," I said, snapping out of my trance.

I gave the guy thirty-five bucks. "Thank you for the five," he says and walks away. I slam the door shut and yell. "Pizza has arrived!" The next thing I hear is a swarm of feet pounding on the floor and cries of "Finally!" and "Hooray!" I place the pizza on the table and go to the kitchen to get some plates. "Thank God. I'm famished," Abigail exclaims excitedly.

"Me too; I could devour a whole cow," I chuckle.

She stops smiling and turns to face me. "Um, I don't think so." I glance at her and say, 'I'm not serious.' Abigail eats just vegetables. Her passion for animals is beyond my comprehension. Back in Georgia, she has a dog named France. She couldn't bring her to California since it would be too expensive to feed her. I can never forgive Abigail for purchasing a tofu bone to remind France of her. France, poor France.

"Cows should not be eaten," says Abigail.

"But cows taste so nice," Harmony says, looking up at Abigail.

"Shit, you got it right," Tyson said. I whack Tyson on the back of the head.

"Shut it and keep your mouth shut around the kids. Don't even think of touching my pineapple pizza while I go grab the baby." I chastise.

"Anyone in their right mind knows berry on pizza is a crime," Tyson spits as I walk away. Even though he can't see, I roll my eyes and retrieve the baby, Genesis, from the play pen, cooing at her and returning to the kitchen. I take her bottle from the refrigerator and warm it up while carrying out a patch test to ensure it is not too hot for her to drink. Once the temperature is perfect, I sit in the high chair on the island and feed her. I grin and thank Harry as he offers me a plate of food. I smile as I watch everyone eat. Life seems to be going well, yet I feel something is missing. I usually do, although I'm not sure why.

No one in my family is sick, my parents have expenses to pay but are healthy, God and I are best friends, I have a few excellent pals, and I'm in school working hard and passing. However, I get the impression that I am missing something like a gaping hole in my existence. My father often reminds me that being single and looking for a spouse is bad. I often contend that the Bible speaks nothing about a woman finding a spouse. My mother wants grandchildren to pamper, but I dislike children. Jokes on me since I'm caring for four children who aren't mine. I can't seem to fill up that blank. Don't even get me started on the clichéd nonsense about how the missing piece will be the love of my life. People, my life is not a fairytale. I don't want to marry; my major goal is to get my Midwifery degree and work at Emory Hospital in Georgia. I'm nearly through with my education since I double majored and took dual enrollment programs to get my fundamental college coursework like algebra and English out of the way. After which, I plan on getting my own house and paying off my parents' debts. You see, there has been no time to date males, and the one relationship I had ended due to college obligations.

I don't need a guy. What I need is money. Men need me, not vice versa. I look over to the mail pile on the counter and sigh, knowing that somewhere in that mail pile is a bill that must be paid, which makes me very sad. These kids have been through a lot, and I can't bear the notion of them suffering much more.

After everyone has eaten, Abigail and I clean up while the kids get ready for bed. I recycle the plastic plates and store the leftover pizzas in the refrigerator. Abigail cleans the cups as I clean the counter and sweep the floor. "The light bill is due," she sighs. "I loathe adulthood," I moan as well. I reach into my purse for a check, and she offers me a forced grin.

"We'll put your money towards food." I spend any remaining funds on Genesis's requirements. "Everything is OK," I reassure Abigail.

When the phone begins to ring, I go to answer it. "Hello?"

"Good day, Suzette." It's me, Justin, and I'm sorry, but you've been fired. I promise I tried to persuade them to keep you, but they've decided to let you go. I understand why, but it's a dumb explanation."

I swallow hard, attempting to keep my tears at bay. "It's OK; tell me why."

"Beautiful, essentially, he doesn't believe you're pretty enough for the position," he sighs. "Delilah the hoe, he says, is lovely and attractive employees attract customers. He claimed you're not, but I said you are."

"It's OK, Justin," I sigh, "well, it's not fine that I was fired for no cause, but it's fine."

"I'm very sorry, Suzette." I nod, but I know he can't see me.

"Yeah...umm...goodbye, Justin." I hang up before he can respond. When I turn around, Abigail has a sorrowful expression on her face. I worked for a firm that paid well, and now I've lost everything since my boss's daughter sabotaged my career there. Delilah and I both worked as receptionists. She has made it clear that she dislikes me.

