The arrangement

Andre entered the enclosed spacious room that was dim save for the fancy chandelier that had red lighting flashing into the room, giving it an outdoor recreative atmosphere than a homestead lounge. He waits at the door and his eyes roved around the room at the oblivious inhabitants seated engaged in a delighted chatter not to notice him. He couldn't place his hand in what was off with the gathering.

His father never entertained people for business in the conservatoire, only for special occasions and of course for family events. The last they used the conservatoire was when his sister celebrated her graduation party and invited her friends from every nook of the globe to whom she had used the opportunity to show off her father's oversized wealth.

Andre rolled his eyes at his sister's exaggerated show-off attitude. She can be a bitch most times to the core when she wants to. But, all around she was a sweet girl. He took note to call her once he gets home to avoid her biting off his ears for being negligent about her existence. She can be a childish wimp to add to the mix.

Andre walked into the room, getting the attention of everyone. His father had a smile etched on his brows, raising the hairs on André's body the more. His father never offers his smile to anyone like that even in business, apart from his dear glorious wife.

"Here comes the one after my heart. Come. Come. Come, son," his father hailed towards him. That was weirder. Ever since his assumed prowess as a renowned Casanova, his father has never been this sweet to him like this. What is going on?

He noted the lady that was dressed in a red gown seated in their midst, giving him an alluring seductive smile.

He went towards his father, all the while having a passable smile as Lukas stood to welcome him. He chanced a look at his mother she didn't have the usual glow on her face whenever he was around, heightening his suspense that something was wrong with this gathering.

"Mr Schneider, meet my son, Andrè Rossi," the man smiled, his caramel eyes glistening as he stretched out to take Andrè hand in a handshake.

"It's nice making your acquaintance, Mr Rossi. Your father has said a lot about you and I am humbled to meet you in person." Andrè was speechless and only nodded at his speech. His father made other introductions, stopping at the lady with the red dress.

"And last but not least, son, this the most important person to you in this room right now," Lukas said and laughed as every other person sharing in his off-hand joke in the room laughed along. "Meet Ms Stacy Schneider, the heiress to the S&T conglomerate. Now, isn't that fetchy son? Ms Schneider, you already know my son, Andrè." he finished and left Andrè standing before the grinning girl, in confusion. What is he supposed to do with her? He looked towards his father who looked back at him with a grin that had steel behind it. More like daring him to be rebellious.

He sat down close to the girl, finally understanding where this was going. He smiled at the girl and played along at least to spare the poor girl and her family the embarrassment of walking out on them in his rage.

They talked about lots of things during lunch. The girl wasn't bad. They even trudged to the back of the house afterwards, and she told him different things about her, and the fact that she just returned from Europe and was told by her father she was to get married to him to seal a business contract he had been chasing with Lukas for ages.

"To be frank with you, I don't care one bit about this arrangement. I only want to obey my parents so as not to garner the wrath of my father. Plus, I need help setting up my business...I wish we can work out something to ward off this. I am not ready for marriage and even if I am, I have someone I am in love with," she confided in him. Andrè exhaled in relief, happy that he wouldn't have to live with the guilt of breaking another girl's heart due to his father's poor decisions.

"I am most relieved with everything you just said Stacy and be rest assured that I share in your sentiment. The problem is what are we going to do now? I know my father and his skirmish ways to get whatever he wants," Andrè mused remotely angry with his father for this stunt he was striving to pull on him.

The girl's face lit up in a smile all of a sudden. "I think I know what we're going I do. I mean we can't just tell them we ain't interested in each other, right? So we would play along," she reasoned, looking up at him with her father's identical caramel eyes.

"Play along?" he mumbled in confusion.

"Urgh! Think, dude! I thought you were smart!" his eyes widened at her outburst. She was wide-mouthed he must admit.

"You want us to pretend to date?" he asked surprisingly. She twirled around in excitement. "Exactly! We will play pretend till I get what I want, and then you _" she paused realizing she doesn't even know what he wanted.

