In The Hands of Dominic

11

Dominic relaxed and waited. He let his eyes observe the sitting room. It was affluent without being extravagant.

For a man of Duke's caliber, it was decent. He had seen more lavish homes of politicians and top business owners. That could mean that Duke was probably not as vain as many politicians.

Andra returned and sat down with her laptop. She ignored his expectant gaze and fiddled with her laptop.

"I'm expecting feedback." She heard him say in that unnerving clipped tone of his. She gave him her attention and rolled her eyes.

Her heart froze as he narrowed his eyes disapprovingly at her.

"I'm expecting feedback." Dominic repeated. He could barely stand her but then, he had been forewarned.

"He will be with you shortly." She replied haughtily and focused on her laptop.

"Why are you staring at me again?" he asked, forcing her gaze back to his.

"I wasn't." she denied hotly.

"You have been staring at me like someone who has not seen an attractive man before."

Her cheeks flushed hot with embarrassment which she quickly disguised with a look of disdain.

"It's normal to stare at a stranger." she threw at him.

"Yeah, right." He said doubtfully. "But it is okay. Staring is free so you can keep staring at this rare work of art before you." He patted his chest to drive his point home.

Andra found the confidence he had in himself, annoying.

"Wisdom requires that others praise you, not you, praising yourself."

"I disagree. In the current world that we now live in, the wise blow their trumpets. Because if you don't, who will? It's just like marketing. So, whether you like it or not, I'm hot and I know it."

She eyed him condescendingly but his return stare was mocking, a smirk forming across his lips.

"Don't worry, you can keep staring. I don't bite."

She ignored him and focused on her laptop. Somehow, she knew that he had his eyes on her. She ought to carry her laptop and leave for her room but she didn't know what was keeping her there with the troublesome visitor.

Andra stole a glance at him and met his gaze focused on her like he was examining her.

"Now, aren't you the one staring at me?" she said, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Oh, so now you admit that you had your eyes on me."

"Only because you're a stranger."

He scoffed. "You were staring at me. Otherwise, we would not have locked eyes. You had to have been staring."

"I wasn't." she denied hotly.

"If you say so." He lightly sneered igniting a spark of indignation in Andra.

"I guess this is how you flirt with girls in their own homes." She accused.

"Flirt?" he asked, amused. "Flirt with you? Sorry I don't flirt, especially not with a fellow guy."

Andra glared at him. "I am a girl." She corrected. How many times was she going to correct him?

His eyes assessed her from her feet to her face. "I am yet to see that." He responded, wearing a stoic expression.

Andra decided that she had gotten enough of the annoying stranger. She carried her laptop, shot him a cold look, and stormed away, exiting the living room and leaving him alone. She hoped that she would never have to cross paths with him again.

***

It wasn't long before Duke walked into the living room to meet Dominic. He immediately apologized for the delay as he entered.

A pleasant look was on his face at the sight of the handsome young man. It filled him with hope.

"I was handling a pressing task." He said as he took the seat Andra had just vacated.

"It's okay," Dominic responded.

"I must confess that I was glad and full of hope when I received your call and acceptance."

"That is good to know," Dominic responded. He was quite humbled by the man's faith in him.

"So how much are you going to charge?" Duke asked, upfront about the deal.

Dominic liked his straightforwardness.

"I prefer you leave money out of it until I encounter your daughter and ascertain what I'm getting myself into."

Dominic already had an idea about what he was going into but he still wanted to make the proceedings unrushed.

"I understand," Duke said, admiring the man's intelligence and composure. Again, he was impressed by the choice he had made.

He projected his voice, calling Andra.

"Daddy." Her voice floated into the living room from somewhere inside the house.

"Come over here."

"Okay, dad."

Seconds later, Andra appeared.

"Dad." She said, avoiding the stranger's eyes. She disliked his overwhelming presence.

Duke offered her a seat beside him and she sat down.

"Yes, daddy." She looked at him curiously, carefully avoiding the formidable stranger in the room. She didn't want to have anything to do with him. Already, she regretted being in the living room upon his arrival. She wished that Molly had been the one around, thus saving her from the unpleasant and humiliating encounter with him.

"I want to formally introduce you to Dominic James who you met earlier," Duke said, introducing the stranger. "And Dominic, this is my daughter Andra that I spoke to you about."

Andra eyed Dominic suspiciously as she spoke, addressing her father with a look of worry on her face.

"You spoke to him about me?" she asked. "And now you're introducing us? For what reason? What is going on?"

All Andra could remember was her father's threat about marrying her off. Seeing Dominic there and the introduction was starting to dawn on her that Molly may have been right with her assertions.

"What's going on, Daddy?" she whined.

Duke didn't see any reason why he should sugarcoat his intentions.

"Dominic is going to propose to you publicly and afterward marry you."

"What?"

"Hewill act as your fiancé for a while. Let me say perhaps three months, afterwhich you will both tie the knot in a fake wedding. Then you will live in thesame house, pretending to be husband and wife, just until the elections areover."