"Hey, it's all right." Suzette, the restaurant where you work pays well, as does the café." I nod, still unsatisfied, and add, "I'm going to bed; see you in the morning." She nods and follows me to my room. I notice Genesis sucking on her pacifier in her cot.

I go to the bathroom and start the shower. I take off my clothes and walk into the warm water. I stand there pondering what to do. A three-bedroom apartment houses six people. Abigail, Tyson, Harmony, Harry, and baby Genesis were there. Tyson is 17 years old and will graduate next year. Harmony and Harry are twins who are a lot of effort but are also quite sweet. Genesis is a 4-month-old infant, and I'm shocked she made it into this world, given her parents' behavior.

I'm not a great admirer of children, yet I am with them by choice. I'm insane, but I couldn't keep them in that home any longer. I was their babysitter and worked for their insane parents. I'm 23, and Abigail is 22; we've known each other since middle school. I'm studying midwifery, and she's not sure what she wants to do. I get out of the shower after washing myself and go to my closet, which is tiny yet contains all of my things. I hang up my towel and gaze in the mirror on the door. I recall when I didn't have any curves, and my body was a straight line. I picture myself now, with my modest curves from nearing womanhood and my hips broader than before, not excessively so, but just enough. My b-cup boobs are appearing a little plumper than normal. It's probably because my menstruation is approaching. I'm thin, which makes me feel uneasy in the least. Curvy females attract more attention than I do, so I grab some underwear and put on my uniform since I have to work at the restaurant tonight. My outfit consists of a mid-thigh-high dark blue tight dress and a front-facing white apron.

I put on my black shining flats, style my wavy hair in a ponytail, grab my handbag, and start walking out the door. As I'm ready to leave the apartment, Abigail bursts into the living room, a stressed look on her face. "My employer just phoned to say she needs me right now and is going to pay me extra." I sigh in exasperation and place my little ashy palms on my face.

Dang, I thought, I need to moisturize my hands. I return my gaze to Abigail, recognizing the gravity of the situation. "What about the children?" I say.

"Take them with you," she replies with a shrug.

I let out a frustrated sigh and gathered all the children. I get the infant, place her in the carrier, and then grab the twins. Tyson isn't home since he went to Devin's place. I told him he could, and now I'm sorry I did. I take Abigail's vehicle keys, and her lips open to protest my stealing her car, but I beat her to it.

"No, I need the vehicle since I'm transporting the children." I'll drop you off, and you can take an Uber home." She rolls her eyes and swats me away.

I leave Abigail off and go to work. I arrive at the restaurant, which resembles a bar slash club with females and guys dancing improperly and affluent people hanging around. I pull over and walk the kids to the rear since I'm not permitted to bring children, but thankfully, my supervisor and I are somewhat buddies, so I get away with it. Every day, I thank God for making this a little easier.

I place the kids in front of the television in the rear and provide them with blankets, then take out my notebook and pen and get to work. It's full tonight for some reason; evidently, all these intelligent people are so wealthy that they can stay up late on a Sunday night without having to go to work since they have somebody to do that for them. It may seem that I hate on the more fortunate, but I assure you that I am not. I wouldn't say I like how some people sometimes misuse their advantages and treat others poorly. I have a lot of jerks here, but I also have some very kind folks. They also tip well, so I can't complain about their demeanor. The funds also cover that.

I go to table 10 and take their orders, and this continues for the rest of the night. I finish collecting my $50 tip and check the time. I groan and move back to the bar at 10:00 p.m. after working for two hours. I glimpse a familiar face and roll my eyes while smiling.

"I'm thinking you're normal and do you know what your lady friend would want when she gets here?"

"Hey, pancakes, you looking incredibly wonderful today; how about you be my woman friend tonight?" Chris says, smirking.

"Stop calling me pancakes, and I'm not a blonde bimbo waiting for a wealthy guy's testicles to jump on," I sneer.

He flirts with me, and I dismiss him. It's just our little thing, and I like chatting with him.

"What makes you think I exclusively pursue blondes?" he chuckles. He puts on a fake pout of pain. As though in anguish, he places his palm over his heart. "Is it because I'm wealthy and dashingly gorgeous, full of character and zeal?"