"What would you do? Me, I have to get the fund for my business and for Ferdinand to propose after which I would go back to Europe to be with him. You on the other hand what would you do?" she inquired.

Andrè shrugged. "Nothing. I mean left for me, I don't give a fuck what he thinks or wants. So perhaps when you run off to your boyfriend abroad while I would pretend to be the heartbroken boyfriend and grieve you dumping me. At least that would get them off my back."

"You have a girlfriend?" she caught him off guard with the question. He blinked his long lashes, at her trying to discern what answer to provide to such a complicated question. Does he have a girlfriend? Dee flew through his mind at the moment. Should he ask her out? Would she agree? He would have to. He couldn't stop thinking about her so it was simply the best thing to do.

"Yes, I do." he mused aloud, his face lightening up in a smile. "I do."

"Mmmm... you must really love her to bring such a smile to your face just at her remembrance," she queried with a slanted brow at him. He felt his cheek heat up at the inquisitive girl's utterance. He looked away.

Love is a severe word to use. The girl is getting ahead of herself.

"I have heard everything you said and would put it into consideration," he said, grazing her with one of his killer smiles. He saw the blush that crept up her cheeks before she looked away and then all of a sudden she turned and hooked her hands around him in an intimate manner. His eyes widened at her disposition and wanted to call her shot but she twitched her eyes in a mischievous way.

"They're coming. Acts begin!" she said in a hushed tone and laughed out loud in a ridiculous way about something he never said. He had no choice but to on cue join the play. He laughed along and even reached around her waist holding her to him.

"Son, I am sorry to interrupt. I can see you two are already getting along. I am sorry to cut this short but her father calls for her. It's time for their departure," Lukas quipped with his eyes sparkling in delight at how fast the hookup worked. He never believed his son would agree to this at first. He had planned to use an iron fist on him or threaten him with a quick marriage with or without his assent. But as it turns out there would be no need for all that. He knew he made the right choice with the Schneiders for this.

He noticed how his son's face fell when he told them Stacy's father wanted her. Shows he was already missing the girl.

"I would see you around then," Andrè said to her, ameliorating that the charade was at an end. The girl waved at him and walked off with his father who floated after her. Andrè could see he was swimming in victory at achieving this feat. He wouldn't see what was coming after him Andrè scowled and smiled immediately as his father turned back to wink at him.

He stood by the side of the pool for a while and thought about everything. How was he supposed to pretend with the girl and for goddamn how long was he supposed to play pretend with someone he didn't share any inclinations with?

The entire scheme was ridiculous and now he had to do it for her.

He felt pity for her for having such a brute of a father who would want to sell off the happiness of his child just for some stupid contract that would expire in a couple of years.

He knew his father.

He doesn't dwell on something for long. The only thing that had held his attention for long is Andre's other and to date, he still wonders how that has been possible.

Soon he would see something bigger that would get his attention and then he would divert. Many of his business rivals had been left appalled and unable to track his moves because of how unpredictable he was. He has been the only one who detects his moves successively and that is because Lukas is his father and the same blood flows between them, coupled with the fact that he involves him in most of his transact and he keeps track of it.

The man was like a snake.

He turned and walked back into the house. He would have to talk to his father. He won't let this fly. If he intends to live his life without having him sneaking in to ruin most of it then he has to do something about it now. He wasn't ready for commitment and no one would change his mind about it.

Suddenly he stopped something occurring to him. Could it be possible this was what Dee was trying to tell him earlier today?

" Figlio, stai bene? ( son, are you okay?)" his mother's sweet crispy voice drove him back from his drift.

"Yea," he answered and turned to meet her worried face.

"I'm so sorry, son. I tried to talk him out of it but you know your father. He wouldn't listen to me," she admitted, cradling his worried face.

"Don't worry mother, I know just what to do," he chipped and offered her a reassuring smile.

...