Arranged: Bound By Contract (girlxintersex)

Chapter 22

Chapter 22
Stella POV

The kitchen was perfumed in spices and herb, which was from Nathalie backyard. She had given me a much unnecessary tour of her house and I mean everything. It was slightly interesting, I looked forward to the picture albums and also her hot father that she have pine in almost every single way.

We share one thing in common, we have unconditional love for out father. She however never mentioned anything about her mother or other possible relatives. It wasn't relevant for us to talk about anyway.

Our friendship was like a fresh spring of grass. We will eventually bloom into something amazing if she didn't mess it up.

She hum a sweet tune, as she moved fluidly around the kitchen.

Mateo had ordered another difficult lunch, and Nathalie appeared to be familiar with the cuisine. I, on the other hand, was only peeling and cleaning up any mess, which didn't make me feel particularly useful.

I wasn't sure why I felt the urge to be useful, but I did. She moved to the side, swaying the spoon in the viscous sauce, and beckoned me over. I left the work at hand and went over to the stove.

The heat immediately felt like it was tearing my flesh away. I gazed down into the saucepan, where the sauce was quietly boiling.

"Stir,"

She handed me the wooden spoon, and I stirred, but she grasped my hand and let out a giggle.
"Not like that. When you stir like this, the oil separates from the sauce itself. But if you stir like this, everything will be incorporated, giving you that rich, beautiful—"

"I got it!"

She released my hand, and I started to stir in a manner similar to hers. "Did you compose the recipe and procedure for this sauce?" She inquired, wiping her hand on the apron and hurrying over to the partly peeled onions. She removed the remainder of the skin in record time.

"I did,"

We were preparing a vegetarian meal. Which includes handmade loaded vegetable sauce, pasta, and oven-toasted garlic bread.
Mateo's affluent eating habits were getting to me, especially since I just ate chips and Coke.

This has been the healthiest food I've eaten since we got married.

"Make sure you include the time at which each meal is to be cooked; this way, you have less danger of burning the food." She explained. She swung the sharp knife into the onion and quickly produced perfectly chopped onion. She transported them over and placed them in the sauce.

"Did you manage to speak with Mateo about going to the community center tomorrow?"

"What day is tomorrow?" I will admit that since becoming a wife, I have lost sight of time and social media.
It was like Mateo gave me a chance to be who I really was. By the time I was supposed to relax, I was exhausted and fell asleep.

Tonight, I need to make an effort to check my phone and keep myself updated on what is going on.

"Saturday?"

"Is today Friday?" My shocked gaze extended out to her. She was slicing up more vegetables for the spaghetti sauce.

She nodded with a kind grin. It did not feel like a Friday night. I would not be cooking at home. I would sat in front of my mirror, doing the most exquisite makeup to outshine everyone in the club and my father's casino. You might say I was the cash cow.

I assisted the consumer upon his arrival, but it was insufficient. My father need more than 20 personnel to operate a complete gambling casino.

"I haven't spoken to her about it. I promise you tonight. I'd want to see what this community stuff is about."

"Well, I can always invite you to our WhatsApp group."

"No fucking way!"

"Well, you got me. If you arrive tomorrow, please wear all white and a tennis skirt or any skirt that isn't too short."

"Why only white?" This sounds like a cult.

"They use color codes all the time. It's for the yearbook photo."

"I'll go, but count me out of the color code and yearbook."
"You have to." Taylor is the community's head organizer. It's entirely her idea, and everyone supports it."

I should have known that fucking piggy was behind everything. "I can't tolerate her," I murmur, glancing back at the sauce, which was becoming thicker and popping small bubble pockets.

"Nobody can. However, she is ultimately responsible for maintaining order in the neighborhood."
"I don't give a damn. She fucks herself with either me or Mateo, and she gets it."

She laughed. But I was serious.

"Where did you come from? Was it like that?" She asked.

"No, it was not a community. We didn't believe we needed to do things together. We didn't even greeted our distant neighbors. But enough to see them."

"It must be lonely?"

"Rich folks don't mind being lonely. We worry about the advantages and how much more money we can get under our rugs."

I disliked anything uniform, whether or not it had any merits. This entire community and what we were going to do together was ridiculous. I believe everyone should stay on their side of the yard.

"If we don't do things together and support one another. We won't accomplish anything?"

"That is what I mean. I don't believe that having a community center provides no benefits other than housewives babbling."

"They do gossip, and they continually put it in my face, which I didn't understand because I was not married." She used air quotes.

"We're the same. This entire marriage stuff is new to me."

"At least you are married." She sprinkled the remainder of the vegetables. She sprinkles a few more grains of salt, then takes the spoon from me and starts stirring.

"If it hadn't been for my father's business about to crawl in the mud, I would not have married."

"You wouldn't?"

"I am a city girl. That want to have a wild life till it is too late." I grinned.

"I want to marry and have a baby. Perhaps three babies. I wish to have a faithful husband."

"Okay, Cinderella. I wish you the best." My friends back home had never said that they wanted to marry.

"Marriage will be fun?"

"I believe you're looking at it from a Disney movie perspective. Husband is loyal. Rich or work, but still have time for his family. In this universe, there is no such thing. You either have a busy spouse or a poor husband." Mateo has been confined at her office for the past few days, transferring documents and such. But the moment she paused, the money had run out.

"But, will Spartan be there?"

She attempted to muster a glare but failed.

"If he isn't working, he might. He doesn't stay very long. Why?"

"I'd want to apologize," I shrugged. I step away from the blazing hot burner.

"Why? "He doesn't deserve an apology?"

"Well, I still want to see if I have any use for him."

"Not, the greatest idea. Don't you see how upset your wife became?"

"Exactly. I'm reaching. I'm hoping she'll be jealous."

"But why?"

"Because it is enjoyable."

"How can making someone furious be fun?"

"Why do you have a reaction that you play out in your head?"