"You arrive here with a lot of blondes, not even a brunette; what do you want me to think?" I chuckle.

He chuckles a wonderful, heartfelt laugh. "If you keep rolling your eyes, they could get caught back there," Chris warns as I roll my eyes again. I roll my eyes, but then I realize what I've done and curse under my breath as Chris chuckles.

"Are you here alone or not?" I inquire of Chris.

He shakes his head no and says, "I'm waiting on a buddy...," turning around and pointing.

"He's finally arrived."

When I gaze in his way, I see the most beautiful guy I've ever seen. His jawline and height are mouth-watering, and the way he walks up to the bar with such elegance and confidence in every step is nerve-shattering. The want to leap on this guy and possess his lovely exquisite self is extreme. My breath is caught in my throat, and I completely blame my girl crazy hormones for my inability to control the thoughts racing through my brain.

Every nerve in my body is tingling. If this were a cartoon, my jaw would drop exaggeratedly, my tongue would roll out, and my eyeballs would jump out of their eye sockets. Chris notices my gaze and chuckles, "Like what you see?" Chris appears in front of my image as a mouth-watering dude.

"No, honestly, I don't like what I see; it's repulsive," I say as I gaze up at Chris. "Pancakes, why are you hurting me?" he asks, placing his palm on his heart. He turns around and grins at the delectable man. They sit and perform a guy hug. "See, I'm dining with a man," Chris says to me.

I gather and smirk, "Didn't realize you went both ways." His lips open, and he moves his chair away from his pal. I giggle and turn to go to the kitchen.

I go to check on the kids and find them asleep. Then I go back to find the men still seated without being served. "Has no one served you yet?" I inquire as I go over. "No," the mouth-watering guy says, looking up at me. "You obviously don't know how to execute your job. You certainly saw my buddy, and I seated here, and yet you decided to disrespect my friend and go away." My thoughts of his being gorgeous evaporate as I stare at the unpleasant guy. I decide to keep my mouth shut and not say anything to this jerk. "I'm sorry, sir, I had to check on something in the back. What would you like to drink?" I put on a phony grin and apologized.

Chris shakes his head in despair as he looks at his companion. "Whiskey, please, and I hope you don't have to go in the back to look for it." I lock my gaze on him and offer him a steely grin.

"Chris, what do you want?" "You along with my usual," he replies with a grin. I place my hand on my hip and look at him. I roll my eyes and go over to prepare them drinks while he chuckles. I reach for the glasses to prepare the cocktail when Chris shouts angrily, "You fool, that's her." I make a point of not turning back and keeping my bewilderment to myself.

"Hey you, the girl preparing the drinks, can you please tell me whether you tried the fire dragon?" a woman behind me says as I prepare the beverages. "I'm sorry, but I've never tasted any of the beverages," I say with a grin. I'm not a huge drinker, but according to my coworkers, it's delicious and hazardous since it includes three vodka shots, five tequila shots, and four other alcohols." She looks at me with a startled face.

"Have you ever tried alcohol?"

"I've tried alcohol, but I don't drink it very frequently," I respond with a toss of my head.

"Oh my goodness, how do you live?" She asks.

I chuckle and respond, "by inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide." "I like you," she replies, laughing. "I'll grab one of them."

"I'll cook it for you," I respond to the lads and girl. I'll be right there."

I hand the beverages to the lads and say, "Here you go, and what would you want to eat if you're hungry?"

"Do you think you're on the menu?" Chris flirts.

"If you don't-" I start, looking at Chris. "Are you taught to intimidate your customers?" the pompous guy asks. You have terrible manners." I don't glance at him because I know I'll give him the look of a bitch if I do. Chris is a client, but I see him as more of a friend than a customer.

"Your usual?" I ask, a tight grin on my face. "Excuse my buddy here; he doesn't go out often and doesn't have a lot of friends," he nods. Suppose you couldn't tell already. You're doing well, my darling." I grin and turn to the pompous guy, asking him what he wants to eat. He looks at his pal and says, "I'll have what he's having," without looking at me. "I'll be back with your order," I reply with a nod.

I hurry to the rear and give the chef my order before sprinting to prepare the lady's drinks. I finish it and turn around to see her with the lads chatting to her. I raise an eyebrow in puzzlement and hand her a drink.

"Hey, thanks, girl, that looks wonderful," she responds with a grin.

"You're welcome," I remark as I reciprocate her grin.

"Can I have two beers?" I nod

"Which kind?" I ask. She informs me, and I reach for two drinks. She turns around and waves over a pair. They return her wave and begin going in her way.

"Hey gentlemen, I bought you a drink." They grin and thank her. I asked what they wanted to eat and jotted it in my notebook. I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn around to find Ella standing behind me, concerned. I excuse myself and follow Ella to the break room, where I find the baby sobbing. I groan and take Genesis out of the baby bag, putting her in the baby carrier so I can cuddle her while working. I hope my supervisor doesn't say anything since I need this job. I offer a quick prayer that I don't get into any difficulty, as if to say, "God, it's time for you to perform your magic."

I go out with the baby using headphones to block the loud music. Ella is helpful in getting the food to the people I'm serving. I put the dishes down and saw Chris staring at the baby on my chest. Ella grabs additional drinks while staring at the guests, particularly the unpleasant guy.

The rude guy then exclaims, "Why the heck is there a baby here, you're such a jerk, and what took you so long to bring out the food?" It should take no more than 20 minutes and no longer than 30 or 40 minutes. You're a slacker who can't execute your job properly."

This dude has utterly lost my tolerance. "Listen here, weirdo." I am a human being who requires respect. I did nothing to you and was kind, yet you treated me like garbage!" I catch my breath and get flushed with wrath.

"Hey, I'm sorry about him," Chris adds, clearing his throat. He's intoxicated, but you're doing OK." I glance at him and attempt to keep my breathing under control.

"Chris, don't justify your juvenile actions," I snarl.

"Do you have no idea who I am?" I raise an eyebrow at the disrespectful jerk and ask, "Am I supposed to?" I hear gasps and see that everyone's eyes are open.

"I'm enjoying her more and more. She's great, precisely what we need in this world," laughs the brunette I fed the fire dragon. She has no idea who he is."

"What?" I ask the girl a question. What on earth does she mean?

"Are you sure you don't know who I am?" Says the obnoxious individual. "Am I expected to?" I say this with annoyance. I hear gasps once again. In disbelief, I sighed and shook my head. "I'm sorry, sir, I was nasty to you and lost my anger, which was unprofessional." I'll get the rest of your orders."

"You had best not take too long, or else." I turn around, my patience exhausted. "Listen, gentleman, I'm not sure who you think you are, but I don't appreciate you speaking so rudely, and I apologize." Everyone is working hard to ensure you have a good time, and if you leave unsatisfied, it's because you are an unhappy guy with a stick in your a$$. I suggest you take it out and quit being a jerk."

Ella expresses concern and adds, "I'm sorry about her, sir." Please don't tell our employer she has no idea who you are, sir. We sincerely apologize." "Why the heck are you apologizing?" I ask, astounded.

She gives me a tight grin and adds, "Follow along." "Enjoy your supper," she whispers over her shoulder as she pushes me to the back. She leads me to a corner and shouts at me. "Omg, Suzette, do you have any idea who it is?" I shake my head as I place my hands on the infant. Who is this person that has everyone terrified and startled by my words? I feel her hands on my shoulders, squeezing them.

"Hi, my name is Blayze Wilton, and I am the CEO of Wilton Co Inc." She mimics. He owns islands and businesses all over the globe and is valued at well over a billion dollars. He is an actual billionaire! In a word, he can fire you. Suzette, you're in danger." I began feeling queasy all of a sudden. Great! My bluntness will definitely get me fired. I messed up. I nod and go to the back of the room to get back to work. Oh my goodness, I need this job. I continue to work while touching the baby's head. I serve table after table, always watching the clock to see when my shift ends. Minutes and hours have passed. The infant is fast asleep on my chest and chooses to sleep when I finish cleaning up the table 7.

I'm washing up some dishes when I turn around in surprise to see my butt gripped. I saw a man grinning and saying, "I adore a baby mother." "Don't you dare talk or touch me again," I snarl at him.

I turn around and am ready to go, but he grabs me, and my instincts to defend the baby kick in. I fling my elbow back and feel it contact something. I pull away and grab the infant as I see the guy holding his nose. I then feel arms attempt to grab me and fling my arm back, but I look around to see the unpleasant man.

"What do you think you're doing?" I say as I move away from him. He ignores me and speaks to the man who is holding his nose. "You should know better than to grab ladies in this manner." If I find you doing that again, I'll inflict more harm to you than she did." I clutch Genesis and see Chris standing next to me, his arm on my waist. My supervisor walks in and asks, "What's going on here?" Then Blayze adds, "Nothing, he was just going."

I watch as the guy and his companions go. I go to the back room, set the baby down, and dash out to continue working. It's already 3 p.m., and I'm on my way to Chris's group to pick up the check. Then Blayze stares at me blankly and adds, "The excess is yours to keep." "Thank you, sir, and enjoy the rest of your night," I respond without looking at him.

"See you tomorrow at the coffee shop," Chris adds as I turn to go. I forgot I worked there as well. "See you tomorrow," I nod. Goodnight, Chris, and please thank your buddy for his assistance with that man earlier." He walks away, nodding. When I saw the tip left, my mouth dropped wide. I rush out and find Blayze and his companions waiting. "This is too big of a tip; you need to take it back right now," I exclaim.

He glances at me and then at the $500 in my palm.

"It's your tip, so why should I retract it?" That's all I'm going to offer you."

"You are mistaken; a tip is 5 or 2 dollars," I remark, puzzled.

"The client is never wrong." "Just keep the money; you need it more than I do anyhow; maybe you can get a nice bra since the one you're wearing now doesn't fit you," Blayze replies coldly. Okay, I'd had enough of him. I feel my hand move from the side, but I swiftly spin around to avoid slapping this jerk in the face.

I gather myself, and as I turn around, Blayze is staring at me with an unfathomable expression on his face. The nerve of this dude, wow. "You should go to anger management to assist with rage problems," he continues. You're a horrible mother; if you're so angry, you shouldn't have your kid with you."

I've had enough. I look at him, irritated, and say, "I don't care who you are, but you are rude as hell and have no respect-" he cuts me off and adds, "You already said that." In exasperation, I grrr. "You huge ugly prick has no right to teach me how to be a mother." He stops me once again and adds, very near to me, "Don't you dare talk to me like that again; I will wreck your life if you do." You will respect me because I said so, and I will take care of that kid of yours."

I glance at him, stunned and terrified, but I ignore it. I'm not going to let him jeopardize my future like this. "I will not respect you. You do not gain respect by endangering someone's future. You've shown me tonight that you don't deserve anyone's respect. You are a terrible guy who threatens my future and that baby's life. That kid isn't even mine, and I'm simply being kind by minding the child for someone else as if it were none of your concern. So you may threaten me all you want, but I'm not going to tolerate your disrespect. Kiss my a$$ and have fun trying to tear me down because you will inevitably fail."

I turn and walk away, Chris laughing and a jaw-dropped millionaire staring at me.

Yes, I am screwed.

Heat strikes my face, and a brilliant light shines through my eyelids. I know it's morning, but I'm not sure what hour it is. I open my eyes, squinting at the light, and look around the room. It strikes me when I realize I'm not in my bedroom but at a hotel. I went to a party last night.

When I glance down at my belly, I see a little hand with red nails and a gold charm bracelet. I sigh, knowing how I got here. I move my hand harshly and get up without caring to look at the girl's face. As I dress, I recall the previous night's events.

The hotel door is slammed open, and I close it with my foot. I keep kissing her and moving my lips to her neck. Her neck arches to the side, letting me in. As I suck away, I bite her and hear her groan. We get to the bed, and I shove her into it. I take off my shirt and feel her hands on my stomach before sliding down to my jeans. I let her unbuckle my belt and smirk as she reacts to my cock. I take her hands from her and place them over her head. Kisses glide down her neck to her collarbone. While removing her clothing, it tears. So be it. I take off her bra and view her breast. Nipples are firm, and the breasts are fat and artificial. This is precisely what I was expecting from silicon breast. I can detect the difference between the two, and hers has been improved. I flick her nipple and hear her groan while kneeing her breast and sucking her other nipple. I feel her hands in my hair as I deliver her cherished flower feather kisses down her tummy. I take her hands off my hair. I reason I don't need her to touch me; I should bind her hands. I tickle her around her inner thighs by opening her legs. I smirk as she curses and screams in anguish. I then put my tongue to her flower while watching her head arch back. I keep working on her, watching her quiver and tremble before orgasming. As I close my lips, I hear her whimper. I violently grabbed her wrists and yanked her over. I hear her yell and hover over her, ensuring my sex is not against her sex. She groans, and I grasp her hair and pull it up with a clip she had in her hair.

I grasp her arms, raise them over her head, and then say in her ear, "You will not feel your legs tomorrow." I shove myself into her from behind, and she cries while clutching the sheets. "Yes!" She cries out my name, which I don't know, but I don't care since I'm just trying to get what I need. Sex. Every time I push harder into her, her butt claps. I quicken my pace when I hear clapping. She screams to God and groans. I hold her waist, and she yanks harder on the covers. She cries, "I'm going to come," but I drive out ahead of her. She shouts angrily, and I unwrap another condom in case the first one rips. I put on the fresh one and quickly turned her over, pushing myself back into her. I begin slowly, then accelerate, and she cries, "I'm coming!" I feel ready to burst when she takes my hand and pulls me away from her, removing the condom and grunting as I let go. We fall on the motel bed as she screams in her climax.

I smirk as I peek at the bed and notice that she is still sleeping. Thank goodness, since the last thing I want to hear is the whole thing. Why don't you remain? I thought this was going someplace. Worse yet, "Leaving so soon?" I sigh and lower my head. I believed I'd get away this time without any needy female seeking more. "Yes, I'm going," I responded as I looked at her. As I turn to go, she stands up, the covers covering her bare body. "Last night was incredible; we should do it again, you know?" With a blank expression on my face, I say to her.

"I took advantage of you to get away." I no longer want you. Don't bother contacting me because I'll simply ignore you and make you seem like an idiot in front of everyone. I screwed you without having sex with you. Now excuse me, but I'm leaving because I can smell your awful morning breath from here, and your face is making me ill." I stepped out and shut the door. I don't care if her eyes are filled with tears.

I exit my favorite hotel, my hookup location, and get into my vehicle. I smirk and think to myself, "Until next time." My driver drives me to my residence to change my clothes. He takes a right, and we drive down the road for a few minutes until we see my home in view. I open the door as the limo pulls to a halt. I say goodbye to Willard as he drives away and goes to the double doors.

I go in and go upstairs. I really should shower before going to work. When I open my bedroom door, I find my king bed set up in the center. I go to my closet and get my clothing for the day. I put on black dress trousers and a white dress shirt and go to the restroom in my boxers. I take off my soiled clothing and enter my shower. The water turns on, and water falls from the sky upon me. The shower is shaped like a square above my head, allowing the water to cascade down on my head like a soothing waterfall.

Another shower head is to my right, and another is to my left. It's similar to a body spray shower. I don't turn them on since they don't all need to be turned on. I washed my hair and washed my body. I exit my contemporary shower and take a towel from the towel rack. I tie it around my waist and go up to the mirror. I clean the fogged-up mirror by wiping it. I looked back at myself.

There's no denying that I'm gorgeous, and females constantly remind me of it. My mother claims my ego is too large for my body to manage. As I remembered my mother, I allowed a faint grin to grow on my lips. She's in Costa Rica, celebrating her and my father's birthdays. She's fifty, and my father is fifty-five. I clean my teeth and decide to contact my mother to check how she is. The phone calls twice, and I hear my mother's heavenly voice on the other end of the line. It is 11:39 a.m. here and 12:39 p.m. there.

"Good morning, sweetheart." "Mom, please stop calling me a 27-year-old man, sweetheart," I groan. I can see my mother rolling her eyes on the other end of the telephone. "No, you're still my baby boy, and I'll call you my honey till the day I die." "How's the travel, Mom?" I ask. "Are you having a good time?" "Yes, I am," my mother responds eagerly, "I have been getting a tan, shopping with your father, and hunting for a daughter-in-law." "Mom, please don't start with this whole wife bullshit again," I sigh.

"You need a wife, Blayze." I will not allow your father to transfer the family company to you until you are married." "Mom, dad can't work forever; you're going to kill him," I groaned, exasperated. "No, it will be you," she responds. "To avoid that, get your butt married," she said. "Well, jokes on you, Mom, I've been dating this lady for a year now, and I asked her to marry me, so there's that issue fixed," I reply.